"(Cockerel crows)" "(Horses' hooves)" "Marianne." "Take no notice." "How long have you been sitting there like that?" "I thought I should be better up." "You've not slept at all?" "If I so much as close my eyes, it was only to re-enact that dreadful..." "You must come back to bed." "Yes, please, and I will send for some spirits of camphor and tell Mrs. Jennings you are too unwell to get up." " No, I shall go down to breakfast as usual." " But you cannot!" "I could not bear her sympathy!" "That would be too much!" "She shall learn nothing of my distress from me, I can assure you." "Mm?" "Come, come, miss!" "That will not do for a breakfast." "(Giggles) She must, indeed, be in love, my dear." "But I can assure you that my Charlotte never let that put her off her food." "Oh, dear, no." "She was far too fond of the table for that was Charlotte." " Excuse me, ma'am." " Oh, Rodgers." "Oh-ho, a letter!" "I think we need not ask who that is from, eh?" "That'll do her good." "That'll bring her appetite back, eh, miss?" "I hope it's to your liking." "I must see to her." "No, no, Mrs. Jennings, please!" "Let me." "I will be up shortly with something that I'm sure will settle her." "(Elinor) Thank you." "Poor thing." "I would never have jested for the world, if I'd known she'd be so upset." "(Knock on door)" "Ohh!" "What is it?" "(Man) My dear madam," "I am much concerned that you appeared to find something in my manner last night that did not meet with your approbation." "I assure you that any fault on my part was quite unintentional." "I shall ever recall my visit to Devonshire with grateful pleasure." "My esteem for your family is very sincere but if it has given rise to a misunderstanding," "I shall reproach myself greatly for not being more guarded in my behavior." "You will appreciate my meaning when I tell you that my affections have long been engaged elsewhere." "And it will not be many weeks now before that engagement is fulfilled." "I beg you, therefore, to forgive me any unwitting distress" "I may have caused you." "I end, dear madam." "(Knock on door)" "(Mrs. Jennings) Elinor?" "Yes, Mrs. Jennings." " Has she vomited yet?" " No, madam." "Well, the moment she does, give her this but not before, mind, or it'll all be wasted." "It is from my last bottle of old Constantia wine." "My husband always took it for the colicky gout." "My girls swore by it whenever they had a little upset." "Now I must leave you." "I have just this instant received the news that my Charlotte has begun her labor." " Is it not exciting?" " Yes." "I'm so excited, I'm quite beside myself!" "Tell poor Marianne, will you not, the moment she is better and if she is not fully recovered by the time I return," "I shall send for a physician." " Oh, no, no, madam, please." " Yes, yes, miss, indeed." "Cruel." "Cruel Willoughby." "Nothing can acquit him of this." "Nothing." "No, Marianne, I'm afraid, it cannot." "And yet this woman..." "Who knows what her art may be, how much she may have pursued and pestered him!" "The fault may not be his!" "Will you not try a little, sister?" "Elinor, please leave me!" "You cannot know what I suffer." "If only you knew." "Edward loves you!" "You must be happy!" "What could make you otherwise?" "Many, many things." "Am I to understand that you do not want this?" "Elinor, I must go home." " Marianne..." " I must be with Mama." "Can we not be gone tomorrow?" " Tomorrow?" "We cannot possibly." " Why not?" "Why should I stay here?" "(Sobs) I came only for Willoughby." "And... and now who cares for me?" "Who... who regards me?" "Oh, Marianne, that is most unjust." "Poor Mrs. Jennings is very concerned for you in her own way." "Her concern is not sympathy!" "Her good nature's not tenderness!" "All she wants is gossip!" "Oh, Marianne, you do distress me when you talk like that." "You know how untrue it is." "Very well." "If I distress you, go away, leave me, forget me!" "Don't be so silly, Marianne." "Now, come." "Get into bed." "Here, let me help you." "Oh, Elinor..." "Good, kind Elinor," "I'm so unhappy!" " They're both upstairs, ma'am." " Oh, Rodgers, thank you." "Elinor?" "Elinor?" "Elinor, my dear, how is she, the poor thing?" "I've settled her, thank you, Mrs. Jennings." "Oh, la, I had it all the way there, only to find that the spasms had gone off again." "So like my