Oh!โ said she, โI heard you before, but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply. You wanted me, I know, to say โYes,โ that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste; but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes, and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. I have, therefore made up my mind to tell you, that I do not want to dance a reel at all--and now despise me if you dare.โ โIndeed I do not dare.
Jane AustenI might as well enquire,โ replied she, โwhy with so evident a design of offending and insulting me, you chose to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character?
Jane AustenThe advantages of natural folly in a beautiful girl have been already set forth by the capital pen of a sister author; and to her treatment of the subject I will only add, in justice to men, that though to the larger and more trifling part of the sex, imbecility in females is a great enhancement of their personal charms, there is a portion of them too reasonable and too well informed themselves to desire anything more in woman than ignorance
Jane Austen