Posted on 2010-07-28
"It would have been beyond comparison," she said, "the least evil of the two, and she would be glad to compound now for nothing worse." (Sense and Sensibility, chapter 41)
A great misfortune was about to befall Mrs John Dashwood. She has been startled and alarmed by her husband's suggestion that his sisters should be invited to stay with them at Harley Street, especially while Mrs Jennings was much occupied by her younger daughter, Mrs Palmer – Charlotte had recently given birth to her first child, the son and heir to Mr Thomas Palmer of Cleveland. That event, highly important to Mrs Jennings' happiness, produced a temporary alteration in the disposal of her time, and influenced, in a like degree, the engagements of her young friends, the two Miss Dashwoods, for as she wished to be as much as possible with Charlotte, she went thither every morning as soon as she was dressed, and did not return till late in the evening, and Elinor and Marianne, at the particular request of Sir John and Lady Middleton, spent the whole of every day with the Middletons at Conduit Street. For their own comfort, they would much rather have remained, at least all the morning, in Mrs Jennings' house, but it was not to be urged against the wishes of everybody.
John Dashwood could not help thinking of the propriety of his sisters being invited to become their guests at such a time; the expense would be nothing, the inconvenience not more, and it was altogether an attention, which the delicacy of his conscience pointed out to be requisite to its complete enfranchisement from his promise to his father. Fanny was greatly alarmed at the proposal.
When her husband's father had died a little over a year ago, she had successfully persuaded him against committing what she considered a madly generous impulse of settling a thousand pounds apiece on each of his three half-sisters. She remembered how she had managed to talk him out of his unnecessary generosity.
Flashback
"It was my father's last request to me," he had told her, "that I should assist his widow and daughters."
"He did not know what he was talking of, had he been in his rights senses, he would not have thought of such a thing as begging you to give away half your fortune from your own child."
"He did not stipulate for any particular sum, my dear Fanny; he only requested me, in general terms, to assist them, and make their situation more comfortable, than it was in his power to do."
"Oh, indeed, then how in the world did you get the idea of giving away three thousand pounds! I am convinced that your father had no idea of your giving them any money at all. I am sure that the assistance he thought was only such as might be reasonably expected of you, that I would expect of you – for instance such as looking out for a comfortable small house for them, helping them to move their things – all those handsome articles of furniture and that fine linen and china which your father had left to his widow – very valuable they are – some of the plate would have been a very pleasant addition to our own stock – I am not complaining over the fact that your father did not leave those valuable effects to you instead – he had an undoubted right to dispose of his own property as he chose. But of course once your mother and sisters move away to their own house, we will be obliged to make large purchases of linen, china, etc., to supply the place of what will be taken away. And of course, if they are not settled far from Norland, we will invite them to dinner from time to time, and send them presents of fish and game, and so forth, whenever they happen to be in season. Only consider, my dear John, how excessively comfortable your mother-in-law and her daughters may live on the interest of seven thousand pounds, besides the thousand pounds belonging to each of the girls, which will bring them fifty pounds a year apiece, and of course it is only right that they will pay their mother for their board and lodging out of it. Altogether they will have five hundred pounds a year amongst them, and what on earth can four women want for more than that! Their housekeeping will cost very little, they will have only a few servants, and they will keep no carriage, Elinor was saying that they are going to sell the horses and carriage which her father had left to her mother – so I am sure they will be very comfortable. Five hundred a year! I am sure I cannot imagine how they will spend half of it."
Fanny Dashwood's arguments had convinced John Dashwood that it was absolutely unnecessary to do more for the widow and daughters of his father; and that his father had expected him to do no more than such kind of neighbourly acts that his own wife had pointed out.
Mrs Dashwood senior had remained at Norland for several months, and in those first few months Mrs John Dashwood – quietly conscious of her triumph in dissuading her husband from doing more for his sisters and their mother -- had made no objection to their prolonged stay It was not at all easy, in spite of Mrs Dashwood's indefatigable inquiries for a suitable dwelling, to find a place that at once answered her notions of comfort and ease, and suited the prudence of her eldest daughter, whose steadier judgment rejected several houses as too large for their income, which her mother would have approved.
Mrs John Dashwood had treated her mother and sisters-in-law with quiet civility, and her husband had treated them with as much kindness as he could feel towards anybody beyond himself, his wife and their child. He really pressed them, with some earnestness, to consider Norland their home, and as no plan had appeared so eligible to Mrs Dashwood as remaining there until she could accommodate herself with a suitable house, his invitation was accepted.
