A straw hat with a pale green ribbon rests among grass and dandelions, with loose seeds drifting nearby.

Original artwork, not a still

Jane Austen

What fine weather this is! Not very becoming perhaps early in the morning, but very pleasant out of doors at noon, and very wholesome-at least everybody fancies so, and imagination is everything. To Edward, however, I really think dry weather of importance. I have not taken to fires yet.

Behind the line

What it means

Our interpretation.

The speaker gushes about pleasant weather, then qualifies it with dry humor: it suits noon better than early morning, and its healthfulness may be mostly imagination. Dry weather matters especially to Edward, and the writer admits not yet having taken to fires, keeping the talk light and lightly wry.

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