Sabine Baring-Gould

“ She might be willing to accept Jacquetta, but could not be expected to stoop further.
Mrs Fairbrother could not see why if the baroness yielded in essentials she should stick at immaterial matters. ‘If she will accept Jacket as her daughter, why don’t she come and see me and her? That may be French ways, it is not English. When we eat humble pie we eat it all and don’t niggle at the pastry.’
Mrs Fairbrother had other things to think of than the pride of the baroness when she was at home, though once or twice the good woman did grumble over it. ”

“ You had better go to your room, and rest there awhile.’ He knew why she cried, but he pretended not to.
‘Yes,’ she said. ‘All is so strange to me, and I cannot at once realise that this is to be in future the centre of my sphere, the sun-home round which all my thoughts as planets must move; from which I must try to exercise all my attractive powers.’ She smiled sadly. She thought that already she was exercising a repellent force. ”

“ For instance, when Fairbrother asked what sort of a house Jacket would have, whether the house was nicely furnished, ‘Bless you, Thomas,’ answered his wife, ‘I’ve not seen it. It does seem mean of the baroness not to have asked me there to take a look around. I should have liked to look at the nest which is to contain our dove. But, Thomas! French people ain’t on the outside like English people, yet inside I take it all are much the same; we all come from Adam. ”