Pride and Prejudice; Sense and Sensibility

Chapter 83 Suspicious emotions

Mrs. Dashwood was only momentarily surprised to see Edward, for it seemed to her only natural that he should come to Barton.Her joy and greetings lasted far longer than her surprise.Edward received her most cordial welcome.His shyness and indifference, too irresistible to this reception, began to fade away before he entered the room, and were afterwards simply swept away by Mrs. Dashwood's charming manners.Indeed, if anyone fell in love with her daughter, no matter which daughter he loved, it was impossible not to have a deep affection for her.Elinor found with satisfaction that Edward soon returned to normal.He seemed to have rekindled his affection for the family.It was evident that he had taken a renewed interest in their lives.However, his mood was still not very high.He praised their house, admired its surroundings, was kind and courteous; but he still looked sullen.Both mother and daughter Dashwood can see this situation.Mrs. Dashwood thought it was the narrowness of his mother's injustice to him.So when she sat down to dinner, she was deeply indignant at all selfish parents.

After supper, when everyone sat around the fire, Mrs. Dashwood said: "Edward, what is Mrs. Ferrars' plan for your future now? You still have to be a great orator?"

"No. I hope my mother knows by now that I have neither the desire nor the capacity for social activity."

"Then how are you going to build your reputation? Because only when you are famous can your whole family be satisfied. You don't like to spend money, you are not good at socializing, you don't have a career, and you lack self-confidence. Then you want to be famous But it will be difficult."

"I don't want to try, and I don't want to be famous. I hope with good reason that I never will. Thank goodness! No one can make me a genius and a public speaker."

"You have no ambition, I know that well. Your wishes are very limited."

"I want to have as limited aspirations as anyone else in the world. Like everyone else, I want to be happy. But, like everyone else, in my own way. And fame doesn't make me happy."

"It would be a wonder, if it could!" cried Marianne. "What have riches and nobility to do with happiness?"

"Nobility has very little to do with happiness," said Elinor, "but wealth has very much to do with happiness."

"Eleanor, thank you for being able to say it!" said Marianne, "that wealth can only give people happiness when there is no other way to obtain happiness. Personally, wealth, in addition to providing adequate living conditions, It doesn’t bring real happiness to people.”

"Maybe," Eleanor said with a smile, "our conclusions are the same. I dare say that your so-called affluent living conditions are very similar to what I call wealth. You and I will both admit that in the current world, if there is no If you don’t have money, you won’t have any material enjoyment. Your point of view is just a bit more grand than mine. Well, tell me, how much is your standard of abundance?”

"Eighteen hundred to two thousand a year, nothing more than that,"

Eleanor laughed: "Two thousand pounds a year! But my wealth standard is only one thousand pounds. I've already guessed this result."

"But two thousand pounds a year is a very limited income," said Marianne, "and you can't support a family with less. I don't think I'm asking too much. A decent set of servants, a car or two Two carriages, and hounds, less money is not enough."

Eleanor couldn't help laughing again, at how accurately her sister calculated their future spending at Combe House.

"Hounds!" repeated Edward. "Why do you keep hounds? Not all men hunt."

Marianne blushed, and replied, "But most people hunt."

"I hope," said Marguerite whimsically, "that someone will give each of us a fortune!"

"Oh, it will!" cried Marianne.She was immersed in happy fantasies, her eyes sparkled with excitement, and her cheeks were flushed with joy.

"I think," said Eleanor, "we all have such a hope, notwithstanding our poverty."

"Oh, dear!" cried Margaret, "how happy I should be if my dreams come true! I don't know what to do with the money!"

It seemed that Marianne was quite sure of that.

"If my kids can be rich without my help," Mrs. Dashwood said, "I don't know how to spend such a large sum of money."

"You should rebuild this house first," said Eleanor, "and your troubles will be over in a moment."

