12/13 Sense And Sensibility - Stephanie Poppins

When Marianne Dashwood falls in love with the dashing but unsuitable John Willoughby, she ignores her sister's warning that this impulsive behavior leaves her open to gossip. Elinor meanwhile, always sensitive to social convention, struggles to conceal her romantic disappointment, even from those closest to her. In this story, the two sisters learn that sense must mix with sensibility if they are to find personal happiness in a society where status and money govern the rules of love. This Episode sees Elinor and Marianne discuss Willhouby.

Transcript

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen Chapter 12 As Eleanor and Marianne were walking together the next morning,

The latter communicated a piece of news to her sister,

Which,

In spite of all she knew before of Marianne's imprudence and want of thought,

Surprised her by its extravagant testimony of both.

Marianne told her with the greatest delight that Willoughby had given her a horse.

Without considering it was not in her mother's plan to keep any horse,

That if she were to alter her resolution in favour of this gift,

She must buy another for the servant and keep a servant to ride it,

And after all build a stable to receive them,

She had accepted the present without hesitation.

He intends to send his groom into Somersetshire immediately for it,

She added,

And when it arrives he will ride it every day.

Imagine to yourself,

My dear Eleanor,

The delight of a gallop on some of these downs.

Most unwilling was she to comprehend all the unhappy truths which attended the affair,

And for some time she refused to submit to them.

As to an additional servant,

The expense would be a trifle,

And any horse would do for him.

As to a stable,

The Mary's shed would be sufficient.

Eleanor ventured to doubt the propriety of her receiving such a present from a man so little,

Or at least so lately,

Known to her.

This was too much.

You are mistaken,

Eleanor,

Said she warmly,

In supposing I know very little of Willoughby.

I am much better acquainted with him than any other creature in the world,

Except yourself and Mama.

I shall hold myself guilty of greater impropriety in accepting a horse from my brother than from Willoughby.

Eleanor knew her sister's temper.

Her opposition on so tender a subject would only attach her the more to her own opinion.

But by an appeal to her affection for her mother,

By representing the inconveniences which that indulgent mother must draw on herself,

If she consented to this increase of establishment,

Marianne was shortly subdued,

And she promised not to tempt her mother to such imprudent kindness and to tell Willoughby it must be declined.

She was faithful to her word,

And when Willoughby called at the cottage the same day,

Eleanor heard her express her disappointment to him in a low voice on being obliged to forgo the acceptance of his present.

His concern was very apparent,

And after expressing it with earnestness,

He added in the same low voice,

But Marianne,

The horse is still yours,

Though you cannot use it now.

I shall keep it only till you can claim it.

When you leave Barton to form your own establishment in a more lasting home,

Queen Mab shall receive you.

This was all overheard by Miss Dashwood,

And in the whole of the sentence she instantly saw an intimacy so decided,

A meaning so direct,

As marked a perfect agreement between them.

From that moment she doubted not of their being engaged to each other,

And the belief of it created no other surprise than that she,

Or any of their friends,

Should be left by tempers so frank to discover it by accident.

Margaret related something to her the next day,

Which placed this matter in a still clearer light.

Willoughby had spent the preceding evening with them,

And Margaret,

By being left some time in the parlour with only him and Marianne,

Had had opportunity for observations,

Which she communicated to her eldest sister when they were next by themselves.

Oh,

Eleanor,

She cried,

I have such a secret to tell you about Marianne.

I'm sure she will be married to Mr Willoughby very soon.

You have said so,

Replied Eleanor,

Almost every day since they first met on Highchurch Down,

And they had not known each other a week,

I believe,

Before you were certain Marianne wore his picture round her neck,

But it turned out to be only the miniature of our great uncle.

But indeed,

This is quite another thing.

I'm sure they will be married very soon,

For he has got a lock of her hair.

Take care,

Margaret,

It may only be the hair of some great uncle of his.

But indeed,

Eleanor,

It's Marianne's.

Last night after tea,

When you and Mama went out of the room,

He seemed to be begging something of her,

And presently he took up her scissors and cut off a long lock of her hair and folded it up in a piece of white paper and put it into his pocket book.

From such particular stated on such authority,

Eleanor could not withhold her credit.

Margaret's sagacity was not always displayed in a way so satisfactory to her sister.

When Mrs Jennings attacked her one evening at the park to give the name of the young man who was Eleanor's particular favourite,

Margaret answered by looking at her sister and saying,

I must not tell.

May I,

Eleanor?

This of course made everybody laugh,

And Eleanor tried to laugh too,

But the effort was painful.

