Lady Camper sent in her card.
Elizabeth Ople beheld a tall, handsomely-mannered lady, with good features and penetrating dark eyes, an easy carriage of her person and an agreeable voice, but (the vision of her age flashed out under the compelling eyes of youth) fifty if a day.

The rich colouring confessed to it.

But she was very pleasing, and Elizabeth's perception dwelt on it only because her father's manly chivalry had defended the lady against one year more than forty.
The richness of the colouring, Elizabeth feared, was artificial, and it caused her ingenuous young blood a shudder.

For we are so devoted to nature when the dame is flattering us with her gifts, that we loathe the substitute omitting to think how much less it is an imposition than a form of practical adoration of the genuine.
Our young detective, however, concealed her emotion of childish horror.
Lady Camper remarked of her, 'She seems honest, and that is the most we can hope of girls.' 'She is a jewel for an honest man,' the General sighed, 'some day!' 'Let us hope it will be a distant day.' 'Yet,' said the General, 'girls expect to marry.' Lady Camper fixed her black eyes on him, but did not speak.
He told Elizabeth that her ladyship's eyes were exceedingly searching: 'Only,' said he, 'as I have nothing to hide, I am able to submit to inspection'; and he laughed slightly up to an arresting cough, and made the mantelpiece ornaments pass muster.
General Ople was the hero to champion a lady whose airs of haughtiness caused her to be somewhat backbitten.

He assured everybody, that Lady Camper was much misunderstood; she was a most remarkable woman; she was a most affable and highly intelligent lady.