"Elinor?" "Marianne." "Marianne, I do believe you're better." "Yes, I feel better." "(CARRIAGE APPROACHES)" "How long have I been in bed?" "I don't even know." "It is ten o'clock, exactly as the Colonel promised." "Mama is here." "Mama?" "Oh, Mama!" "Do not excite yourself... for her sake." "Elinor!" "Oh, my darling, are we in time?" "You're smiling!" " Oh, Marianne." " This way, Mrs Dashwood." " My dear Colonel." " I found your mother starting out herself." "She had determined to come on her own account." " Mama!" " Oh, my love!" "My love!" "Thank God." "Oh, thank the dear Lord who has given you back to me." "Oh, I was so frightened." "I had no news, you see." "I expected you home and you had not come." "Let me look at you." "Oh, how thin you are." "Well, I shall feed you up." "You will have all your favourite things." "I am very thirsty, Mama." "We must let her rest." "She is still very weak." "You go to sleep now, Marianne." "Mama is with you." "She will not go away." "You need sleep too, my dear." "I can see that." "This is my place now." "Colonel, I cannot find words to acknowledge what we owe to you, or to thank you adequately." "The glimpse I had of your sister is sufficient thanks... not that I need any." "If ever a man deserved his heart's desire, it is you, Colonel." "At last, we are alone." "Oh, my dear Elinor, you do not yet know all my happiness." "Colonel Brandon loves Marianne." "He told me so himself." "Oh, you're never like me, dear Elinor." "Look how calmly you take the news." "He opened his heart to me yesterday as we travelled." "It came out quite unawares, quite without design." "I could talk of nothing but my child." "He gave way to his feelings and he told me of his earnest, tender, constant affection for Marianne." "Everybody knows Colonel Brandon to be an excellent man." "Excellent?" "Oh, my dear, he remained constant throughout that business with Willoughby and he brought me here." " Any man might do as much for love." " Oh, Elinor, do you now belittle him?" "On the contrary!" "I am saying that what makes him so fine a gentleman is his constant goodness to everybody." "I have offered heartfelt thanks for all he has done." "Oh, thanks are not enough." "One must help good causes along." "I have told him that Marianne will be well enough to see him tomorrow." "Whose idea was this?" "Mother's, I suppose." "You must thank him." "I mean to." "He is a worthy man." "But worthy men are so uninteresting, especially men of his age." "And letting him see me in this state..." " You look lovely." " My skin looks terrible." "You are romantically pale, like the heroine of one of Mrs Radcliffe's novels." " Hmm, yes." "I see what you mean." " (LAUGHS)" "(KNOCK AT DOOR)" "Good morning, Colonel." "Please come in." "Miss Dashwood." "Miss Marianne, it is both an honour and the greatest of pleasures to see you." " I shall leave you for a little while." " I am sure the Colonel would have you stay." "Excuse me, I have much to do downstairs." "Do please sit down, Colonel." "Thank you." "Dear Colonel Brandon, I must convey my sincere gratitude for all that you..." "Oh, let us leave that as said." "Excuse me." "I interrupted rudely." "I am embarrassed at being thanked for what was a privilege." "I only caught a glimpse of you the other night." "You're looking so much better." "You must be looking forward to going home to Barton." "Yes, it seems a lifetime ago that we left for London." "Take things very quietly when you get back." " Promise me." " I am grateful for your concern, Colonel." "Be assured I intend to do little but sit in the garden and read." "Ah, Gothic novels, with their ghosts and ruined castles." " Why not?" " I play the schoolmaster." "You read Cowper and Scott." "You have heard of them, have you?" "I have studied them a little." "I think them truly wonderful." "Oh, indeed they are great poets." "But have you not read the majestic Milton or the demigod Shakespeare?" ""Fear no more the heat of the sun" ""Nor the furious winter's rages" ""Thou thy worldly task hath done" ""Home art gone and ta'en thy wages."" "A treasure house awaits your unlocking of mighty language