She said thisnot disparagingly, but affectionately rather, as though, by acknowledging theworst about him, she wished to protect him from the aspersions of her friends.

"He's onthe Stock Exchange, and he's a typical broker. I think he'd bore you to death."

"Does hebore you?" I asked.

"You see,I happen to be his wife. I'm very fond of him. "

She smiled tocover her shyness, and I fancied she had a fear that I would make the sort ofgibe that such a confession could hardly have failed to elicit from RoseWaterford. She hesitated a little. Her eyes grew tender.

"Hedoesn't pretend to be a genius. He doesn't even make much money on the StockExchange. But he's awfully good and kind. "

"I think Ishould like him very much. "

"I'll askyou to dine with us quietly some time, but mind, you come at your own risk;don't blame me if you have a very dull evening. "

她用这个词一点儿也没有贬抑的意思，相反地，倒是怀着一股深情，好象由她自己说出他最大的缺点就可以保护他不受她朋友们的挖苦以的。

“他在证券交易所干事儿，是一个典型的经纪人。我猜想，他一定会叫你觉得很厌烦的。”

“你对他感到厌烦吗？”

“你知道，我刚好是他的妻子。我很喜欢他。”

她笑了一下，掩盖住自己的羞涩。我想她可能担心我会说一句什么打趣的话，换了柔斯·瓦特尔芙德，听见她这样坦白，肯定会挖苦讽刺几句的。她踌躇了一会儿，眼神变得更加温柔了。

“他不想假充自己有什么才华。就是在证券交易所里他赚的钱也不多。但是他心地非常善良。”

“我想我会非常喜欢他的。”

“等哪天没有外人的时候，我请你来吃晚饭。但是我把话说在前头，你可是自愿冒这个风险；如果这天晚上你过得非常无聊，可千万不要怨我。”