Charlotte." " Oh, I am sorry." " Oh, my dear." "My dear!" "I now know the full story." "I had it not an hour since from my friend, Mrs. Taylor, who was standing right beside the both last night." "Why did you not send for me?" " Mrs. Jennings..." " Never mind." "That poor creature." "Poor, poor creature!" "No wonder she's unwell." "She has a weak stomach, like my Mary, and anything at all disagreeable upsets it instantly." "Oh, that poor..." "Oh, oooh, the wickedness of that man!" "The wickedness!" "He has used her abominably and I shall tell him so to his face when next I see him." "Oh, yes, I shall!" "I shall not scruple whoever is present!" " (Gasps)" " Oh, Mrs. Jennings, don't upset... 50,000 they say her fortune is, this young woman he is to marry." "And, by all accounts, it won't come before it's needed, because they say his affairs are all to pieces!" "(Knock on door)" "Goodness, who's that at the door?" "Well, there is one comfort." "He's not the only young man in the world worth having and with her pretty face, she will never want admirers." "Never." "Oh... goodness." "I do believe..." "It is." "It's Colonel Brandon." "He has heard the news and lost no time in turning the situation to his own advantage." "He will take her on the rebound, as they say, and she could not do better." "2,000 a year without debt or drawback." "Except for the little love child and she a very quiet little thing." "My dear, I must slip away!" "I must!" "They will be married before the mid-summer." "You may depend upon it." "(Chuckles)" "In you go, sir." "Thank you." " Colonel Brandon." " Miss Dashwood." "I'm sure you would prefer not to discuss the painful events of last night but I feel there are certain matters which should no longer be withheld from you." "If you would rather I did not speak, I will say nothing." "You mean matters concerning Marianne and Mr. Willoughby?" "About him, principally." "You sister, thank God, must be utterly blameless." "Then tell me what you know." "Please." "You remember the day I quitted you all so suddenly at Barton when I was recalled to London?" "Yes, yes, of course." "But now I shall have to go right back to the beginning." "Miss Dashwood, you may or may not be acquainted with the fact that I have a ward, a young lady who is in my charge." "She is, in fact, my niece but I am quite sure the world would have her somewhat closely related." "This poor girl is very dear to me." "She is the child of a loveless and unhappy union." "Both her parents are now dead, so I have a double responsibility as her guardian and only relative." "She is a girl of... striking character... as her dear mother was at her age." "Wanting often in prudence, I'm afraid, but never in liveliness of spirit." "It is hardly surprising that your sister should instantly have put me in mind of her." "But to return, she went last summer to stay with a school fellow in Bath." "There I discovered that two young people were permitted to roam almost at will without proper protection." "I shall blame myself till the end of my life for not making sufficient enquiries." " But how could you?" " Yes, I should have done!" "But that is beside the point." "The result was that they met, in a coffee shop or somewhere, a party of young bloods, of whom..." "Willoughby was the ringleader." "Further meetings were arranged... of a more... intimate nature." " Need I make myself more clear?" " No, you need not." "The first I heard of it was when I received that urgent summons the day of the picnic." "She had run away to London when her..." "Her condition could no longer be concealed." "Poor thing." "There she... she had attempted to do away with herself." "So I was obliged to stay with her for the remainder of her time." "And has she?" "She was brought to bed of a boy the week you came to London." "Oh, a boy." "And is she fully recovered?" "She is well enough in body but her life is in ruins." "She is just 18 years old." "How dreadful!" "It is, indeed, a dreadful and sordid story." "Perhaps I was wrong to speak to you at all." "No, no, indeed, you were not." "It is as well that one should know of these things." "So you can imagine my feelings when I saw this girl in the company of your sister because I was aware from the beginning that he had formed some sort of relationship with my poor niece." "Though, at that point, I