* Young ladies who feel uneasy should always act on their feelings. If in your good opinion you fear some young man (however handsome, rich, and well-spoken) is some rake, depend upon it: He’s a rake. Rakes will protest that you have them all wrong. They’ll be fibbing. Never go anywhere with a rake, particularly to isolated spots. See above: Doleful Ghost.
* If you are a young lady and someone arrives to tell you that your boyfriend was slain on a foreign battlefield, take it with a grain of salt. Especially if you’re carrying a broken token.
* If a former significant other turns up unexpectedly after a long absence, don’t throw yourself into his/her arms right away.
* That goes double if they refuse to eat anything.
* Triple if they turn up at night and want you to leave with them immediately.
Things I’ve learned from British folk ballads (via the ever-lovely Boynton)
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