Eleanor could not find herself in the carriage with Mrs Jennings,
As her guest,
Without wondering at her own situation.
So short had their acquaintance with that lady been,
So wholly unsuited were they in age and disposition,
And so many had been her objections against such a measure only a few days before,
But these objections had all,
With that happy ardour of youth which Marianne and her mother equally shared,
Been overcome or overlooked.
And Eleanor,
In spite of every occasional doubt of Willoughby's constancy,
Could not witness the rapture of delightful expectation which filled the whole soul and beamed in the eyes of Marianne,
Without feeling how blank was her own prospect.
A short,
A very short time,
However,
Must now decide what Willoughby's intentions were,
In all probability he was already in town.
Marianne's eagerness to be gone declared her dependence on finding him there,
And Eleanor was resolved upon watching his behaviour to her sister with such a zealous attention as to ascertain what he was and what he meant,
Before many meetings had taken place.
They reached town by three o'clock the third day,
Glad to be released after such a journey from the confinement of a carriage,
And ready to enjoy all the luxury of a good fire.
The house was handsome,
And handsomely fitted up,
And the young ladies were immediately put in possession of a very comfortable apartment.
As dinner was not yet ready in less than two hours from their arrival,
Eleanor determined to employ the interval in writing to her mother,
And sat down for that purpose.
In a few moments Marianne did the same.
I'm writing home,
Marianne,
Said Eleanor.
Had not you better defer your letter for a day or two?
I'm not going to write to my mother,
Replied Marianne hastily,
As if wishing to avoid any further inquiry.
Eleanor said no more.
It immediately struck her she must then be writing to Willoughby,
And the conclusion which has instantly followed was,
That however mysteriously they might wish to conduct the affair,
They must be engaged.
Marianne's letter was finished in a very few minutes,
Then it was folded up,
Sealed,
And directed with eager rapidity.
No sooner was it complete than Marianne,
Ringing the bell,
Requested the footman who answered it to get that letter conveyed for her to the Two Penny Post.
Her spirits still continued very high,
But there was a flutter in them which prevented them giving much pleasure to her sister,
And this agitation increased as the evening drew on.
She could scarcely eat any dinner,
And when they afterwards returned to the drawing room,
Seemed anxiously listening to the sound of every carriage.
It was a great satisfaction to Eleanor that Mrs.
Jennings,
By being much engaged in her own room,
Could see little of what was passing.
The tea things were brought in,
And already had Marianne been disappointed more than once by a rap at a neighbouring door,
When a loud one was suddenly heard,
Which could not be mistaken for one at any other house.
Eleanor felt secure of it announcing Willoughby's approach,
And Marianne,
Starting up,
Moved towards the door,
And could not help exclaiming,
Oh,
Eleanor,
It is Willoughby,
Indeed it is!
And seemed almost ready to throw herself into his arms,
When Colonel Brandon appeared.
It was too great a shock to be borne with calmness,
And she immediately left the room.
Eleanor was disappointed too,
But at that same time her regard for Colonel Brandon ensured his welcome with her,
And she felt particularly hurt that a man so partial to her sister should perceive she experienced nothing but grief and disappointment in seeing him.
Is your sister ill?
Said he.
Eleanor answered in some distress that she was,
And talked of headaches,
Low spirits and over-fatigues,
And of everything to which she could decently attribute her sister's behaviour.
Colonel Brandon heard her with the most earnest attention,
But seeming to recollect himself said no more on the subject,
And began directly to talk of his pleasure at seeing them in London.
Eleanor wished very much to ask whether Willoughby were in town,
But she was afraid of giving them pain by any inquiry after his arrival,
And at length,
By way of saying something,
She asked if he had been in London ever since she'd seen him last.
Yes,
He replied with some embarrassment,
Almost ever since.
I have been once or twice in Delaford for a few days,
But it has never been in my power to return to Barton.
This,
And the manner in which it was said,
Immediately brought back to Eleanor's remembrance all the circumstances of his quitting that place,
And she was fearful that her question had implied much more curiosity on the subject than she'd felt.
Mrs Jennings soon came in.
Oh,
Colonel,
Said she with her usual noisy cheerfulness,
I am monstrous glad to see you.
Sorry I could not come before,
For,
Lord,
I've been as busy as a bee ever since dinner.
But pray,
Colonel,
How came you to conjure out that I should be in town today?
I had the pleasure of hearing it at Mr Palmer's,
Where I've been dining,
He said.
Oh,
You did?
Well,
And how do they all do at their house?
How does Charlotte do?
I warrant you she's a fine size by this time.
Mrs Palmer appeared quite well,
And I am commissioned to tell you you will certainly see her tomorrow.
Well,
Colonel,
I've brought two young ladies with me,
You see.
That is,
You see but one of them now,
But there is another one somewhere.
Your friend Miss Marianne,
Too,
Which you will not be sorry to hear.
I do not know what you and Willoughby will do between you about her.
Aye,
It's a fine thing to be young and handsome.
But,
Colonel,
Where have you been to since we parted?
And how does your business go on?
He replied with his accustomary mildness to all her inquiries,
But without satisfying her in any.
So Eleanor began to make the tea,
And Marianne was obliged to appear again.
After her entrance,
Colonel Brandon became more thoughtful and silent than he'd been before,
And Mrs Jennings could not prevail on him to stay long.
No other visitor appeared that evening,
And the ladies were unanimous in agreeing to go early to bed.
Marianne rose the next morning with recovered spirits and happy looks.
They had not long finished their breakfast before Mrs Palmer's barouche stopped at the door,
And in a few minutes she came laughing into the room,
So delighted to see them all that it was hard to say whether she received most pleasure from meeting her mother or the Miss Dashwoods again.
After an hour or two spent in what her mother called comfortable chat,
It was proposed by Mrs Palmer they should all accompany her to some shops where she had business that morning,
To which Mrs Jennings and Eleanor readily consented,
And Marianne,
Though declining it at first,
Was induced to go likewise.
Wherever they went,
She was evidently always on the watch.
In Bond Street especially,
Where much of their business lay,
Her eyes were in constant inquiry.
Restless and dissatisfied everywhere,
Her sister could never obtain her opinion of any article of purchase,
However it might equally concern them both.
She received no pleasure from anything,
And was only impatient to be home again.
It was late in the morning before they returned home,
And no sooner had they entered the house than Marianne flew eagerly upstairs,
And when Eleanor followed,
She found her turning from the table with a sorrowful countenance,
Which declared that no Willoughby had been there.
"'Has no letter been left here for me since we went out?
' she said to the footman.
"'Are you certain no servant,
No porter has left any letter or note?
' The man replied that none had.
"'How very odd,
' she said in a low and disappointed voice.
"'How odd indeed,
' repeated Eleanor within herself,
Regarding her sister with uneasiness.
"'If she had not known him to be in town,
She would not have written to him as she did.
She would have written to Coombe Magna.
And if he is in town,
How odd he should neither come nor write!
' Eleanor determined after some consideration that if appearances continued many days longer as unpleasant as they now were,
She would represent in the strongest manner to her mother the necessity of some serious inquiry into the affair.
Mrs.
Palmer and the two elderly ladies of Mrs.
Jennings' intimate acquaintance dined with them.
The former left them soon after tea to fulfil her evening engagements,
And Eleanor was obliged to assist in making a whisked table for the others.
Marianne was of no use on these occasions,
As she would never learn the game.
But though her time was therefore at her own disposal,
The evening was spent in all the anxiety of expectation and the pain of disappointment.
