"I do not ask whether you are musical, Mrs. Elton. Upon these occasions, a lady's character generally precedes her; and Highbury has long known that you are a superior performer."
"Oh! no, indeed; I must protest against any such idea.
A superior performer!-very far from it, I assure you.
Consider from how partial a quarter your information came.
I am doatingly fond of music-passionately fond;-and my friends say I am not entirely devoid of taste; but as to any thing else, upon my honour my performance is mediocre to the last degree.
You, Miss Woodhouse, I well know, play delightfully. I assure you it has been the greatest satisfaction, comfort, and delight to me, to hear what a musical society I am got into. I absolutely cannot do without music. It is a necessary of life to me; and having always been used to a very musical society, both at Maple Grove and in Bath, it would have been a most serious sacrifice. I honestly said as much to Mr. E. when he was speaking of my future home, and expressing his fears lest the retirement of it should be disagreeable; and the inferiority of the house too-knowing what I had been accustomed to-of course he was not wholly without apprehension.
When he was speaking of it in that way, I honestly said that the world I could give up-parties, balls, plays-for I had no fear of retirement. Blessed with so many resources within myself, the world was not necessary to me. I could do very well without it.
To those who had no resources it was a different thing; but my resources made me quite independent. And as to smaller-sized rooms than I had been used to, I really could not give it a thought.
I hoped I was perfectly equal to any sacrifice of that description.
Certainly I had been accustomed to every luxury at Maple Grove; but I did assure him that two carriages were not necessary to my happiness, nor were spacious apartments. `But,' said I, `to be quite honest, I do not think I can live without something of a musical society.