Jane Austen
had made a tolerable fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the
king during his mayoralty. The distinction had perhaps been felt too strongly. It had given
him a disgust to his business, and to his residence in a small market town; and, in quitting
them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton,
denominated from that period Lucas Lodge, where he could think with pleasure of his own
importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the
world. For, though elated by his rank, it did not render him supercilious; on the contrary, he
was all attention to everybody. By nature inoffensive, friendly, and obliging, his
presentation at St. James's had made him courteous.
Lady Lucas was a very good kind of woman, not too clever to be a valuable neighbour to
Mrs. Bennet. They had several children. The eldest of them, a sensible, intelligent young
annaabi.ee 
