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Express feebly our desolation

Posted by Natty on September 01, 2004

The author argues that all social intercourse is founded on make-believe:

We make-believe that every woman is good, that every man is honest - until they insist on forcing us, against our will, to observe that they are not. Then we become very angry with them, and explain to
them that they, being sinners, are not folk fit to mix with us perfect people. Our grief, when our rich aunt dies, is hardly to be borne. Drapers make fortunes, helping us to express feebly our desolation. Our only consolation is that she has gone to a better world.

What is the meaning of FEEBLY in "Drapers make fortunes, helping us to express feebly our
desolation"? Weakly? What does he want to say by that?

Thank you in advance!