People: Elinor and Lucy Steele
Text: One thing that Elinor and Marianne did not receive with joy was the arrival of the Steele sisters for a visit in London. The Willoughbys married and left, and Miss Steele and Lucy began their London visit with their cousins who lived in the Bartlett Buildings in the Holborn section of town. They were often at the home of Mrs. Jennings. The two sets of sisters met often.
On the first meeting of the sisters, Lucy Steele greeted Elinor with a touch of insincerity.
Elinor was sorry to see them. Their presence always gave her pain.
Lucy said, “I should have been quite disappointed if I had not found you here still. But I always thought I should. I was almost sure you would not leave London yet a while, though you told me at Barton that you should not stay above a month. It would have been such a great pity to have went away before your brother and sister-in-law came. And now to be sure you will be in no hurry to be gone. I am amazingly glad you did not keep to your word.
Elinor perfectly understood her and was forced to use all her self-command to make it appear that she did not. Marianne was not party to this conversation because she was laid down because of a headache.
“Oh, dear, that is a great pity!” said Miss Steele. “But such old friends as Lucy and me! I think she might see us. We can just as well go see her.”
Elinor began to find this impertinence too much for her temper, but she was saved by Lucy’s sharp reprimand, which, though it did not give much sweetness to the manners of one sister, was of the advantage in governing those of the other.
Emotion: insincerity
Insight: Psalm 55:21 knows another insincere friend, “His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.”
Lucy Steele’s words seem to be oozing insincerity. Her words, like the man in this psalm, were claiming to be glad that Elinor was still in London. But the strange emphasis that she was placing on certain words made it appear as if she were speaking exactly the opposite of what she felt. One could even suspect that Lucy’s telling Elinor about her secret engagement to Edward Ferrars was intentional and meant as a warning.
Although we may be required to interact with insincere people, we are not without a resource in verifying the truth. Being able to discern the true motives of those who don’t truly care about us is both a gift and a curse. It’s a gift to know that we are not being duped. But it can be a curse to know that we are surrounded by those who speak peace but seek war. May we always rely upon God, not only to be honest with us, but also to help us discern those who are less so. And let us trust Him to be truth and lead us to truth in ourselves and in others.
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