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Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen Chapter 35 Eleanor's curiosity to see Mrs Ferrer's was satisfied.
She had seen enough of her pride,
Her meanness and her determined prejudice against herself to comprehend all the difficulties that must have perplexed the engagement and retarded the marriage of Edward and herself,
Had he been otherwise free.
She wondered that Lucy's vanity should so very much blind her as to make the attention which seemed only paid her because she was not Eleanor appear a compliment to herself,
Or to allow her to derive encouragement from a preference only given her because her real situation was unknown.
But that it was so had not been declared by Lucy's eyes at the time,
But was declared over everything again the next morning more openly,
For a time she had not yet seen her true self.
For at her particular desire,
Lady Middleton set her down in Barclay Street on the chance of seeing Eleanor alone.
The chance proved a lucky one,
For a message from Mrs Palmer soon after she arrived,
Carried Mrs Jennings away.
My dear friend,
Cried Lucy as soon as they were by themselves,
I come to you to talk of my happiness.
Could anything be so flattering as Mrs Ferrer's way of treating me yesterday?
You know how I dreaded the thoughts of seeing her,
But the very moment I was introduced there was such an affability in her behaviour as really she seemed to say she had quite took a fancy to me.
She was certainly very civil to you.
Civil?
Did you see nothing but only civility?
I saw a vast deal more.
No pride,
No hauteur,
And your sister just the same,
All sweetness and affability.
Undoubtedly if they had known of your engagement,
Said Eleanor,
Nothing could be more flattering than their treatment of you,
But as that was not the case.
I guess you would say so,
Replied Lucy quickly,
But there was no reason in the world why Mrs Ferrer's should seem to like me if she did not,
And her liking me is everything.
Mrs Ferrer's is a charming woman,
And so is your sister.
To this Eleanor had no answer to make and did not attempt any.
Are you ill,
Miss Dashwood?
You seem low.
I was never in better health.
I'm glad of it with all my heart.
I should be so sorry to have you ill,
You that have been the greatest comfort to me in the world.
Eleanor tried to make a civil answer,
Though doubting her own success,
But it seemed to satisfy Lucy,
For she directly replied,
Indeed,
I'm perfectly convinced of your regard for me,
And next to Edward's love,
It's the greatest comfort I have.
Poor Edward,
But now there is one good thing.
We shall be able to meet,
And meet pretty often,
For Lady Middleton's delighted with Mrs Dashwood,
So we shall be a good deal in Harley Street,
I dare say,
And Edward spends half his time with his sister.
Besides,
Lady Middleton and Mrs Ferrer's will visit now,
And Mrs Ferrer's and your sister were both so good to say more than once they should always be glad to see me.
I am sure if ever you tell your sister what I think of her,
You cannot speak too high.
But Eleanor would But Eleanor would not give her any encouragement to hope that she should tell her sister.
Lucy continued,
I am sure I should have seen it in a moment if Mrs Ferrer took a dislike to me,
For where she does dislike,
I know it's most violent.
Eleanor was prevented from making any reply to this civil triumph by the doors being thrown open,
And Edward immediately walking in.
It was a very awkward moment,
And the countenance of each showed it was so.
Edward seemed to have as great an inclination to walk out of the room again as to advance further into it.
The ladies recovered themselves first.
It was not Lucy's business to put herself forward,
And the appearance of secrecy must still be kept up.
She could therefore only look her tenderness,
And after slightly addressing him,
Said no more.
But Eleanor had more to do,
And so anxious was she,
For his sake and her own,
To do it well,
That she forced herself to welcome him with a look and manner that were most easy.
She would not allow the presence of Lucy,
Nor the consciousness of some injustice towards herself,
To deter her from saying she was happy to see him.
Her manners gave some reassurance to Edward,
And he had courage enough to sit down,
But his embarrassment still exceeded that of the ladies.
