temporizing with his
mother. The old well-established grievance of duty against will,
parent against child, was the cause of all. She would have been glad
to know when these difficulties were to cease, this opposition was to
yield, when Mrs. Ferrars would be reformed, and her son be at liberty
to be happy. But from such vain wishes she was forced to turn for
comfort to the renewal of her confidence in Edward's affection, to the
remembrance of every mark of regard in look or word which fell from
him while at Barton, and above all to that flattering proof of it
which he constantly wore round his finger.

"I think, Edward," said Mrs. Dashwood, as they were at breakfast the
last morning, "you would be a happier man if you had any profession to
engage your time and give an interest to your plans and actions. Some
inconvenience to your friends, indeed, might result from it--you would
not be able to give them so much of your time. But (with a smile) you
would be materially benefited in one particular at least--you would
know where to go when you left them."

"I do assure you," he replied, "that I have long thought on this
point, as you think now. It has been, and is, and probably will always
be a heavy misfortune to me, that I have had no necessary business to
engage me, no profession to give me employment, or afford me any thing
like independence. But unfortunately my own nicety, and the nicety of
my friends, have made me what I am, an idle, helpless being. We never
could agree in our choice of a profession. I always preferred the
church, as I still do. But that was not smart enough for my family.
They recommended the army. That was a great deal too smart for me. The
law was allowed to be genteel enough; many young men, who had chambers
in the Temple, made a very good appearance in the first circles, and
drove about town in very knowing gigs. But I had no inclination for
the law, even in this less abstruse study of it, which my family
approved. As for the navy, it had fashion on its side, but I was too
old when the subject was first started to enter it; and, at length, as
there was no necessity for my having any profession at all, as I might
be as dashing and expensive without a red coat on my back as with one,
idleness was pronounced on the whole to be most advantageous and
honourable, and a young man of eighteen is not in general so earnestly
bent on being busy as to resist the solicitations of his friends to do
nothing.