CHAPTER II

n a firm, though cautious tone, Elinor thus began.

"I should be undeserving of the confidence you have

honoured me with, if I felt no desire for its continuance, or no

farther curiosity on its subject. I will not apologize therefore for

bringing it forward again."

"Thank you," cried Lucy warmly, "for breaking the ice; you

have set my heart at ease by it; for I was somehow or other afraid I

had offended you by what I told you that Monday."

"Offended me! How could you suppose so? Believe me," and

Elinor spoke it with the truest sincerity, "nothing could be farther

from my intention than to give you such an idea. Could you have a

motive for the trust, that was not honourable and flattering to

me?"

"And yet I do assure you," replied Lucy, her little sharp eyes

full of meaning, "there seemed to me to be a coldness and

displeasure in your manner that made me quite uncomfortable. I

felt sure that you was angry with me; and have been quarrelling

with myself ever since, for having took such a liberty as to trouble

you with my affairs. But I am very glad to find it was only my own

fancy, and that you really do not blame me. If you knew what a

consolation it was to me to relieve my heart speaking to you of

what I am always thinking of every moment of my life, your

compassion would make you overlook every thing else I am sure."

"Indeed, I can easily believe that it was a very great relief to

you, to acknowledge your situation to me, and be assured that you

shall never have reason to repent it. Your case is a very

unfortunate one; you seem to me to be surrounded with

difficulties, and you will have need of all your mutual affection to

support you under them. Mr. Ferrars, I believe, is entirely

dependent on his mother."

"He has only two thousand pounds of his own; it would be

madness to marry upon that, though for my own part, I could give

up every prospect of more without a sigh. I have been always used

to a very small income, and could struggle with any poverty for

him; but I love him too well to be the selfish means of robbing him,

perhaps, of all that his mother might give him if he married to

please her. We must wait, it may be for many years. With almost

every other man in the world, it would be an alarming prospect;

but Edward's affection and constancy nothing can deprive me of I

know."

"That conviction must be every thing to you; and he is

undoubtedly supported by the same trust in your's. If the strength

of your reciprocal attachment had failed, as between many people,

and under many circumstances it naturally would during a four

years' engagement, your situation would have been pitiable

indeed."

Lucy here looked up; but Elinor was careful in guarding her

countenance from every expression that could give her words a

suspicious tendency.

"Edward's love for me," said Lucy, "has been pretty well put to

the test, by our long, very long absence since we were first

engaged, and it has stood the trial so well, that I should be

unpardonable to doubt it now. I can safely say that he has never

gave me one moment's alarm on that account from the first."

Elinor hardly knew whether to smile or sigh at this assertion.

Lucy went on. "I am rather of a jealous temper too by nature,

and from our different situations in life, from his being so much

more in the world than me, and our continualseparation, I was

enough inclined for suspicion, to have found out the truth in an

instant, if there had been the slightest alteration in his behaviour

to me when we met, or any lowness of spirits that I could not

account for, or if he had talked more of one lady than another, or

seemed in any respect less happy at Longstaple than he used to

be. I do not mean to say that I am particularly observant or quick-

sighted in general, but in such a case I am sure I could not be

deceived."

"All this," thought Elinor, "is very pretty; but it can impose

upon neither of us."

"But what," said she after a short silence, "are your views? or

have you none but that of waiting for Mrs. Ferrars's death, which

is a melancholy and shocking extremity?―Is her son determined

to submit to this, and to all the tediousness of the many years of

suspense in which it may involve you, rather than run the risk of

her displeasure for a while by owning the truth?"

"If we could be certain that it would be only for a while! But

Mrs. Ferrars is a very headstrong proud woman, and in her first fit

of anger upon hearing it, would very likely secure every thing to

Robert, and the idea of that, for Edward's sake, frightens away all

my inclination for hasty measures."

"And for your own sake too, or you are carrying your

disinterestedness beyond reason."

Lucy looked at Elinor again, and was silent.

"Do you know Mr. Robert Ferrars?" asked Elinor.

"Not at all―I never saw him; but I fancy he is very unlike his

brother―silly and a great coxcomb."

"A great coxcomb!" repeated Miss Steele, whose ear had caught

those words by a sudden pause in Marianne's music.―"Oh, they

are talking of their favourite beaux, I dare say."

"No sister," cried Lucy, "you are mistaken there, our favourite

beaux are not great coxcombs."

"I can answer for it that Miss Dashwood's is not," said Mrs.

Jennings, laughing heartily; "for he is one of the modestest,

prettiest behaved young men I ever saw; but as for Lucy, she is

such a sly little creature, there is no finding out who she likes."

"Oh," cried Miss Steele, looking significantly round at them, "I

dare say Lucy's beau is quite as modest and pretty behaved as

Miss Dashwood's."

