Vingt-un a card game, similar to the American card game of twenty-one.
Commerce a card game which was a predecessor of poker.
archly in an arch manner; pertly and mischievously.
complacency quiet satisfaction; contentment.
when am I to wish you joy? "I wish you joy" or "I wish you happy" was the way people in early nineteenth-century Britain congratulated someone on becoming engaged to be married.
entailed to limit the inheritance of property to a specific line or class of heirs.
milliner a person who designs, makes, trims, or sells women's hats.
tête-à-tête a private or intimate conversation between two people.
prognostic a forecast; prediction.
stile a step or set of steps used in climbing over a fence or wall.
apothecary [Old-fashioned] a pharmacist or druggist: apothecaries formerly also prescribed drugs.
draughts medicine.
retire to go aay, retrat, or withdraw.
at five o'clock the two ladies retired to dress It was the custom to change into more formal clothes for dinner.
ragout a highly seasoned stew of meat and vegetables.
countenance calm control; composure.
nonsensical unintelligible, foolish, silly, or absurd.
petticoat a skirt, now especially an underskirt often trimmed at the hemline as with lace or ruffles, worn by women and girls.
not doing its office not performing its function or characteristic action.
Cheapside street and district of London; in the Middle Ages it was a marketplace.
vulgar of, characteristic of, belonging to, or common to the great mass of people in general; common.
vulgar relations Here, the Bingley sisters are making fun of Jane's relatives, who work for a living.
repaired to her room went or betook herself to her room.
loo a card game that was played for money.
playing high betting large amounts of money.
piano-forte piano.
mean ignoble; base; small-minded; petty.
solaced lessened or allayed (grief or sorrow).
temper frame of mind; disposition; mood.
prospect the view obtained from any particular point; outlook.
suffered allowed; permitted; tolerated.
mince pies pies with a filling of mincemeat.
efficacy power to produce effects or intended results; effectiveness.
tax to impose a burden on; put a strain on.
the youngest should tax Mr. Bingley Here, Lydia is placing on Mr. Bingley the obligation of giving a ball.
brought her into public at an early age introduced her formally into society at an early age. Lydia has had her "coming out" early.
