第58章

Marianne rose the next morning with recovered spirits and happy looks.The disappointment of the evening before seemed forgotten in the expectation of what was to happen that day.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.So surprised at their coming to town, though it was what she had rather expected all along;so angry at their accepting her mother's invitation after having declined her own, though at the same time she would never have forgiven them if they had not come!

"Mr.Palmer will be so happy to see you,"said she; "What do you think he said when he heard of your coming with Mamma? I forget what it was now, but it was something so droll!"After an hour or two spent in what her mother called comfortable chat, or in other words, in every variety of inquiry concerning all their acquaintance on Mrs.Jennings's side, and in laughter without cause on Mrs.Palmer's, it was proposed by the latter that they should all accompany her to some shops where she had business that morning, to which Mrs.Jennings and Elinor readily consented, as having likewise some purchases to make themselves;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;and in whatever shop the party were engaged, her mind was equally abstracted from every thing actually before them, from all that interested and occupied the others.

Restless and dissatisfied every where, 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; was only impatient to be at home again, and could with difficulty govern her vexation at the tediousness of Mrs.Palmer, whose eye was caught by every thing pretty, expensive, or new; who was wild to buy all, could determine on none, and dawdled away her time in rapture and indecision.

It was late in the morning before they returned home;and no sooner had they entered the house than Marianne flew eagerly up stairs, and when Elinor 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?"said she to the footman who then entered with the parcels.

She was answered in the negative."Are you quite sure of it?" she replied."Are you certain that no servant, no porter has left any letter or note?"The man replied that none had.

"How very odd!" said she, in a low and disappointed voice, as she turned away to the window.

"How odd, indeed!" repeated Elinor 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 Combe Magna;and if he is in town, how odd that he should neither come nor write! Oh! my dear mother, you must be wrong in permitting an engagement between a daughter so young, a man so little known, to be carried on in so doubtful, so mysterious a manner! I long to inquire; and how will MYinterference be borne."

She 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 enquiry into the affair.

Mrs.Palmer and two elderly ladies of Mrs.

Jennings's intimate acquaintance, whom she had met and invited in the morning, dined with them.The former left them soon after tea to fulfill her evening engagements;and Elinor was obliged to assist in making a whist 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 by no means more productive of pleasure to her than to Elinor, for it was spent in all the anxiety of expectation and the pain of disappointment.She sometimes endeavoured for a few minutes to read; but the book was soon thrown aside, and she returned to the more interesting employment of walking backwards and forwards across the room, pausing for a moment whenever she came to the window, in hopes of distinguishing the long-expected rap.