Austen Said:

Patterns of Diction in Jane Austen's Major Novels

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"This compliment would effectually frighten me from giving any opinion on the subject had I formed one. It raises my influence much too high; the power of dividing two people so tenderly attached is too much for an indifferent person."
"'Tis because you are an indifferent person,"
"that your judgment might justly have such weight with me. If you could be supposed to be biased in any respect by your own feelings, your opinion would not be worth having."
"Shall you be in town this winter, Miss Dashwood?"
"Certainly not."
"I am sorry for that,"
"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 invitation if they do."
"How unlucky that is! I had quite depended upon meeting you there. Anne and me are to go the latter end of January to some relations who have been wanting us to visit them these several years! But I only go for the sake of seeing Edward. He will be there in February, otherwise London would have no charms for me; I have not spirits for it."
Edward was not only without affection for the person who was to be his wife; but that he had not 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 man to an engagement, of which she seemed so thoroughly aware that he was weary.
their determined resolution of not leaving their mother at that time of the year.
"I thank you, ma'am, sincerely thank you,"
"your invitation has insured my gratitude for ever, and it would give me such happiness, yes, almost the greatest happiness I am capable of, to be able to accept it. But my mother, my dearest, kindest mother, — I feel the justice of what Elinor has urged, and if she were to be made less happy, less comfortable by our absence — Oh! no, nothing should tempt me to leave her. It should not, must not be a struggle."
Whatever Marianne was desirous of, her mother would be eager to promote — she could not expect to influence the latter to cautiousness of conduct in an affair respecting which she had never been able to inspire her with distrust; and she dared not explain the motive of her own disinclination for going to London.
"Though with your usual anxiety for our happiness,"
"you have been obviating every impediment to the present scheme which occurred to you, there is still one objection which, in my opinion, cannot be so easily removed."
"My objection is this; though I think very well of Mrs. Jennings's heart, she is not a woman whose society can afford us pleasure, or whose protection will give us consequence."
"If Elinor is frightened away by her dislike of Mrs. Jennings,"
"at least it need not prevent MY accepting her invitation. I have no such scruples, and I am sure I could put up with every unpleasantness of that kind with very little effort."
Edward Ferrars, by Lucy's account, was not to be in town before February; and that their visit, without any unreasonable abridgement, might be previously finished.
"I like Edward Ferrars very much, and shall always be glad to see him; but as to the rest of the family, it is a matter of perfect indifference to me, whether I am ever known to them or not."
she might as well have held her tongue.
they had never been so happy in their lives as this intelligence made them.
it was now a matter of unconcern whether she went to town or not,
so short had their acquaintance with that lady been, so wholly unsuited were they in age and disposition, and so many had been her objections against such a measure only a few days before!
how gladly she would engage in the solicitude of Marianne's situation to have the same animating object in view, the same possibility of hope.
A short, a very short time however must now decide what Willoughby's intentions were; in all probability he was already in town.
Marianne's eagerness to be gone declared her dependence on finding him there;
she must then learn to avoid every selfish comparison, and banish every regret which might lessen her satisfaction in the happiness of Marianne.
"I am writing home, Marianne,"
"had not you better defer your letter for a day or two?"
"I am NOT going to write to my mother,"
she must then be writing to Willoughby;
that, however mysteriously they might wish to conduct the affair,
they must be engaged.
to get that letter conveyed for her to the two-penny post.
"Oh, Elinor, it is Willoughby, indeed it is!"
"Is your sister ill?"
she was,
head-aches, low spirits, and over fatigues;
his pleasure at seeing them in London,
whether Willoughby were then in town,
if he had been in London ever since she had seen him last.
"Yes,"
"almost ever since; I have been once or twice at Delaford for a few days, but it has never been in my power to return to Barton."
"I had the pleasure of hearing it at Mr. Palmer's, where I have been dining."
"Mrs. Palmer appeared quite well, and I am commissioned to tell you, that
"Has no letter been left here for me since we went out?"
"Are you quite sure of it?"
"Are you certain that no servant, no porter has left any letter or note?"

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