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SENSE AND SENSIBILITY
by Jane Austen (1811)
Chapter 13
Their intended excursion to Whitwell turned
out very different from what Elinor had
expected.
She was prepared to be wet through,
fatigued, and frightened; but the event was
still more unfortunate, for they did not go
at all.
By ten o'clock the whole party was
assembled at the park, where they were to
breakfast.
The morning was rather favourable, though
it had rained all night, as the clouds were
then dispersing across the sky, and the sun
frequently appeared.
They were all in high spirits and good
humour, eager to be happy, and determined
to submit to the greatest inconveniences
and hardships rather than be otherwise.
While they were at breakfast the letters
were brought in.
Among the rest there was one for Colonel
Brandon;--he took it, looked at the
direction, changed colour, and immediately
left the room.
"What is the matter with Brandon?" said Sir
John.
Nobody could tell.
"I hope he has had no bad news," said Lady
Middleton.
"It must be something extraordinary that
could make Colonel Brandon leave my
breakfast table so suddenly."
In about five minutes he returned.
"No bad news, Colonel, I hope;" said Mrs.
Jennings, as soon as he entered the room.
"None at all, ma'am, I thank you."
"Was it from Avignon?
I hope it is not to say that your sister is
worse."
"No, ma'am.
It came from town, and is merely a letter
of business."
"But how came the hand to discompose you so
much, if it was only a letter of business?
Come, come, this won't do, Colonel; so let
us hear the truth of it."
"My dear madam," said Lady Middleton,
"recollect what you are saying."
"Perhaps it is to tell you that your cousin
*** is married?" said Mrs. Jennings,
without attending to her daughter's
reproof.
"No, indeed, it is not."
"Well, then, I know who it is from,
Colonel.
And I hope she is well."
"Whom do you mean, ma'am?" said he,
colouring a little.
"Oh! you know who I mean."
"I am particularly sorry, ma'am," said he,
addressing Lady Middleton, "that I should
receive this letter today, for it is on
business which requires my immediate
attendance in town."
"In town!" cried Mrs. Jennings.
"What can you have to do in town at this
time of year?"
"My own loss is great," he continued, "in
being obliged to leave so agreeable a
party; but I am the more concerned, as I
fear my presence is necessary to gain your
admittance at Whitwell."
What a blow upon them all was this!
"But if you write a note to the
housekeeper, Mr. Brandon," said Marianne,
eagerly, "will it not be sufficient?"
He shook his head.
"We must go," said Sir John.--"It shall not
be put off when we are so near it.
You cannot go to town till tomorrow,
Brandon, that is all."
"I wish it could be so easily settled.
But it is not in my power to delay my
journey for one day!"
"If you would but let us know what your
business is," said Mrs. Jennings, "we might
see whether it could be put off or not."
"You would not be six hours later," said
Willoughby, "if you were to defer your
journey till our return."
"I cannot afford to lose ONE hour."--
Elinor then heard Willoughby say, in a low
voice to Marianne, "There are some people
who cannot bear a party of pleasure.
Brandon is one of them.
He was afraid of catching cold I dare say,
and invented this trick for getting out of
it.
I would lay fifty guineas the letter was of
his own writing."
"I have no doubt of it," replied Marianne.
"There is no persuading you to change your
mind, Brandon, I know of old," said Sir
John, "when once you are determined on
anything.
But, however, I hope you will think better
of it.
Consider, here are the two Miss Careys come
over from Newton, the three Miss Dashwoods
walked up from the cottage, and Mr.
Willoughby got up two hours before his
usual time, on purpose to go to Whitwell."
Colonel Brandon again repeated his sorrow
at being the cause of disappointing the
party; but at the same time declared it to
be unavoidable.
"Well, then, when will you come back
again?"
"I hope we shall see you at Barton," added
her ladyship, "as soon as you can
conveniently leave town; and we must put
off the party to Whitwell till you return."
"You are very obliging.
But it is so uncertain, when I may have it
in my power to return, that I dare not
engage for it at all."
"Oh! he must and shall come back," cried
Sir John.
"If he is not here by the end of the week,
I shall go after him."
"Ay, so do, Sir John," cried Mrs. Jennings,
"and then perhaps you may find out what his
business is."
"I do not want to pry into other men's
concerns.
I suppose it is something he is ashamed
of."
Colonel Brandon's horses were announced.
"You do not go to town on horseback, do
you?" added Sir John.
"No. Only to Honiton.
I shall then go post."
"Well, as you are resolved to go, I wish
you a good journey.
But you had better change your mind."
"I assure you it is not in my power."
He then took leave of the whole party.
"Is there no chance of my seeing you and
your sisters in town this winter, Miss
Dashwood?"
"I am afraid, none at all."
"Then I must bid you farewell for a longer
time than I should wish to do."
To Marianne, he merely bowed and said
nothing.
"Come Colonel," said Mrs. Jennings, "before
you go, do let us know what you are going
about."
He wished her a good morning, and, attended
by Sir John, left the room.
