He had a stock of small-talk on hand, at once the most trite and perverse that can well be imagined--abuse of the people of Briarfield; of the natives of Yorkshire generally; complaints of the want of high society; of the backward state of civilization in these districts; murmurings against the disrespectful conduct of the lower orders in the north toward their betters; silly ridicule of the manner of living in these parts--the want of style, the absence of elegance, as if he, Donne, had been accustomed to very great doings indeed, an insinuation which his somewhat underbred manner and aspect failed to bear out. 
He had a stock of the most trite small-talk that can be imagined - abuse of the people of Briarfield; of the natives of Yorkshire generally; complaints of the lack of high society; of the backward state of civilization in these districts; and ridicule of the want of style and elegance in the area, as if he, Donne, had been accustomed to very great doings, an insinuation which his underbred manner failed to bear out.
