 to avoid him in future? She had little difficulty in understanding thus
much of her rival's intentions, and while she was firmly resolved to act by her
as every principle of honour and honesty directed, to combat her own affection
for Edward and to see him as little as possible; she could not deny herself the
comfort of endeavouring to convince Lucy that her heart was unwounded. And as
she could now have nothing more painful to hear on the subject than had already
been told, she did not mistrust her own ability of going through a repetition of
particulars with composure.
    But it was not immediately that an opportunity of doing so could be
commanded, though Lucy was as well disposed as herself to take advantage of any
that occurred; for the weather was not often fine enough to allow of their
joining in a walk, where they might most easily separate themselves from the
others; and though they met at least every other evening either at the park or
cottage, and chiefly at the former, they could not be supposed to meet for the
sake of conversation. Such a thought would never enter either Sir John or Lady
Middleton's head, and therefore very little leisure was ever given for general
chat, and none at all for particular discourse. They met for the sake of eating,
drinking, and laughing together, playing at cards, or consequences, or any other
game that was sufficiently noisy.
    One or two meetings of this kind had taken place, without affording Elinor
any chance of engaging Lucy in private, when Sir John called at the cottage one
morning, to beg in the name of charity, that they would all dine with Lady
Middleton that day, as he was obliged to attend the club at Exeter, and she
would otherwise be quite alone, except her mother and the two Miss Steeles.
Elinor, who foresaw a fairer opening for the point she had in view, in such a
party as this was likely to be, more at liberty among themselves under the
tranquil and well-bred direction of Lady Middleton than when her husband united
them together in one noisy purpose, immediately accepted the invitation;
Margaret, with her mother's permission, was equally compliant, and Marianne,
though always unwilling to join any of their parties, was persuaded by her
mother, who could not bear to have her seclude herself from any chance of
amusement, to go likewise.
    The young ladies went, and Lady Middleton was happily preserved from the
frightful solitude which had threatened her. The insipidity of the meeting was
exactly such as Elinor had expected; it produced not one novelty of thought
