Austen Said:

Patterns of Diction in Jane Austen's Major Novels

Search

Your search returned 554 results



novel

sex

character_type

marriage status

age

mode of speech

speaker name

His spirits had been greatly recovering lately as might be expected. As Louisa improved, he had improved, and he was now quite a different creature from what he had been the first week. He had not seen Louisa; and
was so extremely fearful of any ill consequence to her from an interview,
that he did not press for it at all; and, on the contrary, seemed to have a
plan of going away for a week or ten days, till her head was stronger.
He had talked of
going down to Plymouth for a week, and wanted to persuade Captain Benwick to go with him;
but,
Captain Benwick seemed much more disposed to ride over to Kellynch.
she might see him or hear of him.
to be unworthy of the interest which he had been beginning to excite.
Uppercross was already quite alive again. Though neither Henrietta, nor Louisa, nor Charles Hayter, nor Captain Wentworth were there, the room presented as strong a contrast as could be wished to the last state she had seen it in.
after all she had gone through, nothing was so likely to do her good as a little quiet cheerfulness at home.
Louisa was now recovering apace. Her mother could even think of her being able to join their party at home, before her brothers and sisters went to school again. The Harvilles had promised to come with her and stay at Uppercross, whenever she returned. Captain Wentworth was gone, for the present, to see his brother in Shropshire.
nothing could be so good for her as a little quiet cheerfulness.
for who would be glad to see her when she arrived?
Mr Elliot was in Bath. He had called in Camden Place; had called a second time, a third; had been pointedly attentive. If Elizabeth and her father did not deceive themselves, had been taking much pains to seek the acquaintance, and proclaim the value of the connection, as he had formerly taken pains to shew neglect.
She had a great wish to see him. If he really sought to reconcile himself like a dutiful branch, he must be forgiven for having dismembered himself from the paternal tree.
she would rather see Mr Elliot again than not, which was more than she could say for many other persons in Bath.
she would pretend what was proper on her arrival,
Bath more than answered their expectations in every respect. Their house was undoubtedly the best in Camden Place; their drawing-rooms had many decided advantages over all the others which they had either seen or heard of, and the superiority was not less in the style of the fitting-up, or the taste of the furniture. Their acquaintance was exceedingly sought after. Everybody was wanting to visit them. They had drawn back from many introductions, and still were perpetually having cards left by people of whom they knew nothing.
her father should feel no degradation in his change, should see nothing to regret in the duties and dignity of the resident landholder, should find so much to be vain of in the littlenesses of a town;
(he had passed through Bath in November, in his way to London, when the intelligence of Sir Walter's being settled there had of course reached him, though only twenty-four hours in the place, but he had not been able to avail himself of it;) but he had now been a fortnight in Bath, and his first object on arriving, had been to leave his card in Camden Place, following it up by such assiduous endeavours to meet, and when they did meet, by such great openness of conduct, such readiness to apologize for the past, such solicitude to be received as a relation again, that their former good understanding was completely re-established.
He had explained away all the appearance of neglect on his own side. It had originated in misapprehension entirely.
He had never had an idea of throwing himself off; he had feared that he was thrown off, but knew not why, and delicacy had kept him silent.
  • Novel: Persuasion
  • Character: Narrator as Sir Walter Elliott and Elizabeth Elliott as Mr. Elliot
  • Link to text in chapter 15
  • Text ID: 01579
Upon the hint of having spoken disrespectfully or carelessly of the family and the family honours,
He, who had ever boasted of being an Elliot, and whose feelings, as to connection, were only too strict to suit the unfeudal tone of the present day. He was astonished, indeed, but his character and general conduct must refute it. He could refer Sir Walter to all who knew him;
  • Novel: Persuasion
  • Character: Narrator as Sir Walter Elliott and Elizabeth Elliott as Mr. Elliot
  • Link to text in chapter 15
  • Text ID: 01582
The circumstances of his marriage, too, were found to admit of much extenuation. This was an article not to be entered on by himself; but a very intimate friend of his, a Colonel Wallis, a highly respectable man, perfectly the gentleman,
(and not an ill-looking man,
who was living in very good style in Marlborough Buildings, and had, at his own particular request, been admitted to their acquaintance through Mr Elliot, had mentioned one or two things relative to the marriage, which made a material difference in the discredit of it.
Colonel Wallis had known Mr Elliot long, had been well acquainted also with his wife, had perfectly understood the whole story. She was certainly not a woman of family, but well educated, accomplished, rich, and excessively in love with his friend. There had been the charm. She had sought him. Without that attraction, not all her money would have tempted Elliot,
  • Novel: Persuasion
  • Character: Narrator as Sir Walter Elliot and Elizabeth Elliot as Colonel Wallis
  • Link to text in chapter 15
  • Text ID: 01588
her having been a very fine woman.
A very fine woman with a large fortune, in love with him!
it be a great extenuation.
Mr Elliot had called repeatedly, had dined with them once, evidently delighted by the distinction of being asked, for they gave no dinners in general; delighted, in short, by every proof of cousinly notice, and placing his whole happiness in being on intimate terms in Camden Place.
Allowances, large allowances,
must be made for the ideas of those who spoke. She heard it all under embellishment. All that sounded extravagant or irrational in the progress of the reconciliation might have no origin but in the language of the relators.
there being something more than immediately appeared, in Mr Elliot's wishing, after an interval of so many years, to be well received by them.
In a worldly view, he had nothing to gain by being on terms with Sir Walter; nothing to risk by a state of variance. In all probability he was already the richer of the two, and the Kellynch estate would as surely be his hereafter as the title. A sensible man, and he had looked like a very sensible man, why should it be an object to him? She could only offer one solution; it was, perhaps, for Elizabeth's sake. There might really have been a liking formerly, though convenience and accident had drawn him a different way; and now that he could afford to please himself, he might mean to pay his addresses to her. Elizabeth was certainly very handsome, with well-bred, elegant manners, and her character might never have been penetrated by Mr Elliot, knowing her but in public, and when very young himself. How her temper and understanding might bear the investigation of his present keener time of life was another concern and rather a fearful one.
he might not be too nice, or too observant if Elizabeth were his object;
his very gentlemanlike appearance, his air of elegance and fashion, his good shaped face, his sensible eye; but, at the same time,
but Sir Walter had
>and there was a Mrs Wallis, at present known only to them by description, as she was in daily expectation of her confinement; but Mr Elliot spoke of her as
she was said to be an excessively pretty woman, beautiful.
Colonel Wallis's companion might have as good a figure as Colonel Wallis, and certainly was not sandy-haired.
she should venture to suggest that a gown, or a cap, would not be liable to any such misuse,
his apologies for calling at so unusual an hour,
be received as an acquaintance already.
He was quite as good-looking as he had appeared at Lyme, his countenance improved by speaking, and his manners were so exactly what they ought to be, so polished, so easy, so particularly agreeable, that she could compare them in excellence to only one person's manners. They were not the same, but they were, perhaps, equally good.
He had spent his whole solitary evening in the room adjoining theirs; had heard voices, mirth continually; thought they must be a most delightful set of people, longed to be with them, but certainly without the smallest suspicion of his possessing the shadow of a right to introduce himself. If he had but asked who the party were! The name of Musgrove would have told him enough.
But he must not be addressing his reflections to Anne alone: