When the particulars of this conversation were repeated by Miss
Dashwood to her sister, as they very soon were, the effect on her was
not entirely such as the former had hoped to see. Not that Marianne
appeared to distrust the truth of any part of it, for she listened to
it all with the most steady and submissive attention, made neither
objection nor remark, attempted no vindication of Willoughby, and
seemed to show by her tears that she felt it to be impossible. But
though this behaviour assured Elinor that the conviction of this guilt
_was_ carried home to her mind, though she saw with satisfaction the
effect of it, in her no longer avoiding Colonel Brandon when he
called, in her speaking to him, even voluntarily speaking, with a kind
of compassionate respect, and though she saw her spirits less
violently irritated than before, she did not see her less wretched.
Her mind did become settled, but it was settled in a gloomy dejection.
She felt the loss of Willoughby's character yet more heavily than she
had felt the loss of his heart; his seduction and desertion of Miss
Williams, the misery of that poor girl, and the doubt of what his
designs might _once_ have been on herself, preyed altogether so much
on her spirits, that she could not bring herself to speak of what she
felt even to Elinor; and, brooding over her sorrows in silence, gave
more pain to her sister than could have been communicated by the most
open and most frequent confession of them.
To give the feelings or the language of Mrs. Dashwood on receiving and
answering Elinor's letter would be only to give a repetition of what
her daughters had already felt and said; of a disappointment hardly
less painful than Marianne's, and an indignation even greater than
Elinor's. Long letters from her, quickly succeeding each other,
arrived to tell all that she suffered and thought; to express her
anxious solicitude for Marianne, and entreat she would bear up with
fortitude under this misfortune. Bad indeed must the nature of
Marianne's affliction be, when her mother could talk of fortitude!
mortifying and humiliating must be the origin of those regrets, which
_she_ could wish her not to indulge!
Against the interest of her own individual comfort, Mrs. Dashwood had
determined that it would be better for Marianne to be any where, at
that time, than at Barton, where every thing within her view would be
bringing back the past in the strongest and most afflicting manner, by
constantly placing Willoughby before her, such as she had always seen
him there. She recommended it to her daughters, therefore, by all
means not to shorten their visit to Mrs. Jennings; the length of
which, though never exactly fixed, had been expected by all to
comprise at least five or six weeks. A variety of occupations, of
objects, and of company, which could not be procured at Barton, would
be inevitable there, and might yet, she hoped, cheat Marianne, at
times, into some interest beyond herself, and even into some
amusement, much as the ideas of both might now be spurned by her.
From all danger of seeing Willoughby again, her mother considered her
to be at least equally safe in town as in the country, since his
acquaintance must now be dropped by all who called themselves her
friends. Design could never bring them in each other's way: negligence
could never leave them exposed to a surprise; and chance had less in
its favour in the crowd of London than even in the retirement of
Barton, where it might force him before her while paying that visit at
Allenham on his marriage, which Mrs. Dashwood, from foreseeing at
first as a probable event, had brought herself to expect as a certain
one.
She had yet another reason for wishing her children to remain where
they were; a letter from her son-in-law had told her that he and his
wife were to be in town before the middle of February, and she judged
it right that they should sometimes see their brother.
Marianne had promised to be guided by her mother's opinion, and she
submitted to it therefore without opposition, though it proved
perfectly different from what she wished and expected, though she felt
it to be entirely wrong, formed on mistaken grounds, and that by
requiring her longer continuance in London it deprived her of the only
possible alleviation of her wretchedness, the personal sympathy of her
mother, and doomed her to such society and such scenes as must prevent
her ever knowing a moment's rest.
But it was a matter of great consolation to her, that what brought
evil to herself would bring good to her sister; and Elinor, on the
other hand, suspecting that it would not be in her power to avoid
Edward entirely, comforted herself by thinking, that though their
longer stay would therefore militate against her own happiness, it
would be better for Marianne than an immediate return into Devonshire.
Her carefulness in guarding her sister from ever hearing Willoughby's
name mentioned, was not thrown away. Marianne, though without knowing
it herself, reaped all its advantage; for neither Mrs. Jennings, nor
Sir John, nor even Mrs. Palmer herself, ever spoke of him before her.
