Grand-daughterly

Our excursion to Topsham would, we supposed, prove a very disagreeable business to him, but we knew it would result very agreeably for us, and so, though with a good deal of maidenly compunction and grand-daughterly compassion on Julia’s part, we out-voted him.

“[…]Some young ladies are quite apt to be fascinated by elderly gentlemen who know the world and still take an interest in society.” “Yes,—a filial sort of interest, a 'grand-daughterly reverence and respect. The sight of gray hair is a wonderful antidote to any tenderer feeling.”

It would not be putting too fine a point on it to say Dr McBride has ample time to look up any grand-daughterly queries, or indeed perform any other family duties now that his spectacular and now disgraced career is, finally, over.