“I do not think I was very much in request-.People were rather apt not to ask me till they could not help it;-One’s consequence you know varies so much at times without any particular reason-. There was one Gentleman, an officer of the Cheshire, a very good looking young Man, who I was told wanted very much to be introduced to me;-but as he did not want it quite enough to take much trouble in effecting it, We never could bring it about.”
letter to Cassandra, about a ball of the previous evening
January 9, 1799 [17], emphasis mine
The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman (May, 2012)
A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love, and Faith