After a few moments'chat, John Dashwood, recollecting that Fanny was yet uninformed of hersister's being there, quitted the room in quest of her; and Elinor wasleft to improve her acquaintance with Robert, who, by the gayunconcern, the happy self-complacency of his manner while enjoying sounfair a division of his mother's love and liberality, earned only by his own dissipated course oflife, and that brother's integrity, was confirming her mostunfavourable opinion of his head and heart.
They had scarcely been two minutes by themselves, before he began tospeak of Edward; for he, too, had heard of the living, and was veryinquisitive on the subject. Elinor repeated the particulars of it, asshe had given them to John; and their effect on Robert, though university course verydifferent, was not less striking than it had been on HIM. He laughedmost immoderately.
The idea of Edward's being a clergyman, and livingin a small parsonage-house, diverted him beyond measure;--and when tothat was added the fanciful imagery of Edward reading prayers in awhite surplice, and publishing the banns of marriage between John Smithand Mary Brown, he could conceive nothing more ridiculous.
Elinor, while she waited in silence and immovable gravity, theconclusion of such folly, could not restrain her eyes from being fixedon him with a look that spoke all the contempt it excited. It was alook, however, very well bestowed, for it relieved her own feelings,and gave no intelligence to him. He was recalled from wit to wisdom,not by any reproof of hers, but by his own sensibility.