As to womankind, it needed a great deal of
submissiveness to endure her at all; and this was not Averil Ward's
leading characteristic.

In fact, the ubiquity of Mrs. Pugh was a sore trial to that young lady,
just so superior herself as to detect the flimsiness of the widow's
attainments. It was vexatious to find that by means of age,
assumption, and position, these shallow accomplishments made a
prodigious show in the world, while her own were entirely overlooked.
She thought she despised the admiration of the second-rate world of
Stoneborough, but it nettled her to see it thus misplaced; and there
was something provoking in the species of semi-homage paid in that
quarter by the youths of the May family.

As to the sailor, Averil frankly liked him very much; he was the
pleasantest young man, of the most open and agreeable manners, who had
ever fallen in her way. He was worthy to be Mary's brother, for he was
friendly to Leonard, and to herself had a truthfully flattering way
that was delightful. Without any sentiment in the case, she always
felt disappointed and defrauded if she were prevented from having a
conversation with him; and when this happened, it was generally either
from his being seized upon by Mrs. Pugh, or from her being baited by
his brother Tom.

Averil was hard to please, for she was as much annoyed by seeing Tom
May sitting courteous and deferential by the side of Mrs. Pugh, as by
his attentions to herself. She knew that he was playing the widow off,
and that, when most smooth and bland in look and tone, he was inwardly
chuckling; and to find the identical politeness transferred to herself,
made her feel not only affronted but insulted by being placed on the
same level. Thus, when, at a 'reunion' at Laburnum Grove, she had been
looking on with intense disgust while Tom was admiring Mrs. Pugh's
famous book of devices from letters, translating the mottoes, and
promising contributions, the offence was greatly increased by his
coming up to her (and that too just as Harry was released by the
button-holding Mr. Grey) and saying,

'Of course you are a collector too, Miss Ward; I can secure some
duplicates for you.'

She hoard such fooleries? She have Mrs. Pugh's duplicates? No wonder
she coldly answered, 'My little sister has been slightly infected,
thank you, but I do not care for such things.'

'Indeed! Well, I always preserve as many as I can, as passports to a
lady's favour.'

'That dep