Company
was constantly coming and going at "the Braes," and much of it
a kind that Ellen exceedingly liked to see and hear;
intelligent, cultivated, well-informed people, whose
conversation was highly agreeable and always useful to her.
Ellen had nothing to do with the talking, so she made good use
of her ears.
One evening Mr. Lindsay, a M. Villars, and M. Muller, a Swiss
gentleman and a noted man of science, very much at home in Mr.
Lindsay's house, were carrying on, in French, a conversation,
in which the two foreigners took part against their host. M.
Villars began with talking about Lafayette; from him they went
to the American revolution and Washington, and from them to
other patriots and other republics, ancient and modern — MM.
Villars and Muller taking the side of freedom, and pressing
Mr. Lindsay hard with argument, authority, example, and
historical testimony. Ellen, as usual, was fast by his side,
and delighted to see that he could by no means make good his
ground. The ladies at the other end of the room would several
times have drawn her away, but happily for her, and also, as
usual, Mr. Lindsay's arm was around her shoulders, and she was
left in quiet to listen. The conversation was very lively, and
on a subject very interesting to her; for America had always
been a darling theme; Scottish struggles for freedom were
fresh in her mind; her attention had long ago been called to
Switzerland and its history by Alice and Mrs.
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