37 Sense & Sensibility -Bedtime Tales With Stephanie Poppins

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Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen Chapter 37 Mrs.

Palmer was so well at the end of a fortnight that her mother felt it no longer necessary to give up the whole of her time to her and returned from that period to her own home.

About a third or fourth morning after their being thus resettled in Barclay Street,

Mrs.

Jennings,

On returning from her ordinary visit to Mrs.

Palmer,

Entered the drawing room where Eleanor was sitting by herself with an air of such hurrying importance as prepared her to hear something wonderful.

And giving her time only to form that idea began directly to justify it by saying,

Lord,

My dear Miss Dashwood,

Have you heard the news?

No,

Mum.

What is it?

Something so strange.

When I got to Mr.

Palmer's,

I found Charlotte quite in a fuss about the child.

She was sure it was very ill.

It cried and fretted and was all over pimples.

So I looked at it directly and said,

Lord,

My dear,

Says I,

It's nothing in the world but red gum.

But Charlotte,

She would not be satisfied.

So Mr.

Donovan was sent for.

He stepped over directly and as soon as ever he saw the child,

He said,

Just as we did.

And then Charlotte was easy.

And so just as he was going away again,

It came into my head to ask him if there was any news.

So upon that he smirked and simpered and looked grave.

And at last he said in a whisper,

For fear any unpleasant report should reach the young ladies under your care as their sisters in disposition.

I think it advisable to say I believe there's no great reason for alarm.

Hope Mrs.

Dashwood will do very well.

What?

Is Fanny ill?

Asked Eleanor.

That is exactly what I said,

My dear,

Said Mrs.

Jennings.

So then it all came out.

Mr.

Edward Ferrars,

The very young man I used to joke with you about.

Mr.

Edward Ferrars,

It seems,

Has been engaged above this 12 month to my cousin Lucy.

There's no great wonder in their liking one another,

But that matter should be brought so forward between them and nobody suspect it.

That is strange.

Well,

And so this was kept a great secret for fear of Mrs.

Ferrars.

And neither she nor your brother or sister suspected a word of the matter till this very morning when poor Nancy popped it all out.

Lord,

Thinks she to herself,

They're so fond of Lucy to be sure they'll make no difficulty about it.

And so away she went to your sister who was sitting all alone at her carpet work,

Little suspecting what was to come.

For she'd been saying to your brother only five minutes before that she thought to make a match between Edward and some Lord's daughter or other.

I forget who.

She fell into violent hysterics immediately with such screams as reach your brother's ears as he was sitting in his own dressing room downstairs.

So up he flew directly and a terrible scene took place.

For Lucy was come to them by that time little dreaming what was going on.

Poor soul,

I pity her and I must say I think she was used very hardly.

For your sister stalled it,

Any fury and soon drove her into a fainting fit.

Nancy,

She fell upon her knees and cried bitterly and your brother,

He walked about the room and said he didn't know what to do.

Mrs.

Dashwood declared they should not stay a minute longer in the house and your brother was forced to go down upon his knees too to persuade her to let them stay till they packed their clothes.

What a taking poor Mr.

Edward will be when he hears of it.

To have his love used so scornfully,

For they say he's monstrous fond of her as well he may.

I should not wonder if he was to be in the greatest of a passion.

Mr.

Donovan thinks just the same.

He and I had a great deal of talk about it and the best of all is that he has gone back again to Harley Street that he may be within call when Mrs.

Ferrars is told of it.

I have no notion of people making such a to-do about money and greatness.

There's no reason on earth why Mr.

Edward and Lucy should not marry for I'm sure Mrs.

Ferrars may afford to do very well by her son and though Lucy has next to nothing herself she knows better than anybody how to make the most of everything and I dare say if Mrs.

Ferrars would only allow him 500 a year she would make as good an appearance with it as anybody else would with eight.

Here Mrs.

Jennings ceased and as Eleanor had had enough time to collect her thoughts she was able to give such an answer and make such observations as the subject might naturally be supposed to produce.

Happy to find she was not suspected of any extraordinary interest in it that Mrs.

Jennings had ceased to imagine her at all attached to Edward felt very well able to speak of the affair without embarrassment.

She could hardly determine what her own expectation of its event really was though she earnestly tried to drive away the notion of it being possible to end otherwise at last than in the marriage of Edward and Lucy.

As Mrs.

Jennings could talk on no other subject Eleanor soon saw the necessity of preparing Marianne for its discussion.

