Sabine Baring-Gould

“ I’m in a regular tangle.’
‘You’ve got where you can’t see the sunset,’ said Asheton, sulkily; he was looking over his shoulder at the baron, who had edged away with Jacquetta to a considerable distance on the rampart, and was pointing out to her the isle and fortress of La Conchée, that was steeped in the orange glory of the declining sun.
‘I wouldn’t do an unhandsome thing for the world,’ continued the unwearied, unflagging Mrs Fairbrother. ‘I wouldn’t profit not a grain of mustard seed by any underhand and mean tricks, if Aunt Betsy were capable of ’em, which I don’t believe. ”

“ Mrs Fairbrother was not an observant person; she did not suspect in the least the little play that was going on about her, whilst she talked. Both of the young men found Jacquetta more agreeable to converse with than the old lady, and each tried to involve his companion in conversation with the latter so as to retain the society of the young girl for himself. Asheton proved restive when the good woman linked herself on to him. Through the corner of his eye he could see the baron ingratiating himself with Jacquetta. ”

“ I don’t know, I’ve never moved in society. Fairbrother is a grocer on a large scale. I don’t mean that he is personally on a large scale, but I mean the grocery is. The Chanticleer property is no particular odds to me or Jacket, if my aunt has left it us, and Betsy was Jacket’s godmamma. I may say to you that Fairbrother has done uncommon well in business, and laid by a lot of money, and might retire, if he were of a retiring disposition, which he ain’t. Jacket will have twenty-five thousand pounds when she marries, and when her father and I are dead and gone, as much more ”