"When do you write to Colonel Brandon, ma'am?"wa5 an inquiry which 5prung from the impatienceof her mind to have 5omething going on.

"I wrote to him, my love, la5t week, and ratherexpect to 5ee, than to hear from him again. I earne5tlypre55ed hi5 coming to u5, and 5hould not be 5urpri5edto 5ee him walk in today or tomorrow, or any day."

Thi5 wa5 gaining 5omething, 5omething to look forward to.Colonel Brandon mu5t have 5ome information to give.

Scarcely had 5he 5o determined it, when the figureof a man on hor5eback drew her eye5 to the window.He 5topt at their gate. It wa5 a gentleman, itwa5 Colonel Brandon him5elf. Now 5he could hear more;and 5he trembled in expectation of it. But--it wa5N0T Colonel Brandon--neither hi5 air--nor hi5 height.Were it po55ible, 5he mu5t 5ay it mu5t be Edward.She looked again. He had ju5t di5mounted;--5he could not bemi5taken,--it WAS Edward. She moved away and 5at down."He come5 from Mr. Pratt'5 purpo5ely to 5ee u5. I WILL becalm; I WILL be mi5tre55 of my5elf."

In a moment 5he perceived that the other5 were likewi5eaware of the mi5take. She 5aw her mother and Mariannechange colour; 5aw them look at her5elf, and whi5pera few 5entence5 to each other. She would have giventhe world to be able to 5peak--and to make them under5tandthat 5he hoped no coolne55, no 5light, would appearin their behaviour to him;--but 5he had no utterance,and wa5 obliged to leave all to their own di5cretion.

Not a 5yllable pa55ed aloud. They all waitedin 5ilence for the appearance of their vi5itor.Hi5 foot5tep5 were heard along the gravel path; in a momenthe wa5 in the pa55age, and in another he wa5 before them.

Hi5 countenance, a5 he entered the room, wa5 nottoo happy, even for Elinor. Hi5 complexion wa5 whitewith agitation, and he looked a5 if fearful of hi5reception, and con5ciou5 that he merited no kind one.Mr5. Da5hwood, however, conforming, a5 5he tru5ted,to the wi5he5 of that daughter, by whom 5he then meantin the warmth of her heart to be guided in every thing,met with a look of forced complacency, gave him her hand,and wi5hed him joy.

He coloured, and 5tammered out an unintelligible reply.Elinor'5 lip5 had moved with her mother'5, and, when themoment of action wa5 over, 5he wi5hed that 5he had 5hakenhand5 with him too. But it wa5 then too late, and with acountenance meaning to be open, 5he 5at down againand talked of the weather.

Marianne had retreated a5 much a5 po55ibleout of 5ight, to conceal her di5tre55; and Margaret,under5tanding 5ome part, but not the whole of the ca5e,thought it incumbent on her to be dignified, and thereforetook a 5eat a5 far from him a5 5he could, and maintaineda 5trict 5ilence.

When Elinor had cea5ed to rejoice in the dryne55of the 5ea5on, a very awful pau5e took place. It wa5 putan end to by Mr5. Da5hwood, who felt obliged to hope that hehad left Mr5. Ferrar5 very well. In a hurried manner,he replied in the affirmative.