21 Sense And Sensibility - Stephanie Poppins

When Mr. Dashwood dies, he must leave the bulk of his estate to the son of his first marriage. This leaves his second wife and their three daughters Elinor, Marianne, and Margaret in difficult circumstances. They are taken in by a kindly cousin, but their lack of fortune affects the marriageability of practical Elinor and romantic Marianne.

When Elinor forms an attachment for the wealthy Edward Ferrars his family disapproves and separates them. And though Mrs. Jennings tries to match the rich and kind Colonel Brandon to Marianne, she finds the dashing and fiery John Willoughby more to her taste.

In this episode, we are introduced to Miss Steele who appears to know more about Edward Ferrars than Elinor at first suspected.

Read by English author and vocal artist Stephanie Poppins

Transcript

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen Chapter 21 The Palmers returned to Cleveland the next day and the two families at Barton were again left to entertain each other.

But this did not last long.

Eleanor had hardly got their last visitors out of her head before Sir John and Mrs Jennings' active zeal in the cause of society procured her some other new acquaintance to see and observe.

In a morning's excursion to Exeter they had met with two young ladies whom Mrs Jennings had the satisfaction of discovering to be her relations and this was enough for Sir John to invite them directly to the park.

Their engagements at Exeter instantly gave way before such an invitation and Lady Middleton was thrown into no little alarm on the return of Sir John by hearing that she was very soon to receive a visit from two girls whom she had never seen in her life and of whose elegance,

Whose tolerable gentility even,

She could have no proof.

As it was impossible,

However,

Now to prevent their coming Lady Middleton resigned herself to the idea of it.

The young ladies arrived.

Their appearance was by no means ungentile or unfashionable.

Their dress was very smart,

Their manners very civil.

They were delighted with the house and in raptures with the furniture and they happened to be so dotingly fond of children that Lady Middleton's good opinion was engaged in their favour before they had been an hour at the park.

She declared them to be very agreeable girls indeed which for her ladyship was enthusiastic admiration.

Sir John's confidence in his own judgment rose with his animated praise and he set off directly for the cottage to tell the Miss Dashwoods of the Miss Steele's arrival and to assure them of their being the sweetest girls in the world.

Sir John wanted the whole family to walk to the park directly and look at his guests.

It was painful to him to keep a third cousin to himself.

Do come now,

Said he.

You can't think how you will like them.

Lucy is monstrous pretty and so good-humoured and agreeable and they both long to see you of all things for they've heard at Exeter you're the most beautiful creatures in the world.

How can you be so cross as not to come?

Why,

They're your cousins you know,

After a fashion.

You are my cousins and they are my wife so you must be related.

But Sir John could not prevail.

He could only obtain a promise of their calling it to the park within a day or two then left them in amazement at their indifference to walk home and boast anew of their attractions to the Miss Steele's.

When their promised visit to the park and consequent introduction to these young ladies took place the Miss Dashwoods found in the appearance of the eldest,

Who was nearly 30 with a very plain and not a sensible face,

Nothing to admire but in the other who was not more than two or three and twenty they acknowledged considerable beauty.

Her features were pretty and she had a sharp quick eye and a smartness of air which gave distinction to her person.

Their manners were particularly civil and Eleanor saw with what constant and judicious attentions they were making themselves agreeable to Lady Middleton.

With her children they were in continual raptures extolling their beauty,

Courting their notice and humouring all their whims and such of their time as could be spared from the inopportune demands which this politeness made on it were spent in admiration of whatever her ladyship was doing if she happened to be doing anything.

Lady Middleton saw with maternal complacency all the impertinent encroachments and mischievous tricks to which her cousin submitted.

She saw their sashes untied,

Their hair pulled about their ears their work bags searched and their knives and scissors stolen away and felt no doubt of it being a reciprocal enjoyment.

John is in such spirits today,

Said she on his taking Miss Steele's pocket handkerchief and throwing it out of the window he is full of monkey tricks.

And here is my sweet little Anna Maria she added tenderly caressing a little girl of three years old who had not made a noise for the last two minutes.

She's always so gentle and quiet never was there such a quiet little thing.

But unfortunately in bestowing these embraces a pin in her ladyship's headdress slightly scratching the child's neck produced from this pattern of gentleness such violent screams as could hardly be outdone by any creature professedly noisy.

She was seated in her mother's lap,

Covered with kisses her wound bathed with lavender water by one of the Miss Steele's who was on her knees to attend to her and her mouth stuffed with sugar plums by the other.

She still screamed and sobbed lustily till Lady Middleton luckily remembering a scene of similar distress last week some apricot marmalade had been successfully applied for a bruised temple so the same remedy was eagerly proposed for this unfortunate scratch and a slight intermission of screams in the young lady on hearing it gave them reason to hope it would not be rejected.

Then she was carried out of the room in her mother's arms in quest of this medicine.

Poor little creature,

Said Miss Steele as soon as they were gone it might have been a very sad accident.

