¶Sadleir 554; Wolff 1215. Sadleir notes that this novel got the author into hot water with several of her male acquaintances, including her brother, who perceived in the odious character Wentworth negative reflections of themselves. Mary claimed that a resemblance to any real person was purely coincidental, but became increasingly rattled by the accusations, leading her to conclude that her thin-skinned friends were more like Wentworth than she realised.