Infallibly inferior

INFALLIBLY 

… and all the rest of his conversation, or rather talk, began and ended with himself and his own concerns. He told her of horses which he had bought for a trifle and sold for incredible sums; of racing matches, in which his judgment had infallibly foretold the winner; of shooting parties, in which he had killed more birds (though without having one good shot) than all his companions together; and described to her some famous day’s sport, with the fox-hounds, in which his foresight and skill in directing the dogs had repaired the mistakes of the most experienced huntsman, and in which the boldness of his riding, though it had never endangered his own life for a moment, had been constantly leading others into difficulties, which he calmly concluded had broken the necks of many. The Narrator on John Thorpe, Northanger Abbey, Chapter 9

I doubt that John Thorpe could have a more exalted opinion of himself! In his mind, he appears to be a Regency superman; able to trade, gamble, hunt, ride and I know not what else infalliby better than any man of his aquaintence! To think that Catherine’s brother James Morland recommended him to her is unfathomable. How is young Catherine to understand the finer side of men’s nature if her brother sends her such an inferior example? Poor thing!

The upside is, that because of Thorpe’s infallibly inferior nature, he makes Henry Tilney look better and better; – – a god among men!