Willoughby lucky to be alive ?

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Willoughby lucky to be alive ? Written by Jeffrey (9/29/2009 8:29 a.m.)

Here's an interesting passage where Miss Austen lets us "read between the lines." Excerpt from Ch 31:

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"Yes," he replied gravely, "once I have. One meeting was unavoidable."

Elinor, startled by his manner, looked at him anxiously, saying --

"What? have you met him to -- "

"I could meet him in no other way. Eliza had confessed to me, though most reluctantly, the name of her lover; and when he returned to town, which was within a fortnight after myself, we met by appointment, he to defend, I to punish his conduct. We returned unwounded, and the meeting, therefore, never got abroad."

Elinor sighed over the fancied necessity of this; but to a man and a soldier, she presumed not to censure it.

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If I'm not mistaken, Col Brandon met Willoughby by appointment for a duel. (That's classic to appoint a time and place) Considering neither was injured, I would presume it was a sword fight since pistols would have been probably fatal. I'll presume something else from this: Col Brandon, being a career military officer and a superior swordsman and could have dispatched Willoughby right on the spot. Now, I'll stretch it a bit further: Can we make assumptions about Col Brandon's character in that he was perfectly justified in killing Willoughby to avenge Eliza's honor but showed him mercy by sparing his life? Surely, from this revelation, Elinor's regard for the Colonel went straight up and in due time, all of this was divulged to Marianne, whose admiration for Col Brandon also changed for the better?

Article on duels by sword here...

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Willoughby lucky to be alive ? Jeffrey (9/29/2009 8:29 a.m.)

What about John? Ivonne (9/30/2009 4:21 p.m.)
- Should he do anything? Barbara (10/1/2009 8:59 a.m.)
  - Ridiculously opaque Ivonne (10/1/2009 2:11 p.m.)
    - Thrashing? Louise H (10/1/2009 8:41 p.m.)
      - "Small House at Allingham"   Heather Leigh (10/4/2009 9:18 p.m.)
        
        Great stuff   Ivonne (10/6/2009 6:23 p.m.)
        
        I found a fascinating site   Louise H (10/6/2009 8:51 p.m.)
        
        thanks much, will bookmark it for my SHaA read! -nfm   Ivonne (10/7/2009 11:45 p.m.)
        
        Ooops. I mean Allington. ; -nfm   Ivonne (10/6/2009 6:25 p.m.)
        
        Allingham/Allington... weird   Heather Leigh (10/6/2009 6:51 p.m.)
        
        Funny...sounds like Allenham! ; ) -nfm   Ivonne (10/7/2009 6:38 p.m.)
      - Thanks... Ivonne (10/4/2009 8:52 p.m.)
    - Brotherly relationship Barbara (10/1/2009 2:27 p.m.)
- But they weren't engaged CarolTS (9/30/2009 7:24 p.m.)
Duelling with pistols Anselm (9/29/2009 11:17 a.m.)
- About all we can surmise is that there was a "Duel." Jeffrey (9/29/2009 12:14 p.m.)
  - I want to believe, like you, Elbè (9/29/2009 1:42 p.m.)
    - I don't think she would have known about this Barbara (9/29/2009 2:23 p.m.)
      - I am not so sure about this   Neus (9/30/2009 10:32 a.m.)
        
        It was illegal (nfm)   Barbara (9/30/2009 12:26 p.m.)
        
        Something just occurred to me:   Anselm (9/30/2009 11:02 a.m.)
      - Yes, he would have been tried   Anselm (9/30/2009 8:32 a.m.)
        
        Excellent article on duelling!   Rachel G (9/30/2009 10:30 a.m.)
        
        More serious than a slap on the wrist!   Barbara (9/30/2009 9:13 a.m.)
        
        Thanks for the link to this post.   Anselm (9/30/2009 11:55 a.m.)
        
        I think Col. Brandon called Willoughby out because...   Cathy Allen (9/30/2009 12:16 p.m.)
        
        Public-spiritedness?   Tom P2 (9/30/2009 4:33 p.m.)
        
        Inefficiency of the Law   Barb JA (9/30/2009 11:07 a.m.)
        
        proof of courage   Karen G (10/1/2009 1:19 p.m.)
        
        Lack of recourse   Barb JA (10/4/2009 2:16 p.m.)
      - Thanks, Barbara! - nfm Elbè (9/29/2009 5:07 p.m.)
  - Yes, lucky to be alive Barb JA (9/29/2009 1:37 p.m.)
    - To paraphrase Lord Peter Wimsey Katharine W (9/29/2009 3:24 p.m.)
      - Another consideration for Colonel Brandon Barbara (9/29/2009 5:06 p.m.)

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