Phyllis Bottome

“ It seemed to Marcel that Fanny was letting Geoffrey go; she was letting him go to a tune that Emily never heard. Marcel heard it clearly enough, and he knew that you do not let a man go unless you have already held him.
All these delightful, blind English people sat round Fanny in a ring. Mrs. Dering, with her gift of irony and her habit of toleration, which evaded rather than overcame obstacles; Mr. Dering, daintily stepping over facts as if they were mud to be kept from shining boots; Emily, a watchful redeemer, invariably watching the wrong things ”

“ But women finish these things, in men's hearts, where they wish to find only room for themselves and their conveniences. I do not say all women, not even all good women, but many good women—they make what is called a clean sweep. Think what on the whole is easiest of me, then; Miss Emily will guide you. But remember this: I am a man who has never respected women, but I respect Mademoiselle Fanny; do not, therefore, respect her less than I. When you have been married five years come alone to Paris, and I will explain the reason for our action. ”

“ Marcel spread out his hands.
"And do you, may I ask," he demanded, "admire her, then, this Miss Emily?"
"Oh, I admire her all right," said Fanny, quickly; "don't make any mistake about that. She's good; she's so good she does n't see what things mean. There's lots of ways I know him better than she does. She should n't have sent him down here with me that way. She did n't know, though I tried to tell her; but I was afraid to say too much. You are with good people; they get such ideas in their heads; they think things worse than they are. ”