--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A lengthy and painful discussion…" description: "\"“A lengthy and painful discussion followed. It lasted through tea and dinner. It was revealed to Lady Beatrice that, though she had been sincerely mour..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/kage-baker-15258_convenience_a-lengthy-and-painful-discussion-followe_438888.jpg" --- # A lengthy and painful discussion followed. It lasted… ![“A lengthy and painful discussion followed. It lasted through tea and dinner. It was revealed to Lady Beatrice that, though she had been sincerely mourned when Mamma had been under the impression she was dead, her unexpected return to life was something more than inconvenient. Had she never…” quote by Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/kage-baker-15258_convenience_a-lengthy-and-painful-discussion-followe_438888.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/kage-baker-15258_convenience_a-lengthy-and-painful-discussion-followe_438888.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/4fb/kage-baker-15258_convenience_a-lengthy-and-painful-discussion-followe_438888.jpg) > ““A lengthy and painful discussion followed. It lasted through tea and dinner. It was revealed to Lady Beatrice that, though she had been sincerely mourned when Mamma had been under the impression she was dead, her unexpected return to life was something more than inconvenient. Had she never considered the disgrace she would inflict upon her family by returning, after all that had happened to her? What were all Aunt Harriet's neighbors to think?”” [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A hidden family secret causes social embarrassment and moral conflict when a presumed‑dead relative returns unexpectedly. **In simple terms:** Family secrets cause shame and tension. Key Takeaway Consider honesty versus reputation. Themes family honor secrecy social pressure Mood anxious reflective Type narrative dramatic When to use this quote - family gatherings - inheritance disputes - social events - personal revelations Key Concepts ethics identity reputation Questions to Reflect On - How would you balance truth and family honor? - What are the costs of keeping secrets? A Different Perspective Family reputation may be irreparably damaged despite truth. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Convenience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convenience/) [Discussion Followed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/discussion-followed-3852982/) [Happened Aunt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happened-aunt-3852983/) [Lady Beatrice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/lady-beatrice-3852985/) [Mourned Mamma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mourned-mamma-3852984/) [Painful Discussion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/painful-discussion-3852981/) [Propriety](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/propriety/) ## Related quotes > [“For more than a century now, Lady Beatrice Rockford (1811-1850) has been known as "that wicked American" and her husband, the fifth Duke of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-monir/for-more-than-a-century-now-lady-beatrice-rockford-1811-1850-has-been/) [Alexandra Monir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-monir/) > [The propriety of some persons seems to consist in having improper thoughts about their neighbors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/f-h-bradley/the-propriety-of-some-persons-seems-to-consist-in-having-improper/) [F. H. Bradley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/f-h-bradley/) > [Oratory is good only if it has the qualities of fitness for the occasion, propriety of style, and originality of treatment, while in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/isocrates/oratory-is-good-only-if-it-has-the-qualities-of-fitness-for-the/) [Isocrates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/isocrates/) > [Oh, propriety," says Mrs Benjamin. "We're always so concerned with propriety. Even in total madness, we still stick to our hierarchies and chains of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-jackson-bennett/oh-propriety-says-mrs-benjamin-we-re-always-so-concerned-with/) [Robert Jackson Bennett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-jackson-bennett/) > [For it is not light that is needed, but fire; it is not the gentle shower, but thunder. We need the storm, the whirlwind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/for-it-is-not-light-that-is-needed-but-fire-it-is-not-the-gentle/) [Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/) > [No man can well doubt the propriety of placing a president of the United States under the most solemn obligations to preserve, protect, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-story/no-man-can-well-doubt-the-propriety-of-placing-a-president-of-the/) [Joseph Story](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-story/) > [Propriety and single interest divides the people of a land and the whole world into parties and is the cause of all wars and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gerrard-winstanley/propriety-and-single-interest-divides-the-people-of-a-land-and-the/) [Gerrard Winstanley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gerrard-winstanley/) > [“Repression is a seamless garment; a society which is authoritarian in its social and sexual codes, which crushes its women beneath the intolerable burdens…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/repression-is-a-seamless-garment-a-society-which-is-authoritarian-in/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [Without an acquaintance with the rules of propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/without-an-acquaintance-with-the-rules-of-propriety-it-is-impossible/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Money is, with propriety, considered as the vital principle of the body politic; as that which sustains its life and motion, and enables it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-hamilton/money-is-with-propriety-considered-as-the-vital-principle-of-the-body/) [Alexander Hamilton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-hamilton/) > [A novice always behaves with propriety.