Chapter 213.docx

Chapter 213.docx

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Chapter213

Chapter21

THEPalmersreturnedtoClevelandthenextday,andthetwofamiliesatBartonwereagainlefttoentertaineachother.Butthisdidnotlastlong;Elinorhadhardlygottheirlastvisitorsoutofherhead,-hadhardlydonewonderingatCharlotte'sbeingsohappywithoutacause,atMr.Palmer'sactingsosimply,withgoodabilities,andatthestrangeunsuitablenesswhichoftenexistedbetweenhusbandandwife,-beforeSirJohn'sandMrs.Jennings'sactivezealinthecauseofsocietyprocuredhersomeothernewacquaintancetoseeandobserve.

Inamorning'sexcursiontoExeter,theyhadmetwithtwoyoungladies,whomMrs.Jenningshadthesatisfactionofdiscoveringtobeherrelations,andthiswasenoughforSirJohntoinvitethemdirectlytothePark,assoonastheirpresentengagementsatExeterwereover.TheirengagementsatExeterinstantlygavewaybeforesuchaninvitation;andLadyMiddletonwasthrownintonolittlealarm,onthereturnofSirJohn,byhearingthatshewasverysoontoreceiveavisitfromtwogirlswhomshehadneverseeninherlife,andofwhoseelegancewhosetolerablegentilityeven-shecouldhavenoproof;fortheassurancesofherhusbandandmotheronthatsubjectwentfornothingatall.Theirbeingherrelationtoo,madeitsomuchtheworse;andMrs.Jennings'sattemptsatconsolationwere,therefore,unfortunatelyfounded,whensheadvisedherdaughternottocareabouttheirbeingsofashionable;becausetheywereallcousins,andmustputupwithoneanother.Asitwasimpossible,however,nowtopreventtheircoming,LadyMiddletonresignedherselftotheideaofitwithallthephilosophyofawell-bredwoman,contentingherselfwithmerelygivingherhusbandagentlereprimandonthesubjectfiveorsixtimeseveryday.Theyoungladiesarrived:

theirappearancewasbynomeansungenteelorunfashionable.Theirdresswasverysmart,theirmannersverycivil:

theyweredelightedwiththehouse,andinraptureswiththefurniture;andtheyhappenedtobesodoatinglyfondofchildren,thatLadyMiddleton'sgoodopinionwasengagedintheirfavourbeforetheyhadbeenanhouratthePark.Shedeclaredthemtobeveryagreeablegirlsindeed,which,forherladyship,wasenthusiasticadmiration.SirJohn'sconfidenceinhisownjudgmentrosewiththisanimatedpraise,andhesetoffdirectlyforthecottage,totelltheMissesDashwoodoftheMissesSteele'sarrival,andtoassurethemoftheirbeingthesweetestgirlsintheworld.Fromsuchcommendationasthis,however,therewasnotmuchtobelearned:

ElinorwellknewthatthesweetestgirlsintheworldweretobemetwithineverypartofEngland,undereverypossiblevariationofform,face,temper,andunderstanding.SirJohnwantedthewholefamilytowalktotheParkdirectlyandlookathisguests.Benevolent,philanthropicman!

Itwaspainfultohimeventokeepathirdcousintohimself."Docomenow,"saidhe-"praycome-youmustcome-Ideclareyoushallcome.Youcan'tthinkhowyouwilllikethem.Lucyismonstrouspretty,andsogoodhumouredandagreeable!

Thechildrenareallhangingaboutheralready,asifshewasanoldacquaintance.Andtheybothlongtoseeyouofallthings;fortheyhaveheardatExeterthatyouarethemostbeautifulcreaturesintheworld;andIhavetoldthemitisallverytrue,andagreatdealmore.Youwillbedelightedwiththem,Iamsure.Theyhavebroughtthewholecoachfullofplaythingsforthechildren.Howcanyoubesocrossasnottocome?

Whytheyareyourcousins,youknow,afterafashion.Youaremycousins,andtheyaremywife's;soyoumustberelated."ButSirJohncouldnotprevail:

hecouldonlyobtainapromiseoftheircallingattheParkwithinadayortwo,andthenlefttheminamazementattheirindifference,towalkhomeandboastanewoftheirattractionstotheMissesSteele,ashehadbeenalreadyboastingoftheMissesSteeletothem.

WhentheirpromisedvisittothePark,andconsequentintroductiontotheseyoungladies,tookplace,theyfoundintheappearanceoftheeldest,whowasnearlythirty,withaveryplainandnotasensibleface,nothingtoadmire;butintheother,whowasnotmorethantwoorthreeandtwenty,theyacknowledgedconsiderablebeauty:

herfeatureswerepretty,andshehadasharpquickeye,andasmartnessofair,which,thoughitdidnotgiveactualeleganceorgrace,gavedistinctiontoherperson.Theirmannerswereparticularlycivil,andElinorsoonallowedthemcreditforsomekindofsense,whenshesawwithwhatconstantandjudiciousattentiontheyweremakingthemselvesagreeabletoLadyMiddleton.Withherchildrentheywereincontinualraptures,extollingtheirbeauty,courtingtheirnotice,andhumouringtheirwhims;andsuchoftheirtimeascouldbesparedfromtheimportunatedemandswhichthispolitenessmadeonitwasspentinadmirationofwhateverherLadyshipwasdoing,ifshehappenedtobedoinganything,orintakingpatternsofsomeelegantnewdress,inwhichherappearancethedaybeforehadthrownthemintounceasingdelight.Fortunatelyforthosewhopaytheircourtthroughsuchfoibles,afondmother,though,inpursuitofpraiseforherchildren,themostrapaciousofhumanbeings,islikewisethemostcredulous:

