I understand the embarrassment Lizzy feels when her family makes a spectacle of themselves but I must confess that I have never quite understood the horror of relatives who act without propriety and hence never quite understood the horror of a connection with them. However, since you think something of the notion I decided to rethink the subject. (;D) In Chapter 33 after Col Fitzwilliam spills the beans about Darcy saving Bingley from marriage to her sister, Lizzy thinks Darcy would be more particular about Jane’s connections than some family members want of sense. I think Lizzy is shocked to find out in his letter that it was the lack of “sense” and not the “connections” which doomed Jane’s acceptability in Darcy’s eyes.

Am I right in thinking that the horror of relatives who act without propriety is that they are not acting respectably? The impropriety of behavior reflects on the respectability of the family? I have always thought Mr. Bennet wrong not to stop Lydia’s flirty behavior in Chapter 41 because she might get into trouble but I have also thought he was right that such squeamish youths are not worth regret, for example, if Mary’s bad performance at the Netherfield ball could scare them off her more deserving sisters. However, I suppose it is a question of degree; how bad the behavior in question is? In Chapter 41 Lizzy seems to be saying Lydia’s behavior hurts the family’s respectability; I can see where Lydia’s behavior is more serious where Mary’s was just rather embarrassing. For some reason I never made the connection between impropriety and respectability so clearly before. ;D