However, Mrs John Dashwood's civil manners towards her in-laws begun to change soon after her brother Edward arrived at Norland, and had then spent the greatest part of his time there. It was noticed by almost everybody that there appeared to be a growing attachment between Mr Edward Ferrars and the eldest Miss Dashwood.
Elinor herself had not considered her partiality for Edward in so prosperous a state as Marianne and her mother had believed it. There was, at times, a want of spirits about him which, if it did not denote indifference, spoke a something almost as unpromising. The cause might be found in his dependant situation, for except a trifling sum, the whole of his father's fortune had been left to his mother. From Fanny's occasional mention of Mrs Ferrars' conduct and opinions, Elinor had never been disposed to think of Edward's mother as amiable. His mother neither behaved to him so as to make his home comfortable at present, nor to give him any assurance that he might form a home for himself, without strictly attending to her views for his aggrandizement. With such a knowledge as this, Elinor was far from depending on the result of his preference for her. Nay, the longer they were together, the more doubtful seemed the nature of his regard, and sometimes she believed it to be no more than friendship.
But, whatever might really be its limits, it was enough, when perceived by his sister, to make her uneasy, and at the same time, to make her uncivil. The alteration of her manners, especially towards Elinor, was too marked for Elinor and her mother not to feel the slight. Previously, before she had observed what she had perceived to be Edward's attentions and growing attachment to Elinor, Fanny Dashwood had in fact undoubtedly liked Elinor the best of all amongst her three sisters-in-law. Margaret was only a silly girl of thirteen, and Fanny had found Marianne to be very tiresome in the agony of grief which had overpowered her and her mother over her father's death. Elinor had been the only one of them who had exerted herself; she could consult with her brother, and had received her sister-in-law on her arrival, and treated her with proper attention.
Fanny had been relieved when her mother-in-law had announced that she was moving into Devonshire, near some relatives of her own, the Middletons of Barton Park. However, she was annoyed when Mrs Dashwood had so affectionately invited Edward to visit them at Barton Cottage – it meant that Mrs Dashwood and Elinor were still hoping to catch Edward.
At the time when Fanny had met Elinor and Marianne in town, nothing would have induced Fanny voluntarily to mention Edward's name before Elinor, till able to tell her that his marriage to the Hon Miss Morton was resolved on, or until John's expectations of an engagement between Elinor and Colonel Brandon were answered; because she believed them to be still so very much attached to each other, that they could not be too sedulously divided in word and deed on every occasion.
Mrs Ferrars believed in her daughter's suspicions, and was determined to dislike Miss Dashwood at all events. Elinor had to contend against the unkindness of Edward's sister, and the insolence of his mother, and to endure the punishment of an attachment, without enjoying its advantages. When the John Dashwoods held a dinner a party at Harley Street with Mrs Ferrars present, and the Middleton, Mrs Jennings, the Miss Dashwoods, the Miss Steeles and Colonel Brandon as their guests, Mrs Ferrars spoke not a word to Miss Dashwood. Elinor could not now be made unhappy by this behaviour, and the difference of Mrs Ferrars' manners to the Miss Steeles, a difference which seemed purposely made to humble Elinor more, only amused her. She could not but smile to see the graciousness of both Mrs Ferrars and Fanny towards the very person – for Lucy was particularly distinguished – whom of all others, had they known as much as she did, they would have been most anxious to mortify. It was no longer in Mrs Ferrars' power to distress Elinor in any way, indeed Marianne was far more upset by the cold insolence of Mrs Ferrars behaviour to her sister, than Elinor herself was. Colonel Brandon also, could not help noticing and wondering about Mrs Ferrars' cold insolence towards Miss Dashwood.
Before her removing from Norland, Elinor had painted a very pretty pair of screens for her sister-in-law, which beingjust mounted and brought home, ornamented her present drawing-room. John Dashwood's eye was caught by these screens, and he handed them to Colonel Brandon for his admiration.
"These are done by my eldest sister,", said he, "and you, as a man of taste, will, I daresay, be pleased with them; she is in general reckoned to draw extremely well."
