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Quotation from Emma by Jane Austen

“She is poor; she has sunk from the comforts she was born to; and, if she live to old age, must probably sink more. Her situation should secure your compassion. It was badly done, indeed!”

Jane Austen (spoken by Mr. Knightley)

Emma, Vol. III, Ch. VII (Project Gutenberg #158)

Portrait of Jane Austen

Mr. Knightley's private rebuke to Emma after Box Hill, the moral turning point of the novel.

Citation: "She is poor; she has sunk from the comforts she was born to; and, if she live to old age, must probably sink more. Her situation should secure your compassion. It was badly done, indeed!" — Jane Austen, Emma, Vol. III, Ch. VII (Project Gutenberg #158). (id emma-q5)

Virtues: Charity, Friendship

Portrait: CassandraAusten-JaneAusten(c.1810) hires, Cassandra Austen, Public domain.

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Quote card: She is poor; she has sunk from the comforts she was born to; and, if she live to