“多可惜啊，埃莉诺，”玛丽安说，“爱德华竟对绘画毫无兴趣。”
“毫无兴趣！”埃莉诺答道，“你为何这样想？他确实自己不画，但他很喜欢看别人的作品，而且我向你保证，他天生绝非缺乏鉴赏力，只是没有机会加以培养罢了。倘若他有过学习的机缘，我想他是会画得很好的。在这种事情上他太不信任自己的判断，所以总是不愿对任何画作发表意见；但他有一种与生俱来的得体与纯朴的品味，一般来说总能正确地引导他。”
玛丽安怕得罪人，便不再多谈这个话题；不过，埃莉诺所说爱德华看别人画作时那种赞赏，与玛丽安心目中唯有狂喜般的愉悦才配称为品味的境界，相去甚远。然而，她虽暗自笑姐姐弄错了，却也敬重姐姐出于对爱德华盲目的偏袒才说出这番话。
“我希望，玛丽安，”埃莉诺继续说，“你不要以为他总体上缺乏品味。其实，我想我可以说你不可能这样认为，因为你对他的态度十分热诚，倘若那是你的看法，我敢说你绝不可能对他客气。”
玛丽安几乎不知该说什么。她绝不愿伤姐姐的感情，可要说自己不信的话又不可能。终于她答道：
“别生气，埃莉诺，若我对他的称赞并非在每件事上都合你对他功绩的看法。我不像你，没有那么多机会去估量他心思里更细微的倾向、他的喜好与趣味；但我对他的善良和见识却有着世上最高的评价。我以为他具备一切值得尊敬与可爱的品质。”
“我敢说，”埃莉诺微笑着答道，“他最亲密的朋友，对这样的称赞也不会不满意。我看不出你还能怎样更热烈地表达。”
玛丽安很高兴发现姐姐这么容易满足。
“论他的见识和善良，”埃莉诺继续说，“凡常见到他、能引他畅所欲言的人，我想都不会怀疑。他理解和原则上的优秀，只会被那种常使他沉默的羞怯所掩藏。你对他了解已足以公正看待他实在的价值。不过，你所谓更细微的倾向，因特殊情形，你比我知道得更少。有时他和我相当多地相处在一起，而你则出于最亲切的本性，全神贯注于母亲。我见过他许多面，研究过他的情思，听过他对文学与品味话题的意见；总体而言，我斗胆断言：他见闻广博，极爱读书，想象生动，观察公正准确，品味细腻纯正。他的才具在各方面都随熟识而增进，正如他的举止与风度。初见时，他的神态确不引人注目；他的容貌也很难称俊秀，除非察觉他那双异常美好的眼睛的表情，以及面容中普遍的温润。目前我如此了解他，竟觉得他实在好看；或至少，差不多好看。你说呢，玛丽安？”
“我很快就会觉得他好看，埃莉诺，若现在还不。当你叫我如兄长般爱他时，我眼中他面容的瑕疵，便不会多于此刻他心里的瑕疵。”
埃莉诺听此言吃了一惊，后悔自己一时失控，说起他来那样热切。她感到爱德华在她心目中地位极高。她相信这份看重是相互的；但她需要更大的确定，才可使玛丽安对他们恋情的确信让她舒心。她知道，玛丽安和母亲此刻揣测的，下一刻便信以为真——对她们，愿望即是希望，希望即是期待。她试图向妹妹说明真实情形。
“我不否认，”她说，“我极看重他——极尊敬，极喜欢他。”
玛丽安顿时愤然爆发——
“尊敬他！喜欢他！冷心肠的埃莉诺！哦！比冷心肠还糟！羞于另有情意。再这样说，我立刻离开这屋子。”
埃莉诺忍不住笑。“原谅我，”她说，“请放心，我那样平静地说自己的感情，绝非有意冒犯你。你且信它们比我所说的更强；简言之，信它们正如他的优点，以及他——对我有情意的揣测与希望——所可容许，而不失审慎或愚妄。但除此以外，你切不可信。我绝不敢确信他属意于我。有时那情意深浅似可疑；在他心迹全明之前，你莫怪我愿避免助长自己的偏私，不去信或称之为超乎实际的样子。我心里觉着，对他的偏好几乎无疑。但除他意愿外，尚有别的考量。他远非自立之人。他母亲究竟如何我们不知；但从范妮偶尔提及的言行见解，我们从不以为她可亲；若爱德华自己不曾觉察，若他想娶无厚产或高位的女子，前路必多阻碍，那我便大错特错了。”
玛丽安惊异于自己和母亲的想象竟远超事实。
“你当真未与他订婚！”她说，“可这肯定很快会发生。但这耽搁有两样好处。我不必这么快失去你，而爱德华更有机会培养对你所好之事的天生品味，那对你们日后幸福必不可少。哦！若他受你才情激发竟学起画来，多令人悦啊！”
埃莉诺已对妹妹说了真心话。她不能视自己对爱德华的偏私如玛丽安所信那般顺遂。他时有精神不振，若非表示冷淡，也似另有不祥。疑她心意，若他觉着，不过令他不安。那不致生出常伴他的消沉。更合理之因，或在依赖之境不许纵情。她知他母亲待他，既未使眼下之家安乐，亦未许他自组家庭，除非严循她增光门楣之意。有此认知，埃莉诺对此事难安。她远不倚仗母亲与妹妹仍视为必然的、他偏好她的结果。不，他们相处越久，他情意之质越可疑；有时，痛苦片刻，她竟信那不过是友谊。
但，不论其实限何在，既被他妹妹看破，便够令她不安，且同时（更常见者）令她无礼。她即寻机冒犯婆婆，极言其兄之大望、费拉斯太太决意二子皆娶良配、及任何少女欲勾引他所涉之险；达什伍德太太既不能装作不知，亦难强作镇定。她答以蔑视，即刻离室，决意无论骤迁多不便多费，绝不让爱女埃莉诺再受此类暗示一周。
如此心绪中，邮差递来一信，所提之议恰逢其时。乃一远亲之小宅，条件极宽；此君在德文郡颇有地位资财。信即此君所写，满纸体恤 accommodating 之谊。他知她需居所；虽现供之屋不过村舍，然若她喜其地，凡她以为必要之修缮皆允为之。详述园宅后，他恳请她携女往巴顿庄园——其自宅——亲察同教区之巴顿村舍可否改得舒适。他似真盼相助，全信友善意切，必悦其表亲；尤当她正受近亲冷酷无情之待。她无需斟酌查问。读时决已下。巴顿在德文郡，距苏塞克斯甚远，数小时前此犹为足以蔽其一切优处之弊，今却成首要之荐。离诺兰邻境已非恶；乃愿之的；较之续为媳客之惨，实乃福；永离此爱地，亦较居访于如此女主之下为少苦。她立写约翰·米德尔顿爵士，谢其善并受其议；亟示二女双书，冀发前得她们允可。
埃莉诺向来以为，她们安于离诺兰稍远处，胜似即居今识之中。故于母迁德文郡之意，她无从反对。且约翰爵士所描之宅至简，租至廉，她于两点皆无权异议；因此，虽此计未添她心中所好，虽迁离诺兰逾其所愿，她亦未劝母勿发允居之函。
“What a pity it is, Elinor,” said Marianne, “that Edward should have no
taste for drawing.”
“No taste for drawing!” replied Elinor, “why should you think so? He
does not draw himself, indeed, but he has great pleasure in seeing the
performances of other people, and I assure you he is by no means
deficient in natural taste, though he has not had opportunities of
improving it. Had he ever been in the way of learning, I think he would
have drawn very well. He distrusts his own judgment in such matters so
