"well, my dear," said mrs. jennings, "and how did you travel? " "not in the stage, i assure you," replied miss steele, with quick exultation; "we came post all the way, and had a very smart beau to attend us. dr. davies was coming to town, and so we thought we'd join him in a post- chaise, and he behaved very genteelly, and paid ten or twelve shillings more than we did." "oh, oh! " cried mrs. jennings; "very pretty indeed! and the doctor is a single man, i warrant you." "there now," said miss steele, affectedly simpering, "everybody laughs at me so about the doctor, and ! cannot think why. my cousins say they are sure i have made a conquest; but for my part i declare i never think about him from one hour's end to " (sense and sensibility, chapter 32. pp. 11-12) which of the novel's themes is elaborated in this excerpt? economic concern and stablility looking beyond appearances social status marriage is for life