"You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion for my poor nerves."
"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least."
– Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 1. When Mrs. Bennet complaints that her husband is annoying her, Mr. Bennet metaphorically refers to his wife’s nerves as his old friends and says that he has a high respect for them. He is being ironic and sarcastic here.