large/6513/fair_barbarian_1110_librivox_64kb_mp3/fairbarbarian_08_burnett_64kb_35
large/6513/fair_barbarian_1110_librivox_64kb_mp3/fairbarbarian_08_burnett_64kb
English
6513
To omit the customary state teas would have been to crush innocent Miss Belinda at a blow, and place her  through the medium of this young lady, who alone deserved condemnation  beyond the pale of all social law. "It is only to be regretted," said her ladyship, "that Belinda Bassett has not arranged things better. TO OMIT THE CUSTOMARY STATE TEARS WOULD HAVE BEEN TO CRUSH THE INNOCENT MISS BELINDA AT A BLOW AND PLACE HER THROUGH THE MEDIUM OF THIS YOUNG LADY WHO ALONE DESERVED CONDEMNATION BEYOND THE PALE OF ALL SOCIAL LAW IT IS ONLY TO BE REGRETTED SAID HER LADYSHIP THAT BELINDA BASSETT HAS NOT ARRANGED THINGS BETTER
send them?" she inquired. "Surely it must be expensive." "I don't suppose it's cheap," Octavia replied, "but it saves time and worry. I should have had to wait twelve days for a letter." "Very true," said Miss Belinda, "but"-- She broke off with rather a distressed shake of the head. Her simple ideas of economy and quiet living were frequently upset in these times. She had begun to regard her niece with a slight feeling of awe; and yet Octavia had not been doing any thing at all remarkable in her own eyes, and considered her life pretty dull. If the elder Miss Bassett, her parents and grandparents, had not been so thoroughly well known, and so universally respected; if their social position had not been so firmly established, and their quiet lives not quite so highly respectable,--there is an awful possibility that Slowbridge might even have gone so far as not to ask Octavia out to tea at all. But even Lady Theobald felt that it would not do to slight Belinda Bassett's niece and guest. GARDED HER TIMIDLY DOES YOUR PAPA OFTEN SEND THEM SHE INQUIRED SURELY IT MUST BE EXPENSIVE I DON'T SUPPOSE IT'S CHEAP OCTAVIA REPLIED BUT IT SAVES TIME AND WORRY I SHOULD HAVE TO WAIT TWELVE DAYS FOR A LETTER VERY TRUE SAID MISS BELINDA BUT SHE BROKE OFF WITH RATHER A DISTRESSED SHAKE OF THE HEAD HER SIMPLE IDEAS OF ECONOMY AND QUIET LIVING WERE FREQUENTLY UPSET IN THESE TIMES SHE HAD BEGUN TO REGARD HER NIECE WITH A SLIGHT FEELING OF AWE AND YET OCTAVIA HAD NOT BEEN DOING ANY THING AT ALL REMARKABLE IN HER OWN EYES AND CONSIDERED HER LIFE PRETTY DULL IF THE ELDER MISS BASSETT HER PARENTS AND GRANDPARENTS HAD NOT BEEN SO THOROUGHLY WELL KNOWN AND SO UNIVERSALLY RESPECTED IF THEIR SOCIAL POSITION HAD NOT BEEN SO FIRMLY ESTABLISHED AND THEIR QUIET LIVES NOT QUITE SO HIGHLY RESPECTABLE THERE IS AN AWFUL POSSIBILITY THAT SLOWBRIDGE MIGHT EVEN HAVE GONE SO FAR AS NOT TO ASK OCTAVIA OUT TO TEA AT ALL BUT EVEN LADY THEOBALD FELT THAT IT WOULD NOT DO TO SLIGHT BELINDA BASSETT'S NIECE AND GUEST
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