Sense and sensibility

2006·11.9 MB·English

by  Austen, Jane, 1775-1817

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SENSE AND SENSffilLITY
by Jane Austen
CHAPTER
1
ThefamilyofDashwoodhadlongbeensettledinSussex,
Theirestatewaslarge,andtheirresidencewasatNorlandPark,
inthecentreoftheirproperty,where,formanygenerations,
theyhadUvedinsorespectableamannerastoengage
thegeneralgoodopinionoftheirsurroundingacquaintance.
Thelateownerofthisestatewasasingleman,whoHved
toaveryadvancedage,andwhoformanyyearsofhisUfe,
hadaconstantcompanionandhousekeeperinhissister.
Butherdeath,whichhappenedtenyearsbeforehisown,
producedagreatalterationinhishome;fortosupply
herloss,heinvitedandreceivedintohishousethefamily
ofhisnephewMr.HenryDashwood,thelegalinheritor
oftheNorlandestate,andthepersontowhomheintended
tobequeathit. hithesocietyofhisnephewandniece,
andtheirchildren,theoldGentleman'sdayswere
comfortablyspent. Hisattachmenttothemallincreased.
TheconstantattentionofMr.andMrs.HenryDashwood
tohiswishes,whichproceedednotmerelyfrominterest,
butfromgoodnessofheart,gavehimeverydegreeofsolid
comfortwhichhisagecouldreceive;andthecheerfulness
ofthechildrenaddedarelishtohisexistence.
Byaformermarriage,Mr.HenryDashwoodhadone
son:byhispresentlady,threedaughters. Theson,
asteadyrespectableyoungman,wasamplyprovided
forbythefortuneofhismother,whichhadbeenlarge,
andhalfofwhichdevolvedonhimonhiscomingofage.
Byhisownmarriage,likewise,whichhappenedsoonafterwards,
headdedtohiswealth. Tohimthereforethesuccession
totheNorlandestatewasnotsoreallyimportantasto
hissisters;fortheirfortune,independentofwhatmight
arisetothemfromtheirfather'sinheritingthatproperty,
couldbebutsmall. Theirmotherhadnothing,andtheir
fatheronlyseventhousandpoundsinhisowndisposal;
fortheremainingmoietyofhisfirstwife'sfortunewas
alsosecuredtoherchild,andhehadonlyalife-interest
init.
Theoldgentlemandied:hiswillwasread,and
likealmosteveryotherwill,gaveasmuchdisappointment
aspleasure. Hewasneithersounjust,norsoungrateful,
astoleavehisestatefromhisnephew;--butheleftittohim
onsuchtermsasdestroyedhalfthevalueofthebequest.
Mr.Dashwoodhadwishedforitmoreforthesakeofhis
wifeanddaughtersthanforhimselforhisson;~butto
hisson,andhisson'sson,achildoffouryearsold,
itwassecured,insuchaway,astoleavetohimself
nopowerofprovidingforthosewhoweremostdear
tohim,andwhomostneededaprovisionbyanycharge
ontheestate,orbyanysaleofitsvaluablewoods.
Thewholewastiedupforthebenefitofthischild,who,
inoccasionalvisitswithhisfatherandmotheratNorland,
hadsofargainedontheaffectionsofhisuncle,
bysuchattractionsasarebynomeansunusualinchildren
oftwoorthreeyearsold;animperfectarticulation,
anearnestdesireofhavinghisownway,manycunningtricks,
andagreatdealofnoise,astooutweighallthevalue
ofalltheattentionwhich,foryears,hehadreceived
fromhisnieceandherdaughters. Hemeantnotto
beunkind,however,and,asamarkofhisaffection
forthethreegirls,heleftthemathousandpoundsa-piece.
Mr.Dashwood'sdisappointmentwas,atfirst,severe;
buthistemperwascheerfulandsanguine;andhemight
reasonablyhopetolivemanyyears,andbyUvingeconomically,
laybyaconsiderablesumfromtheproduceofanestate
alreadylarge,andcapableofalmostimmediateimprovement.
Butthefortune,whichhadbeensotardyincoming,washis
onlyonetwelvemonth. Hesurvivedhisunclenolonger;
andtenthousandpounds,includingthelatelegacies,
wasallthatremainedforhiswidowanddaughters.
Hissonwassentforassoonashisdangerwasknown,
andtohimMr.Dashwoodrecommended,withallthestrength
andurgencywhichillnesscouldcommand,theinterest
ofhismother-in-lawandsisters.
Mr.JohnDashwoodhadnotthestrongfeeUngsofthe
restofthefamily;buthewasaffectedbyarecommendation
ofsuchanatureatsuchatime,andhepromisedtodo
everythinginhispowertomakethemcomfortable.
Hisfatherwasrenderedeasybysuchanassurance,
andMr.JohnDashwoodhadthenleisuretoconsiderhow
muchtheremightprudentlybeinhispowertodoforthem.
Hewasnotanill-disposedyoungman,unlessto
berathercoldheartedandratherselfishistobe
ill-disposed:buthewas,ingeneral,wellrespected;
forheconductedhimselfwithproprietyinthedischarge
ofhisordinaryduties. Hadhemarriedamoreamiablewoman,
hemighthavebeenmadestillmorerespectablethanhe
was:~hemightevenhavebeenmadeamiablehimself;forhe
wasveryyoungwhenhemarried,andveryfondofhiswife.
ButMrs.JohnDashwoodwasastrongcaricatureofhimself;--
morenarrow-mindedandselfish.
Whenhegavehispromisetohisfather,hemeditated
withinhimselftoincreasethefortunesofhissisters
bythepresentofathousandpoundsa-piece. Hethen