Elinor blushed in spite of herself. Lucy bit her lip, and looked

angrily at her sister. A mutual silence took place for some time.

Lucy first put an end to it by saying in a lower tone, though

Marianne was then giving them the powerful protection of a very

magnificent concerto―

"I will honestly tell you of one scheme which has lately come

into my head, for bringing matters to bear; indeed I am bound to

let you into the secret, for you are a party concerned. I dare say

you have seen enough of Edward to know that he would prefer the

church to every other profession; now my plan is that he should

take orders as soon as he can, and then through your interest,

which I am sure you would be kind enough to use out of friendship

for him, and I hope out of some regard to me, your brother might

be persuaded to give him Norland living; which I understand is a

very good one, and the present incumbent not likely to live a great

while. That would be enough for us to marry upon, and we might

trust to time and chance for the rest."

"I should always be happy," replied Elinor, "to show any mark

of my esteem and friendship for Mr. Ferrars; but do not you

perceive that my interest on such an occasion would be perfectly

unnecessary? He is brother to Mrs. John Dashwood―that must be

recommendation enough to her husband."

"But Mrs. John Dashwood would not much approve of

Edward's going into orders."

"Then I rather suspect that my interest would do very little."

They were again silent for many minutes. At length Lucy

exclaimed with a deep sigh,

"I believe it would be the wisest way to put an end to the

business at once by dissolving the engagement. We seem so beset

with difficulties on every side, that though it would make us

miserable for a time, we should be happier perhaps in the end.

But you will not give me your advice, Miss Dashwood?"

"No," answered Elinor, with a smile, which concealed very

agitated feelings, "on such a subject I certainly will not. You know

very well that my opinion would have no weight with you, unless it

were on the side of your wishes."

"Indeed you wrong me," replied Lucy, with great solemnity; "I

know nobody of whose judgment I think so highly as I do of yours;

and I do really believe, that if you was to say to me, 'I advise you

by all means to put an end to your engagement with Edward

Ferrars, it will be more for the happiness of both of you,' I should

resolve upon doing it immediately."

Elinor blushed for the insincerity of Edward's future wife, and

replied, "This compliment would effectually frighten me from

giving any opinion on the subject had I formed one. It raises my

influence much too high; the power of dividing two people so

tenderly attached is too much for an indifferent person."

"'Tis because you are an indifferent person," said Lucy, with

some pique, and laying a particular stress on those words, "that

your judgment might justly have such weight with me. If you could

be supposed to be biased in any respect by your own feelings, your

opinion would not be worth having."

Elinor thought it wisest to make no answer to this, lest they

might provoke each other to an unsuitable increase of ease and

unreserve; and was even partly determined never to mention the

subject again. Another pause therefore of many minutes' duration,

succeeded this speech, and Lucy was still the first to end it.

"Shall you be in town this winter, Miss Dashwood?" said she

with all her accustomary complacency.

"Certainly not."

"I am sorry for that," returned the other, while her eyes

brightened at the information, "it would have gave me such

pleasure to meet you there! But I dare say you will go for all that.

To be sure, your brother and sister will ask you to come to them."

"It will not be in my power to accept their invitation if they do."

"How unlucky that is! I had quite depended upon meeting you

there. Anne and me are to go the latter end of January to some

relations who have been wanting us to visit them these several

years! But I only go for the sake of seeing Edward. He will be there

in February, otherwise London would have no charms for me; I

have not spirits for it."

Elinor was soon called to the card-table by the conclusion of the

first rubber, and the confidentialdiscourse of the two ladies was

therefore at an end, to which both of them submitted without any

reluctance, for nothing had been said on either side to make them

dislike each other less than they had done before; and Elinor sat

down to the card table with the melancholy persuasion that

Edward was not only without affection for the person who was to

be his wife; but that he had not even the chance of being tolerably

happy in marriage, which sincere affection on her side would have

given, for self-interest alone could induce a woman to keep a man

to an engagement, of which she seemed so thoroughly aware that

he was weary.

From this time the subject was never revived by Elinor, and

when entered on by Lucy, who seldom missed an opportunity of

introducing it, and was particularly careful to inform her

confidante, of her happiness whenever she received a letter from

Edward, it was treated by the former with calmness and caution,

and dismissed as soon as civility would allow; for she felt such

conversations to be an indulgence which Lucy did not deserve,

and which were dangerous to herself.

The visit of the Miss Steeles at Barton Park was lengthened far

beyond what the first invitation implied. Their favour increased;

they could not be spared; Sir John would not hear of their going;

and in spite of their numerous and long arranged engagements in

Exeter, in spite of the absolute necessity of returning to fulfil them

immediately, which was in full force at the end of every week, they

were prevailed on to stay nearly two months at the park, and to

assist in the due celebration of that festival which requires a more

than ordinary share of private balls and large dinners to proclaim

its importance.
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