Read this excerpt from the importance of being earnest by oscar wilde. which four sets of lines satirize the victorians' tendency to place wealth above other factors in deciding whether a person was eligible for marriage? algernon: i am engaged to be married to cecily, aunt augusta. lady bracknell: i beg your pardon? cecily: mr. moncrieff and i are engaged to be married, lady bracknell. lady bracknell: [with a shiver, crossing to the sofa and sitting down.] i think some preliminary inquiry on my part would not be out of place. mr. worthing, is miss cardew at all connected with any of the larger railway stations in london? i merely desire information. until yesterday i had no idea that there were any families or persons whose origin was a terminus. [jack looks perfectly furious, but restrains himself.] jack: [in a clear, cold voice.] miss cardew is the grand-daughter of the late mr. thomas cardew of 149 belgrave square, s. w.; gervase park, dorking, surrey; and the sporran, fifeshire, n. b. lady bracknell: that sounds not unsatisfactory. three addresses always inspire confidence, even in tradesmen. jack: [very irritably.] how extremely kind of you, lady bracknell! i have also in my possession, you will be to hear, certificates of miss cardew's birth, baptism, whooping cough, registration, vaccination, confirmation, and the measles; both the german and the english variety. lady bracknell: ah! a life crowded with incident, i see; though perhaps somewhat too exciting for a young girl. i am not myself in favour of premature experiences. [rises, looks at her watch.] gwendolen! the time approaches for our departure. we have not a moment to lose. as a matter of form, mr. worthing, i had better ask you if miss cardew has any little fortune? jack: oh! about a hundred and thirty thousand pounds in the funds. that is all. goodbye, lady bracknell. so to have seen you. lady bracknell: [sitting down again.] a moment, mr. worthing. a hundred and thirty thousand pounds! and in the funds! miss cardew seems to me a most attractive young lady, now that i look at her. few girls of the present day have any really solid qualities, any of the qualities that last, and improve with time. we live, i regret to say, in an age of surfaces. [to cecily.] come over here, dear. [cecily goes across.] pretty child! your dress is sadly simple, and your hair seems almost as nature might have left it. but we can soon alter all that.