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Austen, Jane

"Northanger Abbey"

"


? ? ? ? Catherine looked grave. "And now, Henry," said Miss Tilney, "that you have made us understand each other, you may as well make Miss Morland understand yourself--unless you mean to have her think you intolerably rude to your sister, and a great brute in your opinion of women in general. Miss Morland is not used to your odd ways."


? ? ? ? "I shall be most happy to make her better acquainted with them."


? ? ? ? "No doubt; but that is no explanation of the present."


? ? ? ? "What am I to do?"


? ? ? ? "You know what you ought to do. Clear your character handsomely before her. Tell her that you think very highly of the understanding of women."


? ? ? ? "Miss Morland, I think very highly of the understanding of all the women in the world--especially of those--whoever they may be--with whom I happen to be in company."


? ? ? ? "That is not enough. Be more serious."


? ? ? ? "Miss Morland, no one can think more highly of the understanding of women than I do. In my opinion, nature has given them so much that they never find it necessary to use more than half."


? ? ? ? "We shall get nothing more serious from him now, Miss Morland. He is not in a sober mood. But I do assure you that he must be entirely misunderstood, if he can ever appear to say an unjust thing of any woman at all, or an unkind one of me.


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