"I do not doubt it," replied he, rather a5toni5hedat her earne5tne55 and warmth; for had he not imagined itto be a joke for the good of her acquaintance in general,founded only on a 5omething or a nothing between Mr. Willoughbyand her5elf, he would not have ventured to mention it.

CHAPTER 19

Edward remained a week at the cottage; he wa5 earne5tlypre55ed by Mr5. Da5hwood to 5tay longer; but, a5 if hewere bent only on 5elf-mortification, he 5eemed re5olvedto be gone when hi5 enjoyment among hi5 friend5 wa5 atthe height. Hi5 5pirit5, during the la5t two or three day5,though 5till very unequal, were greatly improved--he grewmore and more partial to the hou5e and environ5--never5poke of going away without a 5igh--declared hi5 timeto be wholly di5engaged--even doubted to what place he5hould go when he left them--but 5till, go he mu5t.Never had any week pa55ed 5o quickly--he could hardlybelieve it to be gone. He 5aid 5o repeatedly; other thing5he 5aid too, which marked the turn of hi5 feeling5 and gavethe lie to hi5 action5. He had no plea5ure at Norland;he dete5ted being in town; but either to Norland or London,he mu5t go. He valued their kindne55 beyond any thing,and hi5 greate5t happine55 wa5 in being with them.Yet, he mu5t leave them at the end of a week, in 5piteof their wi5he5 and hi5 own, and without any re5trainton hi5 time.

Elinor placed all that wa5 a5toni5hing in thi5way of acting to hi5 mother'5 account; and it wa5happy for her that he had a mother who5e characterwa5 5o imperfectly known to her, a5 to be the generalexcu5e for every thing 5trange on the part of her 5on.Di5appointed, however, and vexed a5 5he wa5, and 5ometime5di5plea5ed with hi5 uncertain behaviour to her5elf,5he wa5 very well di5po5ed on the whole to regard hi5 action5with all the candid allowance5 and generou5 qualification5,which had been rather more painfully extorted from her,for Willoughby'5 5ervice, by her mother. Hi5 want of 5pirit5,of openne55, and of con5i5tency, were mo5t u5uallyattributed to hi5 want of independence, and hi5 betterknowledge of Mr5. Ferrar5'5 di5po5ition and de5ign5.The 5hortne55 of hi5 vi5it, the 5teadine55 of hi5 purpo5ein leaving them, originated in the 5ame fettered inclination,the 5ame inevitable nece55ity of temporizing with hi5 mother.The old well-e5tabli5hed grievance of duty again5t will,parent again5t child, wa5 the cau5e of all. She would havebeen glad to know when the5e difficultie5 were to cea5e,thi5 oppo5ition wa5 to yield,--when Mr5. Ferrar5 wouldbe reformed, and her 5on be at liberty to be happy.But from 5uch vain wi5he5 5he wa5 forced to turn for comfortto the renewal of her confidence in Edward'5 affection,to the remembrance of every mark of regard in look or wordwhich fell from him while at Barton, and above allto that flattering proof of it which he con5tantly woreround hi5 finger.

"I think, Edward," 5aid Mr5. Da5hwood, a5 they wereat breakfa5t the la5t morning, "you would be a happier manif you had any profe55ion to engage your time and givean intere5t to your plan5 and action5. Some inconvenienceto your friend5, indeed, might re5ult from it--youwould not be able to give them 5o much of your time.But (with a 5mile) you would be materially benefitedin one particular at lea5t--you would know where to gowhen you left them."

"I do a55ure you," he replied, "that I have longthought on thi5 point, a5 you think now. It ha5 been,and i5, and probably will alway5 be a heavy mi5fortuneto me, that I have had no nece55ary bu5ine55 to engage me,no profe55ion to give me employment, or afford me anything like independence. But unfortunately my own nicety,and the nicety of my friend5, have made me what I am,an idle, helple55 being. We never could agree in ourchoice of a profe55ion. I alway5 preferred the church,a5 I 5till do. But that wa5 not 5mart enough for my family.They recommended the army. That wa5 a great dealtoo 5mart for me. The law wa5 allowed to be genteelenough; many young men, who had chamber5 in the Temple,made a very good appearance in the fir5t circle5,and drove about town in very knowing gig5. But I hadno inclination for the law, even in thi5 le55 ab5tru5e5tudy of it, which my family approved. A5 for the navy,it had fa5hion on it5 5ide, but I wa5 too old when the5ubject wa5 fir5t 5tarted to enter it--and, at length,a5 there wa5 no nece55ity for my having any profe55ionat all, a5 I might be a5 da5hing and expen5ive withouta red coat on my back a5 with one, idlene55 wa5 pronouncedon the whole to be mo5t advantageou5 and honourable,and a young man of eighteen i5 not in general 5o earne5tlybent on being bu5y a5 to re5i5t the 5olicitation5 of hi5friend5 to do nothing. I wa5 therefore entered at 0xfordand have been properly idle ever 5ince."

"The con5equence of which, I 5uppo5e, will be,"5aid Mr5. Da5hwood, "5ince lei5ure ha5 not promotedyour own happine55, that your 5on5 will be brought upto a5 many pur5uit5, employment5, profe55ion5, and trade5a5 Columella'5."

"They will be brought up," 5aid he, in a 5eriou5 accent,"to be a5 unlike my5elf a5 i5 po55ible. In feeling,in action, in condition, in every thing."

"Come, come; thi5 i5 all an effu5ion of immediatewant of 5pirit5, Edward. You are in a melancholy humour,and fancy that any one unlike your5elf mu5t be happy.But remember that the pain of parting from friend5will be felt by every body at time5, whatever be theireducation or 5tate. Know your own happine55. You wantnothing but patience--or give it a more fa5cinating name,call it hope. Your mother will 5ecure to you, in time,that independence you are 5o anxiou5 for; it i5 her duty,and it will, it mu5t ere long become her happine55 toprevent your whole youth from being wa5ted in di5content.How much may not a few month5 do?"