It is your turn to say something now, Mr. Darcy. I talked about the dance, and you ought to make some kind of remark on the size of the room, or the number of couples.
– Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 18. There are deep wells of awkward silences between Darcy and Elizabeth when she dances with him at the ball at Netherfield. In this passage Elizabeth tries to break the silence with conversation, hoping that "it would be the greater punishment to her partner to oblige him to talk." The passage is one of a number of sarcastic comments Elizabeth makes, as she goes on to poke fun at Darcy.