The
author describes Vera as being self-possessed. This would be about
the same as being poised,
relaxed, self-assured,
self-confident, and sophisticated. The
author emphasizes these qualities to prepare the reader and Framton Nuttel for a shock when she
fakes a look of dazed horror while staring out the open window.
The girl is
obviously intelligent, imaginative,
and creative. She is
shrewd about judging people. She is
cautious, as she shows by questioning Framton Nuttel before telling
him her story about the hunters being accidentally killed three years ago while walking on the
moor.
We can assume that Vera is bored
and restless. As a young girl in Victorian times she has no
freedom. She cannot go hunting with the men because that just wasn't done. She seems like
an avid reader. Since she
is bored and restless in her confinement in this big old house, she probably favors
escapist-type reading about travel and adventure. She must have gotten that story about the man
being pursued by pariah dogs from a book.
One of her outstanding character
traits is that she
is mischievous. She keeps
this trait a deep secret and pretends to be a polite,
well-bred, conventional young lady.
But underneath her self-possessed exterior, she is a young rebel.
She doesn't like being used as a substitute hostess, because she realizes that her aunt is
training her to become another dumb country housewife like herself--and Vera doesn't want to
become another Aunt Sappleton.
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