While Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters are still looking for a new home, Fanny's brother, Edward Ferrers visits them. Edward and Eleanor fall in love, but before their relationship can develop, Edward has to leave and return to London, where his mother is awaiting him. Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters move to Devonshire (in the southwest of England) where they live in a cottage belonging to Mrs. Dashwood's cousin Sir John.
One day Marianne twists her ankle when going for a walk in the fields. A handsome man on a horse comes to help her and to carry her home. His name is John Willoughby. Marianne falls desperately in love with him. Meanwhile, Colonel Brandon, a friend of Sir John, is hopelessly in love with Marianne. He fell in love with her the first moment he saw her, when she played the piano and sang a sad song in front of Sir John, his mother-in-law Mrs. Jennings, and her mother and sisters.
Just when it seems as if Willoughby is about to ask Marianne to marry him, he suddenly announces he must leave at once for London. Mrs. Jennings invites Eleanor and Marianne to accompany her to London. One evening they all go to a party where they meet Willoughby. He acts very coldly towards Marianne; later he sends her a letter telling her that he is soon to marry a rich heiress. Marianne is heartbroken.
Colonel Brandon tells Eleanor the reason why Willoughby left Marianne so suddenly: Willoughby was hoping to inherit a lot of money from his rich aunt, but when she discovered that he had got a woman pregnant and then left her, she wrote him out of her will. With no money of his own, Willoughby knew that if he married Marianne, they would live a very simple life, with no servants, no parties, and no luxuries. Willoughby decided that money was more important than his love for Marianne.
Marianne is not the only one to be unlucky in love. Lucy Steele, the cousin of Mrs. Jennings' daughter Charlotte, tells Eleanor that she has been secretly engaged to Edward Ferrers for four years. They met when Edward was a student in Plymouth studying with Mr. Pratt, Lucy's uncle. Eleanor is shocked to hear this news, but promises Lucy she will not tell anyone her secret, not even her sister Marianne.
Eleanor and Marianne decide to return to Devon and to put their unhappy memories of London behind them. However while staying the night in the country Marianne goes for a walk in the rain. She catches a terrible fever, and the doctor warns Eleanor that her sister's condition is very serious indeed and that she may die. Luckily she survives.
Back in Devon they hear that Lucy Steele has married Mr. Ferrers. They all assume Lucy's new husband is Edward Ferrers. One day without warning Edward pays them a visit. When they ask him about his wife, he informs them that it is his brother Robert whom Lucy has married. Eleanor is so relieved and so happy to hear this, she bursts into tears. As her mother and Marianne wait in the garden (and Margaret watches from her treehouse), Edward asks her to marry him, and she accepts.
Since recovering from her illness Marianne has been often visited by her patient and devoted suitor, Colonel Brandon. Belatedly she realizes what a strong and reliable man he is. The more time they spend together, the happier she becomes. They too decide to get married.
The two sisters get married on the same day in the same church. As they celebrate their wedding day, Willoughby watches from a distant field. He has a rich wife, but does he love her as much as he loved Marianne?
The story of "Sense and Sensibility" is not only about love and romance; it is also about the difficulties middle-class women faced in nineteenth-century England. They were unable to work for a living, and were financially dependent on their husbands. They could not inherit wealth if they had a brother, because property always went from father to son. Without the means to support themselves, their opportunities were extremely limited. Finding a rich husband was their only option in life.
Does this story have anything in common with twentieth-century Japan? What do you think?
Upon his father's death, Mr. John Dashwood arrives unannounced at Norland with his wife Fanny, their child Harry and their attendants. Henry's widow, 40, finds herself a guest in her own home. She hates Fanny, and wants to leave ASAP, but is urged by her sensible daughter Elinor to wait till a suitable alternative property can be found on their now limited budget. They stay at Norland for 6 months before moving out. During that time Fanny's brother, Edward Ferrars (23), is a visitor to Norland (page 13). Elinor and Edward fall in love, but Fanny warns Elinor's mother that Edward i s going to marry someone of wealth and rank (i.e. not Elinor) (page 20).
