Chapter 12

by Jane Austen

　　As Elinor and Marianne were walking together thenext morning the latter communicated a piece of newsto her sister, which in spite of all that she knewbefore of Marianne's imprudence and want of thought,surprised her by its extravagant testimony of both.Marianne told her, with the greatest delight, thatWilloughby had given her a horse, one that he had bredhimself on his estate in Somersetshire, and which wasexactly calculated to carry a woman. Without consideringthat it was not in her mother's plan to keep any horse,that if she were to alter her resolution in favour ofthis gift, she must buy another for the servant, andkeep a servant to ride it, and after all, build a stableto receive them, she had accepted the present withouthesitation, and told her sister of it in raptures."He intends to send his groom into Somersetshireimmediately for it," she added, "and when it arrives wewill ride every day. You shall share its use with me.Imagine to yourself, my dear Elinor, the delight of a gallopon some of these downs."Most unwilling was she to awaken from such a dream offelicity to comprehend all the unhappy truths which attendedthe affair; and for some time she refused to submit to them.As to an additional servant, the expense would be a trifle;Mamma she was sure would never object to it; and any horsewould do for him; he might always get one at the park;as to a stable, the merest shed would be sufficient.Elinor then ventured to doubt the propriety of her receivingsuch a present from a man so little, or at least so latelyknown to her. This was too much."You are mistaken, Elinor," said she warmly,"in supposing I know very little of Willoughby.I have not known him long indeed, but I am much betteracquainted with him, than I am with any other creaturein the world, except yourself and mama. It is nottime or opportunity that is to determine intimacy;--it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficientto make some people acquainted with each other, and sevendays are more than enough for others. I should holdmyself guilty of greater impropriety in accepting a horsefrom my brother, than from Willoughby. Of John I knowvery little, though we have lived together for years;but of Willoughby my judgment has long been formed."Elinor thought it wisest to touch that point no more.She knew her sister's temper. Opposition on so tender asubject 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 indulgentmother must draw on herself, if (as would probably bethe case) she consented to this increase of establishment,Marianne was shortly subdued; and she promised not totempt her mother to such imprudent kindness by mentioningthe offer, and to tell Willoughby when she saw him next,that it must be declined.She was faithful to her word; and when Willoughbycalled at the cottage, the same day, Elinor heard herexpress her disappointment to him in a low voice, onbeing obliged to forego the acceptance of his present.The reasons for this alteration were at the same time related,and they were such as to make further entreaty on hisside impossible. His concern however was very apparent;and after expressing it with earnestness, he added,in the same low voice,--"But, Marianne, the horse isstill yours, though you cannot use it now. I shall keepit only till you can claim it. When you leave Bartonto form your own establishment in a more lasting home,Queen Mab shall receive you."This was all overheard by Miss Dashwood; and in thewhole of the sentence, in his manner of pronouncing it,and in his addressing her sister by her christian name alone,she instantly saw an intimacy so decided, a meaningso direct, as marked a perfect agreement between them.>From that moment she doubted not of their being engagedto each other; and the belief of it created no other surprisethan that she, or any of their friends, should be leftby 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 parlourwith only him and Marianne, had had opportunityfor observations, which, with a most important face,she communicated to her eldest sister, when they werenext by themselves."Oh, Elinor!" she cried, "I have such a secret totell you about Marianne. I am sure she will be marriedto Mr. Willoughby very soon.""You have said so," replied Elinor, "almost everyday since they first met on High-church Down; and theyhad not known each other a week, I believe, before youwere certain that 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 am surethey will be married very soon, for he has got a lockof her hair.""Take care, Margaret. It may be only the hairof some great uncle of his.""But, indeed, Elinor, it is Marianne's. I am almostsure it is, for I saw him cut it off. Last nightafter tea, when you and mama went out of the room,they were whispering and talking together as fast ascould be, and he seemed to be begging something of her,and presently he took up her scissors and cut off a longlock of her hair, for it was all tumbled down her back;and he kissed it, and folded it up in a piece of white paper;and put it into his pocket-book."For such particulars, stated on such authority,Elinor could not withhold her credit; nor was she disposedto it, for the circumstance was in perfect unison withwhat she had heard and seen herself.Margaret's sagacity was not always displayed in away so satisfactory to her sister. When Mrs. Jenningsattacked her one evening at the park, to give the nameof the young man who was Elinor's particular favourite,which had been long a matter of great curiosity to her,Margaret answered by looking at her sister, and saying,"I must not tell, may I, Elinor?"This of course made every body laugh; and Elinortried to laugh too. But the effort was painful.She was convinced that Margaret had fixed on a personwhose name she could not bear with composure to becomea standing joke with Mrs. Jennings.Marianne felt for her most sincerely; but she didmore harm than good to the cause, by turning very redand saying in an angry manner to Margaret,"Remember that whatever your conjectures may be,you have no right to repeat them.""I never had any conjectures about it," replied Margaret;"it was you who told me of it yourself."This increased the mirth of the company, and Margaretwas eagerly pressed to say something more."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 guess where he is; at his own houseat Norland to be sure. He is the curate of the parishI dare say.""No, that he is not. He is of no profession at all.""Margaret," said Marianne with great warmth,"you know that all this is an invention of your own,and that there is no such person in existence.""Well, then, he is lately dead, Marianne, for Iam sure there was such a man once, and his name beginswith an F."Most grateful did Elinor feel to Lady Middletonfor observing, at this moment, "that it rained very hard,"though she believed the interruption to proceed less fromany attention to her, than from her ladyship's great dislikeof all such inelegant subjects of raillery as delightedher husband and mother. The idea however started by her,was immediately pursued by Colonel Brandon, who wason every occasion mindful of the feelings of others;and much was said on the subject of rain by both of them.Willoughby opened the piano-forte, and asked Marianneto sit down to it; and thus amidst the various endeavoursof different people to quit the topic, it fell to the ground.But not so easily did Elinor recover from the alarm intowhich it had thrown her.A party was formed this evening for going on thefollowing day to see a very fine place about twelve milesfrom Barton, belonging to a brother-in-law of Colonel Brandon,without whose interest it could not be seen, as the proprietor,who was then abroad, had left strict orders on that head.The grounds were declared to be highly beautiful,and Sir John, who was particularly warm in their praise,might be allowed to be a tolerable judge, for he hadformed parties to visit them, at least, twice every summerfor the last ten years. They contained a noble pieceof water; a sail on which was to a form a great part ofthe morning's amusement; cold provisions were to be taken,open carriages only to be employed, and every thingconducted in the usual style of a complete party of pleasure.To some few of the company it appeared rathera bold undertaking, considering the time of year,and that it had rained every day for the last fortnight;--and Mrs. Dashwood, who had already a cold, was persuadedby Elinor to stay at home.