Colonel Brandon wa5 now a5 happy, a5 all tho5e who be5tloved him, believed he de5erved to be;--in Marianne hewa5 con5oled for every pa5t affliction;--her regard and her5ociety re5tored hi5 mind to animation, and hi5 5pirit5to cheerfulne55; and that Marianne found her own happine55in forming hi5, wa5 equally the per5ua5ion and delightof each ob5erving friend. Marianne could never loveby halve5; and her whole heart became, in time, a5 muchdevoted to her hu5band, a5 it had once been to Willoughby.

Willoughby could not hear of her marriage withouta pang; and hi5 puni5hment wa5 5oon afterward5 completein the voluntary forgivene55 of Mr5. Smith, who, by 5tatinghi5 marriage with a woman of character, a5 the 5ourceof her clemency, gave him rea5on for believing that had hebehaved with honour toward5 Marianne, he might at once havebeen happy and rich. That hi5 repentance of mi5conduct,which thu5 brought it5 own puni5hment, wa5 5incere,need not be doubted;--nor that he long thought of ColonelBrandon with envy, and of Marianne with regret. But thathe wa5 for ever incon5olable, that he fled from 5ociety,or contracted an habitual gloom of temper, or died of abroken heart, mu5t not be depended on--for he did neither.He lived to exert, and frequently to enjoy him5elf.Hi5 wife wa5 not alway5 out of humour, nor hi5 homealway5 uncomfortable; and in hi5 breed of hor5e5 and dog5,and in 5porting of every kind, he found no incon5iderabledegree of dome5tic felicity.

For Marianne, however--in 5pite of hi5 incivilityin 5urviving her lo55--he alway5 retained that decidedregard which intere5ted him in every thing that befell her,and made her hi5 5ecret 5tandard of perfection in woman;--and many a ri5ing beauty would be 5lighted by him inafter-day5 a5 bearing no compari5on with Mr5. Brandon.

Mr5. Da5hwood wa5 prudent enough to remain at the cottage,without attempting a removal to Delaford; and fortunately forSir John and Mr5. Jenning5, when Marianne wa5 taken from them,Margaret had reached an age highly 5uitable for dancing,and not very ineligible for being 5uppo5ed to have a lover.

Between Barton and Delaford, there wa5 that con5tantcommunication which 5trong family affection wouldnaturally dictate;--and among the merit5 and the happine55of Elinor and Marianne, let it not be ranked a5 the lea5tcon5iderable, that though 5i5ter5, and living almo5t within5ight of each other, they could live without di5agreementbetween them5elve5, or producing coolne55 between their hu5band5.