A letter arrives from Sir John Middleton, a cousin of Elinor's mother (page 21). He offers them the use of Barton Cottage, a small house on his estate in Devonshire, at a low rent. Barton is "within 4 miles northward of Exeter". They move into Barton Cottage very early in September, taking with them 'only' 3 servants (2 maids and a man), plus the china and linen from Norland (page 28). Their new home is half a mile from Barton Park where Sir John (40-ish) lives with his wife, Lady Middleton (26/27). They have four children: John (6), William and Annemarie (3).
Lady Middleton's mother, Mrs Jennings, arrives at Barton Park (page 32), and so does Colonel Brandon, a friend of Sir John. He is 35 and is an 'old bachelor' in Marianne's opinion. About a mile and a half from Barton Cottage lives a little old lady (Mrs Smith) in a big house, Allenham Court.
One day Marianne and Margaret go for a walk and get caught in a heavy shower (chapter 9, page 38). As they run home, Marianne falls, twisting her ankle. A handsome young man (25) out with his gun and dog, picks her up in his arms and carries her home. His name is John Willoughby, and he is the nephew of Mrs Smith. He has a little estate in Somerset, at Combe Magna, and is visiting his aunt from whom he hopes to inherit a lot of money. Marianne falls in love with him.
Colonel Brandon's brother-in-law lives 12 miles from Barton, at Whitwell. They plan to hold a party there, but on the morning of the party, a letter arrives for Colonel Brandon. He leaves for London at once on urgent business, cancelling the party, without telling everyone what the letter was about (chapter 13).
Marianne and Willoughby are so open in their love for each other, everyone believes them to be engaged. One day Mrs Dashwood, Elinor and Margaret return from a visit to Lady Middleton to find Marianne in floods of tears and Willoughby flushed and awkward. He tells them Mrs Smith is sending him to London and he must leave at once; he says he does not know when he will be able to return to Devon (chapter 15).
Edward Ferrars stays at Barton Cottage for a week after spending two weeks near Plymouth (chapter 16, page 80). Marianne sees a ring he is wearing which has a plait of hair in it. He says it is his sister Fanny's hair, but Elinor thinks it is her own (chapter 18, page 95).
The Middletons visit Barton Cottage with Mrs Jennings and her other daughter Charlotte, who is married to a prospective MP called Mr Palmer (26) (chapter 19, page 102). They live at Cleveland about 30 miles from Combe Magna.
Mrs Jennings meets two young sisters in Exeter who are her cousins (chapter 21, page 114). Sir John invites them to Barton Park where they stay for nearly two months. They are Anne (sometimes called Nancy) who is 30, and Lucy Steele (22 or 23) (page 116). Lucy learns from Mrs Jennings that Elinor is in love with Edward Ferrars (page 120). Lucy tells Elinor in strict secrecy that she and Edward have been engaged for four years. They met when Edward was studying for 4 years under Lucy's uncle, Mr Pratt, at Longstaple near Plymouth (page 127). Lucy asks Elinor if she noticed the ring Edward wears with a lock of her hair in . . .
Lucy and Edward cannot marry without his mother's approval because he has only 2000 of his own. Their engagement is a secret with only Anne, Lucy's sister, and Elinor in the know. Elinor realises that Lucy is warning her off as a rival (chapter 24).
Mrs J's invites Elinor and Marianne to join her (chapter 25, page 146) in Berkeley Street near Portman Square in London; they set off in the first week of January (page 152). The journey takes three days. Immediately upon arrival Elinor writes to their mother, Marianne to Willoughby. That evening a visitor arrives. Marianne is disappointed to find it is only Colonel Brandon (page 155, an excellent passage). She writes many letters to Willoughby, but receives no news from him.
About a week after their arrival they return home to find Willoughby has left a calling card (chapter 27, page 162). Lady Middleton sends a note saying she and her family have arrived in Conduit St. They have a small ball to which Sir John invites Willoughby, whom he bumped into on the street. But he doesn't show.
Colonel Brandon asks Elinor when Marianne and Willoughby are to marry, and makes it clear how much he feels for Marianne (page 166). Elinor tells him that there is no engagement to her family's knowledge.
