The Californians by Gertrude Atherton

Half of the dinner passed in unbroken silence. Magdalena sat at one end of the table, her father at the other, their wants attended to by three Chinese servants. Magdalena was not eating: she was summoning up courage to speak on a subject that was fast conquering her reticence. Her thoughts were not interrupted. Don Roberto was a man of few words. He had been an eloquent caballero in his youth, but had grown to be as careful of words as of investments. He liked to be amused by women; but, as he rightly judged, no amount of development could make his wife and daughter amusing, so he encouraged them to hold their tongues. He deeply resented Magdalena's lack of beauty; all the women of his house had been famous throughout the Californias for their beauty. It was the duty of a Yorba to be beautiful -- while young; after thirty it mattered nothing.

Magdalena had completed the structure of her courage. She did nothing by halves, and she knew that she should not break down.