Austen Said:

Patterns of Diction in Jane Austen's Major Novels

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"I cannot name a day,"
"till I have spoken to some others whom I would wish to meet you."
"I hope you will bring Elton,"
"but I will not trouble you to give any other invitations."
"No,"—
"there is but one married woman in the world whom I can ever allow to invite what guests she pleases to Donwell, and that one is—"
"No —Mrs. Knightley;—and till she is in being, I will manage such matters myself."
"You certainly will meet them if I can prevail; and I shall call on Miss Bates in my way home."
"Not quite. My idea of the simple and the natural will be to have the table spread in the dining-room. The nature and the simplicity of gentlemen and ladies, with their servants and furniture, I think is best observed by meals within doors. When you are tired of eating strawberries in the garden, there shall be cold meat in the house."
"I have not the least wish for it, I thank you."
"I will answer for it, that mine thinks herself full as clever, and would spurn any body's assistance."
"You will not find either, between Donwell and Highbury. Donwell Lane is never dusty, and now it is perfectly dry. Come on a donkey, however, if you prefer it. You can borrow Mrs. Cole's. I would wish every thing to be as much to your taste as possible."
"These are my own concerns. I have a right to talk on such subjects, without being suspected of introducing Robert Martin."—
"His aunt was so much better, that he had not a doubt of getting over to them."—
"As soon as I am cooler I shall go back again. I could very ill be spared—but such a point had been made of my coming! You will all be going soon I suppose; the whole party breaking up. I met one as I came— — Madness in such weather!—absolute madness!"
"No —he should not eat. He was not hungry; it would only make him hotter."
"As soon as my aunt gets well, I shall go abroad,"
"I shall never be easy till I have seen some of these places. You will have my sketches, some time or other, to look at—or my tour to read—or my poem. I shall do something to expose myself."
"They may be induced to go too. A warm climate may be prescribed for her. I have more than half an expectation of our all going abroad. I assure you I have. I feel a strong persuasion, this morning, that I shall soon be abroad. I ought to travel. I am tired of doing nothing. I want a change. I am serious, Miss Woodhouse, whatever your penetrating eyes may fancy— I am sick of England—and would leave it to-morrow, if I could."
"I sick of prosperity and indulgence! You are quite mistaken. I do not look upon myself as either prosperous or indulged. I am thwarted in every thing material. I do not consider myself at all a fortunate person."
"No—I shall not stir. I shall sit by you. You are my best cure."
"No, certainly not; I shall go home in the cool of the evening."
"No —It will not be worth while. If I come, I shall be cross."
"But if I do, I shall be crosser still. I can never bear to think of you all there without me."
"Well;—if you wish me to stay and join the party, I will."
"How much I am obliged to you,"
"for telling me to come to-day!—If it had not been for you, I should certainly have lost all the happiness of this party. I had quite determined to go away again."
"Don't say I was cross. I was fatigued. The heat overcame me."
"Not to my feelings. I am perfectly comfortable to-day."
"Your command?—Yes."
"It comes to the same thing. I can have no self-command without a motive. You order me, whether you speak or not. And you can be always with me. You are always with me."
"Three o'clock yesterday! That is your date. I thought I had seen you first in February."
"I say nothing of which I am ashamed,"
"I saw you first in February. Let every body on the Hill hear me if they can. Let my accents swell to Mickleham on one side, and Dorking on the other. I saw you first in February."
"Our companions are excessively stupid. What shall we do to rouse them? Any nonsense will serve. They shall talk. Ladies and gentlemen, I am ordered by Miss Woodhouse (who, wherever she is, presides) to say, that she desires to know what you are all thinking of?"
"Is Miss Woodhouse sure that she would like to hear what we are all thinking of?"
"It will not do,"
"they are most of them affronted. I will attack them with more address. Ladies and gentlemen —I am ordered by Miss Woodhouse to say, that she waives her right of knowing exactly what you may all be thinking of, and only requires something very entertaining from each of you, in a general way. Here are seven of you, besides myself, (who, she is pleased to say, am very entertaining already,) and she only demands from each of you either one thing very clever, be it prose or verse, original or repeated—or two things moderately clever—or three things very dull indeed, and she engages to laugh heartily at them all."
'Three things very dull indeed.'
"Low, I am afraid, sir, very low,"
"but we shall be indulgent— especially to any one who leads the way."
"This explains the sort of clever thing that is wanted, and Mr. Weston has done very well for himself; but he must have knocked up every body else. Perfection should not have come quite so soon."
"Happy couple!"
"How well they suit one another!—Very lucky — —marrying as they did, upon an acquaintance formed only in a public place!—They only knew each other, I think, a few weeks in Bath! Peculiarly lucky!—for as to any real knowledge of a person's disposition that Bath, or any public place, can give— it is all nothing; there can be no knowledge. It is only by seeing women in their own homes, among their own set, just as they always are, that you can form any just judgment. Short of that, it is all guess and luck—and will generally be ill-luck. How many a man has committed himself on a short acquaintance, and rued it all the rest of his life!"
"You were speaking,"
"Well, I have so little confidence in my own judgment, that whenever I marry, I hope some body will chuse my wife for me. Will you?
Will you chuse a wife for me?—I am sure I should like any body fixed on by you. You provide for the family, you know,
Find some body for me. I am in no hurry. Adopt her, educate her."
"By all means, if you can."
"She must be very lively, and have hazle eyes. I care for nothing else. I shall go abroad for a couple of years—and when I return, I shall come to you for my wife. Remember."