The real evils, indeed, of Emma's situation were the power of having rather too much her own way, and a disposition to think a little too well of herself; these were the disadvantages which threatened alloy to her many enjoyments. The danger, however, was at present so unperceived, that they did not by any means rank as misfortunes with her.
What does Jane Austen mean when she writes "which threatened alloy to her many enjoyments". I get the general meaning, but I would like to know the exact meaning of "alloy", is it a noun or verb? How does it function in the sentence?
Best Answer
It seems odd, doesn't it? But really, it's a very similar meaning to alloy in the context of a mixture of metals.
The missing piece is that alloy was often used metaphorically in a negative sense to mean that something pure was mixed with something base, a little like we might say "muddy". So to alloy is to stain or to taint.
Her disposition tended to threaten to taint her enjoyments.