“Oh! the good Bateses⁠—I am quite ashamed of myself⁠—but you mention them in most of your letters. I hope they are quite well. Good old Mrs. Bates⁠—I will call upon her tomorrow, and take my children.⁠—They are always so pleased to see my children.⁠—And that excellent Miss Bates!⁠—such thorough worthy people!⁠—How are they, sir?”

“Why, pretty well, my dear, upon the whole. But poor Mrs. Bates had a bad cold about a month ago.”

“How sorry I am! But colds were never so prevalent as they have been this autumn. Mr. Wingfield told me that he has never known them more general or heavy⁠—except when it has been quite an influenza.”