and great thoughts." "But you speak poetically, Colonel." " I'm sorry, I did not mean to." " Pray do not apologise." "I did not know you were interested in literature." "You could not." "I do not believe the subject has ever arisen between us... until now." "Miss Marianne, may I venture a proposal?" "A proposal?" "Allow me to select a book for you from Mr Palmer's extensive library." "It may help pass the time while you remain here, and it would give me great pleasure." "Thank you." "Yes, I would be delighted." "And perhaps we might discuss it when I visit you at Barton." "You are to visit us at Barton?" "Oh..." "You did not know?" "Your mother has invited me." "Thank you." "Thank you." " Thank you, Mrs Wallis." " Thank you, miss." "I wish you a good journey." "And you, Mrs Jennings." "What can I say to you?" "I'll have no thanks, my dear." "I've enjoyed every moment the two of you spent with me." "I'm grateful for the pleasure of the company of such lovely people." "Now then, I wish you no more sorrows and much future happiness." "Bless you." "We shall see you at Barton Park, I hope." "Next time Sir John gives one of his hops. (CHUCKLES)" "Allow me to escort you to the carriage, Mrs Dashwood." "Thank you, Colonel." "Marianne is still rather weak." "And Miss Marianne, of course." "Your mother's as good a hand at that game as I am." "(LAUGHS)" "Thank you, Colonel Brandon." "I wish you a good journey, ladies." "Dear Colonel, thank you for your kindness." "How good it is to see the sun, after what Shakespeare calls the furious winter's rages." "Oh, my little love." "We shall always be grateful to the people at Cleveland." "Mr Palmer's library is full of great books." "I wonder if he has ever read the majestic Milton or the demigod Shakespeare." "I should think he bought them to make a fine show." "I have formed a plan." "I shall enter upon a course of serious study." "I shall rise at six and divide every moment until dinner between music and reading." "I dare say Colonel Brandon will advise me as to my reading." "Yes, I'm sure he will." "I long to sit down at my own dear pianoforte." "My plan shall keep me busy." "We shall have no time for regrets." "(PIANO PLAYING)" "It is over now." "Elinor, do not grieve, that moment had to come." "I'm glad it is over." " Is it?" " At least we are talking about him." " We should have done so before." " Do you think so?" "Willoughby..." "You see, I speak his name calmly." "Then there is something I must tell you." " He came when you were very ill." " To Cleveland?" "He came from London like a madman." "I promised him that when you were well, I would pass his words on to you." "Each day since, I have feared to unsettle your mind too soon." "I can talk of it now." "You were playing lovely, Miss Marianne." "Is it all right for me to polish the table?" "Of course you may." "Marianne, let us put on our coats and go for a walk." "He did love you." "He implored me to tell you that he was penitent, that you would always be dear to him," "and he begged you to forgive him." "Did you forgive him?" "For my part, yes." "And I pitied him, but did not tell him so." "My illness has made me think." "I had enough leisure to reflect." "Only now do I see that my own want of feelings brought on my sufferings." "I always talked about feelings but they were all for myself." "I wronged you and I wronged Mother." "My weak character almost brought me to the grave." " My love..." " I brought my illness on myself, by play-acting, pining and starving myself romantically, and being foolish till I almost died of it." "And I knew I was doing wrong." "As for Willoughby, I don't know if I can soon or ever forget him." "My own future conduct must be my proof." "Yes, because I hope to earn forgiveness." "I can forgive him, Elinor, and doing so, for the first time feel... free." "I am sorry for him." "But I shall never forget how he made you suffer, nor his guilty conduct towards Eliza Williams." " It is all very well his still loving you..." " Mama, enough has been said." "...but he will always be extravagant and selfish, however often he repents." "And if you had married