208 
THE CORAL RING. 
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for your fellow-creatures, unless you are to do it in 
the most genteel, comfortable, and picturesque 
manner possible, is there not a great field for a 
woman like you, Florence, in your influence over 
your associates? With your talents for conversa¬ 
tion, your tact and self-possession, and lady-like 
gift of saying any thing you choose, are you not 
responsible, in some wise, for the influence you 
exert over those by whom you are surrounded ? ” 
“ I never thought of it,” replied Florence. 
“ Now, you remember the remarks that Mr. 
Fortesque made, the other evening, on the reli¬ 
gious services at church ? ” 
“ Yes, I do ; and thought then he was too bad.” 
“ And I do not suppose there was one of you 
ladies in the room that did not think so too ; but 
yet the matter was all passed • over with smiles, 
and with not a single insinuation that he had said 
any thing unpleasing or disagreeable.” 
“ Well, what could we do ? One does not 
want to be rude, you know.” 
“ Do ! Could you not, Florence, — you who have 
always taken the lead in society, and. who have 
been noted for always being able to say and do as 
you please, — could you not have shown him that 
those remarks were unpleasing to you, as decid¬ 
edly as you certainly would have done if they had 
related to the character of your father or brother ? 
To my mind, a woman of true moral feeling 
should feel herself as much insulted when her 
