Chapter 34

by Jane Austen

　　Mrs. John Dashwood had so much confidence in herhusband's judgment, that she waited the very next dayboth on Mrs. Jennings and her daughter; and herconfidence was rewarded by finding even the former,even the woman with whom her sisters were staying,by no means unworthy her notice; and as for Lady Middleton,she found her one of the most charming women in the world!Lady Middleton was equally pleased with Mrs. Dashwood.There was a kind of cold hearted selfishness on both sides,which mutually attracted them; and they sympathisedwith each other in an insipid propriety of demeanor,and a general want of understanding.The same manners, however, which recommended Mrs. JohnDashwood to the good opinion of Lady Middleton did not suitthe fancy of Mrs. Jennings, and to her she appeared nothingmore than a little proud-looking woman of uncordial address,who met her husband's sisters without any affection,and almost without having anything to say to them;for of the quarter of an hour bestowed on Berkeley Street,she sat at least seven minutes and a half in silence.Elinor wanted very much to know, though she didnot chuse to ask, whether Edward was then in town;but nothing would have induced Fanny voluntarilyto mention his name before her, till able to tell herthat his marriage with Miss Morton was resolved on,or till her husband's expectations on Colonel Brandonwere answered; because she believed them still so verymuch attached to each other, that they could not be toosedulously divided in word and deed on every occasion.The intelligence however, which she would not give,soon flowed from another quarter. Lucy came very shortlyto claim Elinor's compassion on being unable to see Edward,though he had arrived in town with Mr. and Mrs. Dashwood.He dared not come to Bartlett's Buildings for fearof detection, and though their mutual impatience to meet,was not to be told, they could do nothing at presentbut write.Edward assured them himself of his being in town,within a very short time, by twice calling in Berkeley Street.Twice was his card found on the table, when they returnedfrom their morning's engagements. Elinor was pleasedthat he had called; and still more pleased that she hadmissed him.The Dashwoods were so prodigiously delightedwith the Middletons, that, though not much in the habitof giving anything, they determined to give them--a dinner; and soon after their acquaintance began,invited them to dine in Harley Street, where they hadtaken a very good house for three months. Their sistersand Mrs. Jennings were invited likewise, and John Dashwoodwas careful to secure Colonel Brandon, who, always gladto be where the Miss Dashwoods were, received his eagercivilities with some surprise, but much more pleasure.They were to meet Mrs. Ferrars; but Elinor could not learnwhether her sons were to be of the party. The expectationof seeing her, however, was enough to make her interestedin the engagement; for though she could now meet Edward'smother without that strong anxiety which had once promisedto attend such an introduction, though she could now seeher with perfect indifference as to her opinion of herself,her desire of being in company with Mrs. Ferrars,her curiosity to know what she was like, was as lively as ever.The interest with which she thus anticipated theparty, was soon afterwards increased, more powerfullythan pleasantly, by her hearing that the Miss Steeleswere also to be at it.So well had they recommended themselves to Lady Middleton,so agreeable had their assiduities made them to her,that though Lucy was certainly not so elegant, and hersister not even genteel, she was as ready as Sir Johnto ask them to spend a week or two in Conduit Street;and it happened to be particularly convenient to the MissSteeles, as soon as the Dashwoods' invitation was known,that their visit should begin a few days before the partytook place.Their claims to the notice of Mrs. John Dashwood,as the nieces of the gentleman who for many years hadhad the care of her brother, might not have done much,however, towards procuring them seats at her table;but as Lady Middleton's guests they must be welcome; and Lucy,who had long wanted to be personally known to the family,to have a nearer view of their characters and her owndifficulties, and to have an opportunity of endeavouringto please them, had seldom been happier in her life,than she was on receiving Mrs. John Dashwood's card.On Elinor its effect was very different. She beganimmediately to determine, that Edward who lived withhis mother, must be asked as his mother was, to a partygiven by his sister; and to see him for the first time,after all that passed, in the company of Lucy!