She protested that there was at least no ground for supposing that Frank would absolutely disgrace his family.
Still the countess persisted: "Perhaps not," she said; "but when young people of perfectly different ranks were allowed to associate together, there was no saying what danger might arise.

They all knew that old Mr Bateson--the present Mr Bateson's father--had gone off with the governess; and young Mr Everbeery, near Taunton, had only the other day married a cook-maid." "But Mr Everbeery was always drunk, aunt," said Augusta, feeling called upon to say something for her brother.
"Never mind, my dear; these things do happen, and they are very dreadful." "Horrible!" said the Lady Amelia; "diluting the best blood of the country, and paving the way for revolutions." This was very grand; but, nevertheless, Augusta could not but feel that she perhaps might be about to dilute the blood of her coming children in marrying the tailor's son.

She consoled herself by trusting that, at any rate, she paved the way for no revolutions.
"When a thing is so necessary," said the countess, "it cannot be done too soon.

Now, Arabella, I don't say that anything will come of it; but it may: Miss Dunstable is coming down to us next week.

Now, we all know that when old Dunstable died last year, he left over two hundred thousand to his daughter." "It is a great deal of money, certainly," said Lady Arabella.
"It would pay off everything, and a great deal more," said the countess.
"It was ointment, was it not, aunt ?" said Augusta.
"I believe so, my dear; something called the ointment of Lebanon, or something of that sort: but there's no doubt about the money." "But how old is she, Rosina ?" asked the anxious mother.
"About thirty, I suppose; but I don't think that much signifies." "Thirty," said Lady Arabella, rather dolefully.