Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
Chapter 22 Marianne,
Who had never much toleration for
Anything like impertence,
Vulgarity,
Or even difference of taste from herself,
Was at this
Time particularly ill-disposed to be pleased with the misdeals,
Or to encourage their advances,
And to the invariable coldness of her behaviour towards them,
Eleanor principally attributed
That preference of herself which soon became evident in the manners of both,
But especially
Of Lucy,
Who missed no opportunity of striving to improve their acquaintance by an easier
Frank communication of her sentiments.
Lucy Steele was naturally clever.
Her remarks
Were often just and amusing,
And as a companion for half an hour,
Eleanor frequently found
Her agreeable.
But she was ignorant and illiterate,
And her deficiency of all mental improvement
Could not be concealed from Miss Dashwood.
Eleanor saw and pitied her for the neglect
Of abilities which education might have rendered so respectable,
But she saw with less tenderness
Of feeling the thorough want of delicacy and integrity of mind which her attentions at
The park betrayed,
And she could have no lasting satisfaction in the company of a person who
Joined in sincerity with ignorance.
You will think my question an odd one,
I dare say,
Said Lucy to her one day as they were
Walking together from the park to the cottage.
But pray,
Are you personally acquainted with
Your sister-in-law's mother,
Mrs Ferrars?
Eleanor did think the question was a very
Odd one,
And her countenance expressed it as she answered that she had never seen Mrs
Ferrars.
Indeed?
Replied Lucy.
I wonder at that,
For I thought you must have seen her at Norland
Sometimes.
Then perhaps you cannot tell me what sort of a woman she is?
No,
Returned Eleanor,
Cautious of giving her real opinion of Edward's mother.
I know nothing
Of her.
I am sure you must think me very strange for inquiring about her in such a way,
Said Lucy,
But perhaps there may be reasons.
I wish I might venture,
But,
However,
I hope you will
Do me the justice of believing I do not mean to be impertinent.
They walked on for a few minutes in silence.
It was broken by Lucy,
Who renewed the subject
Again by saying,
With some hesitation,
I cannot bear to have you think me impertinently curious.
Indeed,
I should be very glad of
Your advice how to manage in such an uncomfortable situation as I am.
But,
However,
There is
No occasion to trouble you.
I am sorry you do not happen to know Mrs Ferrars.
I am sorry I do not,
Said Elizabeth in great astonishment,
If it could be of any use to
You to know my opinion of her,
But,
Really,
I never understood that you were at all connected
With that family,
And therefore I am a little surprised,
I confess,
As to seriously inquire
Into her character.
If I dare tell you all,
You would not be so much surprised.
Mrs Ferrars is certainly nothing
To me at present,
But the time may come when we may be very intimately connected.
Good heavens,
Cried Eleanor,
What do you mean?
Are you acquainted with Mr Robert Ferrars?
Can you be?
No,
Replied Lucy,
Not to Mr Robert Ferrars,
To his elder brother.
What felt Eleanor at that moment?
Astonishment that would have been as painful as it was
Wrong,
Had not an immediate disbelief of the assertion attended it.
You may well be surprised,
Continued Lucy,
For to be sure,
You could have no idea of
It before,
For I dare say he never dropped the smallest hint of it to you or any of your
Family,
Because it was always meant to be a great secret,
And I am sure has been faithfully
Kept by me so long to this hour.
Not a soul of all my relations know of it but Anne,
And
I never should have mentioned it to you if I had not felt the greatest dependence in
The world upon your secrecy.
And I really thought my behaviour in asking so many questions about Mrs Ferrars must seem
So odd that it ought to be explained.
Eleanor for a few moments remained silent.
At length forcing herself to speak,
And to
Speak cautiously,
She said with a calmness of manner which tolerably well concealed her
Surprise and solicitude.
May I ask if your engagement is of longstanding?
We have been engaged these four years.
Eleanor,
Though greatly shocked,
Still felt unable to believe it.
I did not know,
Said she,
That you were ever acquainted till the other day.
Our acquaintance,
However,
Is of many years' date.
It was under my uncle's care,
You know,
A considerable while.
Your uncle?
Yes,
Mr Pratt.
Did you ever hear of him talk of Mr Pratt?
I think I have,
Replied Eleanor.
He was four years with my uncle who lives at Longstaple
Near Plymouth.
It was there our acquaintance began,
And it was there our engagement was
Formed,
Though not till a year after he had quitted as a pupil.
I was very unwilling to enter into it,
As you may imagine,
Without the knowledge and
Approbation of his mother.
But I was too young,
And loved him too well to be so prudent as
I ought to have been.
You must have seen enough of him to be sensible.
He is very capable
Of making a woman so silly attached to him.
Certainly,
Answered Eleanor,
Without knowing what she said.
But after a moment's reflection
She added,
With revived security,
Of Edward's honour and love,
And her companion's falsehood.
Engaged to Edward Ferrars?
I beg your pardon,
But surely there must be some mistake of personal
Name.
We cannot mean the same Mr Ferrars.
We can mean no other,
Cried Lucy,
Smiling.
