The lady visitors who dropped in on the sisters' studies were not
backward in espousing the game of ridicule, as it played away a few
minutes, to join in a laugh with the "witty Diana." These gracious
beings thought their sex gave them privilege to offend; but it was
not always that the gentlemen durst venture beyond a shrug of the
shoulder, a drop of the lip, a wink of the eye, or a raising of the
brows. Mary observed with contempt that they were prudent enough not
to exercise even these specimens of a mean hostility except when its
noble object had turned his back, and regarding him with increased
admiration, she was indignant, and then disdainful, at the envy which
actuated these men to treat with affected scorn him whom they
secretly feared.
[Illustration: MISS EUPHEMIA DUNDAS.]
The occasional calls of Lady Tinemouth and Miss Egerton stimulated
the cabal against Thaddeus. The sincere sentiment of equality with
themselves which these two ladies evinced by their behavior to him,
and the same conduct being adopted by Miss Dorothy and her beautiful
niece, besides the evident partiality of Euphemia, altogether
inflamed the spleen of Miss Dundas, and excited her _coterie_ to
acts of the most extravagant rudeness.
The little phalanx, at the head of which was the superb Diana, could
offer no real reason for disliking a man who was not only their
inferior, but who had never offended them even by implication.
Pages:
364
365
366
367
368
369
370
371
372
373
374
375
376
377
378
379
380
381
382
383
384
385
386
387
388