"(CHATTER)" "My grandson Harry is the same age as your son, Lady Middleton." "I hear he is only two weeks younger than my William." "And yet my boy is half a head taller." "Come, my dear, my William is distinctly the taller." "My grandson Harry is the taller." "Would you not say that they are both splendid boys of an equal height?" " Quite equal, I'm sure." " I will not be contradicted." "Harry is taller." "No argument." "Let 'em fight it out." "A licking would do my whelp good, eh?" "What do you say, Miss Dashwood?" "I fear I cannot agree, Sir John." "William is the bigger boy, I'm sure of that." "I will not be contradicted, particularly by young ladies of your age." "I beg your pardon, Mrs Ferrars." "Please excuse me." "Perhaps you are right, Lady Middleton, we must bring the boys together and see." "I am sure my sister spoke without thinking, ma'am." "Then she had better learn to think." "Her sister does not open her mouth. (LAUGHS)" "Just as well, perhaps." "Oh, Robert." "The shopman took two infernal hours to find me that." "Goodness gracious, Mr Ferrars, two hours for a toothpick case?" "Two devilish hours." "Turned over his whole stock, before he found one." "It is charming." "You show exquisite taste." "So people tell me." "I said, "If you don't know your stock, you can't expect customers." ""I shall say so at the club."" "That is the only way to talk to shopmen, Mr Ferrars." " He fawned upon me after that." " Miss Steele, Miss Lucy." "Come along." "Bring those girls to me." " Ma'am." " Sit down by me." "Lady Middleton tells me that you're both fond of children." " Oh, we adore them, ma'am." " We simply love them." "Most worthy." "Lady Middleton assured me that you were indeed most worthy young ladies." "You may one day be of use to my daughter with young Harry." " Oh!" " We should love that." "Consider us at her service and yours." "Thank you." "You may go." " Thank you, ma'am." " Won't you come and sit by me?" "(INDISTINCT CHATTER)" "Admirable, is it not, Colonel?" " Most admirable." " We brought it up with us from Norland." " A fine piece of work." " It was embroidered by my sister." "Your sister?" " By Elinor." " Ah, Miss Dashwood." "Very fine." "She is most accomplished." "She has all the skills that a lady requires." "Indeed, I would trust her to maintain the largest establishment splendidly." " What is that you are looking at?" " A fire screen, ma'am." "Miss Dashwood worked it for us at Norland." "Now look at that." "Isn't it beautiful?" " Ohh..." " Do you not think it pretty, Mama?" "Oh..." "Middling so." "Oh, I thought it pretty." "But it does not compare with Miss Morton's work, ma'am." "Indeed it does not." "Miss Morton does everything superbly." "This is a strange sort of praise for my sister." "Oh, so you found your tongue, have you, young lady?" "We were talking of Elinor's work." "Who is this Miss Morton?" "Miss Morton is Lord Morton's daughter." "(CLEARS THROAT) I have done wonders with the estate since you last came, ma'am." "I have enclosed Norland Common..." "Dear, dear Elinor, don't mind them." "Don't let them make you unhappy." " I am not unhappy." " That old woman has ignored you all evening." "Shh!" "Let her not get the better of us." "But she is Edward's mother." "My dear friend," "I've come to talk to you of my happiness." "On what am I to congratulate you, Miss Lucy?" "Well, last night." "Could there be anything so flattering as Mrs Ferrars' treatment, so exceedingly affable as she was?" "Now was it not so?" "You saw." "Was you not quite struck with it?" " She was certainly very civil with you." " Civil!" "Did you see only civility?" "I saw a vast deal more." "Such kindness!" "Sitting me next to her like that." "If you found it flattering, I am glad." "Oh, come." "Own that I have a much more important reason to be happy." "Undoubtedly, had she known about your engagement..." " I guessed you would say so." " I speak without prejudice." "Really?" "There is no reason why she should seem to like me if she did not." "And her liking me is everything." "I am sure it will all end well." "Yes, I am, and no difficulties at all to what I used to think." "I hope you are right." "Mrs Ferrars is a charming woman." " (COUGHS)" " Oh." "You are ill, Miss Dashwood." "You don't look at all well." "I assure you I was never in better health." "Oh, I am glad of it with all my heart, but really, you looked so odd for a moment." "Did I say something?" "I should be so sorry if I had." "Your comfort has been the greatest thing to me." "Heaven knows what I should have done without your friendship." "I have certainly learned much from our acquaintance." "Your regard has been the greatest comfort I have, next to Edward's love for me." "Poor Edward." "But I shall see him now as often as I want to." " Oh, you are pale, Miss Dashwood." " No, Miss Steele." " You shall see Mr Ferrars often?" " Mrs John has taken a fancy to me as well." " Mrs John Dashwood?" " Your brother's own wife." "She has asked Ann and I to stay with her at Harley Street as long as I like." "I am to look after her little Harry as I promised Mrs Ferrars." "As