CHAPTER 24

     In 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

continual separation, 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 you not 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 confidential

discourse 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 fulfill

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.