“You need say no more; I can see that he is a person of no sensibility,” said Miss Thane. “I am not surprised that you ran away from him to join your cousin Ludovic.”
“Oh, I didn’t!” replied Eustacie. “I mean, I never knew I was going to meet Ludovic. I ran away to become a governess.”
“Forgive me,” said Miss Thane, “but have you then just met your cousin Ludovic by chance, and for the first time?”
“But yes, I have told you! And he said I should not do for a governess.” She sighed. “I wish I could think of something to be which is exciting! If only I were a man!”
“Yes,” agreed Miss Thane. “I feel very strongly that you should have been a man and gone smuggling with your cousin.”
Eustacie threw her a glowing look. “That is just what I should have liked! But Ludovic says they never take females with them.”
“How wretchedly selfish!” said Miss Thane in accents of disgust.
“Yes, but I think it is not perhaps entirely Ludovic’s fault, for he said he liked to have me with him. But the others did not like it at all, in particular Ned, who wanted to hit me on the head.”
“Is Ned a s—free trader too?”
“Yes, and Abel. But they are not precisely free traders, but only land smugglers, which is, I think, a thing inferior.”