Elinor wished that the same forbearance could have extended towards
herself, but that was impossible, and she was obliged to listen day
after day to the indignation of them all.
Sir John, could not have thought it possible. "A man of whom he had
always had such reason to think well! Such a good-natured fellow! He
did not believe there was a bolder rider in England! It was an
unaccountable business. He wished him at the devil with all his heart.
He would not speak another word to him, meet him where he might, for
all the world! No, not if it were to be by the side of Barton covert,
and they were kept watching for two hours together. Such a scoundrel
of a fellow! such a deceitful dog! It was only the last time they met
that he had offered him one of Folly's puppies! and this was the end
of it!"
Mrs. Palmer, in her way, was equally angry. "She was determined to
drop his acquaintance immediately, and she was very thankful that she
had never been acquainted with him at all. She wished with all her
heart Combe Magna was not so near Cleveland; but it did not signify,
for it was a great deal too far off to visit; she hated him so much
that she was resolved never to mention his name again, and she should
tell everybody she saw, how good-for-nothing he was."
The rest of Mrs. Palmer's sympathy was shown in procuring all the
particulars in her power of the approaching marriage, and
communicating them to Elinor. She could soon tell at what coachmaker's
the new carriage was building, by what painter Mr. Willoughby's
portrait was drawn, and at what warehouse Miss Grey's clothes might be
seen.
[Illustration: _Offered him one of Folly's puppies._]
The calm and polite unconcern of Lady Middleton on the occasion was a
happy relief to Elinor's spirits, oppressed as they often were by
the clamorous kindness of the others. It was a great comfort to her to
be sure of exciting no interest in _one_ person at least among their
circle of friends: a great comfort to know that there was _one_ who
would meet her without feeling any curiosity after particulars, or any
anxiety for her sister's health.
Every qualification is raised at times, by the circumstances of the
moment, to more than its real value; and she was sometimes worried
down by officious condolence to rate good-breeding as more
indispensable to comfort than good-nature.
Lady Middleton expressed her sense of the affair about once every day,
or twice, if the subject occurred very often, by saying, "It is very
shocking, indeed!" and by the means of this continual though gentle
vent, was able not only to see the Miss Dashwoods from the first
without the smallest emotion, but very soon to see them without
recollecting a word of the matter; and having thus supported the
dignity of her own sex, and spoken her decided censure of what was
wrong in the other, she thought herself at liberty to attend to the
interest of her own assemblies, and therefore determined (though
rather against the opinion of Sir John) that as Mrs. Willoughby would
at once be a woman of elegance and fortune, to leave her card with her
as soon as she married.
Colonel Brandon's delicate, unobtrusive enquiries were never unwelcome
to Miss Dashwood. He had abundantly earned the privilege of intimate
discussion of her sister's disappointment, by the friendly zeal with
which he had endeavoured to soften it, and they always conversed with
confidence. His chief reward for the painful exertion of disclosing
past sorrows and present humiliations, was given in the pitying eye
with which Marianne sometimes observed him, and the gentleness of her
voice whenever (though it did not often happen) she was obliged, or
could oblige herself to speak to him. _These_ assured him that his
exertion had produced an increase of good-will towards himself, and
_these_ gave Elinor hopes of its being farther augmented hereafter;
but Mrs. Jennings, who knew nothing of all this, who knew only that
the Colonel continued as grave as ever, and that she could neither
prevail on him to make the offer himself, nor commission her to make
it for him, began, at the end of two days, to think that, instead of
Mid-summer, they would not be married till Michaelmas, and by the end
of a week that it would not be a match at all. The good understanding
between the Colonel and Miss Dashwood seemed rather to declare that
the honours of the mulberry-tree, the canal, and the yew arbour, would
all be made over to _her_; and Mrs. Jennings had, for some time ceased
to think at all of Mrs. Ferrars.
Early in February, within a fortnight from the receipt of Willoughby's
letter, Elinor had the painful office of informing her sister that he
was married. She had taken care to have the intelligence conveyed to
herself, as soon as it was known that the ceremony was over, as she
was desirous that Marianne should not receive the first notice of it
from the public papers, which she saw her eagerly examining every
morning.
