Book-bot.com - read famous books online for free

Cecilia; Or, Memoirs of an Heiress — Volume 1 by Fanny Burney
page 56 of 433 (12%)
"These three topics," he continued, "are to answer three purposes,
since there are no less than three causes from which the silence of
young ladies may proceed: sorrow, affectation, and stupidity."

"Do you, then," cried Cecilia, "give nothing at all to modesty?"

"I give much to it," he answered, "as an excuse, nay almost as an
equivalent for wit; but for that sullen silence which resists all
encouragement, modesty is a mere pretence, not a cause."

"You must, however, be somewhat more explicit, if you mean that I
should benefit from your instructions."

"Well, then," he answered, "I will briefly enumerate the three
causes, with directions for the three methods of cure. To begin with
sorrow. The taciturnity which really results from that is attended
with an incurable absence of mind, and a total unconsciousness of
the observation which it excites; upon this occasion, public places
may sometimes be tried in vain, and even dress may fail; but love--"

"Are you sure, then," said Cecilia, with a laugh, "that sorrow has
but that one source?"

"By no means," answered he, "for perhaps papa may have been angry,
or mama may have been cross; a milliner may have sent a wrong
pompoon, or a chaperon to an assembly may have been taken ill--"

"Bitter subjects of affliction, indeed! And are these all you allow
us?"

DigitalOcean Referral Badge