Chapter 26.docx

Chapter 26.docx

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Chapter26

Chapter2

MRS.JOHNDASHWOODnowinstalledherselfmistressofNorland;andhermotherandsisters-in-lawweredegradedtotheconditionofvisitors.Assuch,however,theyweretreatedbyherwithquietcivility;andbyherhusbandwithasmuchkindnessashecouldfeeltowardsanybodybeyondhimself,hiswife,andtheirchild.Hereallypressedthem,withsomeearnestness,toconsiderNorlandastheirhome;and,asnoplanappearedsoeligibletoMrs.Dashwoodasremainingtheretillshecouldaccommodateherselfwithahouseintheneighborhood,hisinvitationwasaccepted.

Acontinuanceinaplacewhereeverythingremindedherofformerdelightwasexactlywhatsuitedhermind.Inseasonsofcheerfulness,notempercouldbemorecheerfulthanhers,orpossess,inagreaterdegree,thatsanguineexpectationofhappinesswhichishappinessitself.Butinsorrowshemustbeequallycarriedawaybyherfancy,andasfarbeyondconsolationasinpleasureshewasbeyondalloy.

Mrs.JohnDashwooddidnotatallapproveofwhatherhusbandintendedtodoforhissisters.Totakethreethousandpoundsfromthefortuneoftheirdearlittleboywouldbeimpoverishinghimtothemostdreadfuldegree.Shebeggedhimtothinkagainonthesubject.Howcouldheanswerittohimselftorobhischild,andhisonlychildtoo,ofsolargeasum?

AndwhatpossibleclaimcouldtheMissesDashwood,whowererelatedtohimonlybyhalfblood,whichsheconsideredasnorelationshipatall,haveonhisgenerositytosolargeanamount?

Itwasverywellknownthatnoaffectionwaseversupposedtoexistbetweenthechildrenofanymanbydifferentmarriages;andwhywashetoruinhimself,andtheirpoorlittleHarry,bygivingawayallhismoneytohishalfsisters?

"Itwasmyfather'slastrequesttome,"repliedherhusband,"thatIshouldassisthiswidowanddaughters.""Hedidnotknowwhathewastalkingoff,Idaresay;tentoonebuthewaslight-headedatthetime.Hadhebeeninhisrightsenses,hecouldnothavethoughtofsuchathingasbeggingyoutogiveawayhalfyourfortunefromyourownchild.""Hedidnotstipulateforanyparticularsum,mydearFanny;heonlyrequestedme,ingeneralterms,toassistthem,andmaketheirsituationmorecomfortablethanitwasinhispowertodo.Perhapsitwouldhavebeenaswellifhehadleftitwhollytomyself.HecouldhardlysupposeIshouldneglectthem.Butasherequiredthepromise,Icouldnotdolessthangiveit;atleastIthoughtsoatthetime.Thepromise,therefore,wasgiven,andmustbeperformed.SomethingmustbedoneforthemwhenevertheyleaveNorlandandsettleinanewhome.""Well,then,letsomethingbedoneforthem;butthatsomethingneednotbethreethousandpounds.Consider,"sheadded,"thatwhenthemoneyisoncepartedwith,itnevercanreturn.Yoursisterswillmarry,anditwillbegoneforever.If,indeed,itcouldberestoredtoourpoorlittleboy-""Why,tobesure,"saidherhusband,verygravely,"thatwouldmakegreatdifference.ThetimemaycomewhenHarrywillregretthatsolargeasumwaspartedwith.Ifheshouldhaveanumerousfamily,forinstance,itwouldbeaveryconvenientaddition.""Tobesureitwould.""Perhaps,then,itwouldbebetterforallparties,ifthesumwerediminishedonehalf.Fivehundredpoundswouldbeaprodigiousincreasetotheirfortunes!

""Oh!

beyondanythinggreat!

Whatbrotheronearthwoulddohalfsomuchforhissisters,evenifreallyhissisters!

Andasitis-onlyhalfblood!

-Butyouhavesuchagenerousspirit!

""Iwouldnotwishtodoanythingmean,"hereplied."Onehadrather,onsuchoccasions,dotoomuchthantoolittle.Noone,atleast,canthinkIhavenotdoneenoughforthem:

eventhemselves,theycanhardlyexpectmore.""Thereisnoknowingwhattheymayexpect,"saidthelady,"butwearenottothinkoftheirexpectations:

thequestionis,whatyoucanaffordtodo.""Certainly;andIthinkImayaffordtogivethemfivehundredpoundsapiece.Asitis,withoutanyadditionofmine,theywilleachhaveaboutthreethousandpoundsontheirmother'sdeath-averycomfortablefortuneforanyyoungwoman.""Tobesureitis;and,indeed,itstrikesmethattheycanwantnoadditionatall.Theywillhavetenthousandpoundsdividedamongstthem.Iftheymarry,theywillbesureofdoingwell,andiftheydonot,theymayallliveverycomfortablytogetherontheinterestoftenthousandpounds.""Thatisverytrue,and,therefore,Idonotknowwhether,uponthewhole,itwouldnotbemoreadvisabletodosomethingfortheirmotherwhileshelives,ratherthanforthem-somethingoftheannuitykindImean.Mysisterswouldfeelthegoodeffectsofitaswellasherself.Ahundredayearwouldmakethemallperfectlycomfortable."Hiswifehesitatedalittle,however,ingivingherconsenttothisplan."Tobesure,"saidshe,"itisbetterthanpartingwithfifteenhundredpoundsatonce.But,then,ifMrs.Dashwoodshouldlivefifteenyears,weshallbecompletelytakenin.""Fifteenyears!