Yet I hardly know how,

Cried Marianne unless it had been under totally different circumstances but this is the usual way of heightening alarm where there is nothing to be alarmed of in reality.

What a sweet woman Lady Middleton is,

Said Lucy Steele.

Marianne was silent.

It was impossible for her to say what she did not feel however trivial the occasion and upon Eleanor,

Therefore,

The whole task of telling lies when politeness required,

It always fell.

She did her best when thus called on by speaking of Lady Middleton with more warmth than she felt though with far less than Miss Lucy.

And Sir John too,

Cried the elder sister what a charming man he is and what a charming little family they have.

I never saw such fine children in my life and I declare I quite dote upon them already.

I should guess so,

Said Eleanor with a smile from what I have witnessed this morning.

I have a notion,

Said Lucy you think the little Middleton is rather too much indulged for my part I love to see children full of life and spirits I cannot bear them if they are tame and quiet.

I confess,

Replied Eleanor that while I am at Barton Park I never think of tame and quiet children with any abhorrence.

A short pause succeeded this speech which was first broken by Miss Steele who now said rather abruptly And how do you like Devonshire,

Miss Dashwood?

I suppose you were very sorry to leave Sussex.

In some surprise at the familiarity of this question Eleanor replied that she was.

Norland is a prodigious beautiful place,

Is it not?

Added Miss Steele.

I think everyone must admire it replied Eleanor,

Whoever saw the place.

And had you a great many spart bow there?

I suppose you've not so many in this part of the world for my part I think they're a vast addition always.

But why should you think,

Said Lucy looking ashamed of her sister that there are not as many genteel young men in Devonshire as Sussex?

Nay,

My dear,

I'm sure I don't pretend to say there aren't I was only afraid the Miss Dashwoods might find it dull at Barton if they had not so many as they used to have.

But perhaps you young ladies may not care about the bow for my part I think they're vastly agreeable provided they dress smart and behave civil.

I suppose your brother was quite a bow,

Miss Dashwood before he married,

As he was so rich.

Upon my word replied Eleanor,

I cannot tell you for I do not perfectly comprehend the meaning of the word but this I can say that if he ever was a bow before he married he is one still and not the smallest alteration in him.

Oh dear,

One never thinks of married men's being bow they have something else to do.

Lord Han,

Cried her sister you can talk of nothing but bow you will make the Miss Dashwoods believe you think of nothing else.

This specimen of the Miss Steele's was enough the vulgar freedom and folly of the eldest left her no recommendation and as Eleanor was not blinded by the beauty or the shrewd look of the youngest to her want of real elegance and artlessness she left the house without any wish of knowing them better.

Not so the Miss Steele's they came from Exeter well provided with admiration for the use of Sir John Middleton his family and all his relations and no niggardly proportion was now dealt out to his fair cousins whom they declared to be the most beautiful elegant,

Accomplished and agreeable girls they had ever beheld and with whom they were particularly anxious to be better acquainted.

Eleanor soon found was their inevitable lot for as Sir John was entirely on the side of the Miss Steele's their party would be too strong for opposition and that kind of intimacy must be submitted to which consists of sitting an hour or two together in the same room almost every day.

To do Sir John justice he did everything in his power to promote their own reserve by making the Miss Steele's acquainted with whatever he knew or supposed of his cousins situations in the most delicate particulars and Eleanor had not seen them more than twice before the eldest of them wished her joy on her sisters having been so lucky as to make a conquest of a very smart beau since she came to Barton.

It will be a fine thing to have her married so young to be sure said she and I hope you may have as good luck yourself soon.

Eleanor could not suppose that Sir John would be more nice in proclaiming his suspicions of her regard for Edward than he had been with respect to Marianne.

Indeed it was rather his favourite joke of the two as being somewhat newer and more conjectural and since Edwards visit they had never dined together without his drinking to her best affections with so much and so many nods and winks as to excite general attention.

The letter F had been likewise invariably brought forward and found productive of such countless jokes that its character as the wittiest letter in the alphabet had been long established with Eleanor.

The Miss Steele's as she expected had now all the benefits of these jokes and in the eldest of them they raised a curiosity to know the name of the gentleman alluded to but Sir John did not sport long with a curiosity which he delighted to raise for he had at least as much pleasure in telling the name as Miss Steele had in hearing it.

His name is Ferrars said he in a very audible whisper but pray do not tell it for it is a great secret.

Ferrars reported Miss Steele what your sister-in-law's brother Miss Dashwood a very agreeable young man to be sure I know him very well.

How can you say so Anne cried Lucy though we've seen him once or twice at my uncle's it's rather too much to pretend to know him very well.

Eleanor heard all this with attention and surprise and who was this uncle where did he live how came they acquainted the manner in which Miss Steele had spoken of Edward increased her curiosity for it struck her as being rather ill-natured and suggested the suspicion of that lady's knowing or fancying herself to know something to his disadvantage.