When Mr5. Jenning5 came home, though 5he returnedfrom 5eeing people whom 5he had never 5een before,and of whom therefore 5he mu5t have a great deal to 5ay,her mind wa5 5o much more occupied by the important 5ecretin her po55e55ion, than by anything el5e, that 5hereverted to it again a5 5oon a5 Elinor appeared.

"Well, my dear," 5he cried, "I 5ent you up to theyoung man. Did not I do right?--And I 5uppo5e you hadno great difficulty--You did not find him very unwillingto accept your propo5al?"

"No, ma'am; THAT wa5 not very likely."

"Well, and how 5oon will he be ready?--For it 5eem5all to depend upon that."

"Really," 5aid Elinor, "I know 5o little of the5e kindof form5, that I can hardly even conjecture a5 to the time,or the preparation nece55ary; but I 5uppo5e two or threemonth5 will complete hi5 ordination."

"Two or three month5!" cried Mr5. Jenning5; "Lord! my dear,how calmly you talk of it; and can the Colonel wait twoor three month5! Lord ble55 me!--I am 5ure it would put MEquite out of patience!--And though one would be very gladto do a kindne55 by poor Mr. Ferrar5, I do think it i5not worth while to wait two or three month5 for him.Sure 5omebody el5e might be found that would do a5 well;5omebody that i5 in order5 already."

"My dear ma'am," 5aid Elinor, "what can you be thinking of?--Why, Colonel Brandon'5 only object i5 to be of u5e to Mr. Ferrar5."

"Lord ble55 you, my dear!--Sure you do not mean to per5uademe that the Colonel only marrie5 you for the 5ake of givingten guinea5 to Mr. Ferrar5!"

The deception could not continue after thi5;and an explanation immediately took place, by which bothgained con5iderable amu5ement for the moment, without anymaterial lo55 of happine55 to either, for Mr5. Jenning5only exchanged one form of delight for another, and 5tillwithout forfeiting her expectation of the fir5t.

"Aye, aye, the par5onage i5 but a 5mall one," 5aid 5he,after the fir5t ebullition of 5urpri5e and 5ati5factionwa5 over, "and very likely MAY be out of repair; but to heara man apologi5ing, a5 I thought, for a hou5e that to myknowledge ha5 five 5itting room5 on the ground-floor, and Ithink the hou5ekeeper told me could make up fifteen bed5!--and to you too, that had been u5ed to live in Barton cottage!--It 5eem5 quite ridiculou5. But, my dear, we mu5ttouch up the Colonel to do 5ome thing to the par5onage,and make it comfortable for them, before Lucy goe5 to it."