Lucy,
With a demure and settled air,
Seemed determined to make no contribution to the comfort of the others,
And would not say a word,
And almost everything that was said proceeded from Eleanor,
Who was obliged to volunteer all the information about her mother's health,
Their coming to town,
Etc.
,
Which Edward ought to have inquired about,
But never did.
Her exertions did not stop here,
For she soon afterwards felt herself so heroically disposed as to determine,
Under pretence of fetching Marianne,
To leave the others by themselves.
And she really did it,
And that in the handsomest manner,
For she loitered away several minutes on the landing place before she went to her sister.
When that was once done,
However,
It was time for the raptures of Edward to cease,
For Marianne's joy hurried her into the drawing room immediately.
Her pleasure in seeing him was like every other of her feelings,
Strong in itself and strongly spoken.
Edward tried to return her kindness as it deserved,
But before such witnesses he dared not say half what he really felt.
Marianne was looking with a most speaking tenderness,
Sometimes at Edward's and sometimes at Eleanor,
Regretting only their delight in each other should be checked by Lucy's unwelcome presence.
Edward was the first to speak,
And it was to notice Marianne's altered looks and express his fear of her not finding London agreeing with her.
Oh,
Don't think of me,
She replied with spirited earnestness.
Don't think of my health.
Eleanor is well,
You see.
That must be enough for us both.
This remark was not calculated to make Edward or Eleanor more easy,
Nor to conciliate the goodwill of Lucy.
Do you like London?
Said Edward,
Willing to say anything that might introduce another subject.
Not at all.
I expected much pleasure in it,
But I found none.
The sight of you,
Edward,
Is the only comfort it has afforded.
Marianne paused.
No one spoke.
I think,
Eleanor,
She presently added,
We must employ Edward to take care of us in our returns to Barton.
Poor Edward muttered something,
But what it was nobody knew,
Not even himself.
But Marianne,
Who saw his agitation and could easily trace it to whatever cause best pleased herself,
Was perfectly satisfied and soon talked of something else.
We spent such a day,
Edward,
In Harley Street yesterday.
So dull,
So wretchedly dull,
But I have much to say to you on that head which cannot be said now.
But why were you not there?
Why did you not come?
I was engaged elsewhere.
Engaged?
But what was that when such friends were to be met?
Perhaps Miss Marianne,
Cried Lucy,
Eager to take some revenge on her.
You think young men never stand upon engagements if they have no mind to keep them?
Eleanor was very angry,
But Marianne seemed entirely insensible of the sting,
For she calmly replied,
Not so indeed,
For seriously speaking,
I am very sure that conscience only kept Edward from Harley Street,
And I really believe he has the most delicate conscience in the world.
He is the most fearful of giving pain,
Of wounding expectation,
And the most incapable of being selfish of anybody I ever saw.
The nature of her commendation,
In the present case,
However,
Happened to be particularly ill-suited to the feelings of the two-thirds of her auditors,
And was so very un-exhilarating to Edward,
That he very soon got up to go away.
Going so soon,
Said Marianne,
My dear Edward,
This must not be!
And drawing him in a little aside,
She whispered her persuasion,
That Lucy could not stay much longer.
But even this encouragement failed,
For he would go,
And Lucy soon afterwards,
Went away.
What can bring her here so often?
Said Marianne,
On her leaving them.
Could she not see we wanted her gone?
How teasing to Edward!
Why so?
Said Eleanor.
We were all his friends,
And Lucy has been the longest known to him of any.
Marianne looked at her steadily,
And said,
You know,
Eleanor,
This is a kind of talking which I cannot bear.
If you only hope to have your assertion contradicted,
You ought to recollect that I am the last person in the world to do it.
I cannot descend to be tricked out of assurances that are not really wanted.
She then left the room,
And Eleanor dared not follow her to say more,
For bound as she was by her promise of secrecy to Lucy,
She could give no information that would convince Marianne.
And painful as the consequences of her still continuing in an error might be,
She could not say a word.
And painful as the consequences of her still continuing in an error might be,
She was obliged to submit to it.
