A BOW RIBBON FOR A LADY

IN Charlotte Bronte's Villette, protagonist Lucy Snowe is plain at first, then starts to experiment with fashion, to the extent that one night she dons a pink silk gown! With a black lace shawl! Then she puts flowers in her bonnets, or a bow ribbon round her neck!

Paul Emanuel, a fellow teacher who is in love with Lucy, raves with jealousy to see this, because he thinks that Lucy is in love with another man!

Now I am reading a novel by Margaret Oliphant called Phoebe Junior. I find many things to annoy me, but I have to say that Oliphant is very good at describing female beauty and fashion. On the contrary, her male protagonists are often nothing to look at.

If Mrs Oliphant were alive today I would advise her to have a look at male heroes like Christian Grey, Gideon Cross or Edward Cullen!
;-)