“Insufferable woman!” was her immediate exclamation. “Worse than I had supposed. Absolutely insufferable! Knightley! – I could not have believed it. Knightley! – never seen him in her life before, and call him Knightley! – and discover that he is a gentleman! A little upstart, vulgar being, with her Mr. E., and her caro sposo, and her resources, and all her airs of pert pretension and under-bred finery. Actually to discover that Mr. Knightley is a gentleman! I doubt whether he will return the compliment, and discover her to be a lady. I could not have believed it! And to propose that she and I should unite to form a musical club! One would fancy we were bosom friends!”
– Jane Austen
Emma, Chapter 32. When Emma meets the new bride Mrs. Elton on her visit to Hartfield, she can barely contain herself and her reaction. Emma finds her shockingly vulgar, pretentious and full of herself, describing her husband as Mr. E and her caro sposo. Her over-familiarity horrifies Emma. Referring to Mr. Knightley as “Knightley” particularly annoys Emma. She is further provoked by the suggestion that they start a musical club together, as if they were close friends. But it needs to be said that Emma displays quite the superior air and more than a touch of vanity in her biting critique and put-down of Mrs. Elton.