--she hardlyknew how she could bear it!These apprehensions, perhaps, were not foundedentirely on reason, and certainly not at all on truth.They were relieved however, not by her own recollection,but by the good will of Lucy, who believed herself to beinflicting a severe disappointment when she told herthat Edward certainly would not be in Harley Street on Tuesday,and even hoped to be carrying the pain still fartherby persuading her that he was kept away by the extremeaffection for herself, which he could not conceal when theywere together.The important Tuesday came that was to introducethe two young ladies to this formidable mother-in-law."Pity me, dear Miss Dashwood!" said Lucy, as theywalked up the stairs together--for the Middletons arrivedso directly after Mrs. Jennings, that they all followedthe servant at the same time--"There is nobody here butyou, that can feel for me.--I declare I can hardly stand.Good gracious!--In a moment I shall see the person that allmy happiness depends on--that is to be my mother!"--Elinor could have given her immediate reliefby suggesting the possibility of its being Miss Morton's mother,rather than her own, whom they were about to behold;but instead of doing that, she assured her, and withgreat sincerity, that she did pity her--to the utteramazement of Lucy, who, though really uncomfortable herself,hoped at least to be an object of irrepressible envy to Elinor.Mrs. Ferrars was a little, thin woman, upright,even to formality, in her figure, and serious,even to sourness, in her aspect. Her complexion was sallow;and her features small, without beauty, and naturallywithout expression; but a lucky contraction of the browhad rescued her countenance from the disgrace of insipidity,by giving it the strong characters of pride and ill nature.She was not a woman of many words; for, unlike peoplein general, she proportioned them to the number ofher ideas; and of the few syllables that did escape her,not one fell to the share of Miss Dashwood, whom she eyedwith the spirited determination of disliking her at all events.Elinor could not now be made unhappy by this behaviour.--A few months ago it would have hurt her exceedingly; but itwas not in Mrs. Ferrars' power to distress her by it now;--and the difference of her manners to the Miss Steeles,a difference which seemed purposely made to humble her more,only amused her. She could not but smile to see the graciousnessof both mother and daughter towards the very person--for Lucy was particularly distinguished--whom of all others,had they known as much as she did, they would have been mostanxious to mortify; while she herself, who had comparativelyno power to wound them, sat pointedly slighted by both.But while she smiled at a graciousness so misapplied,she could not reflect on the mean-spirited folly fromwhich it sprung, nor observe the studied attentionswith which the Miss Steeles courted its continuance,without thoroughly despising them all four.Lucy was all exultation on being so honorablydistinguished; and Miss Steele wanted only to be teazedabout Dr. Davis to be perfectly happy.The dinner was a grand one, the servants were numerous,and every thing bespoke the Mistress's inclinationfor show, and the Master's ability to support it.In spite of the improvements and additions which weremaking to the Norland estate, and in spite of its ownerhaving once been within some thousand pounds of beingobliged to sell out at a loss, nothing gave any symptomof that indigence which he had tried to infer from it;--no poverty of any kind, except of conversation, appeared--but there, the deficiency was considerable. John Dashwoodhad not much to say for himself that was worth hearing,and his wife had still less. But there was no peculiardisgrace in this; for it was very much the case withthe chief of their visitors, who almost all labouredunder one or other of these disqualifications for beingagreeable--Want of sense, either natural or improved--wantof elegance--want of spirits--or want of temper.When the ladies withdrew to the drawing-roomafter dinner, this poverty was particularly evident,for the gentlemen had supplied the discourse with somevariety--the variety of politics, inclosing land,and breaking horses--but then it was all over; and onesubject only engaged the ladies till coffee came in,which was the comparative heights of Harry Dashwood,and Lady Middleton's second son William, who were nearlyof the same age.Had both the children been there, the affair mighthave been determined too easily by measuring them at once;but as Harry only was present, it was all conjecturalassertion on both sides; and every body had a right tobe equally positive in their opinion, and to repeat itover and over again as often as they liked.The parties stood thus: The two mothers, though each really convinced thather own son was the tallest, politely decided in favourof the other.The two grandmothers, with not less partiality,but more sincerity, were equally earnest in supportof their own descendant.Lucy, who was hardly less anxious to please one parentthan the other, thought the boys were both remarkably tallfor their age, and could not conceive that there couldbe the smallest difference in the world between them;and Miss