The Colonel, though disclaiming all pretensions to connoisseurship, very warmly admired the screens, as he would have done anything painted by Miss Dashwood. His warm praise drew the curiosity of the others, and the screens were handed round for general inspection. Mrs Ferrars, not aware of their being Elinor's work, particularly requested to look at them, but when Fanny presented them to her, while informing her that they were done by Miss Dashwood –
"Hum", said Mrs Ferrars, "very pretty" and without regarding them at all, returned them to her daughter.
For a moment, Fanny thought that her mother had been quite rude enough, and colouring a little, she immediately said:
"They are very pretty, ma'am – an't they?"
But then again, the dread of being too civil, too encouraging to Elinor, came over her, and she presently added:
"Do you not think they are something in Miss Morton's style of painting, ma'am! – She does paint most beautifully! – How beautifully her last landscape is done!"
"Beautifully indeed. But she does every thing well."
Colonel Brandon was puzzled at such ill-timed praise of another, at Miss Dashwood's expense. Marianne clasped her hands tightly, and could barely restrain herself from being openly rude to Mrs Ferrars and Fanny in return for their insolence towards Elinor, while Colonel Brandon quietly changed his seat to the one next to Elinor, and took care to pay proper attention to her for the rest of the evening. Miss Dashwood always appeared to be quite composed, and did not seem to notice the slights directed against her, but Colonel Brandon had become much better acquainted with Elinor during the last few weeks, and had come to realize that her feelings were strong, but she knew how to govern them.
After that party, Elinor's curiosity to see Mrs Ferrars was satisfied – she had found in her everything that could tend to make a further connection between the Dashwood and Ferrars families most undesirable. She had seen enough of Mrs Ferrars' pride her nonsense and her determined prejudice against herself, to be thankful for her own sake, that she was preserved from all dependence upon Mrs Ferrars' caprice, or any solicitude for her good opinion. Had Lucy been more amiable, she could have rejoiced in Edward's engagement to Lucy. As it was, she wondered whether Edward could release himself from his youthful entanglement, and whether Miss Morton, apart from her wealth, was a more amiable woman than Lucy.
Mrs Ferrars had also reproached Fanny for having been too kind and hospitable to her husband's half-sisters at Norland during the previous year, she had no doubt that Fanny's hospitality and attentions to them had encouraged Miss Dashwood to aspire to catch Fanny's brother.
Fanny now dreaded having to pay any attentions to her husband's sisters that might be misconstrued as giving further encouragement to Elinor. She knew how horrified her mother would be if Elinor and her sister were to become her guests at Harley Street! If there had been nothing to have aroused her suspicions regarding Edward and Elinor, Fanny would not have minded, and would have agreed with her husband's suggestion to invite his sisters to stay with them – as he said, the expense would be nothing. But now she had to quickly think of some excuse to avoid inviting her sisters-in-law, and she said to her husband:
"My love, I would ask your sisters with all my heart, but I have just settled within myself to aske the Miss Steeles to spend a few days with us. They are very well-behaved, good kind of girls, and I think the attention is due to them, as their uncle did so very well by Edward. We can ask your sisters some other year, you know, but the Miss Steeles may not be in town any more. I am sure you will like them, my mother likes them very much already, and they are such favourites with Harry!"
Mr John Dashwood was convinced of the necessity of inviting the Miss Steeles immediately, and his conscience was pacified by the resolution of inviting his sisters another year; although it did occur to him that another year might bring Elinor to town as Colonel Brandon's wife, and Marianne as their visitor.
The Miss Steeles removed to Harley Street, and Mrs Dashwood had never been so much pleased by any young women in her life as she was with them; she had given each of them a needle book, made by some emigrant, called Lucy by her Christian name, and did not know whether she should ever be able to part with them.
After about a week's stay at Harley Street, Miss Steele was convinced that Mrs Dashwood and Mrs Ferrars were so very fond of Lucy that there was not the slightest need for the engagement between Lucy and Edward to be concealed any longer.
"Lord", thought Anne Steele to herself, "Mrs Dashwood is so very fond of Lucy – and Mrs Ferrars too, for she has always been very kind to her whenever they met – to be sure they will make no difficulty about it" and so, away she went to Mrs Dashwood, who was sitting all alone at her carpet-work, little suspecting what was to come.
Only five minutes before that, Fanny had been discussing with her husband, on the best ways to throw Edward and the Hon Miss Morton together as much as possible, in order to get Edward to propose marriage to Miss Morton.
