"Oh! certainly," cried his faithful assistant, "no one can be really esteemed accomplished who does not greatly surpass what is usually met with. A woman must have a thorough knowledge of music, singing, drawing, dancing, and the modern languages, to deserve the word; and besides all this, she must possess a certain something in her air and manner of walking, the tone of her voice, her address and expressions, or the word will be but half-deserved."
"All this she must possess," added Darcy, "and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading."
– Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 8. To be an accomplished woman, according to Caroline Bingley, one must be able to sing, play music, draw, dance, have a pleasant voice and graceful walk. Quite a tall order and indicative of the high expectations for 18th century women who wanted to get on in life. Mr. Darcy chips in say there is something even more important for such a woman: improving her mind by extensive reading.