“I don't want to hear another word about the ham bone, Pigeon.”
Por qué es buena
A single household annoyance becomes the comic tone of the whole scene.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
I don't want to hear another word about the parking fine.
00:00 / 03:16
00:00 / 03:16
Mrs. Jennings Presents Robert Ferrars, Explained
Sense and Sensibility · 1995
Capítulo 17 de 27 · 3'16"
At a London ball, Mrs. Jennings reassures the Dashwood sisters that the elusive Mr. F will come, and then introduces Robert Ferrars as Edward's younger brother. When Edward fails to appear, she jokes that the young men must all be in hiding, and pushes Robert to dance with Elinor.
Key moments
Start here, then watch the full scene- 0:10–0:37
Mrs. Jennings Promises the Ball
27s
Mrs. Jennings Presents Robert Ferrars, explained
What happens
At a ball in London, Mrs. Jennings comforts the Dashwood sisters by promising that the elusive Mr. Ferrars will appear. Fanny Dashwood then presents her brother, Robert Ferrars, to the party. When Edward does not come, Mrs. Jennings jokes that all the young men are in hiding, and asks Robert to dance with Elinor.
What's really going on
The scene is a comedy of expectations, and Edward's absence is its engine. Mrs. Jennings keeps promising that the mysterious Mr. F will turn up, and Fanny's introduction of Robert — the wrong brother — is her way of managing the room: "You must be the younger brother." Elinor is handed off to dance with a man she does not care about, while the man she does care about is explained away as too busy. Even the cheerful chatter has a sharp edge: "I declare, I do not know what the young men are about these days." The answer, which the audience suspects and Elinor cannot say, is that Edward is not free, and the ball keeps moving around that fact.
Key lines & what they mean
- “I don't want to hear another word about the ham bone, Pigeon.”
- A domestic scolding about a trivial household quarrel, thrown in so we hear ordinary life beside the great London occasion.
- “But the frost will soon drive them to town. Depend on it.”
- Mrs. Jennings's confident prediction that the hunting season will bring the gentlemen back to town.
- “This is good news, indeed. At long last.”
- Her delight at the news that a long-awaited meeting is about to happen.
- “My dear ladies, we meet at last.”
- Robert Ferrars's oily opening line to the sisters, all charm and no substance.
- “You must be the younger brother.”
- Mrs. Jennings sizing up which Ferrars brother has been presented to her, and guessing wrong.
- “It would be my honour.”
- Robert's polished acceptance of the invitation to dance, delivered with practised gallantry.
- “This is madness! This is dribbling, babbling madness!”
- A comic outburst at the crowded confusion of the ball, which the scene treats as delightful rather than alarming.
Theme
- Romance — Elinor waits for Edward at the ball while the party substitutes his brother Robert, leaving her hopes unanswered.
- Class — The ball runs on introductions, matches, and dancing partners, in which Elinor is a polite piece to be placed.
Qué aprendes en este capítulo
Puntos de enseñanza
Repasa justo después de verMi nivel3/7
A1–C2 es la escala MCER. Las tarjetas por encima del nivel elegido se atenúan y la reproducción no se pausa en ellas.
Puntos de lengua
Toca una tarjeta para saltar a ese momentoFrases de oro
Una gran frase en sí misma: por qué y cómo usarla“But the frost will soon drive them to town. Depend on it.”
Por qué es buena
It pairs a reason with a promise, which is how a confident host reassures.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
The shops restock on Friday, depend on it.
“This is good news, indeed. At long last.”
Por qué es buena
It celebrates the news while quietly complaining how long it took to arrive.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
The visa came through at long last.
“My dear ladies, we meet at last.”
Por qué es buena
A smooth entrance line that turns being late into a compliment.
Registro
Neutral
Úsala tú
So we meet at last, after all those messages.
“You must be the younger brother.”
Por qué es buena
It identifies the newcomer and needles him in the same breath.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
You must be the cousin from Canada.
“It would be my honour.”
Por qué es buena
A polished acceptance that keeps the speaker gracious under pressure.
Registro
Formal
Úsala tú
It would be my honour to speak at the dinner.
“This is madness! This is dribbling, babbling madness!”
Por qué es buena
Repetition and nonsense words make the chaos audible rather than described.
Registro
Informal
Úsala tú
Three deadlines in one week, this is madness!
Siguiente · 18confide inLa escena: Willoughby Snubs Marianne at the BallIdeas clave
Lo que te llevas- Matchmaking runs louder than the music at this ball.
- Robert answers for his brother without ever defending him.
- At long last can praise and complain in the same breath.
- Elinor's hope is exposed by someone else's joke.
Preguntas frecuentes
La pregunta, luego la fraseWhy is Elinor disappointed at the ball?
She hoped Edward would come, and Mrs. Jennings had promised he would. Instead the party brings out his brother Robert, and Edward never appears.
Who is Robert Ferrars?
He is Edward's younger brother, presented to the Dashwoods by Fanny. Mrs. Jennings guesses his position by asking if he is the younger brother.
Why does Mrs. Jennings say the young men are in hiding?
Because none of the expected gentlemen have appeared at the ball. It is her way of joking about Edward's absence, which Elinor cannot explain.
What does "set one's heart at rest" mean?
It means to make someone stop worrying. Mrs. Jennings uses it when reassuring the Dashwood sisters that Mr. F will come to the ball.
Whom does Mrs. Jennings push to dance with Elinor?
Robert Ferrars. Since his brother Edward has not come, she tells him he must dance with the lovely Miss Dashwood instead.