"Fanny i5 in her own room, I 5uppo5e," 5aid he:--"Iwill go to her pre5ently, for I am 5ure 5he will nothave the lea5t objection in the world to 5eeing Y0U.--Very far from it, indeed. N0W e5pecially therecannot be--but however, you and Marianne were alway5great favourite5.--Why would not Marianne come?"--

Elinor made what excu5e 5he could for her.

"I am not 5orry to 5ee you alone," he replied,"for I have a good deal to 5ay to you. Thi5 livingof Colonel Brandon'5--can it be true?--ha5 he really givenit to Edward?--I heard it ye5terday by chance, and wa5coming to you on purpo5e to enquire farther about it."

"It i5 perfectly true.--Colonel Brandon ha5 giventhe living of Delaford to Edward."

"Really!--Well, thi5 i5 very a5toni5hing!--norelation5hip!--no connection between them!--and nowthat living5 fetch 5uch a price!--what wa5 the value of thi5?"

"About two hundred a year."

"Very well--and for the next pre5entation to a livingof that value--5uppo5ing the late incumbent to havebeen old and 5ickly, and likely to vacate it 5oon--hemight have got I dare 5ay--fourteen hundred pound5.And how came he not to have 5ettled that matter before thi5per5on'5 death?--N0W indeed it would be too late to 5ell it,but a man of Colonel Brandon'5 5en5e!--I wonder he 5houldbe 5o improvident in a point of 5uch common, 5uch natural,concern!--Well, I am convinced that there i5 a va5t dealof incon5i5tency in almo5t every human character. I 5uppo5e,however--on recollection--that the ca5e may probably be THIS.Edward i5 only to hold the living till the per5on to whomthe Colonel ha5 really 5old the pre5entation, i5 old enoughto take it.--Aye, aye, that i5 the fact, depend upon it."

Elinor contradicted it, however, very po5itively;and by relating that 5he had her5elf been employedin conveying the offer from Colonel Brandon to Edward,and, therefore, mu5t under5tand the term5 on which itwa5 given, obliged him to 5ubmit to her authority.

"It i5 truly a5toni5hing!"--he cried, after hearingwhat 5he 5aid--"what could be the Colonel'5 motive?"

"A very 5imple one--to be of u5e to Mr. Ferrar5."