Decoding Character

Not long ago, I accepted an invitation to dine with my cousin and his recently acquired wife, a woman I had not previously encountered. My cousin had been effusive to all who would listen about her exceptional warmth and generosity of spirit. It was immediately apparent that she had entirely (1) .......... him off his feet. Yet it did not take me long to perceive the hollowness beneath the surface. Upon my arrival, she settled at the table without so (2) .......... as a glance in my direction. She (3) .......... to sustain her conversation with her husband as though I were invisible, and then (4) .......... at the young server who had inadvertently spilled water nearby. I was ultimately (5) .......... worthy of her engagement only when it came to settling the bill — I had offered to treat them both in honour of their recent happy announcement. She was, unmistakably, a person capable of deploying charm, but only when it (6) .......... her interests. In my view, (7) .......... warm-hearted individuals do not oscillate in their conduct towards others (8) .......... on what advantage they believe they might extract from a given encounter.