A few days later they accompany Lady Middleton to a ball where they see Willoughby with a "very fashionable-looking woman" (page 169). Marianne asks him why he has not replied to any of her letters. He acts very stiffly and formally as if they were mere acquaintances, and promptly leaves. The next day Marianne writes again; this time she receives a reply, but it is crushing; Willoughby apologises if he led her on to believe there were anything special between them (page 176), and he returns 3 of her letters. Elinor reads his letter again and again "with indignant astonishment". Marianne tells her they were never engaged (page 179).
Mrs Jennings learns that Willoughby is to marry Miss Grey (chapter 30, page 185), who is very rich (50,000). He has run up debts by his extravagant lifestyle, and has no wealth of his own.
Colonel Brandon tells Elinor why he quit Barton the previous October on the day of the planned party at Whitwell. His father adopted his rich niece, an orphan called Eliza of almost the same age as CB. They grew up together and were much in love. They planned to elope to Scotland, but were betrayed by Eliza's maid. CB was banished to the house of a relation far distant. At 17 Eliza was married against her inclination to CB's brother (page 199) because the Brandon family estate needed her money. A few months after their marriage CB's father died, and CB was away in the East Indies with the army. Two years of a loveless marriage and infidelity later, Eliza got a divorce. Three years later CB returned to England and after six months' search found Eliza in a spunging-house (page 200), suffering from consumption. He looked after her until her death (which was 14 years ago), and took over the care for her 3-year-old daughter, "the offspring of her first guilty connection", also called Eliza (called Miss Williams elsewhere). Five years ago CB's brother died, leaving him the family property at Delaford in Dorset. Three years ago CB put Eliza (aged 14) under the care of a woman in Dorset. Last February (also 12 months ago) she disappeared after going to Bath with one of her friends who was looking after her ill father there. Then after 8 months' silence, she sent a letter to CB's home at Delaford, which was forwarded to him, arriving on the very morning of the party at Whitwell. Willoughby had seduced her and left her pregnant! CB met W (and had a duel?) (page 205). Eliza has had their baby and is being looked after in the country.
Elinor tells all this to Marianne.
Early in February W marries Miss Grey, and they leave London at once for Combe Magna. The Steele sisters arrive their cousin's house in Barlett Buildings, Holborn (page 211). Anne talks of her beau, Dr Davies.
Elinor and Marianne go to Gray's in Sackville Street to sell some of their mother's jewels. They wait a long time while a conceited young man orders a toothpick case. As he leaves, he stares at them. Shortly after, John Dashwood appears saying he and Fanny arrived in London two days ago (page 215). They have taken a house in Harley St for three months. Later he tells Elinor of the marriage Mrs Ferrars hopes Edward will agree to, to Miss Morton, the only daughter of the late Lord Morton, with 30,000 to her name. He also complains how hard-up he is, having bought East Kingham Farm next to Norland, having replaced the items Elinor et al took with them to Barton Cottage, and having laid the plans for a greenhouse. He hopes that Colonel Brandon will marry Elinor, and/or Mrs Jennings will provide for her in her will (page 222).
John and Fanny Dashwood have a party in Harley St. Mrs Ferrars makes her first appearance on page 226. The guests are witheringly described by Jane Austen: "almost all laboured under one or other of these disqualifications for being agreeable--want of sense, want of elegance, want of spirits, or want of temper."(page 228). The women discuss which child is the taller, Harry Dashwood or William Middleton. Marianne offends Mrs Ferrars and Fanny whom she finds to be rude to Elinor, before bursting into tears.
Edward Ferrars visits Elinor but finds Lucy there already. There is an embarrassed silence (chapter 35). Edward leaves, having said virtually nothing.
Charlotte Palmer gives birth to a boy (chapter 36, page 239). Mrs Jennings spends most of her time with her and the baby.
The first (and only) use by the author of 'I' (on page 241): "I come now to the relation of a misfortune which about this time befell Mrs. John Dashwood."
Mrs Dennison holds a musical party where Elinor is introduced to Edward Ferrars' younger brother Robert, the toothpick-case man. He explains that he and Edward are so different because of their different schooling. Robert went to public school (Westminster), while Edward was educated under Mr Pratt.
John Dashwood suggests to his wife that they invite Elinor and Marianne to stay with them. His conscience at having not honoured his promise to his father to look after his half-sisters is at work. Fanny is horrified at the idea, and says she was planning to invite the Miss Steeles. He agrees, his conscience pacified (chapter 36, page 247).
