Austen Said:

"Poor Marianne!"

"She has not such good health as her sister, — she is very nervous, — she has not Elinor's constitution; — and one must allow that there is something very trying to a young woman who HAS BEEN a beauty in the loss of her personal attractions. You would not think it perhaps, but Marianne WAS remarkably handsome a few months ago; quite as handsome as Elinor. — Now you see it is all gone."

"You have heard, I suppose,"

"of the very shocking discovery that took place under our roof yesterday."

"Your sister,"

"has suffered dreadfully. Mrs. Ferrars too — in short it has been a scene of such complicated distress — but I will hope that the storm may be weathered without our being any of us quite overcome. Poor Fanny! she was in hysterics all yesterday. But I would not alarm you too much.

Donavan says

She has borne it all, with the fortitude of an angel!

She says

and one cannot wonder at it, after being so deceived! — meeting with such ingratitude, where so much kindness had been shewn, so much confidence had been placed! It was quite out of the benevolence of her heart, that she had asked these young women to her house; merely because

she thought

for otherwise we both wished very much to have invited you and Marianne to be with us, while your kind friend there, was attending her daughter. And now to be so rewarded!

says poor Fanny

in her affectionate way,

"What poor Mrs. Ferrars suffered, when first Fanny broke it to her, is not to be described. While she with the truest affection had been planning a most eligible connection for him, was it to be supposed that he could be all the time secretly engaged to another person! — such a suspicion could never have entered her head! If she suspected ANY prepossession elsewhere, it could not be in THAT quarter.

said she,

She was quite in an agony. We consulted together, however, as to what should be done, and at last she determined to send for Edward. He came. But I am sorry to relate what ensued. All that Mrs. Ferrars could say to make him put an end to the engagement, assisted too as you may well suppose by my arguments, and Fanny's entreaties, was of no avail. Duty, affection, every thing was disregarded. I never thought Edward so stubborn, so unfeeling before. His mother explained to him her liberal designs, in case of his marrying Miss Morton;

told him

offered even, when matters grew desperate, to make it twelve hundred; and in opposition to this, if he still persisted in this low connection, represented to him the certain penury that must attend the match.

she protested

"Well may you wonder, Marianne,"

"at the obstinacy which could resist such arguments as these. Your exclamation is very natural."

"All this, however,"

"was urged in vain. Edward said very little; but what he did say, was in the most determined manner.

"I would by no means speak disrespectfully of any relation of yours, madam. Miss Lucy Steele is, I dare say, a very deserving young woman, but in the present case you know, the connection must be impossible. And to have entered into a secret engagement with a young man under her uncle's care, the son of a woman especially of such very large fortune as Mrs. Ferrars, is perhaps, altogether a little extraordinary. In short, I do not mean to reflect upon the behaviour of any person whom you have a regard for, Mrs. Jennings. We all wish her extremely happy; and Mrs. Ferrars's conduct throughout the whole, has been such as every conscientious, good mother, in like circumstances, would adopt. It has been dignified and liberal. Edward has drawn his own lot, and I fear it will be a bad one."

"I am sorry to say, ma'am, in a most unhappy rupture: — Edward is dismissed for ever from his mother's notice. He left her house yesterday, but where he is gone, or whether he is still in town, I do not know; for WE of course can make no inquiry."

"What, indeed, ma'am! It is a melancholy consideration. Born to the prospect of such affluence! I cannot conceive a situation more deplorable. The interest of two thousand pounds — how can a man live on it? — and when to that is added the recollection, that he might, but for his own folly, within three months have been in the receipt of two thousand, five hundred a-year (for Miss Morton has thirty thousand pounds,) I cannot picture to myself a more wretched condition. We must all feel for him; and the more so, because it is totally out of our power to assist him."

"If he would only have done as well by himself,"

"as all his friends were disposed to do by him, he might now have been in his proper situation, and would have wanted for nothing. But as it is, it must be out of anybody's power to assist him. And there is one thing more preparing against him, which must be worse than all — his mother has determined, with a very natural kind of spirit, to settle THAT estate upon Robert immediately, which might have been Edward's, on proper conditions. I left her this morning with her lawyer, talking over the business."

"Can anything be more galling to the spirit of a man,"

"than to see his younger brother in possession of an estate which might have been his own? Poor Edward! I feel for him sincerely."

"Fanny is in her own room, I suppose,"

"I will go to her presently, for I am sure she will not have the least objection in the world to seeing YOU. — Very far from it, indeed. NOW especially there cannot be — but however, you and Marianne were always great favourites. — Why would not Marianne come?" —

"I am not sorry to see you alone,"

"for I have a good deal to say to you. This living of Colonel Brandon's — can it be true? — has he really given it to Edward? — I heard it yesterday by chance, and was coming to you on purpose to enquire farther about it."

"Really! — Well, this is very astonishing! — no relationship! — no connection between them! — and now that livings fetch such a price! — what was the value of this?"

"Very well — and for the next presentation to a living of that value — supposing the late incumbent to have been old and sickly, and likely to vacate it soon — he might have got I dare say — fourteen hundred pounds. And how came he not to have settled that matter before this person's death? — NOW indeed it would be too late to sell it, but a man of Colonel Brandon's sense! — I wonder he should be so improvident in a point of such common, such natural, concern! — Well, I am convinced that there is a vast deal of inconsistency in almost every human character. I suppose, however — on recollection — that the case may probably be THIS. Edward is only to hold the living till the person to whom the Colonel has really sold the presentation, is old enough to take it. — Aye, aye, that is the fact, depend upon it."

"It is truly astonishing!"—

"what could be the Colonel's motive?"

"Well, well; whatever Colonel Brandon may be, Edward is a very lucky man. — You will not mention the matter to Fanny, however, for though I have broke it to her, and she bears it vastly well, — she will not like to hear it much talked of."

"Mrs. Ferrars,"

"knows nothing about it at present, and I believe it will be best to keep it entirely concealed from her as long as may be. — When the marriage takes place, I fear she must hear of it all."

"Ah! Elinor,"

"your reasoning is very good, but it is founded on ignorance of human nature. When Edward's unhappy match takes place, depend upon it his mother will feel as much as if she had never discarded him; and, therefore every circumstance that may accelerate that dreadful event, must be concealed from her as much as possible. Mrs. Ferrars can never forget that Edward is her son."

"You wrong her exceedingly. Mrs. Ferrars is one of the most affectionate mothers in the world."

"We think NOW," —

"of ROBERT'S marrying Miss Morton."

"Choice! — how do you mean?"

"Certainly, there can be no difference; for Robert will now to all intents and purposes be considered as the eldest son; — and as to any thing else, they are both very agreeable young men: I do not know that one is superior to the other."

"Of ONE thing, my dear sister,"