Sense and Sensibility Chapter 36

A few days later, Charlotte Palmer has her baby, and Mrs. Jennings spends her days helping out. Therefore, Elinor and Marianne are obliged to spend their days at the Middletons, where the Steele girls are staying. They hate the idea, but cannot get out of it. Lady Middleton is not very happy either; she does not like the Dashwood girls much, preferring the Miss Steeles.

Topic Tracking: Hypocrites 18

The Dashwood girls attend a musical party with Fanny and John. At the party, Elinor recognizes the fussy man she had seen picking out the tooth-pick case. John introduces him as Robert Ferrars, Edward and Fanny's brother. Elinor is no more impressed by him now than she was at their first meeting. Robert talks about Edward's faults, and then rambles on about cottages.

John begins to think that he and Fanny should ask the Dashwood girls to come and stay with them. He is feeling bad about not inviting such near relations as his guests, but Fanny has no such problem. She tells John they can easily invite them another year; she wants to invite the Steele girls instead. Easily swayed, John agrees.

Topic Tracking: Hypocrites 19

When Elinor sees that her brother and sister-in-law have invited Lucy and Ann to stay with them, she begins to suspect that perhaps Lucy was right, the family does actually like her.