The absurdity of “asses’ milk” as a love potion says it all. Austen constantly references medical remedies of the day for three purposes. One, to make fun of rich people for labeling themselves as an “invalid” when they only have minor body problems as “invalid”. Two, making fun of their ignorance for believing in these supposed “remedies”. And three, to make fun of the producers who create these “remedies”.

Lady Denham boasts about her kind act of giving Sir Edward her dead second husband’s gold watch. She makes it known to Charlotte that she is a kind woman who does kind things. However, Charlotte sees right through her showy personality.

Lady Denham jokes about her age and her young friends/family who are in love. She makes fun of their immature and loving feelings.

This part is interesting because Lady Denham previously insisted that they must not stay. But as the evening went on she kept on talking, and enjoyed being the center of the conversation. Also, this shows her ways of inviting herself to consume others’ tea things after “The tea things were brought in.”

Lady Denham doubts the use of having a doctor or a surgeon in the area. The fact that she blames her husband’s death on doctors apparently shows her ignorance; and the way she delivers it shows her being too full of herself.

The use of “barbarous” well captures Lady Denham’s character: being civil in a normal sense appears to others as being barbarous and uncivil.