She believes in herself, and she's welcome, after all, poor dear, having only herself to look to.

I've seldom met a young woman more completely free to be silly.

She has a clear course--she'll make a showy finish." "Well," I replied, "as she probably will reduce many persons to the same degraded state, her partaking of it won't stand out so much." "If you mean that the world's full of twaddlers I quite agree with you!" cried Mrs.Meldrum, trumpeting her laugh half across the Channel.
I had after this to consider a little what she would call my mother's son, but I didn't let it prevent me from insisting on her making me acquainted with Flora Saunt; indeed I took the bull by the horns, urging that she had drawn the portrait of a nature which common charity now demanded of her to put into relation with a character really fine.

Such a frail creature was just an object of pity.

This contention on my part had at first of course been jocular; but strange to say it was quite the ground I found myself taking with regard to our young lady after I had begun to know her.