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1Their departure took place in the first week in January. The Middletons were to follow in about a week. The Miss Steeles
2kept their station at the park, and were to quit it only with the rest of the family. CHAPTER XXVI. Elinor could not
3find herself in the carriage with Mrs. Jennings, and beginning a journey to London under her protection, and as her
4guest, without wondering at her own situation, so short had their acquaintance with that lady been, so wholly unsuited
5were they in age and disposition, and so many had been her objections against such a measure only a few days before! But
6these objections had all, with that happy ardour of youth which Marianne and her mother equally shared, been overcome or
7overlooked; and Elinor, in spite of every occasional doubt of Willoughby's constancy, could not witness the rapture of
8delightful expectation which filled the whole soul and beamed in the eyes of Marianne, without feeling how blank was her
9own prospect, how cheerless her own state of mind in the comparison, and how gladly she would engage in the solicitude
10of Marianne's situation to have the same animating object in view, the same possibility of hope. A short, a very short
11time however must now decide what Willoughby's intentions were; in all probability he was already in town. Marianne's
12eagerness to be gone declared her dependence on finding him there; and Elinor was resolved not only upon gaining every
13new light as to his character which her own observation or the intelligence of others could give her, but likewise upon
14watching his behaviour to her sister with such zealous attention, as to ascertain what he was and what he meant, before
15many meetings had taken place. Should the result of her observations be unfavourable, she was determined at all events
16to open the eyes of her sister; should it be otherwise, her exertions would be of a different nature--she must then
17learn to avoid every selfish comparison, and banish every regret which might lessen her satisfaction in the happiness of
18Marianne. They were three days on their journey, and Marianne's behaviour as they travelled was a happy specimen of what
19future complaisance and companionableness to Mrs. Jennings might be expected to be. She sat in silence almost all the
20way, wrapt in her own meditations, and scarcely ever voluntarily speaking, except when any object of picturesque beauty
21within their view drew from her an exclamation of delight exclusively addressed to her sister. To atone for this conduct
22therefore, Elinor took immediate possession of the post of civility which she had assigned herself, behaved with the
23greatest attention to Mrs. Jennings, talked with her, laughed with her, and listened to her whenever she could; and Mrs.
24Jennings on her side treated them both with all possible kindness, was solicitous on every occasion for their ease and
25enjoyment, and only disturbed that she could not make them choose their own dinners at the inn, nor extort a confession
26of their preferring salmon to cod, or boiled fowls to veal cutlets. They reached town by three o'clock the third day,
27glad to be released, after such a journey, from the confinement of a carriage, and ready to enjoy all the luxury of a
28good fire. The house was handsome, and handsomely fitted up, and the young ladies were immediately put in possession of
29a very comfortable apartment. It had formerly been Charlotte's, and over the mantelpiece still hung a landscape in
30coloured silks of her performance, in proof of her having spent seven years at a great school in town to some effect. As
31dinner was not to be ready in less than two hours from their arrival, Elinor determined to employ the interval in
32writing to her mother, and sat down for that purpose. In a few moments Marianne did the same. "I am writing home,
33Marianne," said Elinor; "had not you better defer your letter for a day or two?" "I am not going to write to my mother,"
34replied Marianne, hastily, and as if wishing to avoid any farther inquiry. Elinor said no more; it immediately struck
35her that she must then be writing to Willoughby; and the conclusion which as instantly followed was, that, however
36mysteriously they might wish to conduct the affair, they must be engaged. This conviction, though not entirely
37satisfactory, gave her pleasure, and she continued her letter with greater alacrity. Marianne's was finished in a very
38few minutes; in length it could be no more than a note; it was then folded up, sealed, and directed with eager rapidity.
39Elinor thought she could distinguish a large W in the direction; and no sooner was it complete than Marianne, ringing
40the bell, requested the footman who answered it to get that letter conveyed for her to the two-penny post. This decided
41the matter at once. Her spirits still continued very high; but there was a flutter in them which prevented their giving
42much pleasure to her sister, and this agitation increased as the evening drew on. She could scarcely eat any dinner, and
43when they afterwards returned to the drawing room, seemed anxiously listening to the sound of every carriage. It was a
44great satisfaction to Elinor that Mrs. Jennings, by being much engaged in her own room, could see little of what was
45passing. The tea things were brought in, and already had Marianne been disappointed more than once by a rap at a
46neighbouring door, when a loud one was suddenly heard which could not be mistaken for one at any other house, Elinor
47felt secure of its announcing Willoughby's approach, and Marianne, starting up, moved towards the door. Every thing was
48silent; this could not be borne many seconds; she opened the door, advanced a few steps towards the stairs, and after
49listening half a minute, returned into the room in all the agitation which a conviction of having heard him would
50naturally produce; in the ecstasy of her feelings at that instant she could not help exclaiming, "Oh, Elinor, it is
51Willoughby, indeed it is!" and seemed almost ready to throw herself into his arms, when Colonel Brandon appeared. It was
52too great a shock to be borne with calmness, and she immediately left the room. Elinor was disappointed too; but at the
53same time her regard for Colonel Brandon ensured his welcome with her; and she felt particularly hurt that a man so
54partial to her sister should perceive that she experienced nothing but grief and disappointment in seeing him. She
55instantly saw that it was not unnoticed by him, that he even observed Marianne as she quitted the room, with such
56astonishment and concern, as hardly left him the recollection of what civility demanded towards herself. "Is your sister
57ill?" said he. Elinor answered in some distress that she was, and then talked of head-aches, low spirits, and over
58fatigues; and of every thing to which she could decently attribute her sister's behaviour. He heard her with the most
59earnest attention, but seeming to recollect himself, said no more on the subject, and began directly to speak of his
60pleasure at seeing them in London, making the usual inquiries about their journey, and the friends they had left behind.
61In this calm kind of way, with very little interest on either side, they continued to talk, both of them out of spirits,
62and the thoughts of both engaged elsewhere. Elinor wished very much to ask whether Willoughby were then in town, but she
63was afraid of giving him pain by any enquiry after his rival; and at length, by way of saying something, she asked if he
64had been in London ever since she had seen him last. "Yes," he replied, with some embarrassment, "almost ever since; I
65have been once or twice at Delaford for a few days, but it has never been in my power to return to Barton." This, and
66the manner in which it was said, immediately brought back to her remembrance all the circumstances of his quitting that
67place, with the uneasiness and suspicions they had caused to Mrs. Jennings, and she was fearful that her question had
68implied much more curiosity on the subject than she had ever felt. Mrs. Jennings soon came in. "Oh! Colonel," said she,
69with her usual noisy cheerfulness, "I am monstrous glad to see you--sorry I could not come before--beg your pardon, but
70I have been forced to look about me a little, and settle my matters; for it is a long while since I have been at home,
71and you know one has always a world of little odd things to do after one has been away for any time; and then I have had
72Cartwright to settle with. Lord, I have been as busy as a bee ever since dinner! But pray, Colonel, how came you to
73conjure out that I should be in town today?"
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