herdemandsareexorbitant;butshewillswallowanything;andtheexcessiveaffectionandenduranceoftheMissesSteeletowardsheroffspringwereviewed,therefore,byLadyMiddletonwithoutthesmallestsurpriseordistrust.Shesawwithmaternalcomplacencyalltheimpertinentencroachmentsandmischievoustrickstowhichhercousinssubmitted.Shesawtheirsashesuntied,theirhairpulledabouttheirears,theirwork-bagssearched,andtheirknivesandscissorsstolenaway,andfeltnodoubtofitsbeingareciprocalenjoyment.ItsuggestednoothersurprisethanthatElinorandMarianneshouldsitsocomposedlyby,withoutclaimingashareinwhatwaspassing."Johnisinsuchspiritsto-day!

"saidshe,onhistakingMissSteele'spockethandkerchief,andthrowingitoutofwindow-"heisfullofmonkeytricks."Andsoonafterwards,onthesecondboy'sviolentlypinchingoneofthesamelady'sfingers,shefondlyobserved,"HowplayfulWilliamis!

""AndhereismysweetlittleAnna-Maria,"sheadded,tenderlycaressingalittlegirlofthreeyearsold,whohadnotmadeanoiseforthelasttwominutes;"andsheisalwayssogentleandquiet.Neverwastheresuchaquietlittlething!

"Butunfortunatelyinbestowingtheseembraces,apininherladyship'shead-dressslightlyscratchingthechild'sneck,producedfromthispatternofgentlenesssuchviolentscreams,ascouldhardlybeoutdonebyanycreatureprofessedlynoisy.Themother'sconsternationwasexcessive;butitcouldnotsurpassthealarmoftheMissesSteele,andeverythingwasdonebyallthree,insocriticalanemergency,whichaffectioncouldsuggest,aslikelytoassaugetheagoniesofthelittlesufferer.Shewasseatedinhermother'slap,coveredwithkisses,herwoundbathedwithlavender-water,byoneoftheMissesSteele,whowasonherkneestoattendher,andhermouthstuffedwithsugarplumsbytheother.Withsucharewardforhertears,thechildwastoowisetoceasecrying.Shestillscreamedandsobbedlustily,kickedhertwobrothersforofferingtotouchher:

andalltheirunitedsoothingswereineffectual,tillLadyMiddleton,luckilyrememberingthatinasceneofsimilardistresslastweeksomeapricotmarmaladehadbeensuccessfullyappliedforabruisedtemple,thesameremedywaseagerlyproposedforthisunfortunatescratch,andaslightintermissionofscreamsintheyoungladyonhearingit,gavethemreasontohopethatitwouldnotberejected.Shewascarriedoutoftheroom,therefore,inhermother'sarms,inquestofthismedicine;andasthetwoboyschosetofollow,thoughearnestlyentreatedbytheirmothertostaybehind,thefouryoungladieswereleftinaquietnesswhichtheroomhadnotknownformanyhours."Poorlittlecreatures!

"saidMissSteele,assoonastheyweregone;"itmighthavebeenaverysadaccident.""YetIhardlyknowhow,"criedMarianne,"unlessithadbeenundertotallydifferentcircumstances.Butthisistheusualwayofheighteningalarm,wherethereisnothingtobealarmedatinreality.""WhatasweetwomanLadyMiddletonis!

"saidLucySteele.Mariannewassilent;itwasimpossibleforhertosaywhatshedidnotfeel,howevertrivialtheoccasion;anduponElinor,therefore,thewholetaskoftellinglies,whenpolitenessrequiredit,alwaysfell.Shedidherbestwhenthuscalledon,byspeakingofLadyMiddletonwithmorewarmththanshefelt,thoughwithfarlessthanMissLucy."AndSirJohn,too,"criedtheeldersister,"whatacharmingmanheis!

"Here,too,MissDashwood'scommendation,beingonlysimpleandjust,cameinwithoutanyeclat.Shemerelyobservedthathewasperfectlygoodhumouredandfriendly."Andwhatacharminglittlefamilytheyhave!

Ineversawsuchfinechildreninmylife.IdeclareIquitedoatuponthemalready,andindeedIamalwaysdistractedlyfondofchildren.""Ishouldguessso,"saidElinor,withasmile,"fromwhatIhavewitnessedthismorning.""Ihaveanotion,"saidLucy,"youthinkthelittleMiddletonsrathertoomuchindulged;perhapstheymaybetheoutsideofenough;butitissonaturalinLadyMiddleton;and,formypart,Ilovetoseechildrenfulloflifeandspirits;Icannotbearthemiftheyaretameandquiet.""Iconfess,"repliedElinor,"thatwhileIamatBartonParkIneverthinkoftameandquietchildrenwithanyabhorrence."Ashortpausesucceededthisspeech,whichwasfirstbrokenbyMissSteele,whoseemedverymuchdisposedforconversation,andwhonowsaid,ratherabruptly,"AndhowdoyoulikeDevonshire,MissDash