him..." "Oh, dear!" "I should never have been happy with him." "I know." "Elinor told me today all that I wanted to hear, and I am satisfied." " And that is all, Mother." " Well, you need plenty of occupation." " (SLAMS)" " Tom?" "(TOM) Ma'am." "I'm glad Colonel Brandon is coming tomorrow." "Ah." "Phew!" "I never seen Exeter so crowded." "Not this time of year." "I got everything you wanted." "Sack of provisions, your linen and stuff." " Miss Marianne." " Thank you." "That is excellent, Tom." "That's not quite the blue I wanted." " Never mind." " My dear." "Old Martin talked all the way there and back." "He can talk, can old Martin." " His Sukey's had another baby girl." " Oh, we must go and see them." "No other news, ma'am." "All gossip." "Oh, there was one piece of news..." "Mr Ferrars is married." "Who told you that Mr Ferrars was married, Tom?" "I seen Mr Ferrars myself, ma'am." "This morning in Exeter, and his lady too, Miss Lucy Steele as was." "Oh, Miss Lucy Steele?" "Yes, ma'am." "They was at the door of the New London Inn." "I took my hat off, and she knew me." "Bade me give her best compliments, and Mr Ferrars' as well, to you all." "That is Lucy Steele." " But did she tell you they were married?" " Yes, ma'am." "I made free to wish her joy." "Mr Ferrars was in the carriage, but he just looked out the other window." " And well he might." " They were going to her folk in Plymouth." "Miss Lucy seemed vastly pleased." "Well, I..." "I'll put that lot away." "Oh, poor Elinor." "Oh, I cannot bear this." "And I too, my child." "Through all her troubles I never thought of you once." "We all knew they were to be married." "Marianne had all my tenderness." "I never thought once that you suffered as much, but unlike her were brave." "E-Excuse me." "I had better make sure that Colonel Brandon's room is ready." "(SOBS)" "(DOOR SLAMS)" "Do you think Colonel Brandon will like that, Tom?" "Oh, I don't know, ma'am." "They'm only from the hedgerow." " Oh." " They're pretty though." " (KNOCKS)" " Oh!" "It's all right, Tom." "Girls, Colonel Brandon is here." " Mrs Dashwood." " Edward." "I've come to see you all." "I trust I've not called at an inconvenient time." "Oh, no." " No, Edward, come in." " Thank you." "Thank you, Susan." "Well, Edward, I must wish you joy." "Joy?" "Miss Marianne, Elinor." "Mr Ferrars." "Is Mrs Ferrars still in Exeter or has she gone on alone to Plymouth?" "Plymouth?" "My mother is in London." "No, I was not speaking of your mother, but of Mrs Edward Ferrars." "Mrs?" "Perhaps you mean my brother..." " You mean Mrs Robert Ferrars." " Mrs Robert Ferrars?" "My brother Robert is lately married to Miss Lucy Steele." " Oh!" " Lucy... and Robert!" "Yes, they..." "They were married a week ago and are now on their way to Plymouth." "(LAUGHTER)" "I am a joke to you, and an offence to her." " I had no right to come." " Oh, Edward!" " Where are you going?" " Far enough not to cause her more pain." "Pain?" "Oh!" "Go to her, Edward." "She is just out of her wits, that's all." "(LAUGHS) And so are you." "Go on." "Lucy took him for his money." "My mother's settlement cannot be revoked." " And a fitting pair they make." " I was a free man." "I rode down here to marry you, and marched in upon you like a clumsy brute." "No." "Even now that I am asking for your hand..." " Are you?" " Yes." "And blundering again." " I love you." " Oh, Elinor." "But you will have to ask my mother's consent more gracefully." "Oh, yes." "Colonel." "Oh, I am so happy to welcome you." " And so am I." " And I to be here." "Before I forget, I must give you Mrs Jennings' and Mrs Palmers' regards." "Oh." "Miss Marianne, I hope you will not think me too forward, but I have brought you a gift." " That lovely box." " And its contents." "Please open it." "Whatever can it be?" "Oh, books!" "Oh, thank you, Colonel." "It is only a very modest treasure chest." ""The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire"." " Will it not be too difficult for me?" " Oh, by no means." "You may find it even more exciting than "The Mysteries of Udolpho"." "But I shall have hundreds of questions to ask you." "My children."