CHAPTER 1The family of Dashwood had long been settled in Sussex. Their estatewas large, and their residence was at Norland Park, in the centre oftheir property, where, for many generations, they had lived in sorespectable a manner as to engage the general good opinion of theirsurrounding acquaintance. The late owner of this estate was a singleman, who lived to a very advanced age, and who for many years of hislife, had a constant companion and housekeeper in his sister. But herdeath, which happened ten years before his own, produced a greatalteration in his home; for to supply her loss, he invited and receivedinto his house the family of his nephew Mr. Henry Dashwood, the legalinheritor of the Norland estate, and the person to whom he intended tobequeath it. In the society of his nephew and niece, and theirchildren, the old Gentleman's days were comfortably spent. Hisattachment to them all increased. The constant attention of Mr. andMrs. Henry Dashwood to his wishes, which proceeded not merely frominterest, but from goodness of heart, gave him every degree of solidcomfort which his age could receive; and the cheerfulness of thechildren added a relish to his existence.By a former marriage, Mr. Henry Dashwood had one son: by his presentlady, three daughters. The son, a steady respectable young man, wasamply provided for by the fortune of his mother, which had been large, and half of which devolved on him on his coming of age. By his ownmarriage, likewise, which happened soon afterwards, he added to hiswealth. To him therefore the succession to the Norland estate was notso really important as to his sisters; for their fortune, independentof what might arise to them from their father's inheriting thatproperty, could be but small. Their mother had nothing, and theirfather only seven thousand pounds in his own disposal; for theremaining moiety of his first wife's fortune was also secured to herchild, and he had only a life-interest in it.The old gentleman died: his will was read, and like almost every otherwill, gave as much disappointment as pleasure. He was neither sounjust, nor so ungrateful, as to leave his estate from his nephew;--buthe left it to him on such terms as destroyed half the value of thebequest. Mr. Dashwood had wished for it more for the sake of his wifeand daughters than for himself or his son;--but to his son, and hisson's son, a child of four years old, it was secured, in such a way, asto leave to himself no power of providing for those who were most dearto him, and who most needed a provision by any charge on the estate, orby any sale of its valuable woods. The whole was tied up for thebenefit of this child, who, in occasional visits with his father andmother at Norland, had so far gained on the affections of his uncle, bysuch attractions as are by no means unusual in children of two or threeyears old; an imperfect articulation, an earnest desire of having hisown way, many cunning tricks, and a great deal of noise, as to outweighall the value of all the attention which, for years, he had receivedfrom his niece and her daughters. He meant not to be unkind, however, and, as a mark of his affection for the three girls, he left them athousand pounds a-piece.