艾琳娜和玛丽安是一对性格迥异的姐妹，前者理性，后者感性，两人对爱情也是如此，但彼此都不赞成对方对待爱情的态度。艾琳娜爱上了想做牧师的爱德华。玛丽安则喜欢上英俊多情的卫乐比，但两人的爱情都遇上了波折。

Marianne: How long have you known?

Eleanor: Since the night Mrs. Jennings offered to take us to London.

Marianne: Why did you not tell me?

Eleanor: Lucy told me in the strictest confidence.I could not break my word.

Marianne: But Edward loves you.

Eleanor: He made me no promises. He tried to tell me about Lucy.

Marianne: He cannot marry her.

Eleanor: Would you have him treat her even worse than Willoughby has treated you?

Marianne: No. But not would I have him marry whom he does not love.

Eleanor: Edward made his promise a long time ago long before he met me. Though he may harbor some regret. I believe that he will be happy in the knowledge that he did his duty and kept his word. After all...after all, that is bewitching in the idea of ones happiness entirely depending on one person...it is not always possible,we must accept. Edward will marry Lucy...and you and I will go home.

Marianne: Always resignation and acceptance. Always prudence and honor and duty. Eleanor,where is your heart?

Eleanor: What do you know of my heart? What do you know of anything but me without being at liberty to speak of it to a single creature. It was forced on me by the very person whose prior claims ruined all my hope. I have endured her exaltation again and again whilst knowing myself go be divided from Edward forever. Believe me,Marianne, had I not been bound to silence I could have produced proof enough of a broken heart even for you.

下面这段对白的背景是（在得知爱德华即将与露西举行婚礼消息后，玛丽安惊讶地望着艾琳娜。）玛丽安遭到卫乐比的背叛之后，得知姐姐所爱的爱德华已与露西订婚并要结婚了，非常震惊。艾琳娜早从露西嘴里知道这个消息，一直压抑着自己的痛苦。在玛丽安愤愤不平的追问下，艾琳娜表现出自己豁达无私、信守承诺的品德，然而她对爱德华的爱让她在妹妹面前难以掩饰自己的极度痛苦。两姐妹同时遭到失恋的打击，心靠得更近了。

玛丽安：这件事情你知道多久？

艾琳娜：自从詹宁斯夫人请我们来伦敦那晚。

玛丽安：你为什么不告诉我？

艾琳娜：露西叫我一定不要说出去，我不能食言。

玛丽安：可是，爱德华爱你！

艾琳娜：他没有给我任何承诺。他曾试着要告诉我有关露西的事情。

玛丽安：他不能娶她！

艾琳娜：你要他对待露西比卫乐比对待你还要糟糕吗？

玛丽安：不。可是我也不能让他娶自己不爱的人啊!

艾琳娜：早在爱德华遇见我之前，他就做出了那个承诺。他或许有些后悔，但我相信他会很高兴担负起自己的责任，信守承诺，毕竟……毕竟，当某个人的幸福完全掌握在你一个人手中的时候，那种感觉还是很迷人的。这种情况并不是总会发生，我们必须接受下来。爱德华会娶露西……而你和我就回家去吧。

玛丽安：总是放弃，总是听天由命，总是有百般顾忌，总是为了荣誉，总是为了责任。艾琳娜，你的心在哪里？

艾琳娜：你怎会了解我的心？除了你自己的痛苦，你还知道什么？这几个星期来，玛丽安，这件事一直压迫着我，我不能跟任何人说，而告诉我的人，就是那个凭着以前的承诺夺走我所有希望的人。我一再忍受她的得意洋洋，自知和爱德华永无结果。玛丽安，相信我，如果我能说的话，我会把自己的伤痛表现得比你还厉害。