The Wasp — 1914 — page 117: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains dialogue between two men discussing a character named Stanton's romantic entanglement with a "penniles" (sic) woman, identified as the daughter of a parson. The speakers note that Stanton, who is wealthy and from a family that made money in corset manufacturing, has been forced by Mrs. Black to bring this woman as his companion. The satire targets class mobility and mercenary marriage customs. One speaker mocks the Stanton family's nouveau riche origins (corset-making), while criticizing their snobbish desire for their heir to marry into nobility rather than accept a poor woman. A character named Burnham overhears this gossip and considers exploiting the information for blackmail, suggesting themes of Victorian social scandal, financial desperation, and the vulnerability of those seeking advantageous marriages.