I think that a ridiculous reason, as Mrs. Carruthers said all young men knew people one wouldn’t want to—and it was silly to make a fuss about it—and that they couldn’t help it—and they would be very dull if they were as good as gold like girls.
But I expect Lady Katherine thinks differently about things to Mrs. Carruthers, and the daughters are the same.
I shall ask Lord Robert when I see him again if it is a horse or no.
Malcolm is not attractive, and I was glad the church was not far off.
No carriages are allowed out on Sunday, so we had to walk, and coming back it began to rain, and we could not go round the stables, which I understand is the custom here every Sunday.
Everything is done because it is the custom—not because you want to amuse yourself.
“When it rains and we can’t go round the stables,” Kirstie said, “we look at the old ‘Illustrated London News,’ and go there on our way from afternoon church.”
I did not particularly want to do that, so stayed in my room as long as I could. The four girls were seated at a large table in the hall, each with a volume in front of her when I got down at last. They must know every picture by heart, if they do it every Sunday it rains—they stay in England all the winter!
Jean made room for me beside her.
“I am at the ‘Sixties,’” she said. “I finished the ‘Fifties’ last Easter.” So they evidently do even this with a method.