Obscure in her poetry, subacid in her satire, she finds the 18th Century real, the present ghostly.
His acquaintances consider him reserved, with a somewhat faded charm, a subacid wit, and a ruthless curiosity about his fellow sinners.
Their low-keyed humor, chess-game pace and subacid satire give them an effect somewhat less than sidesplitting, but for readers who like their slyness slow and stately, Ernest .