Mr Edward Ferrars,
The eldest son of Mrs Ferrars
Of Park Street,
And brother of your sister-in-law,
Mrs John Dashwood,
Is the person I mean.
It is strange,
Replied Eleanor in a most painful perplexity,
That I should never have heard
Him mention your name.
Our first care has been to keep the matter secret.
You knew nothing
Of me or my family,
And therefore there could be no occasion for ever mentioning my name
To you.
She was silent.
Eleanor's security sank.
But her self-command did not sink with it.
Four years you have been engaged,
Said she with a firm voice.
Yes,
And heaven knows how
Much longer we may have to wait.
Poor Edward,
It puts him quite out of heart.
Then,
Taking a small miniature from her pocket,
She added,
To prevent the possibility of mistake,
Be so good as to look at this face.
She put it into Eleanor's hands as she spoke,
And when Eleanor saw the painting,
Whatever
Other doubts her fear of too hasty a decision,
Or her wish of detecting falsehood,
Might
Suffer to linger in her mind,
She could have none of its being Edward's face.
She returned
It almost instantly,
Acknowledging the likeness.
I have never been able,
Continued Lucy,
To give him my picture in return,
But I am determined
To sit for it the very first opportunity.
You are quite in the right,
Replied Eleanor calmly.
They then proceeded a few paces in silence.
Lucy spoke first.
I'm sure,
Said she,
I have no doubt in the world of your faithfully keeping this secret,
Because you must know of what importance it is to us not to have reached his mother.
I certainly did not seek your confidence,
Said Eleanor,
But you do me no more than justice
In imagining it may be depended upon.
Your secret is safe with me.
And pardon me if I express some surprise at so unnecessary a communication.
You must at least have felt my being acquainted with it could not add to its safety.
I was afraid you'd think I was taking great liberty with you,
Said Lucy,
In telling you
All this.
I really thought some explanation was due to you after my making such particular inquiries
About Edward's mother,
And Anne is the only person that knows of it,
And she has no judgment
At all.
Indeed,
She does me a great deal more harm than good,
For I am in constant fear of her
Betraying me.
I only wonder I'm alive after what I've suffered for Edward's sake these last four years.
Everything in such suspense and uncertainty,
And seeing him so seldom.
We can hardly meet above twice a year.
I am sure I wonder why my heart is not quite broke.
Here she took out her handkerchief,
But Eleanor did not feel very compassionate.
Sometimes,
Continued Lucy after wiping her eyes,
I think whether it would not be better
For us both to break off the matter entirely,
Then at other times I have not resolution
Enough for it.
I cannot bear the thoughts of making him so miserable,
As I know the very mention of such
A thing would do.
What would you advise me to do in such a case,
Miss Dashwood?
"
"'Pardon me,
' replied Eleanor,
Startled by the question,
"'but I can give you no advice
Under such circumstances.
Your own judgment must direct you.
'"
"'To be sure,
' continued Lucy,
"'his mother must provide for him some time or another,
But poor Edward's so downcast about it.
Did you not think him dreadfully low-spirited when he was at Barton?
He was so miserable when he left us to go to you,
And I was afraid you would think him
Quite ill.
Did he come from your uncle's then,
When he visited us?
'
"'Oh yes,
He'd been staying a fortnight with us.
Did you think he came directly from town?
'
"'No,
' replied Eleanor,
Most feelingly sensible of every fresh circumstance in favour of Lucy's
Veracity.
"'I remember he told us he'd been staying a fortnight with some friends near Plymouth.
'
"'Did you not think him sadly out of spirits?
'
Repeated Lucy.
"'We did indeed,
Particularly so when he first arrived.
'
"'Poor fellow!
I'm afraid it's just the same with him now,
For he writes in wretched spirits.
I heard from him just before I left Exeter.
'
She took a letter from her pocket and carelessly showed the direction to Eleanor.
"'You know his hand,
I dare say—a charming one it is,
But that it's not written so well
As usual.
He was tired,
I dare say,
For he'd just filled the sheet to me as full as possible.
'
Eleanor saw that it was Edward's hand,
And she could doubt no longer.
For a few moments she was almost overcome.
Her heart sank within her,
And she could hardly stand,
But exertion was indispensably necessary,
And she struggled so resolutely against the oppression of her feelings that her success
Was speedy and for the time complete.
"'Writing to each other,
' said Lucy,
Returning the letter into her pocket,
"'is the only
Comfort we have in such long separations.
Yes,
I have one other comfort in his picture,
But poor Edward has not even that.
If he had but my picture,
He said,
It should be easy.
I gave him a lock of my hair set in a ring when he was at Longstaple last,
And that was
Some comfort to him,
' he said,
But not equal to a picture.
Perhaps you might notice the ring when you saw him.
"
"'I did,
' said Eleanor,
With a composure of voice under which was concealed an emotion
And distress beyond anything she had ever felt before.
"
Fortunately for her,
They had now reached the cottage,
And the conversation could be
Continued no further.
After sitting with them a few minutes,
The Miss Steeles returned to the park,
And Eleanor
Was then at liberty to think and be wretched.