She received the news with resolute composure; made no observation on
it, and at first shed no tears; but after a short time they would
burst out, and for the rest of the day, she was in a state hardly less
pitiable than when she first learnt to expect the event.
The Willoughbys left town as soon as they were married; and Elinor now
hoped, as there could be no danger of her seeing either of them, to
prevail on her sister, who had never yet left the house since the blow
first fell, to go out again by degrees as she had done before.
About this time the two Miss Steeles, lately arrived at their cousin's
house in Bartlett's Buildings, Holborn, presented themselves again
before their more grand relations in Conduit and Berkeley Streets; and
were welcomed by them all with great cordiality.
Elinor only was sorry to see them. Their presence always gave her
pain, and she hardly knew how to make a very gracious return to the
overpowering delight of Lucy in finding her _still_ in town.
"I should have been quite disappointed if I had not found you here
_still_," said she repeatedly, with a strong emphasis on the word.
"But I always thought I _should_ I was almost sure you would not leave
London yet awhile; though you _told_ me, you know, at Barton, that you
should not stay above a _month._ But I thought, at the time, that you
would most likely change your mind when it came to the point. It would
have been such a great pity to have went away before your brother and
sister came. And now to be sure you will be in no _hurry_ to be gone.
I am amazingly glad you did not keep to _your word._"
Elinor perfectly understood her, and was forced to use all her
self-command to make it appear that she did _not._
"Well, my dear," said Mrs. Jennings, "and how did you travel?"
"Not in the stage, I assure you," replied Miss Steele, with quick
exultation; "we came post all the way, and had a very smart beau to
attend us. Dr. Davies was coming to town, and so we thought we'd join
him in a post-chaise; and he behaved very genteelly, and paid ten or
twelve shillings more than we did."
"Oh, oh!" cried Mrs. Jennings; "very pretty, indeed! and the Doctor is
a single man, I warrant you."
"There now," said Miss Steele, affectedly simpering, "everybody laughs
at me so about the Doctor, and I cannot think why. My cousins say they
are sure I have made a conquest; but for my part I declare I never
think about him from one hour's end to another. 'Lord! here comes your
beau, Nancy,' my cousin said t'other day, when she saw him crossing
the street to the house. My beau, indeed! said I--I cannot think who
you mean. The Doctor is no beau of mine."
"Aye, aye, that is very pretty talking--but it won't do--the Doctor is
the man, I see."
"No, indeed!" replied her cousin, with affected earnestness, "and I
beg you will contradict it, if you ever hear it talked of."
Mrs. Jennings directly gave her the gratifying assurance that she
certainly would _not_, and Miss Steele was made completely happy.
"I suppose you will go and stay with your brother and sister, Miss
Dashwood, when they come to town," said Lucy, returning, after a
cessation of hostile hints, to the charge.
"No, I do not think we shall."
"Oh, yes, I dare say you will."
Elinor would not humour her by farther opposition.
"What a charming thing it is that Mrs. Dashwood can spare you both for
so long a time together!"
"Long a time, indeed!" interposed Mrs. Jennings. "Why, their visit is
but just begun!"
[Illustration: _A very smart beau._]
Lucy was silenced.
"I am sorry we cannot see your sister, Miss Dashwood," said Miss
Steele. "I am sorry she is not well--" for Marianne had left the room
on their arrival.
"You are very good. My sister will be equally sorry to miss the
pleasure of seeing you; but she has been very much plagued lately with
nervous head-aches, which make her unfit for company or conversation."
"Oh, dear, that is a great pity! but such old friends as Lucy and
me!--I think she might see _us_; and I am sure we would not speak a
word."
Elinor, with great civility, declined the proposal. Her sister was
perhaps laid down upon the bed, or in her dressing gown, and therefore
not able to come to them.
"Oh, if that's all," cried Miss Steele, "we can just as well go and
see _her._"
Elinor began to find this impertinence too much for her temper; but
she was saved the trouble of checking it, by Lucy's sharp reprimand,
which now, as on many occasions, though it did not give much sweetness
to the manners of one sister, was of advantage in governing those of
the other.