was ignorant of its exact nature." "Willoughby." "I can scarcely yet believe it." "I can see him as foolish and profligate." "But not as a villain." "There are some men, Miss Dashwood, whose villainy consists largely of weakness." "They are not to be trusted in matters of the heart." "Yet the strange thing is that this weakness seems to render them not less attractive to members of the opposite sex but more so." "It is curious and paradoxical but I have observed it to be the case." "Yes, I believe that may well be so." "I have ventured to tell you this, Miss Dashwood, so you may see the events of last night in a somewhat different light on your sister's behalf." "Whether or not you pass the information on to her," "I leave entirely to your own good judgment." "I think she should be told." "It may cause her added pain for the moment but in the end when she comes to herself again, it should help her to see matters in their true light." "I agree." "That is my feeling exactly." "Thank you, Colonel Brandon, for being so frank with me." "Well, you know, do you not, that your sister's wellbeing is... is of great concern to me." "I believe I do know it and I thank you for that even more." "There's no need to thank me, Miss Dashwood." "I can assure you..." " (Rodgers) In here." " Yes, thank you." "Ah, Elinor." "Brother John, what brings you here?" "I learnt from your mother that you were both in London and as Fanny and I are to be here for a while," "I thought that we should all meet." "Oh, that was very civil of you." "Colonel Brandon, may I introduce my brother, Mr. John Dashwood?" " How do you do, sir." " Sir." "Fanny sends her warmest regards." "She would have come herself, only getting around London is so monstrous fatiguing and expensive that she's having to rest this morning." "How very wise of her." "And Marianne?" "Where is she?" "Out shopping, I presume." "No, Marianne is in her room." "In her room still?" "What, at this hour of the morning?" "She is a little indisposed, that is all." "Oh, dear." "Nothing infectious, I hope." "No, nothing infectious." "Now, brother, if you will excuse me for one moment." " I do beg your pardon." " Oh, please." "I shall await news of your sister's recovery with some anxiety, Miss Dashwood." "I shall give you news of her, of course." "In the meantime, I am happy to feel that she could not want for more loving and sympathetic care than she will receive at your hands." "Who is that fellow?" "Colonel Brandon is a friend and neighbor of the Middletons." "He's an excellent good-hearted man." "Brandon?" "Brandon?" "It's not Colonel Brandon of Delaford by any chance?" "I believe that is the name of his estate, yes." "Oh, he is a man of some substance." "Considerable substance." "My dear sister, why did you not make that clear when you introduced him to me?" "I'm so sorry, brother." "Perhaps I should have said," ""This is Colonel Brandon who owns so many hundred acres" ""and has so much invested at 5%."" "My dear Elinor, I wish he had twice as much, for your sake." "For my sake?" "Why for my sake?" "Oh, if you think that Colonel Brandon has any intention of making me his wife, then I assure you, brother, that you are quite wrong." "I think you are mistaken, Elinor." "I think you are very much mistaken." "I thought I observed a considerable warmth in his manner towards you just now." "Oh, you may well blush, miss, you may well blush!" "I'm not blushing, thank you, brother." "It would be droll if Fanny were to have a brother married and I a sister at the same time, would it not?" "What?" "Did you say Mr. Ferrars is to be married?" "Well, it is not quite arranged yet so say nothing." "But his mother has decided that it would be as well." "Is that so?" "And has she also decided whom he is to marry?" "She has her ideas on the matter, certainly." "Yes, I may safely tell you, sister, since you are always discrete, I know, but it is her wish that he should be betrothed to no less a person than the elder Miss Morton." "There, that surprises you, does it not?" "I'm afraid I can make no comment, as I do not know the lady." "Not know Miss Morton?" "But, anyway, what is Mr. Ferrars opinion of this arrangement?" "Edward's?" "Why?" "What concern is that, sister?" "Goodness me, I'm almost forgetting the purpose of my visit here!" "I am to give a little dinner, at