They nevertheless smilingly submitted themselves to his guidance, and in order to prove that he was not very troublesome, Fanny so far returned to their previous conversation as to say,
"We must ask your judgment, Major Dalrymple, upon a point on which we were disputing just before you joined us: which do you prefer in the pulpit--and out of it--Mr. Wallace, or Mr. Cartwright?"
"You were disputing the point, were you?" he replied. "Then I am afraid, Miss Fanny, I must give it against you; for I believe I know Mary's opinion already, and I perfectly agree with her."
"Then I shall say to you, as I say to her," replied Fanny, eagerly "that you are altogether blinded, benighted, deluded, and wrapt up in prejudice! I have great faith both in her sincerity and yours, major; and yet I declare to you, that it does seem to me so impossible for any one to doubt the superiority of Mr. Cartwright in every way, that I can hardly persuade myself you are in earnest."
"What do you mean by _every way_, Miss Fanny?--you cannot surely believe him to be a better man than our dear old vicar?" said the major.
"We can none of us, I think, have any right to make comparisons of their respective goodness--at least not as yet," replied Fanny. "When I said _every way_, I meant in the church and in society."
"On the latter point I suppose I ought to leave the question to be decided between you, as in all cases of the kind where gentlemen are to be tried, ladies alone, I believe, are considered competent to form the jury;--not that Mary can have much right to pronounce a verdict either, for I doubt if she has ever been in a room with Mr. Cartwright in her life."
"Yes, I have," said Mary eagerly, "and he is perfectly delightful!"
"Indeed!--I did not know you had seen him."
"Oh! you saw him in a shop, did you?--and even that was sufficient to prove him delightful?"
"Quite enough!" replied Mary, colouring a little as she observed Major Dalrymple smile.
"The more you see of him, the more you will be aware of his excellence," said Fanny, coming to the aid of her friend, and with an air of gravity that was intended to check the levity of the major. "I have seen him repeatedly at the Park, Major Dalrymple, and under circumstances that gave sufficient opportunity to show the excellence of his heart, as well as the charm of his friendly, affectionate, and graceful manner."