course ordinary human conceit, of which every living being has his
or her share. I am not speaking of that; Miss Amy Trefusis might be said
to be fanatically conceited.

Although she was now a really plain elderly woman it is possible that
when she was a little girl she was pretty. In any case, it is certain
that she was spoiled when she was a little girl, and because she
was delicate and selfish she received a good deal more attention and
obedience from weak and vacillating elders than she deserved.

After her growing up she had a year or two of moderate looks and she
received, during this period, several proposals; these she refused
because they were not good enough and something better must be coming
very shortly, but what really came very shortly was middle-age, and it
came of course entirely unperceived by the lady. She dressed and behaved
as though she were still twenty, although her brother Samuel tried to
laugh her out of such absurdities. But no sister ever pays attention to
a brother on such matters, and Aunt Amy wore coloured ribbons and went
to balls and made eyes behind her fan for season after season. Then as
time passed she was compelled by her mirror to realise that she was
not quite so young as she had once been, so she hurriedly invented a
thrilling past history for herself, alluding to affair after affair that
had come to nothing only because she herself had ruthlessly slain them,
and dressing herself more reasonably, but with little signs and hints,
in the shape of chains and coloured bows and rings, that she could still
be young if she so pleased, and that she was open to offers, although
she could not promise them much encouragement. She liked the society of
Canons, and was to be seen a great deal with old Canon Borlase, who was
as great a flirt as he was an egotist, so that it did not matter to
him in the least with whom he flirted, and sat at the feet of old Canon
Morpheu, who was so crazy about the discoveries that he had made in the
life of Ezekiel that it was quite immaterial to him to whom he explained
them.

She descended from these clerical flights into the bosom of family life
with some natural discontent. Her brother Samuel she had always disliked
because he laughed at her; her sister she did not care for because she
was very innocently, poor lady, flaunting her superior married state;
and her brother-in-law she did not like because he always behaved as
though she were one of a vast pub