ubtful; and till his sentiments are fully known,
you cannot wonder at my wishing to avoid any encouragement of my own
partiality, by believing or calling it more than it is. In my heart I
feel little--scarcely any doubt of his preference. But there are other
points to be considered besides his inclination. He is very far from
being independent. What his mother really is we cannot know; but, from
Fanny's occasional mention of her conduct and opinions, we have never
been disposed to think her amiable; and I am very much mistaken if
Edward is not himself aware that there would be many difficulties in
his way, if he were to wish to marry a woman who had not either a
great fortune or high rank."

Marianne was astonished to find how much the imagination of her mother
and herself had outstripped the truth.

"And you really are not engaged to him!" said she. "Yet it certainly
soon will happen. But two advantages will proceed from this delay. I
shall not lose you so soon, and Edward will have greater opportunity
of improving that natural taste for your favourite pursuit which must
be so indispensably necessary to your future felicity. Oh! if he
should be so far stimulated by your genius as to learn to draw
himself, how delightful it would be!"

Elinor had given her real opinion to her sister. She could not
consider her partiality for Edward in so prosperous a state as
Marianne had believed it. There was, at times, a want of spirits about
him which, if it did not denote indifference, spoke of something
almost as unpromising. A doubt of her regard, supposing him to feel
it, need not give him more than inquietude. It would not be likely to
produce that dejection of mind which frequently attended him. A more
reasonable cause might be found in the dependent situation which
forbade the indulgence of his affection. She knew that his mother
neither behaved to him so as to make his home comfortable at present,
nor to give him any assurance that he might form a home for himself,
without strictly attending to her views for his aggrandizement. With
such a knowledge as this, it was impossible for Elinor to feel easy on
the subject. She was far from depending on that result of his
preference of her, which her mother and sister still considered as
certain. Nay, the longer they were together the more doubtful seemed
the nature of his regard; and sometimes, for a few painful minutes,
she believed it to be no more than friendship.

But, what