at least noticed that Mrs. John Dashwood did not have the regard for Elinor and Marianne that she should. I honestly think-and even the Mrs. Jennings Protection League will have to laugh a bit at me about this one, but-that Mrs. Jennings is just too polite to really take John and Fanny to task for their inattentiveness, and gives them a little more attention to make up for it. We know that she has not much regard for Fanny and her family, and I think that if she thought better of them, the happy trio would not have abused the Ferrarses so horribly after John left them all.

But what can Mrs. Jennings do? I believe that if she had scolded John, he might exert himself a little farther until he ceded to his wife's wishes, but she can have no real influence, and I doubt that Sir John, who thinks well of everyone, could possibly even think that someone would not love a sister as well as he should. Plus, Sir John is a little removed from the Dashwood girls at this point, and brings them news of Miss Steele and Lucy from the John Dashwood house, seemingly oblivious to the slight against Elinor and Marianne.