THOUGH Mrs. Jennings was in the habit of spending a large portion of the year at the houses of her children and friends, she was not without a settled habitation of her own. Since the death of her husband, who had traded with success in a less elegant part of the town, she had resided every winter in a house in one of the streets near Portman Square. Towards this home, she began, on the approach of January, to turn her thoughts; and thither1 she one day abruptly2, and very unexpectedly by them, asked the elder Misses Dashwood to accompany her. Elinor, without observing the varying complexion3 of her sister, and the animated4 look which spoke5 no indifference6 to the plan, immediately gave a grateful but absolute denial for both, in which she believed herself to be speaking their united inclinations7. The reason alleged8 was their determined9 resolution of not leaving their mother at that time of the year. Mrs. Jennings received the refusal with some surprise, and repeated her invitation immediately. "Oh, Lord! I am sure your mother can spare you very well, and I do beg you will favour me with your company, for I've quite set my heart upon it. Don't fancy that you will be any inconvenience to me, for I shan't put myself at all out of my way for you. It will only be sending Betty by the coach, and I hope I can afford that. We three shall be able to go very well in my chaise; and, when we are in town, if you do not like to go wherever I do, well and good, you may always go with one of my daughters. I am sure your mother will not object to it; for I have had such good luck in getting my own children off my hands that she will think me a very fit person to have the charge of you; and if I don't get one of you, at least, well married before I have done with you, it shall not be my fault. I shall speak a good word for you to all the young men, you may depend upon it." "I have a notion," said Sir John, "that Miss Marianne would not object to such a scheme, if her elder sister would come into it. It is very hard, indeed, that she
should not have a little pleasure, because Miss Dashwood does not wish it. So I would advise you two to set off for town, when you are tired of Barton, without saying a word to Miss Dashwood about it." "Nay," cried Mrs. Jennings, "I am sure I shall be monstrous10 glad of Miss Marianne's company, whether Miss Dashwood will go or not, only the more the merrier say I, and I thought it would be more comfortable for them to be together; because, if they got tired of me, they might talk to one another, and laugh at my old ways behind my back. But one or the other, if not both of them, I must have. Lord bless me! how do you think I can live poking11 by myself; I who have been always used, till this winter, to have Charlotte with me. Come, Miss Marianne, let us strike hands upon the bargain, and if Miss Dashwood will change her mind by-and-by, why so much the better." "I thank you, ma'am, sincerely thank you," said Marianne, with warmth: "your invitation has insured my gratitude12 forever; and it would give me such happiness- yes, almost the greatest happiness I am capable of- to be able to accept it. But my mother, my dearest, kindest mother- I feel the justice of what Elinor has urged, and if she were to be made less happy, less comfortable by our absence- oh, no, nothing should tempt13 me to leave her. It should not, must not be a struggle." Mrs. Jennings repeated her assurance that Mrs. Dashwood could spare them perfectly14 well; and Elinor, who now understood her sister, and saw to what indifference to almost every thing else she was carried by her eagerness to be with Willoughby again, made no farther direct opposition15 to the plan, and merely referred it to her mother's decision, from whom, however, she scarcely expected to receive any support in her endeavour to prevent a visit which she could not approve of for Marianne, and which, on her own account, she had particular reasons to avoid. Whatever Marianne was desirous of, her mother would be eager to promote:- she could not expect to influence the latter to cautiousness o
f conduct in an affair respecting which she had never been able to inspire her with distrust; and she dared not explain the motive16 of her own disinclination for going to London. That Marianne, fastidious as she was, thoroughly17 acquainted with Mrs. Jennings's manners, and invariably disgusted by them, should overlook every inconvenience of that kind, should disregard whatever must be most wounding to her irritable18 feelings, in her pursuit of one object, was such a proof, so strong, so full of the importance of that object to her, as Elinor, in spite of all that had passed, was not prepared to witness.