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martial/a-novice-always-behaves-with-propriety/) [Martial](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martial/) > [Our large trading cities bear to me very nearly the aspect of monastic establishments in which the roar of the mill-wheel and the crane…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ruskin/our-large-trading-cities-bear-to-me-very-nearly-the-aspect-of/) [John Ruskin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ruskin/) > [How do our philosophers act? Do they not inscribe their signatures to the very essays they write on the propriety of despising glory.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-tullius-cicero/how-do-our-philosophers-act-do-they-not-inscribe-their-signatures-to/) [Marcus Tullius Cicero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-tullius-cicero/) > [The fruit of humanity is devotion to one's parents. The fruit of righteousness is to respect one's elders. The fruit of wisdom is to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mencius/the-fruit-of-humanity-is-devotion-to-one-s-parents-the-fruit-of/) [Mencius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mencius/) > [“...the pleasantness of an employment does not always evince its propriety.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-austen/the-pleasantness-of-an-employment-does-not-always-evince-its-propriety/) [Jane Austen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-austen/) ## More by Kage Baker > [For all its flaws, 'The Hands of Orlac' really is a seminal film, and if you're partial to that particular B-movie subgenre of Demon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/for-all-its-flaws-the-hands-of-orlac-really-is-a-seminal-film-and-if/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [“The leaf that spreads in the sunlight is the only holiness there is. I haven’t found holiness in the faiths of mortals, nor in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/the-leaf-that-spreads-in-the-sunlight-is-the-only-holiness-there-is-i/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [“Don't imagine she trembles over the dissecting table either, Smith. She has nerves of ice. Real Good can be as ruthless as Evil when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/don-t-imagine-she-trembles-over-the-dissecting-table-either-smith-she/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [A generation before, it had been sagebrush and coyotes; a generation later, it was a burgeoning movie town. But for that brief idyllic time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/a-generation-before-it-had-been-sagebrush-and-coyotes-a-generation/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [Funny thing about those Middle Ages, said Joseph. "They just keep coming back. Mortals keep thinking they're in Modern Times, you know, they get…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/funny-thing-about-those-middle-ages-said-joseph-they-just-keep-coming/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [In 1916, Universal Studios released the first filmed adaptation of Jules Verne's novel '20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.' Georges Melies made a film by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/in-1916-universal-studios-released-the-first-filmed-adaptation-of/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [Despite what you hear about the publishing industry being a fixed game that you can only get in if you know somebody, I'm here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/despite-what-you-hear-about-the-publishing-industry-being-a-fixed/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [So vast is the shadow cast by the MGM production of 'The Wizard of Oz,' so indelible are its characterizations, so perfect its music,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/so-vast-is-the-shadow-cast-by-the-mgm-production-of-the-wizard-of-oz/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [“Boy, you're good at figuring things out. Isn't he? Except that if anybody's the devil in this room it's \_you\_, buster." An extraordinary bitterness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/boy-you-re-good-at-figuring-things-out-isn-t-he-except-that-if/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [If you want to see what stage comedians did to get laffs a century ago, watch the 1910 'Wizard of Oz.' I hope you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/if-you-want-to-see-what-stage-comedians-did-to-get-laffs-a-century/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [I may cut my coat to follow fashion, sir, but not my conscience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/i-may-cut-my-coat-to-follow-fashion-sir-but-not-my-conscience/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [Besides, we weren't made to battle villains, because there weren't any. No nation, creed, or race was any better or worse than another; all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/besides-we-weren-t-made-to-battle-villains-because-there-weren-t-any/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [The leaf that spreads in the light is the only holiness there is. I haven't found holiness in the faiths of mortals, or in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/the-leaf-that-spreads-in-the-light-is-the-only-holiness-there-is-i/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [“People like these have done more to relieve human misery than any prophet with a manifesto ever will. They number in the millions, these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/people-like-these-have-done-more-to-relieve-human-misery-than-any/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) > [“That is what you're making of the end of your mother's life, child. What will you make of your own?