—you have no doubt of his having superior abilities—he has proved it at the university—he is i dare say such a scholar as your agreeable, idle brothers would ill bear a comparison with. what is jane austen telling her niece about mr. j. p. in this passage from “on making an agreeable marriage”? going to college shows that mr. j. p. is smart and that he works harder than fanny’s brothers do. mr. j. p. has more schooling than fanny’s brothers, but he is still idle, while they have found jobs. even though he is ill, mr. j. p. is smarter than fanny’s brothers are. fanny’s brothers are ill, so fanny should not compare them with mr. j. p.