Barry Pain

“ I should have been much more indirect, and Jimmy would have found himself being much more explicit. When I become unable to make the Jimmies of this world tell me what I want to know believe they are volunteering the information of their own free will, and rather fear that they are boring me—all simultaneously—I will give up being a woman and set to at something else. ”

“ There are many wits in London who would do better if they paid a boy to say their good things for them, simply because they have not got the necessary manner. His good looks always seemed to me like a plagiarism from one of Lytton's novels, but his conversational plagiarisms always looked rather good; he had the sense to direct his best manner upon his weakest point. I fancy that he often went to subscription dances for the pleasure of looking as if he did not often go there. I talked to Jimmy about this man afterwards.
“Jimmy,” I said “who's Mr. Charles Elkinthorpe?” ”

“ Alice's opposition provided him with the only halo that he possessed; it was a very small one. Engaged people always back other engagements, from a desire to have the happiness to themselves; married people always encourage engagements, from a desire to make the other foxes cut their brushes off.
A less episcopal branch of Jimmy's people had a reception one night and Charles Elkinthorpe was present ”