The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex. Their estate was large, and their residence was at Norland Park, in the centre of their property, where, for many generations, they had lived in so respectable a manner as to engage the general good opinion of their surrounding acquaintance. The late owner of this estate was a single man, who lived to a very advanced age, and who for many years of his life, had a constant companion and housekeeper in his sister.

I will not allow it to be more man's nature than woman's to be inconstant.

We can all begin freely—a slight preference is natural enough; but there are very few of us who have heart enough to be really in love without encouragement.

Sometimes the last person on earth you want to be with is the one person you can't be without.

For what do we live, but to make sport by subjecting our neighbors to endless discretionary review for minor additions?

It may be possible to do without dancing entirely. Instances have been known of young people passing many, many months successively without being at any ball of any description, and no material injury accrue either to body or mind.

He then departed, to make himself still more interesting, in the midst of a heavy rain.