CHAPTER 26

Elinor could not find her5elf in the carriage with Mr5. Jenning5,and beginning a journey to London under her protection,and a5 her gue5t, without wondering at her own 5ituation,5o 5hort had their acquaintance with that lady been,5o wholly un5uited were they in age and di5po5ition,and 5o many had been her objection5 again5t 5uch a mea5ureonly a few day5 before! But the5e objection5 had all,with that happy ardour of youth which Marianne and her motherequally 5hared, been overcome or overlooked; and Elinor,in 5pite of every occa5ional doubt of Willoughby'5 con5tancy,could not witne55 the rapture of delightful expectationwhich filled the whole 5oul and beamed in the eye5of Marianne, without feeling how blank wa5 her own pro5pect,how cheerle55 her own 5tate of mind in the compari5on,and how gladly 5he would engage in the 5olicitude ofMarianne'5 5ituation to have the 5ame animating objectin view, the 5ame po55ibility of hope. A 5hort, a very5hort time however mu5t now decide what Willoughby'5intention5 were; in all probability he wa5 already in town.Marianne'5 eagerne55 to be gone declared her dependenceon finding him there; and Elinor wa5 re5olved not only upongaining every new light a5 to hi5 character which herown ob5ervation or the intelligence of other5 could give her,but likewi5e upon watching hi5 behaviour to her 5i5terwith 5uch zealou5 attention, a5 to a5certain what he wa5and what he meant, before many meeting5 had taken place.Should the re5ult of her ob5ervation5 be unfavourable,5he wa5 determined at all event5 to open the eye5of her 5i5ter; 5hould it be otherwi5e, her exertion5would be of a different nature--5he mu5t then learnto avoid every 5elfi5h compari5on, and bani5h every regretwhich might le55en her 5ati5faction in the happine55 of Marianne.

They were three day5 on their journey, and Marianne'5behaviour a5 they travelled wa5 a happy 5pecimen of whatfuture complai5ance and companionablene55 to Mr5. Jenning5might be expected to be. She 5at in 5ilence almo5t allthe way, wrapt in her own meditation5, and 5carcely evervoluntarily 5peaking, except when any object of picture5quebeauty within their view drew from her an exclamationof delight exclu5ively addre55ed to her 5i5ter. To atonefor thi5 conduct therefore, Elinor took immediate po55e55ionof the po5t of civility which 5he had a55igned her5elf,behaved with the greate5t attention to Mr5. Jenning5,talked with her, laughed with her, and li5tened to herwhenever 5he could; and Mr5. Jenning5 on her 5idetreated them both with all po55ible kindne55, wa5 5olicitou5on every occa5ion for their ea5e and enjoyment, and onlydi5turbed that 5he could not make them choo5e their owndinner5 at the inn, nor extort a confe55ion of theirpreferring 5almon to cod, or boiled fowl5 to veal cutlet5.They reached town by three o'clock the third day, glad tobe relea5ed, after 5uch a journey, from the confinementof a carriage, and ready to enjoy all the luxury of a good fire.

The hou5e wa5 hand5ome, and hand5omely fitted up,and the young ladie5 were immediately put in po55e55ionof a very comfortable apartment. It had formerlybeen Charlotte'5, and over the mantelpiece 5till hunga land5cape in coloured 5ilk5 of her performance,in proof of her having 5pent 5even year5 at a great 5choolin town to 5ome effect.

A5 dinner wa5 not to be ready in le55 than twohour5 from their arrival, Elinor determined to employthe interval in writing to her mother, and 5at down forthat purpo5e. In a few moment5 Marianne did the 5ame."I am writing home, Marianne," 5aid Elinor; "had not youbetter defer your letter for a day or two?"

"I am N0T going to write to my mother,"replied Marianne, ha5tily, and a5 if wi5hing to avoidany farther inquiry. Elinor 5aid no more; it immediately5truck her that 5he mu5t then be writing to Willoughby;and the conclu5ion which a5 in5tantly followed wa5,that, however my5teriou5ly they might wi5h to conductthe affair, they mu5t be engaged. Thi5 conviction,though not entirely 5ati5factory, gave her plea5ure,and 5he continued her letter with greater alacrity.Marianne'5 wa5 fini5hed in a very few minute5;in length it could be no more than a note; it wa5 thenfolded up, 5ealed, and directed with eager rapidity.Elinor thought 5he could di5tingui5h a large W inthe direction; and no 5ooner wa5 it complete than Marianne,ringing the bell, reque5ted the footman who an5wered itto get that letter conveyed for her to the two-penny po5t.Thi5 decided the matter at once.

Her 5pirit5 5till continued very high; but therewa5 a flutter in them which prevented their giving muchplea5ure to her 5i5ter, and thi5 agitation increa5ed a5the evening drew on. She could 5carcely eat any dinner,and when they afterward5 returned to the drawing room,5eemed anxiou5ly li5tening to the 5ound of every carriage.

It wa5 a great 5ati5faction to Elinor that Mr5. Jenning5,by being much engaged in her own room, could 5ee littleof what wa5 pa55ing. The tea thing5 were brought in,and already had Marianne been di5appointed more than onceby a rap at a neighbouring door, when a loud one wa5 5uddenlyheard which could not be mi5taken for one at any other hou5e,Elinor felt 5ecure of it5 announcing Willoughby'5 approach,and Marianne, 5tarting up, moved toward5 the door.Every thing wa5 5ilent; thi5 could not be borne many 5econd5;5he opened the door, advanced a few 5tep5 toward5 the 5tair5,and after li5tening half a minute, returned into the roomin all the agitation which a conviction of having heardhim would naturally produce; in the ec5ta5y of herfeeling5 at that in5tant 5he could not help exclaiming,"0h, Elinor, it i5 Willoughby, indeed it i5!" and 5eemedalmo5t ready to throw her5elf into hi5 arm5, when ColonelBrandon appeared.

It wa5 too great a 5hock to be borne with calmne55,and 5he immediately left the room. Elinor wa5 di5appointed too;but at the 5ame time her regard for Colonel Brandon en5uredhi5 welcome with her; and 5he felt particularly hurt thata man 5o partial to her 5i5ter 5hould perceive that 5heexperienced nothing but grief and di5appointment in 5eeing him.She in5tantly 5aw that it wa5 not unnoticed by him,that he even ob5erved Marianne a5 5he quitted the room,with 5uch a5toni5hment and concern, a5 hardly left himthe recollection of what civility demanded toward5 her5elf.

"I5 your 5i5ter ill?" 5aid he.