Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[imchongjun]

Hi, teachers!!

What does the following sentence mean?

Roger, who had conceived a notion of some rather peevish foundling of the Ritz-Carlton lobbies and Central Park riding academies, was agreeably amazed by the sweet simplicity of the young lady.

What sort of notion has Roger conceived? What I don't understand in particular is the meaning of "foundling". I checked several dictionaries but could not find a meaning that fits in this context.
(The quote is from an e-text downloaded from Gutenberg Project)

[Nef]

Roger, who had conceived a notion of some rather peevish foundling of the Ritz-Carlton lobbies and Central Park riding academies, was agreeably amazed by the sweet simplicity of the young lady.



Here's my idea:

Roger thought the young lady would be somewhat spoiled (hard to please and possibly snobbish), as she had grown up in a wealthy atmosphere which included the Ritz-Carlton lobbies and Central Park riding academies. But, when he met her, he found out she seemed like a nice person who did not put on airs (did not show off or act like she was better than other people).