Mrs Jennings hears from Mr Donavan (a doctor?) that Fanny has had a great shock. She has learned that her brother Edward is engaged to Lucy Steele. Fanny in hysterics sends Lucy and her sister away. It was Nancy who let the secret of the engagement slip. When Elinor tells Marianne the news, she can finally tell her the secret she has had to hide for the last four months. Marianne is amazed at Elinor's calm and cheerful appearance. The different ways the two sisters deal with their unhappiness is brought into focus. Marianne realises how selfish she has been, and reproaches herself for her behaviour.
The next morning John Dashwood comes to tell them how Mrs Ferrars tried in vain to dissuade Edward from his engagement to Lucy; she tried to bribe him, and when that failed, told him he was cut off from the family fortune (chapter 37, page 258). The estate is settled upon Robert. Edward leaves, no one knows where.
A few days later, on a sunny Sunday, Mrs Jennings and Elinor go to Kensington Gardens (it is the second week in March) where they bump into Lucy Steele's sister. She says she overheard Edward and Lucy talking that very morning in the drawing-room. Edward is planning to become a curate and has some business to settle in Oxford. He told Lucy he could not promise her a comfortable life, and offered her the chance of breaking off their engagement. Lucy declined his offer, saying she'd be happy to live a frugal life with him. The following day Elinor receives a letter from Lucy, which paints a slightly different story. In her letter she says she offered Edward the chance to break off their engagement, but he refused (page 270).
After more than two months in London Elinor and Marianne's thoughts turn to home. They agree to travel with Mrs Jennings and Mrs Palmer to the latter's home in Cleveland, where they plan to stay one week before returning to Barton Cottage. Colonel Brandon asks Elinor to tell Edward Ferrars he may have the 'living at Delaford' (i.e. the post as local curate) if he wants it (chapter 39, page 271). Later as Elinor sits down to write to Edward, he suddenly appears in person! Mrs Jennings is mistakenly convinced Colonel Brandon has proposed to Elinor, that she has accepted, and that Edward is to be the vicar at their wedding. This misunderstanding partly stemmed from her overhearing parts of their conversation that weren't drowned out by Marianne's piano playing (chapter 40, page 279).
Edward thanks Colonel Brandon for his kind offer and accepts. He tells Lucy the news. Elinor visits the Dashwoods in Harley St to inquire after the health of Fanny who stays out of sight in her room. John Dashwood tells Elinor that Robert Ferrars is now earmarked to marry Miss Morton. Robert appears and says how unimpressed he was with Lucy Steele the only time he ever met her (chapter 41, page 292).
Very early in April Elinor, Marianne, Mrs Jennings, Charlotte and her child all set out for Cleveland. The journey takes two and a half days. Mr Palmer and Colonel Brandon join them a day later. Marianne is glad to have some wide open spaces in which she can roam freely on her own. She goes for many walks, but is careless and catches a violent cold (chapter 42, page 298).
Marianne's cold gets worse. The apothecary Mr Harris is sent for. When he says it might be infectious, Mrs Palmer takes fright and leaves at once with her baby to stay with friends near Bath. Her husband follows her the following day, but Mrs Jennings stays to help look after Marianne. As the cold gets worse and Mr Harris' remedies fail to effect a cure, Marianne calls out for her mother. Elinor is very worried, but there is help at hand; Colonel Brandon offers to fetch her from Barton at once, and sets off at midnight (chapter 43, page 304). By noon the next day Marianne starts to get better.
At eight that evening Elinor hears a coach arrive, and thinks it must be her mother. To her utter amazement in walks Willoughby (page 309)! He left London at eight that morning, only stopping for ten minutes at Marlborough for a pint of porter (= fortified wine) and cold beef. He is drunk, but is determined to explain to Elinor why he left Marianne and married Miss Grey (chapter 44, page 311). His extravagant tastes and idleness had caused him to run up debts. He was always planning to marry money to finance his lifestyle, when after initially just dallying with Marianne, he realised he had fallen in love with her. When news of his seduction of Eliza Williams reached the ears of his aunt Mrs Smith, she sent him packing. Threatened with penury, he chose to marry Miss Sophia Grey and assure himself of financial security for life. He hoped to forget Marianne, but when she showed up at the ball in London, he realised he still loved her. Miss Grey realised Marianne must be the woman about whom she had heard rumours, and in a fit of jealousy demanded Willoughby write a letter she drafted (the one that coldly apologised for giving Marianne the impression there was ever anything between them) (page 321).
