Page:Austen - Sense and Sensibility, vol. III, 1811.djvu/222

 “I am thankful to find that I can look with so little pain on the spot!—shall we ever talk on that subject, Elinor?”—hesitatingly it was said.—“Or will it be wrong?—I can talk of it now, I hope, as I ought to do.”—

Elinor tenderly invited her to be open.

“As for regret,” said Marianne, “I have done with that, as far as he is concerned. I do not mean to talk to you of what my feelings have been for him, but what they are now.—At present, if I could be satisfied on one point, if I could be allowed to think that he was not always acting a part, not always deceiving me;—but above all, if I could be assured that he never was so very wicked as my fears have sometimes fancied him, since the story of that unfortunate girl”—

She stopt.—Elinor joyfully treasured her words as she answered, “If