She was convinced that Margaret had fixed on a person whom name she could not bear with composure to become a standing joke with Mrs Jennings.

Marianne felt for her most sincerely,

But she did more harm than good to the cause by turning very red and saying in an angry manner to Margaret,

Remember that whatever your conjectures may be,

You have no right to repeat them.

Oh,

Pray,

Miss Margaret,

Let us know all about it,

Said Mrs Jennings.

What is the gentleman's name?

I must not tell,

Ma'am,

But I know very well what it is,

And I know where he is too.

Yes,

Yes,

We can surely guess where he is.

At his own house in Norland,

To be sure.

He's the cure to the parish,

I dare say.

No,

That he is not.

He's of no profession at all.

Margaret,

Said Marianne with great warmth,

You know that there is no such person in existence.

Well,

Then he's lately dead,

Marianne,

For I'm sure there was such a man once,

And his name begins with an F.

Most grateful did Eleanor feel to Lady Middleton for observing at this moment that it rained very hard.

The idea started by her was immediately pursued by Colonel Brandon,

Who was on every occasion mindful of the feelings of others,

And much was said on the subject of rain by both of them.

Willoughby opened the pianoforte and asked Marianne to sit down to it,

And thus,

Amidst the various endeavours of different people to quit the topic,

It fell to the ground.

But not so easily did Eleanor recover from the alarm into which it had thrown her.

A party was formed this evening for going on the following day to see a very fine place about twelve miles from Barton,

Belonging to a brother-in-law of Colonel Brandon.

The grounds were declared to be highly beautiful.

They contained a noble piece of water,

A sail on which was to form a great part of the morning's amusement.

Cold provisions were to be taken,

Open carriages only to be employed,

And everything conducted in the usual style of a complete party of pleasure.

To some few of the company it appeared rather a bold undertaking,

Considering the time of year,

And Mrs Dashwood,

Who already had a cold,

Was persuaded by Eleanor to stay at home.

Chapter Thirteen By ten o'clock the whole party were assembled at the park.

They were all in high spirits and good humour,

Eager to be happy and determined to submit to the great inconveniences and hardships rather than be otherwise.

While they were at breakfast the letters were brought in.

Among the rest there was one for Colonel Brandon.

He took it,

Looked at the direction,

Changed colour and immediately left the room.

In about five minutes he returned.

"'No bad news,

Colonel,

I hope?

' said Mrs Jennings as soon as he entered the room.

"'None at all,

Ma'am.

I thank you.

' "'Was it from Avignon?

' "'I hope it's not to say that your sister is worse.

' "'No,

Ma'am,

It came from town and is merely a letter of business which requires my immediate attendance.

' "'In town?

' cried Mrs Jennings.

"'What can you have to do in town at this time of the year?

' "'My own loss is great,

' he continued,

"'in being obliged to leave so agreeable a party,

"'but I am the more concerned as I fear my presence is necessary "'to gain your admittance and wit will.

' "'But if you write a note to the housekeeper,

Mr Brandon,

' "'said Marianne eagerly,

"'would it not be sufficient?

' "'He shook his head.

"'We must go,

' said Sir John.

"'You cannot go to town till tomorrow,

Brandon,

That is all.

"'I wish it could be so easily settled,

"'but it is not in my power to delay my journey for one day.

' "'You would not be six hours later,

' said Willoughby,

"'if you were to defer your journey till our return.

"'I cannot afford to lose one hour.

' "'Eleanor then heard Willoughby saying in low voice to Marianne,

"'There are some people who cannot bear a party of pleasure.

"'Brandon is one of them.

"'I would lay fifty guineas if the letter was of his own writing.

' "'I have no doubt of it,

' replied Marianne.

"'There is no persuading you to change your mind,

Brandon,

I know of old,

' "'said Sir John,

But,

However,

I hope you will think better of it.

"'Consider,

Here are the two Miss Curries come over from Newton,

"'the three Miss Dashwoods walked up from the cottage,

"'and Mr Willoughby got up two hours before his usual time,

"'on purpose to go to Whitwell.

"'Colonel Brandon again repeated his sorrow "'at being the cause of disappointing the party,

"'but at the same time declared it to be unavoidable.

"'Well then,

When will you come back again?

' "'I hope we shall see you at Barton,

' added her ladyship,

"'as soon as you can conveniently leave town,

"'and we must put off the party to Whitwell until you return.

"'You are very obliging,

But it is so uncertain "'when I may have it in my power to return "'that I dare not engage for it at all.

' "'Colonel Brandon's horses were announced "'and he then took leave of the whole party.