Elinor is wary of listening to him at first, as she expects her mother to arrive shortly, but on hearing his story and seeing how much he still cares for Marianne, her heart softens towards him. She is not blind to his crimes, but blames "too early an independence and its consequent habits of idleness, dissipation, and luxury" for his woes. "The world had made him extravagant and vain" (page 324). As quickly as he came, Willoughby goes again "He almost ran out of the room" (page 326).
Within half an hour of his leaving, another carriage draws up; her mother arrives convinced Marianne must have died already and is overjoyed to find her better. She tells Elinor how happy Marianne would be if she married Colonel Brandon (chapter 45).
Elinor, Marianne and their mother set off for Barton, a journey of two days. Marianne resolves to turn over a new leaf, rising at six and reading for six hours every day. Elinor smiles at her sister's OTT character, going from one extreme to the other ("languid indolence and selfish repining" to "rational employment and virtuous self-control", chapter 46, page 336).
After two or three days at home the sisters go out for a walk, and talk about Willoughby. Elinor tells Marianne of his visit and what he said, to put her mind at ease on this point: "if I could be allowed to think that he was not always acting a part, not always deceiving me" (page 337). Marianne listens in tearful silence, and is overwhelmed to find that Willoughby did indeed love her as she always thought.
In chapter 47 they discuss why Marianne is better off without Willoughby: if they had married, his spendthrift ways would have got them into all sorts of financial trouble, and it is doubtful their love would have survived
They are told of Mr Ferrars' marriage to Miss Steele by Thomas, their servant, who saw them that very morning while running an errand in Exeter. Marianne "fell back in her chair in hysterics" while Elinor turned pale (page 346).
In chapter 48 Elinor is shocked by the news, and wonders why none of her acquaintances in London bothered to inform her of the marriage. She looks forward to a visit from Colonel Brandon who her mother tells her should be coming any day. Whereupon she spots a man on horseback riding towards them. It is Edward Ferrars! She is "white with agitation", and tells herself "I will be calm; I will be mistress of myself"(page 351). They talk of the weather!!! Then Mrs Dashwood asks after Mrs Ferrars (meaning Lucy, his new wife), and whether she is at Longstaple. Edward says, "No, my mother is in town." "I meant," said Elinor, taking up some work from the table, "to inquire after Mrs. Edward Ferrars." It turns out Lucy has married his brother Robert instead, and they are now in Dawlish. Elinor "almost ran out of the room, and as soon as the door was closed, burst into tears of joy, which at first she thought would never cease" (page 353). Edward walks out the house towards the village . . .
He comes back and asks Elinor to marry him. She accepts. Now 24 he looks back on the foolishness of his engagement to Lucy, and blames it on his not having anything to occupy his mind before going to Oxford to study (chapter 49, page 355). Echoes of Willoughby, then, with too much free time being dangerous to our spiritual health. Edward spends a week at Barton Cottage. He shows Elinor the letter he received from Lucy informing him of her marriage to his brother. Within 24 hours of receiving Lucy's letter, Edward set off for Barton to propose to Elinor. He rightly surmises that his mother will forgive Robert for marrying Lucy (for he was always her favourite).
About four days after Edward's arrival, Colonel Brandon appears. The two men become firm friends. Elinor encourages Edward to build bridges with his mother, which he reluctantly does. Three or four days after Colonel Brandon's arrival, he and Edward set off for Delaford, and after a couple of nights there Edward continued on to London. He is accepted back into the family by his mother, but not given the promise of any money (chapter 50, page 366).
Edward and Elinor marry in Barton church early in the autumn. Marianne now 19 marries Colonel Brandon. Mrs Smith forgives Willoughby, "stating his marriage to a woman of character as the source of her clemency" (so making him think if he had behaved with honour towards Marianne, he might have been happy and rich) (page 373).
And everyone lives happily ever after.