much, that he is always unwilling to give his opinion on any picture;
but he has an innate propriety and simplicity of taste, which in
general direct him perfectly right.”
Marianne was afraid of offending, and said no more on the subject; but
the kind of approbation which Elinor described as excited in him by the
drawings of other people, was very far from that rapturous delight,
which, in her opinion, could alone be called taste. Yet, though smiling
within herself at the mistake, she honoured her sister for that blind
partiality to Edward which produced it.
“I hope, Marianne,” continued Elinor, “you do not consider him as
deficient in general taste. Indeed, I think I may say that you cannot,
for your behaviour to him is perfectly cordial, and if _that_ were your
opinion, I am sure you could never be civil to him.”
Marianne hardly knew what to say. She would not wound the feelings of
her sister on any account, and yet to say what she did not believe was
impossible. At length she replied:
“Do not be offended, Elinor, if my praise of him is not in every thing
equal to your sense of his merits. I have not had so many opportunities
of estimating the minuter propensities of his mind, his inclinations
and tastes, as you have; but I have the highest opinion in the world of
his goodness and sense. I think him every thing that is worthy and
amiable.”
“I am sure,” replied Elinor, with a smile, “that his dearest friends
could not be dissatisfied with such commendation as that. I do not
perceive how you could express yourself more warmly.”
Marianne was rejoiced to find her sister so easily pleased.
“Of his sense and his goodness,” continued Elinor, “no one can, I
think, be in doubt, who has seen him often enough to engage him in
unreserved conversation. The excellence of his understanding and his
principles can be concealed only by that shyness which too often keeps
him silent. You know enough of him to do justice to his solid worth.
But of his minuter propensities, as you call them you have from
peculiar circumstances been kept more ignorant than myself. He and I
have been at times thrown a good deal together, while you have been
wholly engrossed on the most affectionate principle by my mother. I
have seen a great deal of him, have studied his sentiments and heard
his opinion on subjects of literature and taste; and, upon the whole, I
venture to pronounce that his mind is well-informed, enjoyment of books
exceedingly great, his imagination lively, his observation just and
correct, and his taste delicate and pure. His abilities in every
respect improve as much upon acquaintance as his manners and person. At
first sight, his address is certainly not striking; and his person can
hardly be called handsome, till the expression of his eyes, which are
uncommonly good, and the general sweetness of his countenance, is
perceived. At present, I know him so well, that I think him really
handsome; or at least, almost so. What say you, Marianne?”
