Austen Said:

"Poor little creatures!"

"It might have been a very sad accident."

"And Sir John too,"

"what a charming man he is!"

"And how do you like Devonshire, Miss Dashwood? I suppose you were very sorry to leave Sussex."

"Norland is a prodigious beautiful place, is not it?"

"And had you a great many smart beaux there? I suppose you have not so many in this part of the world; for my part, I think they are a vast addition always."

"Nay, my dear, I'm sure I don't pretend to say that there an't. I'm sure there's a vast many smart beaux in Exeter; but you know, how could I tell what smart beaux there might be about Norland; and I was only afraid the Miss Dashwoods might find it dull at Barton, if they had not so many as they used to have. But perhaps you young ladies may not care about the beaux, and had as lief be without them as with them. For my part, I think they are vastly agreeable, provided they dress smart and behave civil. But I can't bear to see them dirty and nasty. Now there's Mr. Rose at Exeter, a prodigious smart young man, quite a beau, clerk to Mr. Simpson, you know, and yet if you do but meet him of a morning, he is not fit to be seen. — I suppose your brother was quite a beau, Miss Dashwood, before he married, as he was so rich?"

"Oh! dear! one never thinks of married men's being beaux — they have something else to do."

"'Twill be a fine thing to have her married so young to be sure,"

"and I hear he is quite a beau, and prodigious handsome. And I hope you may have as good luck yourself soon, — but perhaps you may have a friend in the corner already."

"Ferrars!"

"Mr. Ferrars is the happy man, is he? What! your sister-in-law's brother, Miss Dashwood? a very agreeable young man to be sure; I know him very well."

"Oh! that would be terrible, indeed,"

"Dear little soul, how I do love her!"

"A great coxcomb!"

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

"Oh,"

"I dare say Lucy's beau is quite as modest and pretty behaved as Miss Dashwood's."

"Not in the stage, I assure you,"

"we came post all the way, and had a very smart beau to attend us. Dr. Davies was coming to town, and so we thought we'd join him in a post-chaise; and he behaved very genteelly, and paid ten or twelve shillings more than we did."

"There now,"

"everybody laughs at me so about the Doctor, and I cannot think why.

My cousins say

but for my part I declare I never think about him from one hour's end to another.

my cousin said t'other day,

when she saw him crossing the street to the house. My beau, indeed! said I — I cannot think who you mean. The Doctor is no beau of mine."

"No, indeed!"

"and I beg you will contradict it, if you ever hear it talked of."

"I am sorry we cannot see your sister, Miss Dashwood,"

"I am sorry she is not well — "

"Oh, dear, that is a great pity! but such old friends as Lucy and me! — I think she might see US; and I am sure we would not speak a word."

"Oh, if that's all,"

"we can just as well go and see HER."

"I am so glad to meet you;"

"for I wanted to see you of all things in the world."

"I suppose Mrs. Jennings has heard all about it. Is she angry?"

"That is a good thing. And Lady Middleton, is SHE angry?"

"I am monstrous glad of it. Good gracious! I have had such a time of it! I never saw Lucy in such a rage in my life.

She vowed at first

but now she is quite come to, and we are as good friends as ever. Look, she made me this bow to my hat, and put in the feather last night. There now, YOU are going to laugh at me too. But why should not I wear pink ribbons? I do not care if it IS the Doctor's favourite colour. I am sure, for my part, I should never have known he DID like it better than any other colour, if he had not happened to say so. My cousins have been so plaguing me! I declare sometimes I do not know which way to look before them."

"Well, but Miss Dashwood,"

"people may say what they chuse about Mr. Ferrars's declaring he would not have Lucy, for it is no such thing I can tell you; and it is quite a shame for such ill-natured reports to be spread abroad. Whatever Lucy might think about it herself, you know, it was no business of other people to set it down for certain."

"Oh, did not you? But it WAS said, I know, very well, and by more than one; for

Miss Godby told Miss Sparks, that

and I had it from Miss Sparks myself. And besides that, my cousin

Richard said himself, that

and when Edward did not come near us for three days, I could not tell what to think myself; and I believe in my heart Lucy gave it up all for lost; for we came away from your brother's Wednesday, and we saw nothing of him not all Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and did not know what was become of him. Once Lucy thought to write to him, but then her spirits rose against that. However this morning he came just as we came home from church; and then it all came out, how he had been sent for Wednesday to Harley Street, and been talked to by his mother and all of them, and how

he had declared

before them all