". . .I had a letter from Mrs. Warren today. She says that before we left Greig went around to all the Uxbridge banks to find out if Evan had any money in them.
"He didn't try 'the Leaksdale bank'! Dear Greig! Excuse me if I weep!
"Had a weird letter from some woman in the U.S. who thinks I must be 'obsessed with birthmarks' and gives me a fearful calling down for endowing 'Mr. Morrison' in Emily Climbs with a blood-red hand. She adjures me to stop and think what untold harm I may do to future generations by putting such things in my stories! And winds up by declaring she has forbidden her granddaughters to buy of read the book. Poor dear! She'd better stop reading my books and give her granddaughters Simon called Peter and Flaming Youth."


The above made me laugh. Condescending deployment of the word "dear" is as much a Maud-ism as it is an Evelynism.