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1Elinor made her a civil reply, and they walked on for a few minutes in silence. It was broken by Lucy, who renewed the
2subject again by saying, with some hesitation, "I cannot bear to have you think me impertinently curious. I am sure I
3would rather do any thing in the world than be thought so by a person whose good opinion is so well worth having as
4yours. And I am sure I should not have the smallest fear of trusting you; indeed, I should be very glad of your advice
5how to manage in such an uncomfortable situation as I am; but, however, there is no occasion to trouble you. I am sorry
6you do not happen to know Mrs. Ferrars." "I am sorry I do not," said Elinor, in great astonishment, "if it could be of
7any use to YOU to know my opinion of her. But really I never understood that you were at all connected with that family,
8and therefore I am a little surprised, I confess, at so serious an inquiry into her character." "I dare say you are, and
9I am sure I do not at all wonder at it. But if I dared tell you all, you would not be so much surprised. Mrs. Ferrars is
10certainly nothing to me at present--but the time may come--how soon it will come must depend upon herself--when we may
11be very intimately connected." She looked down as she said this, amiably bashful, with only one side glance at her
12companion to observe its effect on her. "Good heavens!" cried Elinor, "what do you mean? Are you acquainted with Mr.
13Robert Ferrars? Can you be?" And she did not feel much delighted with the idea of such a sister-in-law. "No," replied
14Lucy, "not to Mr. Robert Ferrars--I never saw him in my life; but," fixing her eyes upon Elinor, "to his eldest
15brother." What felt Elinor at that moment? Astonishment, that would have been as painful as it was strong, had not an
16immediate disbelief of the assertion attended it. She turned towards Lucy in silent amazement, unable to divine the
17reason or object of such a declaration; and though her complexion varied, she stood firm in incredulity, and felt in no
18danger of an hysterical fit, or a swoon. "You may well be surprised," continued Lucy; "for to be sure you could have had
19no idea of it before; for I dare say he never dropped the smallest hint of it to you or any of your family; because it
20was always meant to be a great secret, and I am sure has been faithfully kept so by me to this hour. Not a soul of all
21my relations know of it but Anne, and I never should have mentioned it to you, if I had not felt the greatest dependence
22in the world upon your secrecy; and I really thought my behaviour in asking so many questions about Mrs. Ferrars must
23seem so odd, that it ought to be explained. And I do not think Mr. Ferrars can be displeased, when he knows I have
24trusted you, because I know he has the highest opinion in the world of all your family, and looks upon yourself and the
25other Miss Dashwoods quite as his own sisters."--She paused. Elinor for a few moments remained silent. Her astonishment
26at what she heard was at first too great for words; but at length forcing herself to speak, and to speak cautiously, she
27said, with calmness of manner, which tolerably well concealed her surprise and solicitude--"May I ask if your engagement
28is of long standing?" "We have been engaged these four years." "Four years!" "Yes." Elinor, though greatly shocked,
29still felt unable to believe it. "I did not know," said she, "that you were even acquainted till the other day." "Our
30acquaintance, however, is of many years date. He was under my uncle's care, you know, a considerable while." "Your
31uncle!" "Yes; Mr. Pratt. Did you never hear him talk of Mr. Pratt?" "I think I have," replied Elinor, with an exertion
32of spirits, which increased with her increase of emotion. "He was four years with my uncle, who lives at Longstaple,
33near Plymouth. It was there our acquaintance begun, for my sister and me was often staying with my uncle, and it was
34there our engagement was formed, though not till a year after he had quitted as a pupil; but he was almost always with
35us afterwards. I was very unwilling to enter into it, as you may imagine, without the knowledge and approbation of his
36mother; but I was too young, and loved him too well, to be so prudent as I ought to have been. Though you do not know
37him so well as me, Miss Dashwood, you must have seen enough of him to be sensible he is very capable of making a woman
38sincerely attached to him." "Certainly," answered Elinor, without knowing what she said; but after a moment's
39reflection, she added, with revived security of Edward's honour and love, and her companion's falsehood--"Engaged to Mr.
40Edward Ferrars!--I confess myself so totally surprised at what you tell me, that really--I beg your pardon; but surely
41there must be some mistake of person or name. We cannot mean the same Mr. Ferrars." "We can mean no other," cried Lucy,
42smiling. "Mr. Edward Ferrars, the eldest son of Mrs. Ferrars, of Park Street, and brother of your sister-in-law, Mrs.
43John Dashwood, is the person I mean; you must allow that I am not likely to be deceived as to the name of the man on who
44all my happiness depends." "It is strange," replied Elinor, in a most painful perplexity, "that I should never have
45heard him even mention your name." "No; considering our situation, it was not strange. Our first care has been to keep
46the matter secret. You knew nothing of me, or my family, and, therefore, there could be no occasion for ever mentioning
47my name to you; and, as he was always particularly afraid of his sister's suspecting any thing, that was reason enough
48for his not mentioning it." She was silent.--Elinor's security sunk; but her self-command did not sink with it. "Four
49years you have been engaged," said she with a firm voice. "Yes; and heaven knows how much longer we may have to wait.
50Poor Edward! It puts him quite out of heart." Then taking a small miniature from her pocket, she added, "To prevent the
51possibility of mistake, be so good as to look at this face. It does not do him justice, to be sure, but yet I think you
52cannot be deceived as to the person it was drew for.--I have had it above these three years." She put it into her hands
53as she spoke; and when Elinor saw the painting, whatever other doubts her fear of a too hasty decision, or her wish of
54detecting falsehood might suffer to linger in her mind, she could have none of its being Edward's face. She returned it
55almost instantly, acknowledging the likeness. "I have never been able," continued Lucy, "to give him my picture in
56return, which I am very much vexed at, for he has been always so anxious to get it! But I am determined to set for it
57the very first opportunity." "You are quite in the right," replied Elinor calmly. They then proceeded a few paces in
58silence. Lucy spoke first. "I am sure," said she, "I have no doubt in the world of your faithfully keeping this secret,
59because you must know of what importance it is to us, not to have it reach his mother; for she would never approve of
60it, I dare say. I shall have no fortune, and I fancy she is an exceeding proud woman." "I certainly did not seek your
61confidence," said Elinor; "but you do me no more than justice in imagining that I may be depended on. Your secret is
62safe with me; but pardon me if I express some surprise at so unnecessary a communication. You must at least have felt
63that my being acquainted with it could not add to its safety." As she said this, she looked earnestly at Lucy, hoping to
64discover something in her countenance; perhaps the falsehood of the greatest part of what she had been saying; but
65Lucy's countenance suffered no change.
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