<blockquote>“Yes, but every lady prefers her own bathing dress,” Mrs. Parker said. Her certainties were few, but this was one of them, and she spoke with unaccustomed authority. “Don’t you agree, Miss Heywood?”
“If she has her own, I suppose she always prefers it to one that can be had by everybody,” Charlotte said, “and saves her envy for one owned only by someone else.”
She herself had none. The family economy had never allowed for the luxury of either a gown that would be seen by no one or one that existed only to be speedily removed. She would either have to trust to Mr. Parker’s opinion of the healthfulness of the public dresses or allow the sea itself to ensure her modesty.</blockquote>
