She had been in France (where St.Just, they say, inspired her with an unfortunate passion), and loved, ever after, French novels, French cookery, and French wines.

She read Voltaire, and had Rousseau by heart; talked very lightly about divorce, and most energetically of the rights of women.

She had pictures of Mr.Fox in every room in the house: when that statesman was in opposition, I am not sure that she had not flung a main with him; and when he came into office, she took great credit for bringing over to him Sir Pitt and his colleague for Queen's Crawley, although Sir Pitt would have come over himself, without any trouble on the honest lady's part.

It is needless to say that Sir Pitt was brought to change his views after the death of the great Whig statesman.
This worthy old lady took a fancy to Rawdon Crawley when a boy, sent him to Cambridge (in opposition to his brother at Oxford), and, when the young man was requested by the authorities of the first-named University to quit after a residence of two years, she bought him his commission in the Life Guards Green.
A perfect and celebrated "blood," or dandy about town, was this young officer.

Boxing, rat-hunting, the fives court, and four-in-hand driving were then the fashion of our British aristocracy; and he was an adept in all these noble sciences.