The bodkin seems to be a favourite weapon with ancient dames whose genius was for killing (note by E.B.B.

I began to think, from the equal violence of the two ancient dames without, that they might finally get to blows.

These ancient dames drove the beasts in a long file to water, then turned them quite easily and drove them back again.

Children called good morning, and a few ancient dames too old even for work upon the flakes nodded their palsied heads at me.

As no one of the party spoke a word of Greek, there was little chance of any information being obtained from the ancient dames.

He had married and there had been born to him a daughter, whom he had named after the ancient dames of his honorable house, Laure.