达什伍德太太的回信刚一发出，便欣然向女婿和儿媳宣布，她已经找好了一处房子，在一切准备就绪可以搬进去之前，不会再打扰他们了。他们听后十分惊讶。约翰·达什伍德太太一言未发；她丈夫却客气地表示，希望她不要安家在离诺兰太远的地方。她非常满意地答复说，她要去德文郡。——爱德华一听这话，急忙转过身来，用一种既惊讶又关切的声调重复道，那声调无需她解释也能明白：“德文郡！你当真要去那里吗？离这儿这么远！去那儿的什么地方？”她说明了地点。那地方在埃克塞特以北不到四英里。
“那不过是一间村舍，”她接着说，“但我希望在里面见到许多朋友。添一两间屋子很容易；如果我的朋友们觉得大老远来看我不费什么劲，我肯定招待他们也不费什么劲。”
最后她非常诚恳地邀请约翰·达什伍德先生和太太到巴顿来看她；对爱德华，她发出的邀请则带着更深的情谊。虽然她刚与儿媳的那番谈话，使她下定决心，除非万不得已，绝不在诺兰多留；但那番谈话在它主要指向的一点上，对她没有产生丝毫影响。使爱德华和埃莉诺分开，远不是她的目的；她要通过这种对弟郎明目张胆的邀请，向约翰·达什伍德太太表明，她全然不顾后者对这桩亲事的反对。
约翰·达什伍德先生一再对母亲说，她把房子租在离诺兰这么远的地方，使他无法在搬家具上帮她一点忙，他对此感到非常遗憾。在这件事上，他确实出于良心感到烦恼；因为他对自己向父亲许下的诺言所限定的履行方式，竟因这样的安排而变得行不通了。——家具全都走水路运走了。主要包括家用亚麻布、银器、瓷器和书籍，还有玛丽安的一架漂亮钢琴。约翰·达什伍德太太眼看着包裹离去，叹了口气：她不禁感到不平，达什伍德太太的收入与自家相比那样微薄，竟还拥有任何像样的家具。
达什伍德太太租了那房子一年；里面家具齐全，她可以立即入住。双方立约都没什么困难；她只等处置好在诺兰的物品，并定下将来的家用人员，便动身西行；而由于凡关乎心意的事她都极有效率，这很快便办妥了。——丈夫留给她的马在他死后不久便卖了，这时正有个机会处置她的马车，她便在大女儿恳切劝告下，也同意卖掉。若只依自己心愿，为孩子们舒服起见，她本想留下；但埃莉诺的审慎占了上风。她的明智还将仆人限为三名；两个女仆，一个男仆，他们很快便从诺兰原有家仆中挑齐了。
那男仆和一名女仆立刻被打发去德文郡，为女主人到来收拾房子；因为米德尔顿爵士夫人对达什伍德太太完全陌生，她宁愿直接去村舍，也不愿做巴顿庄园的客人；她毫不怀疑地信赖约翰爵士对那房子的描述，以至于在作为主人跨进门前，自己连去查看一下的好奇心都没有。儿媳对她的搬走明显满意，这使她急于离开诺兰的心意毫未减弱；那满意只在一句冷淡的挽留她暂缓启程中，勉强遮掩了一下。此刻正是女婿向父亲践诺的最合宜时机。既然他刚继承产业时疏忽了，他们搬出他的房子便可视作履行的最佳时刻。但达什伍德太太不久便放弃了这类指望，并从他言谈的大意中确信，他的帮助不过是在诺兰供养他们六个月。他如此频繁地念叨家用开支日增，以及一个世上略有体面的人无可估量地总要向他的钱袋伸手，他似乎自己更需要钱，而非打算散财。
自米德尔顿爵士第一封信送到诺兰起，不过几周，他们在未来住处的诸事便安排妥当，足以让达什伍德太太和女儿们启程了。
她们向这极喜爱的地方作最后告别时，洒了许多泪。“亲爱的，亲爱的诺兰！”临走前最后一晚，玛丽安独自在屋前徘徊，说道，“我何时才能不再为你伤怀！——何时才能在他处觉出家的感觉！——哦！幸福的屋子，你若能知我从这或许再不得见你的所在望着你，是何等苦楚！——还有你们，熟识的树木！——但你们仍将依旧。——不因我们离去而有一叶凋零，不因我们不复观望而有一枝静止！——不；你们仍将依旧；不知你们带来的欢愉或怅惘，不觉荫下行走之人的丝毫改变！——但谁留下来享受你们呢？”
No sooner was her answer dispatched, than Mrs. Dashwood indulged
herself in the pleasure of announcing to her son-in-law and his wife
that she was provided with a house, and should incommode them no longer
than till every thing were ready for her inhabiting it. They heard her
with surprise. Mrs. John Dashwood said nothing; but her husband civilly
hoped that she would not be settled far from Norland. She had great
satisfaction in replying that she was going into Devonshire.—Edward
turned hastily towards her, on hearing this, and, in a voice of
surprise and concern, which required no explanation to her, repeated,
“Devonshire! Are you, indeed, going there? So far from hence! And to
what part of it?” She explained the situation. It was within four miles
northward of Exeter.
