] ] But could he be described as respectable if he acted this way around everyone? Or maybe he's only respected by other foolish young men. :-)

] Let's not forget that the reader is in on a secret that is unknown to the general populace. (Indeed, the only living people in the story aware of it are John and Fanny.) He would be widely censured had his doing nothing to fulfill the deathbed promise to provide for his sisters and step mother been circulated.

You're absolutely right. I wasn't clear in my wording - by "behaving this way" I was refering to Barbara's statement:
"He blunders around so much with his sisters that I wonder if he must always be this much of a dolt with everyone he knows?" This thought was what made me wonder how he could be described as respectable.

(I'm afraid I'm often incoherent since I usually only have lunch hours to read and post! Right now our computer system is down and I can't work, so here I am!!)

] To the rest of the world, he's a rich man, married to a fashionable and respectable family, who doesn't drool on himself when talking. (-; He's always deferential to people of rank or fortune. This is all that's required for respectability in Regency society.