Доводы рассудка

           ShehadbeenatBaththeyearbefore,andLadyRussellhadheardherspokenofasacharmingwoman.Itwasverydesirablethattheconnexionshouldberenewed,ifitcouldbedone,withoutanycompromiseofproprietyonthesideoftheElliots.”

           SirWalter,however,wouldchoosehisownmeans,andatlastwroteaveryfineletterofampleexplanation,regret,andentreaty,tohisrighthonourablecousin.NeitherLadyRussellnorMrElliotcouldadmiretheletter;butitdidallthatwaswanted,inbringingthreelinesofscrawlfromtheDowagerViscountess.“Shewasverymuchhonoured,andshouldbehappyintheiracquaintance.”Thetoilsofthebusinesswereover,thesweetsbegan.TheyvisitedinLauraPlace,theyhadthecardsofDowagerViscountessDalrymple,andtheHonourableMissCarteret,tobearrangedwherevertheymightbemostvisible:and“OurcousinsinLauraPlace,”—”Ourcousin,LadyDalrympleandMissCarteret,”weretalkedoftoeverybody.

           Annewasashamed.HadLadyDalrympleandherdaughterevenbeenveryagreeable,shewouldstillhavebeenashamedoftheagitationtheycreated,buttheywerenothing.Therewasnosuperiorityofmanner,accomplishment,orunderstanding.LadyDalrymplehadacquiredthenameof“acharmingwoman,”becauseshehadasmileandacivilanswerforeverybody.MissCarteret,withstilllesstosay,wassoplainandsoawkward,thatshewouldneverhavebeentoleratedinCamdenPlacebutforherbirth.