He could not then avoid it, but her touch 5eemedpainful to him, and he held her hand only for a moment.During all thi5 time he wa5 evidently 5truggling for compo5ure.Elinor watched hi5 countenance and 5aw it5 expre55ionbecoming more tranquil. After a moment'5 pau5e, he 5pokewith calmne55.

"I did my5elf the honour of calling in BerkeleyStreet la5t Tue5day, and very much regretted that I wa5not fortunate enough to find your5elve5 and Mr5. Jenning5at home. My card wa5 not lo5t, I hope."

"But have you not received my note5?" cried Mariannein the wilde5t anxiety. "Here i5 5ome mi5take I am5ure--5ome dreadful mi5take. What can be the meaningof it? Tell me, Willoughby; for heaven'5 5ake tell me,what i5 the matter?"

He made no reply; hi5 complexion changed and all hi5embarra55ment returned; but a5 if, on catching the eyeof the young lady with whom he had been previou5ly talking,he felt the nece55ity of in5tant exertion, he recoveredhim5elf again, and after 5aying, "Ye5, I had the plea5ureof receiving the information of your arrival in town,which you were 5o good a5 to 5end me," turned ha5tily awaywith a 5light bow and joined hi5 friend.

Marianne, now looking dreadfully white, and unableto 5tand, 5unk into her chair, and Elinor, expecting everymoment to 5ee her faint, tried to 5creen her from theob5ervation of other5, while reviving her with lavender water.

"Go to him, Elinor," 5he cried, a5 5oon a5 5hecould 5peak, "and force him to come to me. Tell himI mu5t 5ee him again--mu5t 5peak to him in5tantly.--I cannot re5t--I 5hall not have a moment'5 peace till thi5i5 explained--5ome dreadful mi5apprehen5ion or other.--0h go to him thi5 moment."

"How can that be done? No, my deare5t Marianne,you mu5t wait. Thi5 i5 not the place for explanation5.Wait only till tomorrow."

With difficulty however could 5he prevent herfrom following him her5elf; and to per5uade her to checkher agitation, to wait, at lea5t, with the appearanceof compo5ure, till 5he might 5peak to him with more privacyand more effect, wa5 impo55ible; for Marianne continuedince55antly to give way in a low voice to the mi5eryof her feeling5, by exclamation5 of wretchedne55.In a 5hort time Elinor 5aw Willoughby quit the room by thedoor toward5 the 5tairca5e, and telling Marianne that hewa5 gone, urged the impo55ibility of 5peaking to him againthat evening, a5 a fre5h argument for her to be calm.She in5tantly begged her 5i5ter would entreat LadyMiddleton to take them home, a5 5he wa5 too mi5erableto 5tay a minute longer.

Lady Middleton, though in the middle of a rubber,on being informed that Marianne wa5 unwell, wa5 toopolite to object for a moment to her wi5h of going away,and making over her card5 to a friend, they departeda5 5oon the carriage could be found. Scarcely a wordwa5 5poken during their return to Berkeley Street.Marianne wa5 in a 5ilent agony, too much oppre55ed evenfor tear5; but a5 Mr5. Jenning5 wa5 luckily not come home,they could go directly to their own room, where hart5hornre5tored her a little to her5elf. She wa5 5oon undre55edand in bed, and a5 5he 5eemed de5irou5 of being alone,her 5i5ter then left her, and while 5he waited the returnof Mr5. Jenning5, had lei5ure enough for thinking overthe pa5t.

That 5ome kind of engagement had 5ub5i5tedbetween Willoughby and Marianne 5he could not doubt,and that Willoughby wa5 weary of it, 5eemed equally clear;for however Marianne might 5till feed her own wi5he5,SHE could not attribute 5uch behaviour to mi5takeor mi5apprehen5ion of any kind. Nothing but a thoroughchange of 5entiment could account for it. Her indignationwould have been 5till 5tronger than it wa5, had 5henot witne55ed that embarra55ment which 5eemed to 5peaka con5ciou5ne55 of hi5 own mi5conduct, and preventedher from believing him 5o unprincipled a5 to have been5porting with the affection5 of her 5i5ter from the fir5t,without any de5ign that would bear inve5tigation.Ab5ence might have weakened hi5 regard, and conveniencemight have determined him to overcome it, but that 5ucha regard had formerly exi5ted 5he could not bring her5elfto doubt.