"'Is there no chance of seeing you and your sisters in town this winter,

Miss Dashwood?

' "'I'm afraid none at all.

' "'Then I must bid you farewell for a longer time than I should wish to.

' "'To Marianne he merely bowed and said nothing.

"'Come,

Colonel,

' said Mrs Jennings,

"'before you go,

Do let us know what you're going about.

' "'He wished her a good morning and,

Attended by Sir John,

Left the room.

"'The complaints and lamentations which politeness had hitherto restrained "'now burst forth universally,

And they all agreed again and again "'how provoking it was to be so disappointed.

"'I can guess what his business is,

However,

' "'said Mrs Jennings exultingly.

"'It's about Miss Williams,

I'm sure.

' "'And who is Miss Williams?

' asked Marianne.

"'What,

Do you not know who Miss Williams is?

' "'She's a relation of the Colonel's,

My dear,

A very near relation.

' "'Then lowering her voice a little,

She said to Eleanor,

"'She is his natural daughter.

' "'Indeed!

' "'Oh yes,

And as like him as she can stare,

"'I dare say the Colonel will leave her all his fortune.

' "'When Sir John returned,

He joined most heartily "'in the general regret on so unfortunate an event,

"'concluding,

However,

By observing that as they were all going together,

"'they must do something by a means of making them happy,

"'and after some consultation it was agreed they might procure "'a tolerable composure of mind by driving about the country.

"'The carriages were then ordered.

"'Willoughby's was first,

And Marianne never looked happier "'than when she got into it.

"'He drove through the park very fast,

And they were soon out of sight,

"'and nothing more of them was seen till their return.

"'They both seemed delighted with their drive,

"'but said only in general terms they had kept in the lanes "'while the others went on the downs.

"'It was settled there should be a dance in the evening.

"'Some more of the carriages came to dinner,

"'and they had the pleasure of sitting down nearly twenty to a table.

"'Willoughby took his usual place between the two elder Miss Dashwoods.

"'Miss Jennings sat on Eleanor's right hand,

"'and they had not long been seated before she leant behind her and Willoughby "'and said to Marianne,

Loud enough for them both to hear.

"'I have found you out in spite of all your tricks.

"'I know where you spent the morning.

' "'Marianne coloured and replied very hastily,

"'Where,

Pray?

' "'Did you not know,

' said Willoughby,

"'that we had been out in my carricle?

' "'Yes,

Yes,

Mr Impudence,

I know that very well,

"'and I was determined to find out where you had been to.

"'I hope you like your house,

Miss Marianne.

"'It's a very large one,

I know,

And when I come to see you,

"'I hope you will have new furnished it.

' "'Marianne turned away in great confusion.

"'Mrs Jennings laughed heartily,

"'and Eleanor found that in her resolution to know where they had been,

"'she had actually made her own woman inquire of Mr Willoughby's groom,

"'and that she had by that method been informed they had gone to Eleanor,

"'and spent a considerable time there in walking about the garden "'and going all over the house.

"'As soon as they left the dining room,

"'Eleanor inquired of Marianne about it,

"'and great was her surprise when she found out "'every circumstance related by Mrs Jennings was perfectly true.

"'Why,

Should you imagine,

Eleanor,

That we did not see the house?

"'Is not it what you would have often wished to do yourself?

' "'Yes,

Marianne,

But I would not go while Mrs Smith was there,

"'and with no other companion than Mr Willoughby.

"'Mr Willoughby,

However,

Is the only person "'who can have a right to show that house,

"'and as we went in an open carriage,

"'it was impossible to have any other companion.

"'If there had been any other real impropriety in what I did,

"'I should have been sensible of it at the time.

"'But,

My dear Marianne,

"'as it has already exposed you to some very impertinent remarks,

"'do you not now begin to doubt the discretion of your own conduct?

"'I am not sensible of having done anything wrong "'in walking over Mrs Smith's grounds or in seeing her house.

"'They will one day be Mr Willoughby's,

And.

.

.

"'If they were one day to be your own,

Marianne,

"'you would not be justified in what you have done.

' "'She blushed at this hint,

"'but it was even visibly gratifying to her,

"'and after a ten-minute interval of earnest thought,

"'she came to her sister again and said,

With great good humour,

"'Perhaps,

Eleanor,

It was rather ill-judged in me to go to Allenham,

"'but Mr Willoughby wanted particularly to show me the place,

"'and it is a charming house,

I assure you.

'

Reviews

Oh dear, Marianne… what next? I will stay tuned🎥❤️