"
Elizabeth had not forgiven, as she should have done, the being called
stingy; it rankled on her feelings far more than those who said the
word understood; and she presently went on, "If they knew ever so
much, they would only laugh at me, and call it all Bessie's nonsense.
Miss Fosbrook, please, what is affectation?"
"I believe it is pretending to seem what we are not by nature," said
Miss Fosbrook; "putting on manners or feelings that do not come to us
of themselves."
"Then I shall tell them they make me affected," exclaimed she. "If I
like to be quiet and do things prettily, they teaze me for being
affected, and I'm forced to be as plain and blunt as their are, and I
don't like it! I wish I was grown up. I wish I was Ida Greville!"
"And why, my dear?"
"Because then things might be pretty," said Elizabeth. "Everything
is so plain and ugly, and one gets so tired of it! Is it silly to
like things to be pretty?"
"No, far from it; that is, if we do not sacrifice better things to
prettiness."
Elizabeth looked up with a light in her dark eyes, and said, "Miss
Fosbrook, I like you!"
Miss Fosbrook was very much pleased, and kissed her.
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