Toothpick Case

Toothpick Case, National Maritime Museum, 1806

Scene from Sense and Sensibility: The encounter between the Misses Dashwood and Robert Ferrars in Gray's Jewelers, in which they first meet Edward's foppish brother.

All that could be done was, to sit down at that end of the counter which seemed to promise the quickest succession; one gentleman only was standing there, and it is probable that Elinor was not without hope of exciting his politeness to a quicker dispatch. But the correctness of his eye, and the delicacy of his taste, proved to be beyond his politeness. He was giving orders for a toothpick-case for himself, and till its size, shape, and ornaments were determined, all of which, after examining and debating for a quarter of an hour over every toothpick-case in the shop, were finally arranged by his own inventive fancy, he had no leisure to bestow any other attention on the two ladies, than what was comprised in three or four very broad stares; a kind of notice which served to imprint on Elinor the remembrance of a person and face, of strong, natural, sterling insignificance, though adorned in the first style of fashion.

Sense and Sensibility, Chapter 33

Toothpick Case, National Maritime Museum

Georgian London Addresses: Georgian Index. Find a list of establishments on this site, including Gray's on Sackville Street.