No time was to be lost in undeceiving her in making her acquainted with the real truth.

Eleanor's office was a painful one.

She was going to remove what she really believed to be her sister's chief consolation to give such particulars of Edward as she feared would ruin him forever in her good opinion and to make Marianne by resemblance in their situations feel all her own disappointment over again.

She was very far from wishing to dwell on her own feelings or to represent herself as suffering much any otherwise than the self-command she practiced since her first knowledge of Edward's engagement might suggest a hint of what was practicable to Marianne.

Her narration was clear and simple.

It was not accompanied by violent agitation or impetuous grief.

That belonged to the hearer for Marianne listened with horror and cried excessively.

Edward seemed like a second Willoughby to her and acknowledging as Eleanor did that she had loved him most sincerely could she feel less than herself.

As for Lucy Steele she considered her so totally unamiable so absolutely incapable of attaching a sensible man that she could not be persuaded at first to believe any former affection of Edward for her.

She would not even admit to it having been natural and Eleanor left her to be convinced it was so by only that which could convince her a better knowledge of mankind.

Her first communication had reached no further than to state the fact of the engagement and the length of time it had existed.

Marianne's feelings had then broken in and put an end to all regularity of detail.

The first question on her side which led to further particulars was how long has this been known to you Eleanor?

I have known it these four months.

When Lucy first came to Barton Park last November she told me in confidence of her engagement.

At these words Marianne's eyes expressed the astonishment which her lips could not utter.

After a pause of wonder she exclaimed what while attending me in all my misery has this been on your heart and I've reproached you for being happy.

It was not fit that you should then know how much I was the reverse.

Four months cried Marianne again so calm so cheerful how have you been supported?

By feeling that I was doing my duty my promise to Lucy obliged me to be secret I owed it to my family and friends not to create in them a solicitude about me which it could not be in my power to satisfy.

Marianne seemed much struck.

Four months and yet you loved him.

Yes but I did not love only him and while the comfort of others was dear to me I was glad to spare them from knowing how much I felt.

I have many things to support me I'm not conscious of having provoked the disappointment by any imprudence of my own and I've borne it as much as possible without spreading it further.

I acquit Edward of all essential misconduct and I wish him very happy.

Lucy does not want sense and that is the foundation on which everything good may be built and after all Marianne after all that is bewitching in the idea of a single and constant attachment and all that can be said of one's happiness depending entirely on any particular person it is not meant it is not fit it is not possible that it should be so.

Edward will marry Lucy he will marry a woman superior in person and understanding to half her sex and time and habit will teach him to forget he ever thought another superior to her.

If such is your way of thinking said Marianne the loss of what is most valued is so easily to be made up by something else your resolution your self-command are perhaps a little less to be wondered at.

I do not suppose I've ever felt much said Eleanor.

For four months Marianne I have had all this hanging on my mind knowing it would make you and my mother most unhappy whenever it were explained to you yet unable to prepare you for it in the least.

It was told me it was in a manner forced on me by the very person herself whose prior engagement ruined all my prospects and told me as I thought with triumph.

This person's suspicions therefore I have had to oppose by endeavoring to appear indifferent where I have been most deeply interested.

I have known myself to be divided from Edward forever without hearing one circumstance that could make me less desire the connection.

I have had to contend against the unkindness of his sister and the insolence of his mother and have suffered the punishment of an attachment without enjoying its advantages.

If you can think me capable of ever feeling surely you must suppose I have suffered now if I had not been bound to silence perhaps nothing could have kept me entirely not even what I owe to my dearest friends from openly showing that I was very unhappy.

Marianne was quite subdued.

Oh Eleanor she cried you have made me hate myself forever how barbarous have I been to you who have borne with me in all my misery.

In such a frame of mind as she was now in Eleanor had no difficulty in obtaining from her whatever promise she required and at her request Marianne engaged never to speak of the affair to anyone with a least appearance of bitterness to meet Lucy without portraying the smallest increase of dislike to her and even to see Edward himself if chance should bring them together without any diminution of her usual cordiality.

She performed her promise of being discreet to admiration.

She attended to all that Mrs.

Jennings had to say upon the subject with an unchanging complexion.

She listened to her praise of Lucy with only moving from one chair to another and when Mrs.

Jennings talked of Edwards affection it cost her only a spasm in her throat.

Such advances towards heroism in her sister made Eleanor feel equal to anything herself.

The next morning brought a further trial of it in a visit from their brother who came with the most serious aspect to talk over the dreadful affair and bring them news of his wife.

