Thomas Hardy

“ Mr. Nyttleton, who had just come up from Margate, where he was staying with his family, was standing at the top of his own staircase as the pair ascended. He politely took them inside.
'Is there a comfortable room in which this young lady can sit during our interview?' said Miss Aldclyffe.
It was rather a favourite habit of hers to make much of Cytherea when they were out, and snub her for it afterwards when they got home.
'Certainly--Mr. Tayling's.' Cytherea was shown into an inner room.
Social definitions are all made relatively: an absolute datum is only imagined. ”

“ It seemed to him, he said, that a greater number than those they already had would scarcely be necessary, and if they waited for more, there would be this disadvantage attending it, that some of those they now could command would possibly not be available.
'Never mind, we will run that risk,' said Miss Aldclyffe. 'Let the advertisement be inserted once more, and then we will certainly settle the matter.'
Mr. Nyttleton bowed, and seemed to think Miss Aldclyffe, for a single woman, and one who till so very recently had never concerned herself with business of any kind, a very meddlesome client. ”

“ Nyttleton's experienced old eyes.
'Now then,' the lady said, when she was alone with the lawyer; 'what is the result of our advertisement?'
It was late summer; the estate-agency, building, engineering, and surveying worlds were dull. There were forty-five replies to the advertisement.
Mr. Nyttleton spread them one by one before Miss Aldclyffe. 'You will probably like to read some of them yourself, madam?' he said.
'Yes, certainly,' said she.
'I will not trouble you with those which are from persons manifestly unfit at first sight,' he continued ”