erbutitdidallthatwaswanted,inbringingthreelinesofscrawlfromtheDowagerViscountess.“Shewasverymuchhonoured,andshouldbehappyintheiracquaintance.”Thetoilsofthebusinesswereover,thesweetsbegan.TheyvisitedinLauraPlace,theyhadthecardsofDowagerViscountessDalrymple,andtheHonourableMissCarteret,tobearrangedwherevertheymightbemostvisible:and“OurcousinsinLauraPlace,”—“Ourcousin,LadyDalrympleandMissCarteret,”weretalkedoftoeverybody.
Annewasashamed.HadLadyDalrympleandherdaughterevenbeenveryagreeable,shewouldstillhavebeenashamedoftheagitationtheycreated,buttheywerenothing.Therewasnosuperiorityofmanner,accomplishment,orunderstanding.LadyDalrymplehadacquiredthenameof“acharmingwoman,”becauseshehadasmileandacivilanswerforeverybody.MissCarteret,withstilllesstosay,wassoplainandsoawkward,thatshewouldneverhavebeentoleratedinCamdenPlacebutforherbirth.
LadyRussellconfessedshehadexpectedsomethingbetterbutyet“itwasanacquaintanceworthhaving”andwhenAnneventuredtospeakheropinionofthemtoMrElliot,heagreedtotheirbeingnothinginthemselves,butstillmaintainedthat,asafamilyconnexion,asgoodcompany,asthosewhowouldcollectgoodcompanyaroundthem,theyhadtheirvalue.Annesmiledandsaid,
“Myideaofgoodcompany,MrElliot,isthecompanyofclever,well-informedpeople,whohaveagreatdealofconversationthatiswhatIcallgoodcompany.”
“Youaremistaken,”saidhegently,“thatisnotgoodcompanythatisthebest.Goodcompanyrequiresonlybirth,education,andmanners,andwithregardtoeducationisnotverynice.Birthandgoodmannersareessentialbutalittlelearningisbynomeansadangerousthingingoodcompanyonthecontrary,itwilldoverywell.MycousinAnneshakesherhead.Sheisnotsatisfied.Sheisfastidious.Mydearcousin”(sittingdownbyher),“youhaveabetterrighttobefastidiousthanalmostanyotherwomanIknowbutwillitanswer?Willitmakeyouhappy?WillitnotbewisertoacceptthesocietyofthosegoodladiesinLauraPlace,andenjoyalltheadvantagesoftheconnexionasfaras