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1Elinor grew impatient for some tidings of Edward. She had heard nothing of him since her leaving London, nothing new of
2his plans, nothing certain even of his present abode. Some letters had passed between her and her brother, in
3consequence of Marianne's illness; and in the first of John's, there had been this sentence:--"We know nothing of our
4unfortunate Edward, and can make no enquiries on so prohibited a subject, but conclude him to be still at Oxford;" which
5was all the intelligence of Edward afforded her by the correspondence, for his name was not even mentioned in any of the
6succeeding letters. She was not doomed, however, to be long in ignorance of his measures. Their man-servant had been
7sent one morning to Exeter on business; and when, as he waited at table, he had satisfied the inquiries of his mistress
8as to the event of his errand, this was his voluntary communication,-- "I suppose you know, ma'am, that Mr. Ferrars is
9married." Marianne gave a violent start, fixed her eyes upon Elinor, saw her turning pale, and fell back in her chair in
10hysterics. Mrs. Dashwood, whose eyes, as she answered the servant's inquiry, had intuitively taken the same direction,
11was shocked to perceive by Elinor's countenance how much she really suffered, and a moment afterwards, alike distressed
12by Marianne's situation, knew not on which child to bestow her principal attention. The servant, who saw only that Miss
13Marianne was taken ill, had sense enough to call one of the maids, who, with Mrs. Dashwood's assistance, supported her
14into the other room. By that time, Marianne was rather better, and her mother leaving her to the care of Margaret and
15the maid, returned to Elinor, who, though still much disordered, had so far recovered the use of her reason and voice as
16to be just beginning an inquiry of Thomas, as to the source of his intelligence. Mrs. Dashwood immediately took all that
17trouble on herself; and Elinor had the benefit of the information without the exertion of seeking it. "Who told you that
18Mr. Ferrars was married, Thomas?" "I see Mr. Ferrars myself, ma'am, this morning in Exeter, and his lady too, Miss
19Steele as was. They was stopping in a chaise at the door of the New London Inn, as I went there with a message from
20Sally at the Park to her brother, who is one of the post-boys. I happened to look up as I went by the chaise, and so I
21see directly it was the youngest Miss Steele; so I took off my hat, and she knew me and called to me, and inquired after
22you, ma'am, and the young ladies, especially Miss Marianne, and bid me I should give her compliments and Mr. Ferrars's,
23their best compliments and service, and how sorry they was they had not time to come on and see you, but they was in a
24great hurry to go forwards, for they was going further down for a little while, but howsever, when they come back,
25they'd make sure to come and see you." "But did she tell you she was married, Thomas?" "Yes, ma'am. She smiled, and said
26how she had changed her name since she was in these parts. She was always a very affable and free-spoken young lady, and
27very civil behaved. So, I made free to wish her joy." "Was Mr. Ferrars in the carriage with her?" "Yes, ma'am, I just
28see him leaning back in it, but he did not look up;--he never was a gentleman much for talking." Elinor's heart could
29easily account for his not putting himself forward; and Mrs. Dashwood probably found the same explanation. "Was there no
30one else in the carriage?" "No, ma'am, only they two." "Do you know where they came from?" "They come straight from
31town, as Miss Lucy--Mrs. Ferrars told me." "And are they going farther westward?" "Yes, ma'am--but not to bide long.
32They will soon be back again, and then they'd be sure and call here." Mrs. Dashwood now looked at her daughter; but
33Elinor knew better than to expect them. She recognised the whole of Lucy in the message, and was very confident that
34Edward would never come near them. She observed in a low voice, to her mother, that they were probably going down to Mr.
35Pratt's, near Plymouth. Thomas's intelligence seemed over. Elinor looked as if she wished to hear more. "Did you see
36them off, before you came away?" "No, ma'am--the horses were just coming out, but I could not bide any longer; I was
37afraid of being late." "Did Mrs. Ferrars look well?" "Yes, ma'am, she said how she was very well; and to my mind she was
38always a very handsome young lady--and she seemed vastly contented." Mrs. Dashwood could think of no other question, and
39Thomas and the tablecloth, now alike needless, were soon afterwards dismissed. Marianne had already sent to say, that
40she should eat nothing more. Mrs. Dashwood's and Elinor's appetites were equally lost, and Margaret might think herself
41very well off, that with so much uneasiness as both her sisters had lately experienced, so much reason as they had often
42had to be careless of their meals, she had never been obliged to go without her dinner before. When the dessert and the
43wine were arranged, and Mrs. Dashwood and Elinor were left by themselves, they remained long together in a similarity of
44thoughtfulness and silence. Mrs. Dashwood feared to hazard any remark, and ventured not to offer consolation. She now
45found that she had erred in relying on Elinor's representation of herself; and justly concluded that every thing had
46been expressly softened at the time, to spare her from an increase of unhappiness, suffering as she then had suffered
47for Marianne. She found that she had been misled by the careful, the considerate attention of her daughter, to think the
48attachment, which once she had so well understood, much slighter in reality, than she had been wont to believe, or than
49it was now proved to be. She feared that under this persuasion she had been unjust, inattentive, nay, almost unkind, to
50her Elinor;--that Marianne's affliction, because more acknowledged, more immediately before her, had too much engrossed
51her tenderness, and led her away to forget that in Elinor she might have a daughter suffering almost as much, certainly
52with less self-provocation, and greater fortitude. CHAPTER XLVIII. Elinor now found the difference between the
53expectation of an unpleasant event, however certain the mind may be told to consider it, and certainty itself. She now
54found, that in spite of herself, she had always admitted a hope, while Edward remained single, that something would
55occur to prevent his marrying Lucy; that some resolution of his own, some mediation of friends, or some more eligible
56opportunity of establishment for the lady, would arise to assist the happiness of all. But he was now married; and she
57condemned her heart for the lurking flattery, which so much heightened the pain of the intelligence. That he should be
58married soon, before (as she imagined) he could be in orders, and consequently before he could be in possession of the
59living, surprised her a little at first. But she soon saw how likely it was that Lucy, in her self-provident care, in
60her haste to secure him, should overlook every thing but the risk of delay. They were married, married in town, and now
61hastening down to her uncle's. What had Edward felt on being within four miles from Barton, on seeing her mother's
62servant, on hearing Lucy's message! They would soon, she supposed, be settled at Delaford.--Delaford,--that place in
63which so much conspired to give her an interest; which she wished to be acquainted with, and yet desired to avoid. She
64saw them in an instant in their parsonage-house; saw in Lucy, the active, contriving manager, uniting at once a desire
65of smart appearance with the utmost frugality, and ashamed to be suspected of half her economical practices;--pursuing
66her own interest in every thought, courting the favour of Colonel Brandon, of Mrs. Jennings, and of every wealthy
67friend. In Edward--she knew not what she saw, nor what she wished to see;--happy or unhappy,--nothing pleased her; she
68turned away her head from every sketch of him. Elinor flattered herself that some one of their connections in London
69would write to them to announce the event, and give farther particulars,--but day after day passed off, and brought no
70letter, no tidings. Though uncertain that any one were to blame, she found fault with every absent friend. They were all
71thoughtless or indolent. "When do you write to Colonel Brandon, ma'am?" was an inquiry which sprung from the impatience
72of her mind to have something going on.
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