which Mrs. Ferrars has graciously consented to be present." "Fanny and I would, of course, be delighted to give you and Marianne the opportunity of being presented to her." "Thank you, brother, but..." "Now there is no need to feel nervous, I assure you." "Her manner is a trifle... austere at first but I think you need to have nothing to fear." "Especially now that Brandon's come upon the scene." "Oh, Marianne, surely you're not ready." "I'm not nearly." "Oh, why must they always put the fastenings just where one cannot possibly reach them?" "Oh, do be a sweet girl and do me up." "The carriage will be here in a moment and I've hardly had..." "Oh, Marianne!" "You cannot go like that." " Why not?" " Oh, you cannot possibly." "Oh, I wish now that I'd not told you the full extent of that wretched man's treachery but I thought to do so would settle your mind once and for all." "It has done so." "That can scarcely bring me any comfort, I'm afraid." "Sister, don't push!" "Well, if you would allow me a little more room..." "Sister!" "Miss Steele." "Lucy!" "Gracious heavens!" "Oh, la, Elinor, you look mighty well this evening, I must say." "And that frock." "Mercy." "May I see?" "Mercy!" "And what, pray, are you doing here?" "I expect you're surprised to see us." "I am, indeed." "Well, Sir John and your brother have struck up the greatest friendship on your account." "(Whispers) Which, as you can imagine, is of great fortune to me." "At last, it seems, I am to meet his family." "Oh, those two and their secrets." "Come, Marianne." "Let us take no notice of them." "Oh, how brave you are to wear such plain colors." "I would never dare." "But with your complexion, of course, you are quite right." "How clever of you to perceive that." "Oh, Elinor, how glad I am of this chance to speak." "Only you know my true situation and what this evening means to me." "I declare I have such a dreadful fluttery sensation here that I can scarcely stand." "Stay by me, Elinor." "Support me." "I'm quite sure that you will not need any of my support, Lucy." "Oh, but I shall." "Thank goodness, at least, that he is not coming." "Poor fellow." "I know how dreadfully it would distress him to see me so agitated." "You say Mr. Ferrars is not to be here?" "Oh, no." "Did you not know?" "He wrote to me especially to say that he would be unable to be in London, which is very civil and thoughtful of him, don't you think?" "Yes, very." "Poor Edward." "If you ask me, it means so much to him that I should come well out of this that he cannot face the ordeal." "Men are so squeamish in these matters, are they not?" "Whereas we poor creatures have to put a brave face on it." "Are you quite comfortable, ma'am?" "Perfectly, thank you." "Is there anybody else you would care to meet, ma'am?" "No, thank you." "Oh, ma'am, may I not be permitted to present my sister, Miss Elinor?" "Did you say Miss Elinor?" "Elinor and her mother and sister now live in Devonshire, Mama." "They are not often in London." "I am perfectly aware to whom you refer, thank you." "Bring her here." "My sister Elinor, ma'am." "She's, at present, staying with friends in Barclay Street." " Indeed." " How do you do, Mrs. Ferrars." " The upper end." " Is that so?" "Yes, overlooking the park." "Oh, brother John, one may just see the trees from the servants' bedroom, I believe." "Anyway, it is a most delightful house." "Indeed." "Who is that girl, pray?" "Oh, that, ma'am, that is Miss Lucy Steele." "It was at her uncle's house in Plymouth that Edward lodged for several years, if you remember." "Indeed." "She's also an acquaintance of Lady Middleton, ma'am." "Quite a quietly spoken sort of girl, I understand." "Bring her here." "You wish to speak to her, ma'am?" "Certainly, ma'am, of course." "Yes, I've never seen a fellow look quite so sick in all my life!" "Oh, Mr. Ferrars!" "I said I've seen better retriever bitches than that come out of a pigsty!" "Tush, Mr. Ferrars, what a thing to say!" "Indeed, I'm surprised at you!" " Miss Lucy?" " Yes, Mr. Dashwood." "Mrs. Ferrars would like to speak to you, please." "To me, sir?" "Oh, goodness." "Oh, la." "Yes, yes, come along." "Your pardon, sir." "Miss Lucy Steele, ma'am." " Oh, Miss Steele." " Honored, ma'am." " Bring up a chair for Miss Steele." " Certainly, ma'am." "Oh... thank you, sir." "That is quite a becoming