"Or as masculine, which?"
"The former, certainly. I see nothing of the latter about her," replied he rather decidedly.
"How strange! Everybody else does. I suppose you will not attempt to deny she is a very fast girl."
"I am not sufficiently acquainted with Miss Bennet to be able to form, or rather give an opinion as to her character; most young ladies of the present day are fast, and perhaps your friend is not an exception to the general rule."
"Pray do not call her my friend. I am unlike the generality of girls in that respect, and am hand and glove with no one."
"Do you mean you have no friend?"
"None, I am happy to say."
"I pity you, Miss Strickland," replied Mr. Hall.
"Reserve your commiseration," she said proudly, "for those who require it. I should dislike having a friend even as active and fast as Miss Bennet, who, according to your idea," said Frances sarcastically, "should have been born a grade lower in life; a housemaid for instance; no amount of hard work would have been too much for her."
"She would have struggled bravely through it all, I make no doubt," replied he. "I have no mean opinion of Miss Anne's courage."