No woman, however, of sense, whether before marriage or after it, is difficult to be understood.

Upon a subject of such importance--one that involves the happiness of her future life--no female possessing truth and principle would, for one moment, suffer a misconception to exist.

Now your daughter, my favorite Lucy, is a girl of fine sense and high feeling, and I am at a loss, Sir Thomas, I assure you, to reconcile either one or the other with your metaphysics.

If Miss Gourlay sat for the disagreeable picture you have just drawn, she must be a great hypocrite, or you have grossly misrepresented her, which I conceive it is not now your interest or your wish to do." "But, my lord, I was speaking of the sex in general." "But, sir," replied his lordship with dignity, "we are here to speak of your daughter." Our readers may perceive that the wily baronet was beating about the bush, and attempting to impose upon his lordship by vague disquisitions.
He was perfectly aware of Lord Cullamore's indomitable love of truth, and he consequently feared to treat him with a direct imposition, taking it for granted that, if he had, an interview of ten minutes between Lucy and his lordship might lead to an exposure of his duplicity and falsehood.

He felt himself in a painful and distressing dilemma.