You've heard I suppose said he with great solemnity as soon as he was seated of the very shocking discovery that took place under our roof yesterday.

They all looked their assent.

It seemed too awful a moment for speech.

Your sister he continued has suffered dreadfully.

Poor Fanny she was in hysterics all yesterday.

But I would not alarm you too much.

Donovan says there's nothing materially to be apprehended.

Her constitution is a good one.

She says she'll never think well of anybody again and one cannot wonder at it for being so deceived.

It was quite out of the benevolence of her heart she'd asked these women to her house.

Merely because she thought they deserve some attention.

Were harmless well-behaved girls and would be pleasant companions and now to be so rewarded.

I wish with all my heart said my wife in her affectionate way that we'd ask your sisters instead of them.

Here he stopped to be thanked.

Here he stopped to be thanked.

Which being done he went on.

What poor mrs.

Ferris suffered when first Fanny broke it to her is not to be described.

While she with the truest affection had been planning a most eligible connection for him was it to be supposed he could be all the time secretly engaged to another person.

She was quite in agony.

We consulted together however as to what should be done and at last she determined to send for Edward.

He came but I'm sorry to relate what ensued.

All that mrs.

Ferris could say to make him put an end to the engagement assisted too as you might well suppose.

By my arguments and Fanny's entreaties was of no avail.

Duty affection everything was disregarded.

I never thought Edward so stubborn so unfeeling.

His mother explained to him her liberal designs in case of him marrying miss Morton.

She told him she would settle on him the Norfolk estate which clear of land tax brings in a good thousand a year and in opposition to this if he still persisted in this low connection that his own two thousand pounds should be his all and that she would never see him again and if he were to enter into any profession with a view for better support he would do all in her power to prevent his advancing in it.

He Marianne clapped her hands together and cried gracious God can this be possible?

Well you may wonder Marianne replied her brother at the obstinacy which could resist such arguments as these.

Marianne was going to a talk but she remembered her promises and forbore.

All this however their brother continued was urged in vain.

Edward said very little but what he did say was in the most determined manner.

Nothing should prevail on him to give up his engagement.

Then cried mrs.

Jennings with blunt sincerity he's acted like an honest man if he had done otherwise I should have thought him a rascal.

I have some little concern in the business as well as for yourself for Lucy still is my cousin and I believe there's not a better kind of girl in the world or one who more deserves a good husband.

At this John Dashwood was greatly astonished but his nature was calm and he never wished to offend anybody especially anybody of good fortune.

Therefore replied I would by no means speak disrespectfully of any relation of yours madam.

Miss Lucy Steele is I dare say a very deserving young woman but in the present case you know the connection must be impossible and to have entered into a secret engagement with a young man under her uncle's care the son of a woman especially of such very large fortune as mrs.

Ferrars is perhaps altogether a little extraordinary we all wish her extremely happy and mrs.

Ferrars conduct through the whole has been such as every conscientious good mother in like circumstances would adopt Edward has drawn his own lot and I fear it will be a bad one.

Well sir said mrs.

Jennings and how did it end?

I'm sorry to say ma'am in a most unhappy rupture Edward is dismissed forever from his mother's notice.

He left her house yesterday but where he's gone I do not know for we of course can make no inquiry.

Poor young man and what is to become of him?

What indeed ma'am it's a melancholy consideration born to the prospect of such affluence the interest of 2,

000 pounds how could a man live on it?

I cannot picture to myself a more wretched condition we must all feel for him and the more so because it is totally out of our power to assist him.

Poor young man cried mrs.

Jennings I'm sure he should be very welcome to bed and board at my house and so I would tell him if I could see him it's not fit that he should be living about his own charge now with lodgings and taverns.

If he would only have done as well by himself said John Dashwood as all his friends were disposed to do by him he might now have been in his proper situation and would have wanted for nothing and there is one thing more preparing against him which must be worse than all.

His mother has determined with a very natural kind of spirit to settle that estate upon Robert immediately which might have been Edwards on proper conditions.

Well said mrs.

Jennings that is her revenge but I don't think mine would be to make one son independent because another had played me.

Can anything be more galling to the spirit of a man continued John than to see his younger brother in possession of an estate which might have been his own poor Edward I feel for him sincerely.

A few minutes more spent in the same kind of effusion concluded his visit and he went away leaving the three ladies unanimous in their sentiments on the present occasion as far at least as it regarded mrs.

Ferrer's conduct the Dashwoods and Edwards