reallythoughthimselfequaltoit. Theprospectoffour
thousanda-year,inadditiontohispresentincome,
besidestheremaininghalfofhisownmother'sfortune.
warmedhisheart,andmadehimfeelcapableofgenerosity.--
"Yes,hewouldgivethemthreethousandpounds:itwould
beUberalandhandsome!Itwouldbeenoughtomake
themcompletelyeasy. Threethousandpounds!hecould
sparesoconsiderableasumwithhttleinconvenience."~
Hethoughtofitalldaylong,andformanydayssuccessively,
andhedidnotrepent.
Nosoonerwashisfather'sfuneralover,thanMrs.John
Dashwood,withoutsendinganynoticeofherintentiontoher
mother-in-law,arrivedwithherchildandtheirattendants.
Noonecoulddisputeherrighttocome;thehousewas
herhusband'sfromthemomentofhisfather'sdecease;
buttheindeUcacyofherconductwassomuchthegreater,
andtoawomaninMrs.Dashwood'ssituation,withonly
commonfeelings,musthavebeenhighlyunpleasing;--
butinHERmindtherewasasenseofhonorsokeen,
agenerositysoromantic,thatanyoffenceofthekind,
bywhomsoevergivenorreceived,wastoherasource
ofimmoveabledisgust. Mrs.JohnDashwoodhadnever
beenafavouritewithanyofherhusband'sfamily;
butshehadhadnoopportunity,tillthepresent,
ofshewingthemwithhowhttleattentiontothecomfort
ofotherpeopleshecouldactwhenoccasionrequiredit.
SoacutelydidMrs.Dashwoodfeelthisungracious
behaviour,andsoearnestlydidshedespiseher
daughter-in-lawforit,that,onthearrivalofthelatter,
shewouldhavequittedthehouseforever,hadnotthe
entreatyofhereldestgirlinducedherfirsttoreflect
ontheproprietyofgoing,andherowntenderloveforall
herthreechildrendeterminedherafterwardstostay,
andfortheirsakesavoidabreachwiththeirbrother.
Elinor,thiseldestdaughter,whoseadvicewas
soeffectual,possessedastrengthofunderstanding,
andcoolnessofjudgment,whichqualifiedher,
thoughonlynineteen,tobethecounsellorofhermother,
andenabledherfrequentlytocounteract,totheadvantage
ofthemall,thateagernessofmindinMrs.Dashwood
whichmustgenerallyhaveledtoimprudence. Shehad
anexcellentheart;—herdispositionwasaffectionate,
andherfeelingswerestrong;butsheknewhowtogovern
them:itwasaknowledgewhichhermotherhadyettolearn;
andwhichoneofhersistershadresolvednevertobetaught.
Marianne'sabilitieswere,inmanyrespects,
quiteequaltoEUnor's.Shewassensibleandclever;
buteagerineverything:hersorrows,herjoys,couldhave
nomoderation. Shewasgenerous,amiable,interesting:she
waseverythingbutprudent. Theresemblancebetween
herandhermotherwasstrikinglygreat.
Elinorsaw,withconcern,theexcessofher
sister'ssensibility;butbyMrs.Dashwooditwasvalued
andcherished. Theyencouragedeachothernowinthe
violenceoftheiraffliction. Theagonyofgrief
whichoverpoweredthematfirst,wasvoluntarilyrenewed,
wassoughtfor,wascreatedagainandagain. Theygave
themselvesupwhollytotheirsorrow,seekingincrease
ofwretchednessineveryreflectionthatcouldaffordit,
andresolvedagainsteveradmittingconsolation
infuture. Elinor,too,wasdeeplyafflicted;butstill
shecouldstruggle,shecouldexertherself. Shecould
consultwithherbrother,couldreceivehersister-in-law
onherarrival,andtreatherwithproperattention;
andcouldstrivetorousehermothertosimilarexertion,
andencouragehertosimilarforbearance.
Margaret,theothersister,wasagood-humored,
well-disposedgirl;butasshehadalreadyimbibed
agooddealofMarianne'sromance,withouthaving
muchofhersense,shedidnot,atthirteen,bidfair
toequalhersistersatamoreadvancedperiodofUfe.
CHAPTER2
Mrs.JohnDashwoodnowinstalledherselfmistress
ofNorland;andhermotherandsisters-in-lawweredegraded
totheconditionofvisitors. Assuch,however,theywere
treatedbyherwithquietcivility;andbyherhusband
withasmuchkindnessashecouldfeeltowardsanybody
beyondhimself,hiswife,andtheirchild. Hereally
pressedthem,withsomeearnestness,toconsiderNorland
astheirhome;and,asnoplanappearedsoeligible
toMrs.Dashwoodasremainingtheretillshecould
accommodateherselfwithahouseintheneighbourhood,
hisinvitationwasaccepted.
Acontinuanceinaplacewhereeverythingreminded
herofformerdelight,wasexactlywhatsuitedhermind.
Inseasonsofcheerfulness,notempercouldbemorecheerful
thanhers,orpossess,inagreaterdegree,thatsanguine
expectationofhappinesswhichishappinessitself.
Butinsorrowshemustbeequallycarriedawaybyherfancy,
andasfarbeyondconsolationasinpleasureshewas
beyondalloy.
Mrs.JohnDashwooddidnotatallapproveofwhather
husbandintendedtodoforhissisters. Totakethree
thousandpoundsfromthefortuneoftheirdearlittleboy
wouldbeimpoverishinghimtothemostdreadfuldegree.
Shebeggedhimtothinkagainonthesubject. Howcould
heanswerittohimselftorobhischild,andhisonly
childtoo,ofsolargeasum? Andwhatpossibleclaim