Besides, she had been very little in England since her parents' death.

Her mother's American friend, the excellent Mrs.
Rushmore, who had taken her under her wing, was now in Versailles, where she had a house, and Margaret actually had the audacity to live alone, rather than burden herself with a tiresome companion.
Her courage in doing so was perhaps mistaken, considering what the world is and what it generally thinks of the musical and theatrical professions; and Mrs.Rushmore, who was quite powerless to influence Margaret's conduct, did not at all approve of it.

The girl's will had always been strong, and her immense success had so little weakened her belief in herself, or softened her character, that she had grown almost too independent.

The spirit of independence is not a fault in women, but it is a defect in the eyes of men.

Darwin has proved that the dominant characteristic of male animals is vanity; and what is to become of that if women show that they can do without us?
If the emancipation of woman had gone on as it began when we were boys, we should by this time be importing wives for our sons from Timbuctoo or the Friendly Islands.