CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Mrs Palmer was so well after two weeks, that her mother no longer felt it necessary to stay all day with her daughter. One evening, Mrs Jennings returned home from visiting her daughter, eager to tell the two Dashwood girls of the news she had just received. Mrs Palmer's doctor was visiting the child, as it had recently become ill. During his visit, Mrs Jennings asked if he had seen Mr and Mrs John Dashwood recently. The doctor smiled, explaining that he had seen them the night before.

During the previous night, while the Steele sisters were enjoying their stay at the Dashwoods, Anne Steele accidentally mentioned her sister's engagement to Mrs Dashwood. Fanny then began screaming at the two girls, insisting that they leave immediately. She became so upset that the doctor was called to calm her. The Steele girls were ordered to leave immediately, and went to stay with another cousin in town. Mrs Jennings greatly pitied Edward, who now would receive nothing from his mother, and would be forced to marry with no fortune.

After Mrs Jennings had finished, Elinor took her sister into their room to explain how she had known of the engagement. Marianne was shocked, and felt a great amount of guilt for insisting that Elinor was happy while she herself suffered.

"How long has this been know to you, Elinor?"

"I have known these four months. When Lucy first came to Barton Park last November she told me of her engagement. At first, of course, I was upset, but it has been a long time, and I can now speak of it with little emotion."

"Four months!" cried Marianne. "So calm! So cheerful! You cared for me while I suffered, and I was angry with you for being happy! I have treated you terribly."

Elinor was touched that her sister was so upset, and assured her that she was no longer in pain.

The next morning, their brother came to see them.

"Your sister, Fanny," he said, "has suffered terribly. Mrs Ferrars, too. Poor Fanny! She was crying all day. Yesterday, Mrs Ferrars met with Edward. She insisted that he end his engagement, but he refused. I did not know he could be so unfeeling. His mother offered him a great fortune if he would end his engagement, but he continued to refuse. Therefore, she told him that he would only have two thousand pounds, and she would no longer consider him her son. He left her house yesterday, but we do not know where he has gone."

"Poor young man! What will happen to him?" asked Mrs Jennings sincerely.

"Yes, it is upsetting, he would have been so wealthy if he had married Miss Morton, as she has a great fortune herself, and Edward's mother would have given him a great deal, as well. Now, however, Mrs Ferrars plans to give a large amount of money and land to his younger brother, Robert."

Mr John Dashwood stayed for a short time before leaving to see his wife, who was suffering terribly, he explained.

(end of section)