Steele, with yet greater address gave it,as fast as she could, in favour of each.Elinor, having once delivered her opinion onWilliam's side, by which she offended Mrs. Ferrars andFanny still more, did not see the necessity of enforcingit by any farther assertion; and Marianne, when calledon for her's, offended them all, by declaring that shehad no opinion to give, as she had never thought about it.Before her removing from Norland, Elinor had painteda very pretty pair of screens for her sister-in-law,which being now just mounted and brought home,ornamented her present drawing room; and these screens,catching the eye of John Dashwood on his followingthe other gentlemen into the room, were officiouslyhanded by him to Colonel Brandon for his admiration."These are done by my eldest sister," said he; "and you,as a man of taste, will, I dare say, be pleased with them.I do not know whether you have ever happened to see anyof her performances before, but she is in general reckonedto draw extremely well."The Colonel, though disclaiming all pretensionsto connoisseurship, warmly admired the screens, as hewould have done any thing painted by Miss Dashwood;and on the curiosity of the others being of course excited,they were handed round for general inspection.Mrs. Ferrars, not aware of their being Elinor's work,particularly requested to look at them; and after they hadreceived gratifying testimony of Lady Middletons's approbation,Fanny presented them to her mother, considerately informingher, at the same time, that they were done by Miss Dashwood."Hum"--said Mrs. Ferrars--"very pretty,"--and withoutregarding them at all, returned them to her daughter.Perhaps Fanny thought for a moment that her motherhad been quite rude enough,--for, colouring a little,she immediately said,"They are very pretty, ma'am--an't they?" But then again,the dread of having been too civil, too encouraging herself,probably came over her, for she presently added,"Do you not think they are something in MissMorton's style of painting, Ma'am?--She does paint mostdelightfully!--How beautifully her last landscape is done!""Beautifully indeed! But she does every thing well."Marianne could not bear this.--She was alreadygreatly displeased with Mrs. Ferrars; and such ill-timedpraise of another, at Elinor's expense, though shehad not any notion of what was principally meant by it,provoked her immediately to say with warmth,"This is admiration of a very particular kind!--what is Miss Morton to us?--who knows, or who cares,for her?--it is Elinor of whom we think and speak."And so saying, she took the screens out of hersister-in-law's hands, to admire them herself as theyought to be admired.Mrs. Ferrars looked exceedingly angry, and drawingherself up more stiffly than ever, pronounced in retortthis bitter philippic, "Miss Morton is Lord Morton's daughter."Fanny looked very angry too, and her husband wasall in a fright at his sister's audacity. Elinor wasmuch more hurt by Marianne's warmth than she had beenby what produced it; but Colonel Brandon's eyes, as theywere fixed on Marianne, declared that he noticed onlywhat was amiable in it, the affectionate heart which couldnot bear to see a sister slighted in the smallest point.Marianne's feelings did not stop here. The coldinsolence of Mrs. Ferrars's general behaviour to her sister,seemed, to her, to foretell such difficulties and distressesto Elinor, as her own wounded heart taught her to thinkof with horror; and urged by a strong impulse ofaffectionate sensibility, she moved after a moment,to her sister's chair, and putting one arm round her neck,and one cheek close to hers, said in a low, but eager,voice,"Dear, dear Elinor, don't mind them. Don't let themmake you unhappy."She could say no more; her spirits were quite overcome,and hiding her face on Elinor's shoulder, she burstinto tears. Every body's attention was called, and almostevery body was concerned.--Colonel Brandon rose up and wentto them without knowing what he did.--Mrs. Jennings,with a very intelligent "Ah! poor dear," immediately gaveher her salts; and Sir John felt so desperately enragedagainst the author of this nervous distress, that heinstantly changed his seat to one close by Lucy Steele,and gave her, in a whisper, a brief account of the wholeshocking affair.In a few minutes, however, Marianne was recoveredenough to put an end to the bustle, and sit down amongthe rest; though her spirits retained the impressionof what had passed, the whole evening."Poor Marianne!" said her brother to Colonel Brandon,in a low voice, as soon as he could secure his attention,--"She has not such good health as her sister,--she is verynervous,--she has not Elinor's constitution;--and one mustallow that there is something very trying to a young womanwho has been a beauty in the loss of her personal attractions.You would not think it perhaps, but Marianne was remarkablyhandsome a few months ago; quite as handsome as Elinor.--Now you see it is all gone."