"If that's the case," said Edward, "what a handsome order the King's House will place to London! Booksellers, music dealers, picture shops are in luck! You, Miss Dashwood, will be everywhere , send you a copy of every new publication of value. As for Marianne, I know she has a good heart—all the musical scores in London will not suffice for her needs. But there are books! Thomson, Cowper, Scott—she would buy and repurchase all of these people, and I believe she would buy every single one of them, lest they fall into the hands of mediocrity. Bought all of Crooked Old Tree's books. Don't you, Marianne? Forgive me if I offend you, but I want to remind you that I haven't forgotten our past arguments."

"Edward, I like to be reminded of the past—whether it's sad or pleasant, I like to think about it—and I don't get mad at what you say about it. How my money is spent , you are right in imagining that part of it, at least the pocket money, I must use to expand my score and book collection."

"The bulk of your estate will be spent as an annuity on those writers and their heirs."

"No, Edward, I have other things to do."

"Perhaps, then, you're going to reward someone who makes a strong defense of your beloved creeds. Why can one fall in love only once in a lifetime—I suppose you haven't changed your mind on the matter?"

"Of course it hasn't. At my age, opinions are set, and what I hear and see now can't make me change them."

"You see, Marianne is as steadfast as ever," said Elinor. "She hasn't changed a bit."

"She just got a little more serious than before."

"No, Edward," said Marianne, "you don't need to laugh at me. You're not so happy yourself."

Edward sighed, and replied, "Why do you think so? Happiness has never been part of my character, though."

"I don't think being happy is part of Marianne's personality either," said Eleanor. "It's hard to call her vivacious. She's serious in everything she does, she's hot-tempered—sometimes very talkative, and always excited." —but she wasn't always really happy."

"I believe you are right," replied Edward, "but I have always thought of her as a lively girl."

"I have often found myself guilty of this error," said Eleanor, "of misunderstood characters entirely in certain points, of imagining them as very different from what they really are: either too happy, or too happy. Serious; either too clever or too stupid. I can't explain why this misunderstanding occurs. Sometimes I am swayed by what they themselves say, more by what other people say about them, and You don’t take the time to think and judge yourself.”

"But, Eleanor," said Marianne, "I think there is nothing wrong with being entirely swayed by other people's opinions. I think we are given judgment only in order to submit to other people's judgments. I think it must be It's your consistent creed."

"No, Marianne, not at all. I have never advocated submitting to other people's judgment. It is only in attitude that I have been trying to enlighten you. You do not twist me. I confess that I have often advised you to treat your friends Pay attention to politeness. But, when it comes to serious matters, when have I ever persuaded you to follow others or submit to their judgment?"

Edward said to Eleanor: "So you haven't been able to convince your sister to accept your creed of courtesy. You haven't got the upper hand, have you?"

"Indeed," replied Elinor, looking meaningfully at Marianne.

"On this subject," said Edward, "I am quite on your side of opinion, but in practice I am afraid I am more inclined to your sister. I never wish to be rude, but I am also curiously timid, and often What seems timid is really just the fault of my natural ingenuity. I often think that I must be born to love poor friends, and I feel uncomfortable when I am among strange and classy people. "

"Marian's curtness is no excuse for shyness," said Eleanor.

"She knows her own worth so well that she doesn't need to pretend to be shy," Edward replied. "Shyness is just a reaction to a feeling of inferiority. If I can be confident that my manners are calm and perfect, I will won't be ashamed."

"But you'll be unhappy," said Marianne, "and that's worse."

Edward couldn't help being surprised: "Unhappy? Am I unhappy, Marianne?"

"Yes, very unhappy."

"I don't understand you," replied Edward, blushing. "Unhappy! How can I be unhappy? What do you want me to tell you? What do you mean?"

Elinor seemed surprised to see him so excited, but trying to smile as best she could, she changed the subject and said to him: "Don't you know my sister well enough to ask her what she means? Don't you know her?" To call all those who do not speak as quickly as she does, and who do not admire with the same ecstasy what she admires?"

Edward didn't answer.He completely returned to a serious and contemplative mood, and sat there for a long time without saying a word.

(End of this chapter)