She had not a single acquaintance among all these women, and had no idea which of them she would find attractive, or which of them she might have cause to fear.

How was she to comport herself in the society of all these high and haughty dames?
If she put on a bold and confident air, they would snub her; if she humbled herself before them, they would ridicule her.
They would not credit her with any good qualities.

Her very beauty would make them suspicious of her; a hidden meaning, a secret insinuation, would lurk behind all the friendly words they addressed to her.

Woe to her if she did not realize this, and woe to her also if she realized it and did not keep her feelings to herself! Woe to her if she did not give back as good as she got, and woe to her if she did! Poor lady! So she ran her eyes down the long list of names before her from end to end.
How she longed to find among them some good-natured, generous, tender-hearted woman whom she might look upon as a dear mother--not another Mrs.Meyer, but a dear ideal mother such as all good people imagine every mother to be! how she longed, too, to find among them many a gentle girl, many a young sympathetic damsel whom she might love like sisters--though not such sisters as hers! But how was she to recognize; how was she to approach them?
how was she to win their hearts, their confidence?
Again and again she read through the list of names aloud, as if she would have discovered from the _sound_ of the names the disposition of their bearers; then she laid it down before her with a sigh, and turned an inquiring look upon the steward.
"My dear Mr.Varga, pardon me if I trouble you with a question." Mr.Varga hastened to assure her that he was her most humble servant, and only awaited her commands.
"But this question is very, very important." Mr.Varga assured her that he was ready for anything in the world; even if her ladyship should require him to leap through the window, he was prepared to do so.
"I am going to ask you a question, to which I require a perfectly sincere answer.

You must be perfectly frank towards me.