On being informed of the invitation, Mrs. Dashwood, persuaded that such an excursion would be productive of much amusement to both her daughters, and perceiving, through all her affectionate attention to herself, how much the heart of Marianne was in it, would not hear of their declining the offer upon her account; insisted on their both accepting it directly; and then began to forsee, with her usual cheerfulness, a variety of advantages that would accrue19 to them all from this separation. "I am delighted with the plan," she cried, "it is exactly what I could wish. Margaret and I shall be as much benefited by it as yourselves. When you and the Middletons are gone, we shall go on so quietly and happily together with our books and our music! You will find Margaret so improved when you come back again! I have a little plan of alteration20 for your bedrooms too, which may now be performed without any inconvenience to any one. It is very right that you should go to town; I would have every young woman of your condition in life acquainted with the manners and amusements of London. You will be under the care of a motherly, good sort of woman, of whose kindness to you I can have no doubt. And in all probability you will see your brother; and whatever may be his faults, or the faults of his wife, when I consider whose son he is, I cannot bear to have you so wholly estranged21 from each other." "Though with your usual anxiety for our happiness," said Elinor, "you have been obviating22 every impediment to the present scheme which occurred to you, there is still one objection which, in my opinion, cannot be so easily removed." Marianne's countenance23 sunk. "And what," said Mrs. Dashwood, "is my dear, prudent24 Elinor going to suggest? What formidable obstacle is she now to bring forward? Do let me hear a word about the expense of it." "My objection is this; though I think very well of Mrs. Jennings's heart, she is not a woman whose society can afford us pleasure, or whose protection will give us consequence." "That is very true," repl
ied her mother, "but of her society, separately from that of other people, you will scarcely have any thing at all, and you will almost always appear in public with Lady Middleton." "If Elinor is frightened away by her dislike of Mrs. Jennings," said Marianne, "at least it need not prevent my accepting her invitation. I have no such scruples25; and I am sure I could put up with every unpleasantness of that kind with very little effort." Elinor could not help smiling at this display of indifference towards the manners of a person, to whom she had often had difficulty in persuading Marianne to behave with tolerable politeness; and resolved within herself, that if her sister persisted in going, she would go likewise, as she did not think it proper that Marianne should be left to the sole guidance of her own judgment26, or that Mrs. Jennings should be abandoned to the mercy of Marianne, for all the comfort of her domestic hours. To this determination she was the more easily reconciled, by recollecting27 that Edward Ferrars, by Lucy's account, was not to be in town before February; and that their visit, without any unreasonable28 abridgement, might be previously29 finished. "I will have you both go," said Mrs. Dashwood; "these objections are nonsensical. You will have much pleasure in being in London, and especially in being together; and if Elinor would ever condescend30 to anticipate enjoyment31, she would foresee it there from a variety of sources; she would, perhaps, expect some from improving her acquaintance with her sister-in-law's family." Elinor had often wished for an opportunity of attempting to weaken her mother's dependence32 on the attachment33 of Edward and herself, that the shock might be less when the whole truth were revealed; and now, on this attack, though almost hopeless of success, she forced herself to begin her design, by saying, as calmly as she could, "I like Edward Ferrars very much, and shall always be glad to see him; but as to the rest of the family, it is a matter of perfect indifference to me, whether I
am ever known to them or not." Mrs. Dashwood smiled, and said nothing. Marianne lifted up her eyes in astonishment34, and Elinor conjectured35 that she might as well have held her tongue.
After very little farther discourse36, it was finally settled that the invitation should be fully37 accepted. Mrs. Jennings received the information with a great deal of joy, and many assurances of kindness and care; nor was it a matter of pleasure merely to her. Sir John was delighted; for to a man, whose prevailing38 anxiety was the dread39 of being alone, the acquisition of two, to the number of inhabitants in London, was something. Even Lady Middleton took the trouble of being delighted, which was putting herself rather out of her way; and as for the Misses Steele, especially Lucy, they had never been so happy in their lives as this intelligence made them. Elinor submitted to the arrangement which counteracted40 her wishes with less reluctance41 than she had expected to feel. With regard to herself, it was now a matter of unconcern whether she went to town or not; and when she saw her mother so thoroughly pleased with the plan, and her sister exhilarated by it in look, voice, and manner, restored to all her usual animation42, and elevated to more than her usual gaiety, she could not be dissatisfied with the cause, and would hardly allow herself to distrust the consequence. Marianne's joy was almost a degree beyond happiness, so great was the perturbation of her spirits, and her impatience43 to be gone. Her unwillingness44 to quit her mother was her only restorative to calmness; and at the moment of parting her grief on that score was excessive. Her mother's affliction was hardly less; and Elinor was the only one of the three who seemed to consider the separation as any thing short of eternal.
Their departure took place in the first week in January. The Middletons were to follow in about a week. The Misses Steele kept their station at the Park, and were to quit it only with the rest of the family.
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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complexion
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| n.肤色；情况，局面；气质，性格 | |
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animated
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| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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inclinations
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| 倾向( inclination的名词复数 )； 倾斜； 爱好； 斜坡 | |
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alleged
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| a.被指控的，嫌疑的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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poking
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| n. 刺，戳，袋 vt. 拨开，刺，戳 vi. 戳，刺，捅，搜索，伸出，行动散慢 | |
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gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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tempt
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| vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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irritable
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| adj.急躁的；过敏的；易怒的 | |
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accrue
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| v.(利息等)增大，增多 | |
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alteration
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| n.变更，改变；蚀变 | |
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estranged
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| adj.疏远的，分离的 | |
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obviating
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| v.避免，消除（贫困、不方便等）( obviate的现在分词 ) | |
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countenance
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| n.脸色，面容；面部表情；vt.支持，赞同 | |
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prudent
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| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
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scruples
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| n.良心上的不安( scruple的名词复数 )；顾虑，顾忌v.感到于心不安，有顾忌( scruple的第三人称单数 ) | |
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judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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recollecting
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| v.记起，想起( recollect的现在分词 ) | |
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unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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condescend
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| v.俯就，屈尊；堕落，丢丑 | |
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enjoyment
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| n.乐趣；享有；享用 | |
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32
dependence
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| n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属 | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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astonishment
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| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
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conjectured
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| 推测，猜测，猜想( conjecture的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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prevailing
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| adj.盛行的；占优势的；主要的 | |
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dread
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| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
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counteracted
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| 对抗，抵消( counteract的过去式 ) | |
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41
reluctance
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| n.厌恶，讨厌，勉强，不情愿 | |
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animation
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| n.活泼，兴奋，卡通片／动画片的制作 | |
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impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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unwillingness
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| n. 不愿意，不情愿 | |
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