Chapter X

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading IN WHICH ARTHUR MEETS A WEARIED SOUL.

be able to spare or give up

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

later than; following

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)

From this reading IN WHICH ARTHUR MEETS A WEARIED SOUL.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

a town in Czech Republic; site of the battle of Austerlitz in 1805

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

a person with fair skin and hair

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

brought into existence

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

the two together, not just one

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

in a close relation or position in time or space

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

law determining the fundamental political principles of a government

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

serving to describe or inform or characterized by description

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

emanating from God

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

the feeling of being bored by something tedious

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

at any time

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

morally objectionable behavior

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

third-person singular of “execute” — kill as a means of socially sanctioned punishment

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

a diagram or picture illustrating textual material

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

-ing form of “flinch” — draw back, as with fear or pain

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

the most powerful members of a society

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

possessive form of “girl” — a young female

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

a painful inflammation of the big toe and foot caused by defects in uric acid metabolism resulting in deposits of the acid and its salts in the blood and joints

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

having or indicating good health in body or mind; free from infirmity or disease

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading IN WHICH ARTHUR MEETS A WEARIED SOUL.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

possessive form of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

gracefully thin and bending and moving with ease

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

any unwholesome or desperate condition

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

a battle in 1800 in which the French under Napoleon Bonaparte won a great victory over the Austrians

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

plural of “meet” — a meeting at which a number of athletic contests are held

From this reading IN WHICH ARTHUR MEETS A WEARIED SOUL.

belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

used to form the superlative

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

a form of address for a married woman

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

French general who became emperor of the French (1769-1821)

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

a privileged class holding hereditary titles

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

and nothing more

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

blessed with privileges

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

on the contrary

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

plural of “ravage” — (usually plural) a destructive action

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

express in words

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

plural of “season” — a period of the year marked by special events or activities in some field

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life

From this reading IN WHICH ARTHUR MEETS A WEARIED SOUL.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

not in physical motion

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

past form of “succumb” — consent reluctantly

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

a state of acute pain

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

plural of “summer” — the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

a solemn statement made under oath

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It is a sort of king’s evil, privileged to the nobility and gentry; and that Flossie Starbuck’s healthy constitution ever succumbed to it is testimony--is it not?--to her extraordinary natural refinement: for born to it she certainly was not.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Now Mrs. Levison Gower, like Napoleon after Marengo and Austerlitz, was suffering from ennui.

exhausted

From this reading IN WHICH ARTHUR MEETS A WEARIED SOUL.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading IN WHICH ARTHUR MEETS A WEARIED SOUL.

which person or people

From this reading This malady of modern times executes its most dangerous ravages, like the gout, only among those who can afford it.

a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

in the company of; together with

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

an adult female person (as opposed to a man)

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.

suggestive of youth; vigorous and fresh

From this reading She was a woman of some five-and-thirty summers--let us rather say, of some fifteen seasons, as being both politer and more closely descriptive--but with her thick blonde hair and her youthful figure, round and lithe as any girl’s, she was divine still in a riding-habit or a ball-dress, and could face the daylight of a north window without flinching.