gown you are wearing, Miss Steele." "Quite becoming." "Oh, ma'am, it is most gracious of you to say so, I must say." "There, do you really like it?" "I see you were admiring the fire screen, Colonel." " Oh..." " It's the work of my sister, Elinor." "She is reckoned to draw tolerably well." "Then you as a man of taste should be able to judge that better than I." "I'm hardly that, I'm afraid." "So this is your sister's work, eh?" "Yes, Elinor, my elder sister." "Rather fine, is it not?" "Oh, yes it is, indeed." "Very excellent." "Yes, Colonel, are they not a talented pair, the Miss Dashwoods?" "I don't know when I've come across two young ladies with so much natural genius!" "Don't you agree, ma'am?" "Yes, they have a number of accomplishments, certainly." "What is this?" "Oh, we are just admiring this screen, ma'am." "Is it not a pretty thing?" "Done by Miss Dashwood." " By whom?" " By Miss Elinor Dashwood." "Oh..." "No, no, no." "There." "(Chuckles) Is it not a mighty-fine thing?" " Very pretty." " There is not so much detail, perhaps, as in the work of Miss Morton, I suppose." "Miss Morton?" "Indeed, there is not." "But then she does everything well." "(Shouts) Who cares about the work of Miss Morton?" "It is Elinor we're discussing!" "Who is this Miss Morton, anyway?" "Who is Miss Morton?" "Miss Morton is Lord Morton's daughter." "Lady Robinson, are you quite comfortable?" "Fanny, dear, do look after Lady Robinson." "Dinner will not be many more moments, I'm sure." "Take no notice of them, Elinor." "Don't let them hurt you!" "I don't mind what they say." "One hair of your head is worth all of them put together!" "(Sobs)" " Oh, Marianne..." " Now, there, there, there!" "The poor, poor thing!" "Oh, we know what is the trouble, do we not?" "My dear, my dear, try this." "Dear, dear?" "There." "Really, your sisters..." "I know, my dearest, but what can I do?" "Well, make them hurry up with dinner, for heaven's sake!" " The morning room, miss." " Thank you." "Elinor, my dearest friend." "I just felt I had to come and see you." "Oh, but before I speak, how is she?" "Poor dear." "Marianne, I mean." "Perfectly recovered, thank you." "Oh, I'm so glad." "I'm sure I felt for her dreadfully." "One feels so foolish afterwards, doesn't one?" "Marianne, fortunately, doesn't seem to suffer in this way." "Well, Elinor, what did you think of last night?" "Could anything have been more marked than Mrs. Ferrars' treatment of me?" "I must confess, I was quite astonished." "She was certainly most civil to you." "Civil?" "Did you see nothing more than mere civility in her manner?" "Oh, Elinor, come now." "If she'd have known of your engagement, then her treatment of you would have been most significant but as she does not..." "I guessed you would say that but there is no reason in the world why Mrs. Ferrars should appear to like me if she didn't." "And the fact that she did is everything, is it not?" "Yes, it is most important, I agree." "You are most fortunate." "But, Elinor, that is not all." "Fanny has invited us to stay." " Fanny?" " Your sister-in-law." "We are to go immediately." "In fact, Nancy should already be there." "So I shall not be leaving London yet awhile after all." "And, better still, I shall have many opportunities of meeting my dearest Edward in his own sister's house." "(Giggles)" "Oh, I'm so delighted I scarcely know what to do with myself and that's the truth." "Oh, why, Elinor, dear, what is the matter?" " You're not unwell, I hope." " Not in the least, thank you." "She is so charming, is she not, Fanny?" "And has such elegance." "I wonder I had not heard you say so and Mrs. Ferrars..." "I must confess I should not like to get the rough side of her tongue, as you did, Elinor dear." "But you must admit she has great distinction of bearing." "I don't know when I've ever seen such..." "Here we are, sir." "Edward!" "I came to see you because I was unable to be at Fanny's..." "Oh..." "I'm sorry." "I didn't know." "Please..." "Lucy and you know each other, of course." "Er..." "Yes." "You may speak quite freely, Edward." "Elinor is my very good friend." "Oh, er..." "Won't you sit down?" "Yes." "Well, this is a great pleasure." "My sister and I often talk of you on your visit to us in Devonshire, Edward." "They didn't tell me below that you had company." "Perhaps it would