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kage-baker/that-is-what-you-re-making-of-the-end-of-your-mother-s-life-child/) [Kage Baker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) [Explore all 43 Kage Baker quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kage-baker/) ## More Convenience quotes > [It was only when I started making short films in college and I was looking for girls to play the me-ish parts that I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lena-dunham/it-was-only-when-i-started-making-short-films-in-college-and-i-was/) [Lena Dunham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lena-dunham/) > [A man has a right to use a saw, an axe, a plane, separately; may he not combine their uses on the same piece…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/a-man-has-a-right-to-use-a-saw-an-axe-a-plane-separately-may-he-not/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [Is the minor convenience of allowing the present generation the luxury of doubling its energy consumption every 10 years worth the major hazard of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-r-brower/is-the-minor-convenience-of-allowing-the-present-generation-the/) [David R. Brower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-r-brower/) > [“A phone call should be a convenience to the caller, not an inconvenience to the called.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mokokoma-mokhonoana/a-phone-call-should-be-a-convenience-to-the-caller-not-an/) [Mokokoma Mokhonoana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mokokoma-mokhonoana/) > [The average family exists only on paper and its average budget is a fiction, invented by statisticians for the convenience of statisticians.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sylvia-porter/the-average-family-exists-only-on-paper-and-its-average-budget-is-a/) [Sylvia Porter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sylvia-porter/) > [What you call disorder is nothing else than one of the laws of the order you comprehend not and which you have erroneously named…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marquis-de-sade/what-you-call-disorder-is-nothing-else-than-one-of-the-laws-of-the/) [Marquis de Sade](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marquis-de-sade/) > [“And what is the state but a servant and a convenience for a large number of people, just like the electric light and the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayn-rand/and-what-is-the-state-but-a-servant-and-a-convenience-for-a-large/) [Ayn Rand](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayn-rand/) > [Thirty or forty proprietors, with incomes answering to between one thousand and five thousand a year, would create a much more effectual demand for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-malthus/thirty-or-forty-proprietors-with-incomes-answering-to-between-one/) [Thomas Malthus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-malthus/) > [If you spot a market where the only choices are at either one end or the other - high fidelity or high convenience -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-maney/if-you-spot-a-market-where-the-only-choices-are-at-either-one-end-or/) [Kevin Maney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-maney/) > [Unfortunately, nature seems unaware of our intellectual need for convenience and unity, and very often takes delight in complication and diversity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/santiago-ramon-y-cajal/unfortunately-nature-seems-unaware-of-our-intellectual-need-for/) [Santiago Ramon y Cajal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/santiago-ramon-y-cajal/) > [What more degrades woman today than that she so often seeks marriage as a support? Why is the holy sacrament of love, the sanctity…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-c-ames/what-more-degrades-woman-today-than-that-she-so-often-seeks-marriage/) [Mary C. Ames](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-c-ames/) > [To what fortuitous occurrence do we not owe every pleasure and convenience of our lives.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/to-what-fortuitous-occurrence-do-we-not-owe-every-pleasure-and/) [Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/) > [ \[Books\] will visit you at your convenience, whether you are lonesome or not, on rainy days or fair. They propose themselves as either transient… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clifton-fadiman/books-will-visit-you-at-your-convenience-whether-you-are-lonesome-or/) [Clifton Fadiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clifton-fadiman/) > [What is undeniable is that when comforts and convenience sap our energies and idealism, inactivity secretes sloth in to our minds like a poison…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/os-guinness/what-is-undeniable-is-that-when-comforts-and-convenience-sap-our/) [Os Guinness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/os-guinness/) > [It's a double-headed coin, because technology is a convenience but it's stifled our attention spans. At one time, albums had songs that were like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cee-lo-green/it-s-a-double-headed-coin-because-technology-is-a-convenience-but-it/) [Cee Lo Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cee-lo-green/) [Browse all 451 Convenience quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/convenience/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“A lengthy and painful discussion followed. It lasted through tea and dinner. It was revealed to Lady Beatrice that, though she had been sincerely mourned when Mamma had been under the impression she was dead, her unexpected return to life was something more than inconvenient. Had she never considered the disgrace she would inflict upon her family by returning, after all that had happened to her? 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