Sense and Sensibility | Page 7

you; for instance, such as looking out for a
comfortable small house for them, helping them to move their things,
and sending them presents of fish and game, and so forth, whenever
they are in season. I'll lay my life that he meant nothing farther; indeed,

it would be very strange and unreasonable if he did. Do but consider,
my dear Mr. Dashwood, 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 brings them in fifty pounds a year a-piece, and, of course,
they will pay their mother for their board out of it. Altogether, they will
have five hundred a-year amongst them, and what on earth can four
women want for more than that?--They will live so cheap! Their
housekeeping will be nothing at all. They will have no carriage, no
horses, and hardly any servants; they will keep no company, and can
have no expenses of any kind! Only conceive how comfortable they
will be! Five hundred a year! I am sure I cannot imagine how they will
spend half of it; and as to your giving them more, it is quite absurd to
think of it. They will be much more able to give YOU something."
"Upon my word," said Mr. Dashwood, "I believe you are perfectly right.
My father certainly could mean nothing more by his request to me than
what you say. I clearly understand it now, and I will strictly fulfil my
engagement by such acts of assistance and kindness to them as you
have described. When my mother removes into another house my
services shall be readily given to accommodate her as far as I can.
Some little present of furniture too may be acceptable then."
"Certainly," returned Mrs. John Dashwood. "But, however, ONE thing
must be considered. When your father and mother moved to Norland,
though the furniture of Stanhill was sold, all the china, plate, and linen
was saved, and is now left to your mother. Her house will therefore be
almost completely fitted up as soon as she takes it."
"That is a material consideration undoubtedly. A valuable legacy
indeed! And yet some of the plate would have been a very pleasant
addition to our own stock here."
"Yes; and the set of breakfast china is twice as handsome as what
belongs to this house. A great deal too handsome, in my opinion, for
any place THEY can ever afford to live in. But, however, so it is. Your
father thought only of THEM. And I must say this: that you owe no
particular gratitude to him, nor attention to his wishes; for we very well

know that if he could, he would have left almost everything in the
world to THEM."
This argument was irresistible. It gave to his intentions whatever of
decision was wanting before; and he finally resolved, that it would be
absolutely unnecessary, if not highly indecorous, to do more for the
widow and children of his father, than such kind of neighbourly acts as
his own wife pointed out.






CHAPTER 3
Mrs. Dashwood remained at Norland several months; not from any
disinclination to move when the sight of every well known spot ceased
to raise the violent emotion which it produced for a while; for when her
spirits began to revive, and her mind became capable of some other
exertion than that of heightening its affliction by melancholy
remembrances, she was impatient to be gone, and indefatigable in her
inquiries for a suitable dwelling in the neighbourhood of Norland; for
to remove far from that beloved spot was impossible. But she could
hear of no situation 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. Dashwood had been informed by her husband of the solemn
promise on the part of his son in their favour, which gave comfort to

his last earthly reflections. She doubted the sincerity of this assurance
no more than he had doubted it himself, and she thought of it for her
daughters' sake with satisfaction, though as for herself she was
persuaded that a much smaller provision than 7000L would support her
in affluence. For their brother's sake, too, for the sake of his own heart,
she rejoiced; and she reproached herself for being unjust to his merit
before, in believing him incapable of generosity. His attentive
behaviour to herself and his sisters convinced her that their welfare was
dear to him, and, for a long time, she firmly relied on the liberality of
his intentions.
The contempt which she had,