Lady Denham’s character comes out in a conversation which takes place at Mr. Parker’s tea-table.

’The conversation turned entirely upon Sanditon, its present number of visitants, and the chances of a good season.  It was evident that Lady Denham had more anxiety, more fears of loss than her coadjutor.  She wanted to have the place fill faster, and seemed to have many harassing apprehensions of the lodgings being in some instances underlet.  To a report that a large boarding-school was expected she replies, ’Ah, well, no harm in that.  They will stay their six weeks, and out of such a number who knows but some may be consumptive, and want asses’ milk; and I have two milch asses at this very time.  But perhaps the little Misses may hurt the furniture.  I hope they will have a good sharp governess to look after them.’  But she wholly disapproved of Mr. Parker’s wish to secure the residence of a medical man amongst them.  ’Why, what should we do with a doctor here?  It would only be encouraging our servants and the poor to fancy themselves ill, if there was a doctor at hand.  Oh, pray let us have none of that tribe at Sanditon:  we go on very well as we are.  There is the sea, and the downs, and my milch asses:  and I have told Mrs. Whitby that if anybody enquires for a chamber horse, they may be supplied at a fair rate (poor Mr. Hollis’s chamber horse, as good as new); and what can people want more?  I have lived seventy good years in the world, and never took physic, except twice:  and never saw the face of a doctor in all my life on my own account; and I really believe if my poor dear Sir Harry had never seen one neither, he would have been alive now.  Ten fees, one after another, did the men take who sent him out of the world.  I beseech you, Mr. Parker, no doctors here.’

This lady’s character comes out more strongly in a conversation with Mr. Parker’s guest, Miss Charlotte Heywood.  Sir Edward Denham with his sister Esther and Clara Brereton have just left them.

’Charlotte accepted an invitation from Lady Denham to remain with her on the terrace, when the others adjourned to the library.  Lady Denham, like a true great lady, talked, and talked only of her own concerns, and Charlotte listened.  Taking hold of Charlotte’s arm with the ease of one who felt that any notice from her was a favour, and communicative from the same sense of importance, or from a natural love of talking, she immediately said in a tone of great satisfaction, and with a look of arch sagacity:—­

’Miss Esther wants me to invite her and her brother to spend a week with me at Sanditon House, as I did last summer, but I shan’t.  She has been trying to get round me every way with her praise of this and her praise of that; but I saw what she was about.  I saw through it all.  I am not very easily taken in, my dear.’

Charlotte could think of nothing more harmless to be said than the simple enquiry of, ‘Sir Edward and Miss Denham?’