breach of the laws of etiquette, that is, any impoliteness or
_gaucherie_, any impropriety, or an inappropriate remark, though quite
accidental, will cause the most intense blushing of which a man is
capable. Even the recollection of such an act, after an interval of
many years, will make the whole body to tingle. So strong, also, is the
power of sympathy that a sensitive person, as a lady has assured me,
will sometimes blush at a flagrant breach of etiquette by a perfect
stranger, though the act may in no way concern her.
_Modesty_. This is another powerful agent in exciting blushes; but the
word modesty includes very different states of the mind. It implies
humility, and we often judge of this by persons being greatly pleased
and blushing at slight praise, or by being annoyed at praise which
seems to them too high according to their own humble standard of
themselves. Blushing here has the usual signification of regard for the
opinion of others. But modesty frequently relates to acts of
indelicacy; and indelicacy is an affair of etiquette, as we clearly see
with the nations that go altogether or nearly naked. He who is modest,
and blushes easily at acts of this nature, does so because they are
breaches of a firmly and wisely established etiquette. This is indeed
shown by the derivation of the word _modest_ from _modus_, a measure or
standard of behaviour. A blush due to this form of modesty is,
moreover, apt to be intense, because it generally relates to the
opposite sex; and we have seen how in all cases our liability to blush
is thus increased. We apply the term modest, as it would appear, to
those who have an humble opinion of themselves, and to those who are
extremely sensitive about an indelicate word or deed, simply because in
both cases blushes are readily excited, for these two frames of mind
have nothing else in common. Shyness also, from this same cause, is
often mistaken for modesty in the sense of humility.
Some persons flush up, as I have observed and have been assured, at any
sudden and disagreeable recollection. The commonest cause seems to be
the sudden remembrance of not having done something for another person
which had been promised. In this case it may be that the thought passes
half unconsciously through the mind, What will he think of me? and
then the flush would partake of the nature of a true blush. But whether
such flushes are in most cases due to the capillary circulation being
affected, is very doubtful; for we must remember that almost every
strong emotion, such as anger or great joy, acts on the heart, and
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