Edward is bound to visit, do you not think love will have its way?" "Where there is love, it sometimes will have its way." " (DOORBELL RINGS)" " With Mrs Ferrars on my side?" "Of course, if she had only and looked me in the face but to tell me off, well, I should have given it up with Edward, I should!" "For where she does dislike, I know it can't be overcome." "Mr Edward Ferrars." "Miss Elinor." "Edward." "I believe you know Miss Lucy through her uncle at Plymouth." " Indeed, yes." " I'm happy to see you." "And I..." "And I to be able to pay this call." " Please sit down." " Thank you." "We have been Mrs Jennings' guests these last four weeks." "Yes." "I'm sorry I haven't called before now." "We hear from Mother almost daily." "She is well." "I'm very glad to hear that." "You will of course send her my kind wishes." " I trust you are well?" " Thank you, yes." "Mother will be pleased you have called and are well." "I'm sorry to say that Marianne has been in poor health." "Is it serious?" "How is she?" "It was nothing constitutional." "She is on the mend." "I hope with all my heart she is soon well." " But you must see her." " Oh!" "Pray, if she's lying down..." "She will never forgive me if I let Edward go without seeing her." "Please excuse me." "How lucky that you should find me here, Edward." "I wager that was a surprise." "Yes." "I met Miss Dashwood at Barton Park, and since then we've become well acquainted." "She's looking greatly out of sorts." "I see a good deal of her and there's a great falling off." "Some ladies do age quickly." "Edward... you see me so rarely." "You write so rarely." "Your letters are so short and formal." "Have you nothing to say to your Lucy?" "(DOOR OPENS)" "Forgive me if I intrude." "I have sent a servant for Marianne." "What have you been doing with yourself?" "Edward!" "Oh, dear Edward!" " Miss Marianne." " This is a moment of great happiness." "It almost makes amends for everything." "I am sorry to hear you have been unwell." "Oh, don't think about me." "Elinor is well, you see?" "That must be enough for both of us." "Do you like London?" "I hate London." "I expected..." "Oh, it does not matter what I expected or what has happened." "We must only talk of good things now." " Marianne, you will overexcite yourself." " No!" "The sight of you is the best thing that has happened." "Tell me, Edward, you... you are well?" "Yes." "You have not changed, have you?" "I..." "Miss Marianne, you... you do look thin." "Elinor, when we go back to Barton, we must ask Edward to take care of us." " It will be a week or two." " Miss Marianne..." "I'm sure you will accept the charge." "I am not always master of my movements." "We had such an awful time at Fanny's last night." "It was wretchedly dull." "I wish you had been there." "But why did you not come?" " I was otherwise engaged." " Engaged?" "What was that, when such friends were to be met?" "Perhaps you think that young men don't have a mind to keep their engagements, don't stand by them, great or small." "Ah, but you do not know Edward, Miss Steele." "I do not know him, eh?" "He has the most delicate conscience in the world." " Please, Marianne..." " He is the most scrupulous man in keeping to an engagement." "Oh, I trust with all my heart that is so." "Am I justified, Edward?" "I..." "I really must go." "So soon?" "Oh, dear Edward, this must not be." "Oh, sit down." "Lucy cannot stay much longer." "Yes, we must go, Edward." "I am expected at Harley Street." "You are going to John Dashwood's?" "To your own sister's, in fact." "Anne and me are staying there, and you shall take me." "Are you ready, Edward?" "I bid you ladies good day and wish you as much happiness as myself." "Good day, Miss Steele." "Goodbye, Edward." "What has happened?" "Why does she call him Edward?" "Why did he go with her?" "He knew her long before he knew us." "I will not descend to be tricked." "Have you nothing to tell me, Elinor?" "I can only ask you to be kind and not to speak to me of Edward." ""It is announced that the lady of Henry Palmer has been safely delivered of a son."" "Mrs Jennings, a grandmother." "She will be forever prating of the child's glories." "I shall call on Charlotte Palmer." " I shall take you and your sister." " Mrs Dashwood, you are so kind to us." " One is kind to those who appear deserving." " So I always say." "When Mrs Ferrars showed us such attention I was overwhelmed." "She commended you as likely to care for my little Harry." "Oh, and I hope we have to your satisfaction." "We both adore children, especially Lucy." " So I have noticed." " What a mother she would make!" "What a wife." "Mrs Ferrars showed special favour to Lucy." "Mrs Ferrars is an acute judge of people." "She is a very great lady, Mrs Dashwood." "How proud I was when she called Lucy to her side." "I am glad you show a proper feeling." "I wondered, what does she know?" " Know?" " Or is this merely a sign of a favourable disposition, an omen." "An omen of what?" "What are you talking about?" "If Edward breaks it to her and she already likes my Lucy..." "Break what to her?" "Break it?" "What