Madame de Cintre bows her head and folds her wings." "Can't she at least make her brother leave off ?" "Her brother is the chef de la famille, as they say; he is the head of the clan.

With those people the family is everything; you must act, not for your own pleasure, but for the advantage of the family." "I wonder what my family would like me to do!" exclaimed Tristram.
"I wish you had one!" said his wife.
"But what do they want to get out of that poor lady ?" Newman asked.
"Another marriage.

They are not rich, and they want to bring more money into the family." "There's your chance, my boy!" said Tristram.
"And Madame de Cintre objects," Newman continued.
"She has been sold once; she naturally objects to being sold again.
It appears that the first time they made rather a poor bargain; M.de Cintre left a scanty property." "And to whom do they want to marry her now ?" "I thought it best not to ask; but you may be sure it is to some horrid old nabob, or to some dissipated little duke." "There's Mrs.Tristram, as large as life!" cried her husband.

"Observe the richness of her imagination.

She has not a single question--it's vulgar to ask questions--and yet she knows everything.