be... more convenient if I were to return later." "No, no, you must stay now that you are here." "Lucy and I have quite finished our conversation, have we not?" "Oh, quite." "I was just telling Elinor that your sister, Mrs. Dashwood, has invited Nancy and me for a visit." " Indeed." " Is that not mighty civil of her?" "So we shall be seeing quite a lot of each other in the near future, no doubt." "No doubt." "My mother will be most delighted to learn of your visit when next I write, Edward." "Oh, your... mother." "Of course." " Is she quite well?" " Extremely, thank you." "Edward!" "Dearest Edward!" "This makes up for everything." "I saw you coming from my window." "This is the only good thing that has happened since we came to London." "You look a little pale, Marianne." "London is not agreeing with you, I fear." "Don't think of me, think of Elinor." "She is well, as you can see." "And that should be enough for both of us." "Now come and sit by me." "Oh, Edward, why were you not at Fanny's house last night?" "Such an agonizing party!" "If you'd been there, it would have at least been tolerable." "Perhaps he was already committed elsewhere." "Not all young men, you know, are so quick to break off an engagement." "Edward has the most delicate conscience and is the most fearful of giving pain of anybody I ever knew!" "Yes, Edward!" "It is so and I will say it!" "If you're prepared to accept my love and friendship, then you must also be prepared to submit to my praises, too." "They're not lightly given." "No, indeed." "You can scarcely realize how highly you've just been honored." "I came merely to make my apologies for my absence last night." "I won't interrupt your tête-à-tête any longer." "I'm sure you young ladies have... much you wish to discuss." "What, going so soon?" "Edward!" "We can't have this, can we, sister?" "I'm sure he is quite free to go when he wishes." "Take no notice of Miss Steele." "She surely cannot stay much longer." "Oh, I really... must be gone, I'm afraid." " If you will forgive me." " Of course." "I think that I, too, must be going, Elinor dear." "Perhaps you'd be good enough to walk me round to your sister's house, if you are going that way." " To... my sister's?" " Yes." "Nancy and I are to be her guests." "I've just told you." "I beg your pardon." "Nancy should be there already but I just had to come and see my dearest Elinor first." "We have so much in common, have we not, eh, you and I?" "But I hope that we shall be meeting many times in the next few days." " Goodbye." " Goodbye." "Elinor!" "How you can stand by and let poor Edward be carried off by such a creature, I do not know!" "Poor Edward, as you call him, is quite capable of fighting his own battles." "I cannot fight them for him." "(Nancy) La, Mrs. Dashwood, I take it most kind of you that you should treat Lucy and I so civil." "I do, really." "Oh, and as for your mother, there, what presence, what dignity." "And her manner to my sister was most marked, I thought, did you, ma'am?" "My mother appears to regard Miss Lucy with some favor, certainly, but why should she not?" "Oh, no, indeed." "And I must say it is most fortunate, is it not, since they are soon to be so closely related." "Oh, lorks!" "Well, what have I said?" "Related, Miss Steele?" "In what way?" "Well, there, Lucy would pinch me for that if she knew." "But since your mother took to her so clearly, well, where's the harm, eh?" "You spoke just now of some relationship." "What, pray?" "Oh, the minute your brother first came to our house," "I could see he had no eyes for anyone else." ""Lor, Lucy," I said, "you're a lucky girl" ""to have got yourself such a smart beau as Mr. Edward," I said." "For, of course, I could soon see the way things were going." "Miss Steele, are you trying to suggest there is some... some understanding between your sister and my brother?" "Oh, lor, Mrs. Dashwood, yes, and has been these four years at least." "What?" "!" "But Lucy forbad me to speak of it." "She's very nice in such matters." "I always think a young lady should be, don't you?" "But since your mother give it her approval, well, I mean to say..." "Out of my house!" "What?" "I'm sorry, I'm afraid, I don't understand." "I said get out of my house, the pair of you!" "I won't have you here!" "I won't have it!" "Oh, the shame!" "The