is this?" "Well, come on!" "Out with it!" "Oh, Lord!" "I thought you was in the secret or guessed, inviting us as you did to stay." "Oh, I thought you had all given it your approval." "Give what?" "Approve what?" "Who are you to refer to my brother by his Christian name?" "Secret?" "What secret?" "Edward's engagement to Lucy these last four years." "(SHRIEKS)" "(SCREAMING)" "Stop it." "Please, please..." "I didn't mean to..." " I didn't mean to." " Fanny!" "Fanny!" "Fanny!" "What is it?" "What is it?" "!" " What..." "What is it?" " Those two vixens!" "Sluts!" " Trollops!" "Schemers!" " Fanny, Fanny, tell me." "What are?" "(SCREAMS)" "Those two serpents crawling into our house!" "Don't stand there gaping!" "Go for a doctor!" "Fanny, Fanny, my dear love, calm yourself, calm yourself, and tell me what has happened." "(SCREAMS)" "Out they were packed, bag and baggage." "The doctor, Mr Donavan, heard all the story." "The house was still in an uproar." "The carriage there, Lucy was on the pavement, hardly fit to stand, and Anne almost as bad." "Never mind them." "It is the story about Edward." "Wasn't it remarkable that Dr Donavan came to Charlotte's afterwards?" "She was in a fine fuss about the baby." "He was pimples all over." "I said, "Lord, my dear, it's nothing but the red gum."" "But she wouldn't listen, and Dr Donavan arrived and said it was the red gum." "Edward can't be engaged to that girl." "He can't." "It's all true." "Dr Donovan mentioned that he had been at the Dashwoods." "They being your family, I got the whole tale." "Poor Lucy." "How can you talk like that?" "Poor Lucy indeed!" "How long have you known this, Elinor?" " Four months." " Did he write to you?" "Lucy told me that they were engaged when she was at Barton Park." "You have known this for four months?" "While I was plaguing you with my miseries, this was on your heart?" "Do not blame yourself for being unhappy." "You had good cause." "But I reproached you for being happy." "I could not tell you." "Why not?" "Elinor, your own sister, what stopped you?" "I promised her." "She bound me to absolute secrecy." "I wanted so many times to tell you and Mother, but you seemed to go on loving him." "You did..." "You did go on loving him, didn't you?" "Yes." "You have been as deceived by him as I have by Willoughby." "I acquit Edward of all misconduct." "I wish him very happy." "He may regret a promise made so young, but Lucy does not want sense." "I pray she may be a good wife." "Oh, well, if that is what you feel..." "What I feel is... another matter." "I have suffered, Marianne, all the miseries of love and none of its joys." "Oh, Elinor." "Oh, darling." "How barbarous I have been to you." "You have made me hate myself for ever." "You've been my only comfort." "Do you think this does not comfort me?" "Now, promise me you will never speak to anybody of this with the least bitterness." "I would have that woman whipped." "Even if you meet Lucy you must hide your dislike." "Promise me." "(KNOCK AT DOOR)" "Thank you." "Brother John asks us to do him the honour of calling upon him at once." "He has underlined the words "at once"." "Ah, you are here." "At last." "Why was your message to us so urgent?" "Ladies, you are Dashwoods." "You are family." "You must know what has been decided concerning Edward." "What has been decided concerning Edward?" "(GROANS)" "(CLEARS THROAT)" "We sent for him immediately." "All that Mrs Ferrars could say to make him put an end to this engagement, all my arguments, all Fanny's entreaties were of no avail." "We reminded him that Miss Morton is ready and willing." "£30,000." "I..." "I never thought him so stubborn and unfeeling." "What Mrs Ferrars suffered is not to be described." "He was engaged, he said." "He would stand by it, and we could not make him budge." "We have no influence if that is in your mind." "Hmm..." "No, no." "The upshot is she has cut off Edward completely without a penny." "Gracious heavens!" "Can this be possible?" "You may well wonder, Marianne, at the man who still refused to give up his engagement after such a threat." "And what is more, Mrs Ferrars is to settle her entire estate upon Robert." "Hmm..." "Her lawyer is with her now." "But what is this to do with us?" "Why, Elinor, you are Dashwoods." "It is Mrs Ferrars' wish - nay, her command - that henceforth Edward shall be as a stranger to us all." "We..." "We finish with him." "We count him dead." "Mrs Ferrars will not help him whatever his plight, and nor must we..." "John, Edward has been my friend, my mother's friend and my sister's friend." "I pity his situation but I glory in his integrity." " Oh, bravo!" " And our friend he will remain." "Elinor, it is Mrs Ferrars!" "It is Fanny." "(SIGHS)" "What is a man to do?" "In two days, thank goodness, Marianne and I end our stay in London." "We thank you for your past hospitality, but our departure will no doubt save you any further embarrassment." "Marianne?" "Elinor, Marianne..." "We are brother and sisters." "Now surely..." "Perhaps one day we shall see you at Norland." "That is if you happen to be..." "passing that way."