“My visit is shamefully overdue. You're pale!”
Why it's great
He confesses his neglect and then blurts out worry, so the second sentence betrays the first.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
My reply is shamefully overdue, and I am sorry.
00:00 / 02:13
00:00 / 02:13
Edward Calls on the Dashwood Sisters, Explained
Sense and Sensibility · 1995
Chapter 22 of 27 · 2'13"
Edward calls on Elinor and Marianne in London, but he is distant and uncomfortable. Marianne asks why he has not come before, and he answers only that he has been "much engaged elsewhere" — a phrase that hides more than it says. He soon leaves, and Lucy contrives to have him escort her home.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:30–1:20
Edward Pays an Overdue Call
51s - 1:25–2:11
Edward Takes His Leave
46s
Edward Calls on the Dashwood Sisters, explained
What happens
In London, Edward pays a long-overdue call on Elinor and Marianne, with Lucy Steele present. Marianne is glad to see him but finds him distant; he apologizes for being so late and says only that he has been much engaged elsewhere. He leaves almost at once, and Lucy asks him to escort her back to Fanny's house.
What's really going on
The scene is a visit made entirely of evasions. Edward should be the happiest man in the room, but he cannot look at Elinor or say anything true, because unknown to them both the secret of his engagement hangs over him. His excuse — 'I have been much engaged elsewhere' — is a small masterpiece of double meaning: to Marianne it means he has been busy, to the audience it means he is promised to Lucy. Marianne's directness makes the concealment sharper: she says the sight of him is all the pleasure London has given her, while he talks like a man checking off social duties. The cruelty is quiet, and Lucy's smooth request that he escort her home turns the knife.
Key lines & what they mean
- “My visit is shamefully overdue. You're pale!”
- Edward's apology for staying away so long, which doubles as worry about how much he has cost them.
- “That must be enough for both of us.”
- Marianne's remark that Elinor's well-being should be enough for the two of them, a deflection of the question about herself.
- “Not at all. The sight of you is all the pleasure it has afforded.”
- Her blunt compliment: London has given her nothing but the chance to see Edward.
- “Perhaps you think young men never honor their engagements, little or great.”
- Edward's pointed remark that young men do keep their commitments, which he cannot explain without revealing his own.
- “Forgive me. I must take my leave.”
- His hurried exit line, the excuse that ends a visit he cannot bear to continue.
Theme
- Secrets — Edward cannot speak honestly because of his hidden engagement, and his vague excuse hides its real meaning in plain sight.
- Romance — Edward and Elinor meet with feeling intact but unspoken, while Lucy quietly claims Edward's time and attention.
What this chapter teaches
Teaching points
Review right after watchingMy level3/6
A1–C2 is the CEFR scale. Cards above the level you pick fade, and playback will not auto-pause on them.
Language points
Click a card to jump to its moment in the videoGolden lines
A great line in its own right — why and how to use it“That must be enough for both of us.”
Why it's great
She settles for both of them at once, quietly filing her own disappointment away.
Register
Neutral
Use it yourself
We did not win, but that must be enough for both of us.
“Not at all. The sight of you is all the pleasure it has afforded.”
Why it's great
A flat dismissal is undercut by a compliment, so her sharpness and her feeling arrive together.
Register
literary
Use it yourself
The trip was dull, but the sight of you made it worth it.
“Perhaps you think young men never honor their engagements, little or great.”
Why it's great
One polite question attacks both broken promises and broken betrothals at once.
Register
Formal
Use it yourself
Perhaps you think plans never have to be kept, little or great.
“Forgive me. I must take my leave.”
Why it's great
Apology and exit fused into one line; the more polite it is, the more it sounds like flight.
Register
Formal
Use it yourself
Forgive me, I must take my leave before the traffic starts.
Up next · 23break one's wordThe scene: Elinor's Secret Finally Comes OutTakeaways
What you walk away with- A polite excuse can carry a hidden refusal.
- Marianne hears the engagement under the small talk.
- Elinor smooths things over so no one has to explain.
- Edward's formality gives away how badly he wants to leave.
People also search
Questions, then the linesWhy is Edward so uncomfortable during the call?
Because he is secretly engaged to Lucy, who is in the room. He can neither explain his absence honestly nor show Elinor his real feelings.
Why has Edward not visited before?
He says only that he has been much engaged elsewhere. The film leaves the real reason hidden, though the word 'engaged' hints at his secret.
Why does Marianne say the sight of Edward is her only pleasure in London?
She is speaking for herself and Elinor, telling him plainly that his visit matters more than anything the city offers.
What does "take my leave" mean?
It is a formal way of saying that you are leaving. Edward uses it to cut the visit short after a few minutes.
Why does Lucy ask Edward to escort her home?
She uses his hasty departure as an opening, saying that in that case he might take her back to Fanny's house. It keeps him with her and away from Elinor.