odhehadbeenconstantlyexceedingit.IthadnotbeenpossibleforhimtospendlesshehaddonenothingbutwhatSirWalterElliotwasimperiouslycalledontodobutblamelessashewas,hewasnotonlygrowingdreadfullyindebt,butwashearingofitsooften,thatitbecamevaintoattemptconcealingitlonger,evenpartially,fromhisdaughter.Hehadgivenhersomehintsofitthelastspringintownhehadgonesofarevenastosay,“Canweretrench?Doesitoccurtoyouthatthereisanyonearticleinwhichwecanretrench?”andElizabeth,todoherjustice,had,inthefirstardouroffemalealarm,setseriouslytothinkwhatcouldbedone,andhadfinallyproposedthesetwobranchesofeconomy,tocutoffsomeunnecessarycharities,andtorefrainfromnewfurnishingthedrawing-roomtowhichexpedientssheafterwardsaddedthehappythoughtoftheirtakingnopresentdowntoAnne,ashadbeentheusualyearlycustom.Butthesemeasures,howevergoodinthemselves,wereinsufficientfortherealextentoftheevil,thewholeofwhichSirWalterfoundhimselfobligedtoconfesstohersoonafterwards.Elizabethhadnothingtoproposeofdeeperefficacy.Shefeltherselfill-usedandunfortunate,asdidherfatherandtheywereneitherofthemabletodeviseanymeansoflesseningtheirexpenseswithoutcompromisingtheirdignity,orrelinquishingtheircomfortsinawaynottobeborne.
TherewasonlyasmallpartofhisestatethatSirWaltercoulddisposeofbuthadeveryacrebeenalienable,itwouldhavemadenodifference.Hehadcondescendedtomortgageasfarashehadthepower,buthewouldnevercondescendtosell.Nohewouldneverdisgracehisnamesofar.TheKellynchestateshouldbetransmittedwholeandentire,ashehadreceivedit.
Theirtwoconfidentialfriends,MrShepherd,wholivedintheneighbouringmarkettown,andLadyRussell,werecalledtoadvisethemandbothfatheranddaughterseemedtoexpectthatsomethingshouldbestruckoutbyoneortheothertoremovetheirembarrassmentsandreducetheirexpenditure,withoutinvolvingthelossofanyindulgenceoftasteorpride.