“It is but a cottage,” she continued, “but I hope to see many of my
friends in it. A room or two can easily be added; and if my friends
find no difficulty in travelling so far to see me, I am sure I will
find none in accommodating them.”
She concluded with a very kind invitation to Mr. and Mrs. John Dashwood
to visit her at Barton; and to Edward she gave one with still greater
affection. Though her late conversation with her daughter-in-law had
made her resolve on remaining at Norland no longer than was
unavoidable, it had not produced the smallest effect on her in that
point to which it principally tended. To separate Edward and Elinor was
as far from being her object as ever; and she wished to show Mrs. John
Dashwood, by this pointed invitation to her brother, how totally she
disregarded her disapprobation of the match.
Mr. John Dashwood told his mother again and again how exceedingly sorry
he was that she had taken a house at such a distance from Norland as to
prevent his being of any service to her in removing her furniture. He
really felt conscientiously vexed on the occasion; for the very
exertion to which he had limited the performance of his promise to his
father was by this arrangement rendered impracticable.—The furniture
was all sent around by water. It chiefly consisted of household linen,
plate, china, and books, with a handsome pianoforte of Marianne’s. Mrs.
John Dashwood saw the packages depart with a sigh: she could not help
feeling it hard that as Mrs. Dashwood’s income would be so trifling in
comparison with their own, she should have any handsome article of
furniture.
Mrs. Dashwood took the house for a twelvemonth; it was ready furnished,
and she might have immediate possession. No difficulty arose on either
side in the agreement; and she waited only for the disposal of her
effects at Norland, and to determine her future household, before she
set off for the west; and this, as she was exceedingly rapid in the
performance of everything that interested her, was soon done.—The
horses which were left her by her husband had been sold soon after his
death, and an opportunity now offering of disposing of her carriage,
she agreed to sell that likewise at the earnest advice of her eldest
daughter. For the comfort of her children, had she consulted only her
own wishes, she would have kept it; but the discretion of Elinor
prevailed. _Her_ wisdom too limited the number of their servants to
three; two maids and a man, with whom they were speedily provided from
amongst those who had formed their establishment at Norland.
The man and one of the maids were sent off immediately into Devonshire,
to prepare the house for their mistress’s arrival; for as Lady
Middleton was entirely unknown to Mrs. Dashwood, she preferred going
directly to the cottage to being a visitor at Barton Park; and she
relied so undoubtingly on Sir John’s description of the house, as to
feel no curiosity to examine it herself till she entered it as her own.
Her eagerness to be gone from Norland was preserved from diminution by
the evident satisfaction of her daughter-in-law in the prospect of her
removal; a satisfaction which was but feebly attempted to be concealed
under a cold invitation to her to defer her departure. Now was the time
when her son-in-law’s promise to his father might with particular
propriety be fulfilled. Since he had neglected to do it on first coming
to the estate, their quitting his house might be looked on as the most
suitable period for its accomplishment. But Mrs. Dashwood began shortly
to give over every hope of the kind, and to be convinced, from the
general drift of his discourse, that his assistance extended no farther
than their maintenance for six months at Norland. He so frequently
talked of the increasing expenses of housekeeping, and of the perpetual
demands upon his purse, which a man of any consequence in the world was
beyond calculation exposed to, that he seemed rather to stand in need
of more money himself than to have any design of giving money away.
In a very few weeks from the day which brought Sir John Middleton’s
first letter to Norland, every thing was so far settled in their future
abode as to enable Mrs. Dashwood and her daughters to begin their
journey.
Many were the tears shed by them in their last adieus to a place so
much beloved. “Dear, dear Norland!” said Marianne, as she wandered
alone before the house, on the last evening of their being there; “when
shall I cease to regret you!—when learn to feel a home elsewhere!—Oh!
happy house, could you know what I suffer in now viewing you from this
spot, from whence perhaps I may view you no more!—And you, ye
well-known trees!—but you will continue the same.—No leaf will decay
because we are removed, nor any branch become motionless although we
can observe you no longer!—No; you will continue the same; unconscious
of the pleasure or the regret you occasion, and insensible of any
change in those who walk under your shade!—But who will remain to enjoy
you?”