humiliation!" "Oh, go away!" "Get out of my sight!" "I said get out of my sight!" "Oh, Lor, Mrs. Dashwood, please!" "(Screams)" " Fanny, my love, what has happened?" " Send them away, both of them!" "I won't have them here!" "I won't have it!" "(Sobs)" "What have you been and said?" "(Screams)" "Someone fetch a doctor!" "Someone fetch a doctor at once!" " Edward and Lucy Steele?" " Edward and Lucy Steele." "False!" "It's a lie!" "I don't believe you!" "My dear, it is true, it is true." "It is perfectly true." "I had the whole story directly from the doctor who's attending my Charlotte after her confinement." "It was he who was called in to attend to poor Fanny and revive her and he said himself, my dears, that never in his life has he seen a house in such an uproar!" "Never!" "The carriage was at the door when he arrived and your brother was, at that very moment, seeing the two young ladies off with their baggage!" "And, my dear, by all accounts, Miss Nancy was in such a state, she could scarcely stand unaided and Miss Lucy little better." "Oh, no!" "Why should you of all people feel pity?" "I'm sure I feel none." "My dears, that's not all." "Not by a great deal." "For no sooner had the news reached Mrs. Ferrars that she sends for poor Edward and... cuts them off with a shilling." "How can you?" "!" "Every penny of his portion to go to the brother, Robert." "Every penny!" "I just can't believe it." "And how long have you known all this?" "Oh, about four months." "Since she first came to stay at Barton." "Four months?" "And how did you find out?" "She told me herself with all possible speed and at great length." "You've been so calm, so outwardly cheerful." "Oh, Elinor, how could you not tell me?" "How could you let me go on behaving as I did?" "Because she made me promise I would tell no one." "Many, many times have I longed to undeceive you and Mother but I could not." "And you still love him?" "I acquit him of all misconduct in the affair." "Beyond the original mistake of allowing himself to become contracted before his judgment was properly formed." "In fact, I wish him very happy and hope that he may be so." "Lucy, for all her faults, is superior to many in her understanding." "Well, if that is what you truly feel, then I've nothing more to say on the subject." "You think, do you not, that I have no strong feelings?" "Believe me, Marianne, I have." "I assure you, it has not been easy to learn all this from her who is responsible for taking Edward from me to have to witness her look of triumph as she told me." "Yet not give her the satisfaction of displaying the extent of hurt she'd inflicted." "Believe me, I have suffered." "I have suffered." "But it's my pride, I suppose, that will not allow me to show how much." "Oh, Elinor, dear sweetest Elinor, you've made me hate myself forever." "How barbarous I've been to you." "You who have been my only comfort." "What can I ever do to make it up to you?" "Do you really want to know?" "Yes, yes, I do." "Set me some punishment, some impossible task, anything." "Then I charge you not to speak of this to anyone." "But of course I will not!" "Is that all you ask?" "No, Marianne, it is not." "I should like to see you more agreeable in your manner towards Mrs. Jennings from now on." " Well, why should I pretend to?" " Marianne!" " I will try." "I will really try." " Good." " Colonel Brandon, ma'am." " Oh!" "Oh, colonel, how mighty civil of you." "You've come for news of my Charlotte and her babe, I have no doubt." "That was not my only reason, ma'am." "She's remarkably well, thank you." "Oh, remarkably well!" "Do sit down." "In fact, her chief concern now is with the full recovery of her figure." "(Chuckles)" "As I tell her, she cannot expect miracles but, there, you know what these young creatures are, eh?" "Oh, she will be delighted that you've enquired!" "Please convey to her my best wishes." "Oh, I will, colonel, I will." "Indeed, yes." "We are to leave for Somerset, all of us, as soon as she is strong enough to travel." "For Somerset?" "And the Miss Dashwoods?" "Oh, goodness, Colonel." "I wouldn't think of going anywhere without the Miss Dashwoods." " Fine brave girls, are they not?" " In that case, I..." "Now the arrangement was made only this morning." "(Whispers) And I've not spoken of it yet." "To tell the truth we have been much