Having mused over this, though I appreciate your ideas, I stand by my initial response. (With the exception of its beginning with a typo...my days at the editing/proofreading desk are 10 years and two babies ago.) On whose authority do we have it that Mr. Elliot's comments were so caustic? I believe it was somewhat ambiguous. It could be a case of that conversational jocularity that develops over cigars and port, eh? Or something along the lines of dear ol' Fred berating his Uncle Scrooge. Perhaps not. But, if he be a self-serving rogue why not latch on to Kellynch Hall sooner than later?