Austen Said:

Patterns of Diction in Jane Austen's Major Novels

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"I have not been severe upon poor Mrs. Churchill. If she is ill I should be sorry to do her injustice; but there are some traits in her character which make it difficult for me to speak of her with the forbearance I could wish. You cannot be ignorant, Mrs. Elton, of my connexion with the family, nor of the treatment I have met with; and, between ourselves, the whole blame of it is to be laid to her. She was the instigator. Frank's mother would never have been slighted as she was but for her. Mr. Churchill has pride; but his pride is nothing to his wife's: his is a quiet, indolent, gentlemanlike sort of pride that would harm nobody, and only make himself a little helpless and tiresome; but her pride is arrogance and insolence! And what inclines one less to bear, she has no fair pretence of family or blood. She was nobody when he married her, barely the daughter of a gentleman; but ever since her being turned into a Churchill she has out-Churchill'd them all in high and mighty claims: but in herself, I assure you, she is an upstart."
"But Miss Bates and Miss Fairfax!"
"We thought you were to bring them."
"And what are we to do for a proper partner for her?"
"She will think Frank ought to ask her."
"Most readily, Mrs. Weston, if you will dance with me."
"If Mrs. Gilbert wishes to dance,"
"I shall have great pleasure, I am sure —for, though beginning to feel myself rather an old married man, and that my dancing days are over, it would give me very great pleasure at any time to stand up with an old friend like Mrs. Gilbert."
"Miss Smith!—oh!—I had not observed.—You are extremely obliging—and if I were not an old married man.— But my dancing days are over, Mrs. Weston. You will excuse me. Any thing else I should be most happy to do, at your command— but my dancing days are over."
"Come Miss Woodhouse, Miss Otway, Miss Fairfax, what are you all doing?—Come Emma, set your companions the example. Every body is lazy! Every body is asleep!"
"What is this?—What is this?"
"about Perry and a carriage? Is Perry going to set up his carriage, Frank? I am glad he can afford it. You had it from himself, had you?"
"It is odd though,"
"that you should have had such a regular connected dream about people whom it was not very likely you should be thinking of at Enscombe. Perry's setting up his carriage! and his wife's persuading him to it, out of care for his health— just what will happen, I have no doubt, some time or other; only a little premature. What an air of probability sometimes runs through a dream! And at others, what a heap of absurdities it is! Well, Frank, your dream certainly shews that Highbury is in your thoughts when you are absent. Emma, you are a great dreamer, I think?"
"I am glad you approve of what I have done,"
"But I thought you would. Such schemes as these are nothing without numbers. One cannot have too large a party. A large party secures its own amusement. And she is a good-natured woman after all. One could not leave her out."
"Very true, my love, very true. Exactly so, indeed —quite unheard of — —but some ladies say any thing. Better pass it off as a joke. Every body knows what is due to you."
"I like your plan,"
"Agreed, agreed. I will do my best. I am making a conundrum. How will a conundrum reckon?"
"I doubt its being very clever myself,"
"It is too much a matter of fact, but here it is.—What two letters of the alphabet are there, that express perfection?"
"Ah! you will never guess. You,
I am certain, will never guess.—I will tell you.—M. and A.—Em-ma.—Do you understand?"
"Yes, yes, pray pass me,"
"I have nothing to say that can entertain Miss Woodhouse, or any other young lady. An old married man—quite good for nothing. Shall we walk, Augusta?"
"Ah! poor woman, who would have thought it!"
"could not stay five minutes, and wanted particularly to speak with her."—
"Can you come to Randalls at any time this morning?—Do, if it be possible. Mrs. Weston wants to see you. She must see you."
"No, no, not at all— only a little agitated. She would have ordered the carriage, and come to you, but she must see you alone, and that you know—
Humph!—Can you come?"
"Depend upon me—but ask no more questions. You will know it all in time. The most unaccountable business! But hush, hush!"
"No, no,"—
"Don't ask me. I promised my wife to leave it all to her. She will break it to you better than I can. Do not be impatient, Emma; it will all come out too soon."
"No, indeed you are mistaken."—
"Upon my word, Emma."—
"Upon my honour,"
"it does not. It is not in the smallest degree connected with any human being of the name of Knightley."
"I was wrong,"
"in talking of its being broke to you. I should not have used the expression. In fact, it does not concern you— it concerns only myself,—that is, we hope.—Humph!—In short, my dear Emma, there is no occasion to be so uneasy about it. I don't say that it is not a disagreeable business—but things might be much worse.—If we walk fast, we shall soon be at Randalls."
"I do not know.—One of the Otways.—Not Frank;—it is not Frank, I assure you. You will not see him. He is half way to Windsor by this time."
"Oh! yes —did not you know?—Well, well, never mind."
"Yes, Frank came over this morning, just to ask us how we did."
"Well, my dear,"
"I have brought her, and now I hope you will soon be better. I shall leave you together. There is no use in delay. I shall not be far off, if you want me."—
"I have been as good as my word. She has not the least idea."
"For the present, the whole affair was to be completely a secret. Mr. Churchill had made a point of it, as a token of respect to the wife he had so very recently lost; and every body admitted it to be no more than due decorum."—
"such things,"
"always got about."
"When I got to Donwell,"
"Knightley could not be found. Very odd! very unaccountable! after the note I sent him this morning, and