 countenance from the disgrace of
insipidity, by giving it the strong characters of pride and ill nature. She was
not a woman of many words: for, unlike people in general, she proportioned them
to the number of her ideas; and of the few syllables that did escape her, not
one fell to the share of Miss Dashwood, whom she eyed with the spirited
determination of disliking her at all events.
    Elinor could not now be made unhappy by this behaviour. - A few months ago
it would have hurt her exceedingly; but it was not in Mrs. Ferrars's power to
distress her by it now; - and the difference of her manners to the Miss Steeles,
a difference which seemed purposely made to humble her more, only amused her.
She could not but smile to see the graciousness of both mother and daughter
towards the very person - for Lucy was particularly distinguished - whom of all
others, had they known as much as she did, they would have been most anxious to
mortify; while she herself, who had comparatively no power to wound them, sat
pointedly slighted by both. But while she smiled at a graciousness so
misapplied, she could not reflect on the mean-spirited folly from which it
sprung, nor observe the studied attentions with which the Miss Steeles courted
its continuance, without thoroughly despising them all four.
    Lucy was all exultation on being so honourably distinguished; and Miss
Steele wanted only to be teazed about Dr. Davis to be perfectly happy.
    The dinner was a grand one, the servants were numerous, and every thing
bespoke the Mistress's inclination for shew, and the Master's ability to support
it. In spite of the improvements and additions which were making to the Norland
estate, and in spite of its owner having once been within some thousand pounds
of being obliged to sell out at a loss, nothing gave any symptom of that
indigence which he had tried to infer from it; - no poverty of any kind, except
of conversation, appeared - but there, the deficiency was considerable. John
Dashwood had not much to say for himself that was worth hearing, and his wife
had still less. But there was no peculiar disgrace in this, for it was very much
the case with the chief of their visitors, who almost all laboured under one or
other of these disqualifications for being agreeable - Want of sense, either
natural or improved - want of elegance - want of spirits - or want of temper.
    When the ladies withdrew to the drawing-room after dinner, this poverty was
particularly evident, for the gentlemen had supplied