mydearFanny;herlifecannotbeworthhalfthatpurchase.""Certainlynot;butifyouobserve,peoplealwaysliveforeverwhenthereisanannuitytobepaidthem;andsheisverystoutandhealthy,andhardlyforty.Anannuityisaveryseriousbusiness;itcomesoverandovereveryyear,andthereisnogettingridofit.Youarenotawareofwhatyouaredoing.Ihaveknownagreatdealofthetroubleofannuities;formymotherwascloggedwiththepaymentofthreetooldsuperannuatedservantsbymyfather'swill,anditisamazinghowdisagreeableshefoundit.Twiceeveryyeartheseannuitiesweretobepaid;andthentherewasthetroubleofgettingittothem;andthenoneofthemwassaidtohavedied,andafterwardsitturnedouttobenosuchthing.Mymotherwasquitesickofit.Herincomewasnotherown,shesaid,withsuchperpetualclaimsonit;anditwasthemoreunkindinmyfather,because,otherwise,themoneywouldhavebeenentirelyatmymother'sdisposal,withoutanyrestrictionwhatever.Ithasgivenmesuchanabhorrenceofannuities,thatIamsureIwouldnotpinmyselfdowntothepaymentofoneforalltheworld.""Itiscertainlyanunpleasantthing,"repliedMr.Dashwood,"tohavethosekindofyearlydrainsonone'sincome.One'sfortune,asyourmotherjustlysays,isnotone'sown.Tobetieddowntotheregularpaymentofsuchasum,oneveryrent-day,isbynomeansdesirable:

ittakesawayone'sindependence.""Undoubtedly;and,afterall,youhavenothanksforit.Theythinkthemselvessecure;youdonomorethanwhatisexpected,anditraisesnogratitudeatall.IfIwereyou,whateverIdidshouldbedoneatmyowndiscretionentirely.Iwouldnotbindmyselftoallowthemanythingyearly.Itmaybeveryinconvenientsomeyearstospareahundred,orevenfiftypoundsfromourownexpenses.""Ibelieveyouareright,mylove;itwillbebetterthatthereshouldbynoannuityinthecase:

whateverImaygivethemoccasionallywillbeoffargreaterassistancethanayearlyallowance,becausetheywouldonlyenlargetheirstyleoflivingiftheyfeltsureofalargerincome,andwouldnotbesixpencethericherforitattheendoftheyear.Itwillcertainlybemuchthebestway.Apresentoffiftypounds,nowandthen,willpreventtheireverbeingdistressedformoney,andwill,Ithink,beamplydischargingmypromisetomyfather.""Tobesureitwill.Indeed,tosaythetruth,Iamconvincedwithinmyselfthatyourfatherhadnoideaofyourgivingthemanymoneyatall.Theassistancehethoughtof,Idaresay,wasonlysuchasmightbereasonablyexpectedofyou;forinstance,suchaslookingoutforacomfortablesmallhouseforthem,helpingthemtomovetheirthings,andsendingthempresentsoffishandgame,andsoforth,whenevertheyareinseason.I'lllaymylifethathemeantnothingfarther;indeed,itwouldbeverystrangeandunreasonableifhedid.Dobutconsider,mydearMr.Dashwood,howexcessivelycomfortableyourmother-in-lawandherdaughtersmayliveontheinterestofseventhousandpounds,besidesthethousandpoundsbelongingtoeachofthegirls,whichbringstheminfiftypoundsayearapiece,and,ofcourse,theywillpaytheirmotherfortheirboardoutofit.Altogether,theywillhavefivehundredayearamongstthem,andwhatonearthcanfourwomenwantformorethanthat?

-Theywilllivesocheap!

Theirhouse-keepingwillbenothingatall.Theywillhavenocarriage,nohorses,andhardlyanyservants;theywillkeepnocompany,andcanhavenoexpensesofanykind!

Onlyconceivehowcomfortabletheywillbe!

Fivehundredayear!

IamsureIcannotimaginehowtheywillspendhalfofit;andastoyourgivingthemmore,itisquiteabsurdtothinkofit.Theywillbemuchmoreabletogiveyousomething.""Uponmyword,"saidMr.Dashwood,"Ibelieveyouareperfectlyright.Myfathercertainlycouldmeannothingmorebyhisrequesttomethanwhatyousay.Iclearlyunderstanditnow,andIwillstrictlyfulfilmyengagementbysuchactsofassistanceandkindnesstothemasyouhavedescribed.WhenmymotherremovesintoanotherhousemyservicesshallbereadilygiventoaccommodateherasfarasIcan.Somelittlepresentoffurnituretoomaybeacceptablethen.""Certainly,"returnedMrs.JohnDashwood."But,however,onethingmustbeconsidered.WhenyourfatherandmothermovedtoNorland,thoughthefurnitureofStanhillwassold,allthechina,plate,andlinenwassaved,andisnowlefttoyourmother.Herhousewillthereforebealmostcompletelyfittedupassoonasshetakesit.""Thatisamaterialconsiderationundoubtedly.Avaluablelegacyindeed!

Andyetsomeoftheplatewouldhavebeenaverypleasantadditiontoourownstockhere.""Yes;andthesetof