. . . I think you're being unjust to Cousin Itt, who is a fine intelligent gentleman once you get to know him. ;-) But I'm afraid there's no getting past Isabella's gibberish---nor does she have such charming relatives as the Addams family. *g*

Excellent commentary, BTW, on vain=empty. I suppose this would mean (off to my OED!) that "vain" has the same root as "vanish," for example. And even though they're good for a lot of laughs, the quicker the Thorpes vanish from the narrative, the better it will suit me!