occupied with... other matters of a somewhat more personal kind but, there, you'll hear all about that soon enough, I have no doubt." "If the Dashwoods are leaving London..." "No, they wouldn't go anywhere without me, Colonel, for they treat me as their own mother!" "No, our chief concern now is with the babe!" "Oh... this morning Charlotte was in a great fuss." "He'd had a fretful night and this morning he'd broken out in a number of pimples." "She was sure it was some dreadful malady and was in a high old state!" ""Lord, child," I said," ""that's nothing but the red gum that don't signify!"" "Of course the nurse bore me out." "If you're all shortly leaving London, perhaps I might be permitted to speak to one of the young ladies." "How foolish of me!" "Of course, Colonel." "I'll fetch Miss Marianne for you." "Miss Elinor, ma'am, if I may." "Miss Elinor?" "Yes, I have something of a delicate nature to discuss with her, if you would not think it was discourteous, ma'am." "I..." "No!" "No, not at all, Colonel." "No, not the least little bit in the world, I assure you." "(Chuckles)" "I'll fetch her for you and I'll see that you're not disturbed." " I'd be greatly obliged, ma'am." " You're a good kind man, Colonel." "And she's the dearest little girl in all the world." "(Knock on door)" "(Mrs. Jennings) Elinor?" "(Marianne) Don't let her in." "One moment, Mrs. Jennings." "Elinor, my love..." "Oh..." "Oh, those stairs." "(Gasps)" "The Colonel..." "Oh, I have no breath, dear." "He insists upon seeing you." " Really, Mrs. Jennings?" " Yes, dear." "Oh, that's better." "He has something of the utmost importance he wishes to say to you." "(Laughs) My dear!" "Oh, my dear!" "Let me kiss you!" "He's down there now, this minute!" "Oh, forgive me!" "Oh, forgive me, dear, but I'm so happy for you!" "Run along." "Yes, Mrs. Jennings." "Oh..." "Marianne, Marianne!" "Your sister is surely the most delightful of creatures!" "Yes, ma'am, I'm aware of that." "Did I not say that this would happen if you came to stay with me?" "Oh... well..." "Well, we mustn't disturb them, must we?" "(Chuckles)" "Oh, I wish I were a fly downstairs on the wall at this very moment, don't you?" "Oh!" "(Sighs)" "Oh, Miss Dashwood." "I have only just heard of the great injustice your friend, Mr. Ferrars, has suffered at the hands of his mother." "I understand he's to be entirely cast off by her." "So I believe, Colonel Brandon." "And all because he insisted upon sticking to the engagement he had contracted to this girl, Miss Lucy Steele." "Is that not right?" "Yes, that is right." "I believe Mr. Ferrars hopes to take orders." "Well, I have a living vacant at Delaford." "Colonel Brandon!" "Oh, it's not a rich one, I can assure you." "Anything but." "The vicarage is small and scarcely commodious but there it is." "The couple might well do worse for the first few years of their married life." "I take him to be a modest young man, in the worldly sense, but then you know his character far better than I." "So you are offering this living and the house that goes with it to Mr. Ferrars and his wife?" " Yes." " I hardly know what to say." "Oh, I scarcely know the young man myself, of course." "I've formed a favorable opinion on the acquaintance I've had with him." "That's why I should be most grateful if you would act on my behalf." "So you want me to convey this generous offer?" "If you would, Miss Dashwood." "Colonel Brandon, please don't think I'm not sensible of the honor you do me in asking me to speak on your behalf." "But, really, I'm afraid that this is something I cannot do." "I mean, of course, that the generosity is yours and that the credit and thanks should be yours also." "But that is precisely what I prefer to avoid, Miss Dashwood." "I was hoping you would see a way to help me and be my friend, as you have done before on several occasions." "However, if you would prefer not, then I quite understand." "Goodbye, Miss Dashwood." "Wait!" "I will speak, if you wish me to." "I'm sure no one would do it with more tact and good sense than yourself." "I'm a poor hand at these matters, I'm afraid." "When would you wish me to speak to him?" "As soon as possible, I should say, wouldn't you?" "So he may plan his future and marry whenever he so wishes." "Well, goodbye, Miss Dashwood, and thank you." "Goodbye, Colonel Brandon."