CHAPTER EIGHT

Mrs Jennings' husband had died many years ago, leaving her a great fortune to spend happily, as both of her daughters had already married wealthy husbands. She was quick at discovering secret relationships between young people, and enjoyed embarrassing such couples in public. Soon after her arrival at Barton Park, she announced that Colonel Brandon was very much in love with Marianne Dashwood. It would be an excellent match, for he was rich and she was handsome, she often declared. Mrs Jennings had been anxious to find Colonel Brandon a wife since they had met soon after her daughter was married to Sir John; and she was always anxious to get a good husband for every pretty girl.

Marianne was rather confused, as she felt Colonel Brandon to be quite an old man at thirty-five years old, and pitied him in that he had not found love in his younger years. Her mother, however, could not believe a man five years younger than herself to be old.

"But at least, Mama, you cannot deny how foolish Mrs Jennings is in her belief that Colonel Brandon and I could marry. He is old enough to be my father, and if he were ever alive enough to be in love, he must have lost that feeling long ago!"

"Are you calling him weak?" asked Elinor. "I know you look at him as much older than our mother does, but you must not call him weak! He is but thirty-five years old."

"My dear child," began their mother, laughing, "if you believe Colonel Brandon to be old, you must think I will soon die, as I am still older than Colonel Brandon."

"Mama, I know he is not near the age of death, but at thirty-five years old, he should not be thinking of marriage."

"Perhaps," said Elinor, "a man of thirty-five and a young woman of seventeen should not think of marrying. But if there is a woman who is single at twenty-seven, I think Colonel Brandon could marry her."

"A woman of twenty seven," said Marianne, after a moment of silence, "can never feel love again. If she has a small fortune, she cannot think she will ever marry. In his marrying such a woman, it would be an agreement for convenience. I believe, however, such a marriage would mean nothing, without true love felt for each other. This would simply be a business exchange."

Soon after this conversation ended, Elinor left the room. Marianne then turned to her mother with a worried look.

"Mama," she said, "I am sure Edward Ferrars is not well. We have now been here almost two weeks, and yet he does not come to visit. Why has he not come yet?"

"Why did you think he might come so soon for a visit?" said Mrs Dashwood. "I did not believe he would come so early. Does Elinor expect him already?"

"I have never mentioned it to her; but, of course she must."

"I rather think you are mistaken. She has not spoken of Edward Ferrars coming for a visit."

"How strange this is! Their goodbye to each other was rather cold and unfeeling! That last evening together, their conversation was rather dull and weak."

(end of section)