Words could hardly describe Fanny Dashwood's state of mind upon hearing Anne Steele's disclosure. It was such a blow to all her vanity and pride, and caused such shocked horror, confusion and tumult in her mind. To think that she had suspected an attachment between Edward and Elinor, and had purposely paid attentions to the Miss Steeles in order to snub Elinor -- when all the time he had been secretly engaged, not to Elinor, but to Lucy Steele!
Fanny fell into violent hysterics immediately, with such screams –
"Aahh, Aahh, Aahh," she screamed, and those screams reached her husband's ears as he was sitting in his own dressing room downstairs, beginning to write a letter to his steward in the country. Startled and alarmed, he flew up directly and a terrible scene took place, for Lucy had come to them by that time, little dreaming what was going on. Fanny screamed and scolded like any fury, and soon drove Lucy to an apparent fainting fit, while Anne fell upon her knees and cried bitterly.
John walked about the room, declaring, "None of us ever suspected ... I am sure I do not know what to do!"
"These sly, deceitful Steele girls shall not stay a minute longer in my house!" screamed Fanny.
"Please, we must have time to pack our clothes!" cried Anne.
"Aahh, Aahh, Aahh!" screamed Fanny again.
"My love, please try to compose yourself, you will make yourself ill, the Miss Steeles will leave as soon as they have packed their clothes, I promise, and I will send for Mr Donovan the apothecary to prescribe a calming draught for you, and then we will talk about what is to be done. Please lie down on the sofa, dearest, I will be back in a minute – as soon as I've sent a message to Mr Donovan."
John gestured to the Miss Steeles to leave their room, and he followed in their wake, to order the carriage to take them away, as well as to send a message to the apothecary.
When he returned to his wife, Fanny was no longer screaming, but she was sobbing angrily into her handkerchief, and she said as soon as he entered the room:
"My nerves, oh my nerves! I shall never trust or think well of anybody again after being so deceived! My mother and I have shown so much kindness to those penniless Steele girls – the tutor Pratt's nieces and have placed so much confidence in them – I thought they were harmless, well-behaved girls, and would be pleasant companions – I was even thinking of having her as Harry's governess – after all, her uncle is a tutor -- and now to be so repaid! Oh! How I wish with all my heart, that we have asked your sisters instead of them! But perhaps – we can ask your sisters now?"
"I will be very happy to have my sisters staying with us – and it so good of you to think of them in the midst of your distress – but first, we will have to break the news of this unfortunate engagement to your mother."
"Oh, I dare not think of what my mother would feel – it will be such a tremendous shock to her, I am sure she will go into hysterics – you must make sure that the apothecary is in the house to be at hand to attend to her when I break this shocking news to her."
Mrs Ferrars' hysterics was, for the first few minutes, quite as violent as her daughter's; she was quite in an agony. She had never dreamed that the tutor Pratt's niece would have so much presumption, and had dared to raise her eyes to ensnare a Mr Ferrars! But she had a strong constitution, and soon after swallowing the draughts prescribed by Mr Donovan, was able to discuss the shocking matter with her daughter.
"How can it be that all along Edward has been secretly engaged to that Steele girl!" cried Mrs Ferrars, "There, to be sure, I might have thought myself safe! Fanny, you told me yourself that you thought he was in danger of being interested elsewhere – certainly not in that quarter! How could you have been so deceived?"
"I'm so sorry, Mother, it appears that I have been completely deceived," sobbed Fanny, "and you were not at all happy when I told you of my suspicions."
"Well, of course I was not happy about it, considering that Miss Morton is a woman of higher rank and fortune, the daughter of a nobleman with thirty thousand pounds, while Miss Dashwood is only the daughter of a private gentleman with no more than three thousand – but at least Miss Dashwood is the daughter of a gentleman – the daughter of John's father and what a pity it is that her mother, unlike John's mother, has no money of her own – it would have been a rather imprudent match to be sure – but at least when compared to that low-born Steele girl – it would have been preferable to me, it would not have given me half the vexation than this does – it would have been, beyond comparison, the least evil of the two! At least it won't be such a disgrace, and I will still be able to hold my head up with my friends – nobody could say anything much against your brother marrying your husband's sister – but for him to marry his tutor's niece! A penniless girl who is not even a gentleman's daughter! And since she seemed to be so attentive with the children, I thought she was going to be a governess!"
"We must do everything we can to get him to break off his engagement to that Steele girl."
