Clever Girl Quotes

“Much as Joanne disliked needlework, she was quite good at it, for she had been well taught. But hearing the remark from her governess's lips was almost more than the child could bear. And as for childish games -
"Cousin Ambrose has been teaching me to play chess," she said in her curiously deep voice. "And we sometimes play cribbage and ecarte."
"Still, at your age, there is so much to learn that I think we must dedicate this hour to sewing each night. And now, tell me, what is your favourite lesson?"
Joanne eyed the lady for a moment. Then, "Latin and 'cello," she said sweetly.
She was not disappointed. Miss Mercier's face fell.
"Latin? Oh my dear, I am very sorry to hear that. Latin is essential for boys, of course; but I cannot think it necessary for a girl in your position. But you cannot have gone very far in it yet?"
"We were doing the Aenid at school when I left," said Joanne briskly. "Fourth book. And Caesar, of course. I've learnt Latin for years."
"My dear child, you mustn't exaggerate. That is most unladylike. I suppose you began two years ago? You cannot call two years "years" in the sense you did."
"I didn't. I began Latin when I was seven. My father taught me."
This was worse than Miss Mercier had expected.”
― Elinor M. Brent-Dyer, The Lost Staircase

“Oh yes, that's the clockwork crocodile. Now free from its previous task, the toy beast sought its way downstream to find other people in need of help. And, I daresay, we might have use of a clockwork crocodile somewhere along the way- against pirates, maybe? One particular crocodile-fearing pirate?"
Tinker Bell stared at her friend in newly discovered admiration- and the teeniest bit of horror.
You've changed, girl.
Wendy smiled as she pushed the boat away from the bank.
There was more to her than just manners and wishing, as her little fairy friend had pointed out. A whole world of Never Land was inside Wendy... with beasts as well with fairies.”
― Liz Braswell, Straight On Till Morning

“I had a weapon with me, but--- I lost it."
For the briefest of moments, she looked confused. I cannot say for certain--- my memory of these moments is poor, and also, I have never been skilled at reading others. But I am, of course, an expert in the ways of the Folk. And whatever else she might be, the woman before me was inarguably Folk.
"What was it?" she said.
"A horn," I replied. "The horn of a faun."
She did not move, though something in her face relaxed. "That would have been a fearsome weapon indeed, for one brave enough to wield it. Pity."
I nodded. "Fortunately, I had made a little powder from the tip, which I had in my pocket before you came in."
It was not my imagination--- the queen was visibly tired, exhausted even. It had come on quickly. She seemed to make an effort to focus on me.
And then I saw the moment she understood.
Her hand clenched around the fine tablecloth. "You---"
"Yes," I said. "I put it in the wine. At least, I'm fairly certain I did--- you'll have to excuse me, but Faerie does not agree with my memory. Of course, I did not know you would come here to taunt me--- but I thought it a possibility. I suppose you were right: the capacity for forethought is an advantage we mortals have over the Folk.”
― Heather Fawcett, Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands

“...we're wedged tight into the accident of our moment in history.”
― Tessa Hadley, Clever Girl

“of course there are a certain number of men who pretend to admire your clever women - men who are in favour of the emancipation of the sex, the giving of women votes and the like - but as a rule you will find that these men are not clever men, and that although they pretend to ability they are really lacking in sense and are transcendent only in weakness and foolishness.”
― Anonymous

“Jessica was easier, her character already fixed at the age of eight. Loyal, resourceful, confident, annoying. Clever, too clever sometimes. Too clever for her own good, their father said but their mother said, That's impossible. Especially for a girl.”
― Kate Atkinson, When Will There Be Good News?