When I first read the paragraph, I took it as a slight against LR. But upon subsequent re-reading, I saw that it was not so much as LR trying to hide her un-rouged face LOL, but there was more to it, IMO.

Examples:

- We don't know if the drawing room faced the morning sun and it was too bright for LR's eyes.

- We don't know if Sir Walter himself was presentable at that time of day, and perhaps LR just had to draw the blinds to soften *HIS* sharp features which probably hurt her poor eyes :-)

- We don't know if LR wanted any of the neighbors see Sir Walter with her :-) Assuming someone had a looking glass from across the lawns :-)

- We do know, however, that Sir Walter, being Sir Walter, was continually full of himself and nobody else. Sir Walter *only* saw things skin deep. Gowland cream, rouge, mirrors. He was a very shallow man, indeed. Nothing he said about LR in this case could possibly be taken seriously. All in all, he was in the book to provide comic relief --

Good grief. Did I just say all that? Apologies to the late Lady Elliot.