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Sense and Sensibility Chapter 2
The Dashwood women now find themselves guests in their own home. Though they are treated tolerably, they are still uncomfortable, and decide to find a new home. On the subject of John's gift to his sisters, his wife Fanny is unmoved. Being only half sisters, she insists their little boy deserves the inherited money more:
"And what possible claim could the Dashwoods, who were related to him only by half blood, which she considered no relationship at all, have on his generosity to so large an amount? It was very well known, that no affection was ever supposed to exist between the children of any man by different marriages; and why was he to ruin himself, and their poor little Harry, by giving away all his money to his half sisters?" Chapter 2, pg. 7
When John insists it was his father's last request, Fanny suggests his father was delirious, and since he never specified an amount, John need not give them money at all. At Fanny's insistence, John slowly reduces the sum, until settling on the idea of an annuity for Mrs. Dashwood. This is also unacceptable to Fanny, who finally convinces John to give the Dashwood women nothing except for the occasional present. Fanny states that the Dashwood women will be well off, especially with the china and linen they inherited: "Yes; and the set of breakfast china is twice as handsome as what belongs to this house. A great deal too handsome, in my opinion, for any place they can ever afford to live in." Chapter 2, pg. 11
