Pretty well, Cousin Charlotte, for a young country lady! Till form
yields to familiarity, you may courtesy low. You must not be supposed
to have forgot your boarding-school airs.
But too low, too low Lady Betty, for your years and your quality. The
common fault of your sex will be your danger: aiming to be young too
long!—The devil’s in you all, when you judge of yourselves by your
wishes, and by your vanity! Fifty, in that case, is never more than
fifteen.
Graceful ease, conscious dignity, like that of my charmer, Oh! how hard
to hit!