"I will send for him, and explain to him my liberal designs, in case of his marrying Miss Morton – I will settle on him the Norfolk estate, which will bring him twelve hundred a year, and with the interest of Miss Morton's thirty thousand pounds, and his own two thousand pounds, that will bring them an income of very little less than three thousand a year at the beginning of their married life – and of course there will be further provision for him in my will. In opposition to this, if he still persists in this low connection with his tutor's niece, I will tell him that certain penury must attend the match. His own two thousand pounds should be his all, I would never see him again, and if he were to enter into any profession with a view of better support, I would do all in my power to prevent his advancing in it."
Fanny herself felt rather frightened at her mother's harsh words, and after a moment's hesitation, she said softly:
"I don't know what to think of anymore, Mother, my mind is so confused by this shocking discovery – but just suppose – if Edward refuses to marry Miss Morton – to be honest, I have never really seen any sign of his interest in her – but I did believe that he was interested in Miss Dashwood – although I was certainly mistaken in supposing that there was an attachment between them – but if he refuses to break off from that Steele girl for Miss Morton's sake – and perhaps Miss Morton will not accept him anyway if she finds out that he had once been entangled with such a low-born girl – well, you've said that John's sister would be far preferable to you than that Steele girl – if he is willing to break off his imprudent engagement but is inclined to marry Elinor instead – that match will be tolerably acceptable to you, Mother?"
Mrs Ferrars was silent for so long that her daughter was beginning to think that her mother was not going to answer that question, but at last she said, with a deep sigh:
"We must do what we can to make a match between him and Miss Morton, but if that is not possible – I will be willing to compound for Miss Dashwood, and will settle some provision on him – not as much as I would do for his marriage with Miss Morton of course, but Miss Dashwood, being John's sister, is certainly far preferable to this disgraceful connection! And you know Fanny, although you have managed to talk your husband out of settling some money on his sisters immediately after their father's death – it is still possible that your husband might take it into his head to settle some money on his sister upon her marriage – and if so, it is better that his sister should marry your brother rather than some strange man unconnected to us – and Miss Dashwood is the eldest of the sisters – if there is to be a match between her and Edward and John wishes to increase her dowry – well, there is no need for him to be equally generous with the younger sisters."
The day after these stirring events in Harley Street, John Dashwood went to call on his sisters, who were quite unaware of what had taken place. After greeting Mrs Jennings and Marianne, and before any of them could inform him of any news of their own, John quickly addressed himself more particularly to Elinor, saying:
"Elinor, my dear, Fanny has been rather indisposed since yesterday – but do not be alarmed, I am sure that she will be better soon, if – she is very anxious to see you, as she has something rather particular in mind, so I have promised her to bring you back with me to Harley Street. Marianne, I know that Fanny will be very happy to see you soon, but as she is still a little indisposed, you won't mind if she wishes to be alone with Elinor today."
This was rather mysterious, but nobody made any objection, and Elinor went with her brother. She had some news of her own to inform him, but was content for him to give her his news first.
On the way to Harley Street, John proceeded to inform Elinor of the shocking discovery of Edward's four year old secret engagement to Lucy Steele. After going through the sufferings of Fanny and Mrs Ferrars, John told her something about the confrontation between them and Edward:
"Edward was more stubborn than I thought, he was quite unmoved when his mother explained to him her liberal designs in case of his marrying Miss Morton, and the threat of certain penury if he persisted in that disgraceful match – it was only when Fanny reminded him of his attentions to you, my dear sister, when you were both at Norland that he wavered – and Mrs Ferrars quickly seized the opportunity, and declared that although it would be rather an imprudent match, since your portion, my dear, is unhappily so small, even if I should seek to increase it a little – it would be far preferable to her than that disgraceful match with the Steele girl, and she would be glad now to compound for nothing worse. In a way, it would be quite eligible after all, for my sister to marry my wife's brother, and Fanny will be doubly your sister if you marry Edward."
Elinor managed to retain her composure, and said calmly, "I thank you for the compliment, brother, but it is impossible for me to marry Mr Ferrars."
"But Elinor, I have not yet explained everything to you – Mrs Ferrars is quite willing to make some provision for Edward – well, at least it would be sufficient for you to begin your married life on an income of very little less than a thousand a year."
"It is impossible for me to marry Mr Ferrars," Elinor repeated, "because Colonel Brandon has asked me to marry him, and I have accepted him. He has written to my mother, and is going to call on you later today. We hope that you will give your consent to our marriage, although strictly speaking my mother's consent is all that we need."
The End