Chapter 24

by Jane Austen

　　In a firm, though cautious tone, Elinor thus began."I should be undeserving of the confidence you havehonoured me with, if I felt no desire for its continuance,or no farther curiosity on its subject. I willnot apologize therefore for bringing it forward again.""Thank you," cried Lucy warmly, "for breakingthe ice; you have set my heart at ease by it; for I wassomehow or other afraid I had offended you by what Itold 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 giveyou 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 littlesharp eyes full of meaning, "there seemed to me to bea coldness and displeasure in your manner that made mequite uncomfortable. I felt sure that you was angry with me;and have been quarrelling with myself ever since, for havingtook 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 aconsolation it was to me to relieve my heart speaking to youof what I am always thinking of every moment of my life,your compassion would make you overlook every thing elseI am sure.""Indeed, I can easily believe that it was a very greatrelief to you, to acknowledge your situation to me, and beassured that you shall never have reason to repent it.Your case is a very unfortunate one; you seem to me tobe surrounded with difficulties, and you will have needof 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 wouldbe 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 couldstruggle with any poverty for him; but I love him too wellto be the selfish means of robbing him, perhaps, of all thathis mother might give him if he married to please her.We must wait, it may be for many years. With almost everyother man in the world, it would be an alarming prospect;but Edward's affection and constancy nothing can deprive me ofI 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 circumstancesit naturally would during a four years' engagement,your situation would have been pitiable, indeed."Lucy here looked up; but Elinor was carefulin guarding her countenance from every expressionthat could give her words a suspicious tendency."Edward's love for me," said Lucy, "has been prettywell put to the test, by our long, very long absencesince we were first engaged, and it has stood the trialso well, that I should be unpardonable to doubt it now.I can safely say that he has never gave me one moment'salarm on that account from the first."Elinor hardly knew whether to smile or sighat this assertion.Lucy went on. "I am rather of a jealous temper tooby nature, and from our different situations in life,from his being so much more in the world than me, and ourcontinual separation, I was enough inclined for suspicion,to have found out the truth in an instant, if there had beenthe 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 heused to be. I do not mean to say that I am particularlyobservant or quick-sighted in general, but in such a caseI 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 forMrs. Ferrars's death, which is a melancholy and shockingextremity?--Is her son determined to submit to this,and to all the tediousness of the many years of suspensein which it may involve you, rather than run the riskof her displeasure for a while by owning the truth?""If we could be certain that it would be onlyfor a while! But Mrs. Ferrars is a very headstrongproud woman, and in her first fit of anger upon hearingit, would very likely secure every thing to Robert,and the idea of that, for Edward's sake, frightens awayall my inclination for hasty measures.""And for your own sake too, or you are carryingyour 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 heis very unlike his brother--silly and a great coxcomb.""A great coxcomb!" repeated Miss Steele, whose ear hadcaught 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, ourfavourite beaux are not great coxcombs.""I can answer for it that Miss Dashwood's is not,"said Mrs. Jennings, laughing heartily; "for he is oneof 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 roundat them, "I dare say Lucy's beau is quite as modestand 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 tookplace for some time. Lucy first put an end to it by sayingin a lower tone, though Marianne was then giving themthe powerful protection of a very magnificent concerto--"I will honestly tell you of one scheme which haslately come into my head, for bringing matters to bear;indeed I am bound to let you into the secret, for youare a party concerned. I dare say you have seen enoughof Edward to know that he would prefer the church to everyother profession; now my plan is that he should takeorders as soon as he can, and then through your interest,which I am sure you would be kind enough to use out offriendship 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 presentincumbent not likely to live a great while. That wouldbe enough for us to marry upon, and we might trust to timeand chance for the rest.""I should always be happy," replied Elinor, "to showany mark of my esteem and friendship for Mr. Ferrars;but do you not perceive that my interest on such anoccasion would be perfectly unnecessary? He is brotherto Mrs. John Dashwood--that must be recommendation enoughto her husband.""But Mrs. John Dashwood would not much approveof Edward's going into orders.""Then I rather suspect that my interest woulddo very little."They were again silent for many minutes. At lengthLucy exclaimed with a deep sigh,"I believe it would be the wisest way to put an endto 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 willnot give me your advice, Miss Dashwood?""No," answered Elinor, with a smile, which concealedvery agitated feelings, "on such a subject I certainlywill not. You know very well that my opinion would haveno weight with you, unless it were on the side of your wishes.""Indeed you wrong me," replied Lucy, with greatsolemnity; "I know nobody of whose judgment I thinkso highly as I do of yours; and I do really believe,that if you was to say to me, 'I advise you by all meansto 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'sfuture wife, and replied, "This compliment would effectuallyfrighten me from giving any opinion on the subjecthad I formed one. It raises my influence much too high;the power of dividing two people so tenderly attachedis 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 respectby 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 increaseof ease and unreserve; and was even partly determinednever to mention the subject again. Another pausetherefore 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 invitationif they do.""How unlucky that is! I had quite depended uponmeeting you there. Anne and me are to go the latter endof January to some relations who have been wanting us tovisit them these several years! But I only go for the sakeof seeing Edward. He will be there in February, otherwiseLondon would have no charms for me; I have not spirits for it."Elinor was soon called to the card-table by theconclusion 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 themdislike each other less than they had done before;and Elinor sat down to the card table with the melancholypersuasion that Edward was not only without affectionfor the person who was to be his wife; but that he hadnot 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 manto an engagement, of which she seemed so thoroughly awarethat he was weary.From this time the subject was never revived by Elinor,and when entered on by Lucy, who seldom missed an opportunityof introducing it, and was particularly careful to informher confidante, of her happiness whenever she received a letterfrom Edward, it was treated by the former with calmnessand caution, and dismissed as soon as civility would allow;for she felt such conversations to be an indulgence whichLucy did not deserve, and which were dangerous to herself.The visit of the Miss Steeles at Barton Park waslengthened 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 spiteof their numerous and long arranged engagements in Exeter,in spite of the absolute necessity of returning to fulfillthem immediately, which was in full force at the endof every week, they were prevailed on to stay nearly twomonths at the park, and to assist in the due celebrationof that festival which requires a more than ordinaryshare of private balls and large dinners to proclaimits importance.