"They had need be all in love, to find any amusement in such folly; and so they are, I fancy. If you look at them you may see they are so many couple of lovers—all but Yates and Mrs. Grant—and, between ourselves, she, poor woman, must want a lover as much as any one of them."

I confess to bursting out in laughter on reading this line. Tom is actually very funny at times; and the irony that follows in the final paragraph of Chapter 12 just underscores how self-absorbed he is! As he critizes Aunt Norris for her actions, he is himself committing the exact same crime on poor Fanny by using her shamelessly to get away from his aunt's card table.