The complaints and lamentations which
politeness had hitherto restrained, now
burst forth universally; and they all
agreed again and again how provoking it was
to be so disappointed.
"I can guess what his business is,
however," said Mrs. Jennings exultingly.
"Can you, ma'am?" said almost every body.
"Yes; it is about Miss Williams, I am
sure."
"And who is Miss Williams?" asked Marianne.
"What! do not you know who Miss Williams
is?
I am sure you must have heard of her
before.
She is a relation of the Colonel's, my
dear; a very near relation.
We will not say how near, for fear of
shocking the young ladies."
Then, lowering her voice a little, she said
to Elinor, "She is his natural daughter."
"Indeed!"
"Oh, yes; and as like him as she can stare.
I dare say the Colonel will leave her all
his fortune."
When Sir John returned, he joined most
heartily in the general regret on so
unfortunate an event; concluding however by
observing, that as they were all got
together, they must do something by way of
being happy; and after some consultation it
was agreed, that although happiness could
only be enjoyed at Whitwell, they might
procure a tolerable composure of mind by
driving about the country.
The carriages were then ordered;
Willoughby's was first, and Marianne never
looked happier than when she got into it.
He drove through the park very fast, and
they were soon out of sight; and nothing
more of them was seen till their return,
which did not happen till after the return
of all the rest.
They both seemed delighted with their
drive; but said only in general terms that
they had kept in the lanes, while the
others went on the downs.
It was settled that there should be a dance
in the evening, and that every body should
be extremely merry all day long.
Some more of the Careys came to dinner, and
they had the pleasure of sitting down
nearly twenty to table, which Sir John
observed with great contentment.
Willoughby took his usual place between the
two elder Miss Dashwoods.
Mrs. Jennings sat on Elinor's right hand;
and they had not been long seated, before
she leant behind her and Willoughby, and
said to Marianne, loud enough for them both
to hear, "I have found you out in spite of
all your tricks.
I know where you spent the morning."
Marianne coloured, and replied very
hastily, "Where, pray?"--
"Did not you know," said Willoughby, "that
we had been out in my curricle?"
"Yes, yes, Mr. Impudence, I know that very
well, and I was determined to find out
WHERE you had been to.-- I hope you like
your house, Miss Marianne.
It is a very large one, I know; and when I
come to see you, I hope you will have new-
furnished it, for it wanted it very much
when I was there six years ago."
Marianne turned away in great confusion.
Mrs. Jennings laughed heartily; and Elinor
found that in her resolution to know where
they had been, she had actually made her
own woman enquire of Mr. Willoughby's
groom; and that she had by that method been
informed that they had gone to Allenham,
and spent a considerable time there in
walking about the garden and going all over
the house.
Elinor could hardly believe this to be
true, as it seemed very unlikely that
Willoughby should propose, or Marianne
consent, to enter the house while Mrs.
Smith was in it, with whom Marianne had not
the smallest acquaintance.
As soon as they left the dining-room,
Elinor enquired of her about it; and great
was her surprise when she found that every
circumstance related by Mrs. Jennings was
perfectly true.
Marianne was quite angry with her for
doubting it.
"Why should you imagine, Elinor, that we
did not go there, or that we did not see
the house?
Is not it what you have often wished to do
yourself?"
"Yes, Marianne, but I would not go while
Mrs. Smith was there, and with no other
companion than Mr. Willoughby."
"Mr. Willoughby however is the only person
who can have a right to shew that house;
and as he went in an open carriage, it was
impossible to have any other companion.
I never spent a pleasanter morning in my
life."
"I am afraid," replied Elinor, "that the
pleasantness of an employment does not
always evince its propriety."
"On the contrary, nothing can be a stronger
proof of it, Elinor; for if there had been
any real impropriety in what I did, I
should have been sensible of it at the
time, for we always know when we are acting
wrong, and with such a conviction I could
have had no pleasure."
"But, my dear Marianne, as it has already
exposed you to some very impertinent
remarks, do you not now begin to doubt the
discretion of your own conduct?"
"If the impertinent remarks of Mrs.
Jennings are to be the proof of impropriety
in conduct, we are all offending every
moment of our lives.
I value not her censure any more than I
should do her commendation.
I am not sensible of having done anything
wrong in walking over Mrs. Smith's grounds,
or in seeing her house.
They will one day be Mr. Willoughby's, and-
-"
"If they were one day to be your own,
Marianne, you would not be justified in
what you have done."
She blushed at this hint; but it was even
visibly gratifying to her; and after a ten
minutes' interval of earnest thought, she
came to her sister again, and said with
great good humour, "Perhaps, Elinor, it WAS
rather ill-judged in me to go to Allenham;
but Mr. Willoughby wanted particularly to
shew me the place; and it is a charming
house, I assure you.--There is one
remarkably pretty sitting room up stairs;
of a nice comfortable size for constant
use, and with modern furniture it would be
delightful.
It is a corner room, and has windows on two
sides.
On one side you look across the bowling-
green, behind the house, to a beautiful
hanging wood, and on the other you have a
view of the church and village, and, beyond
them, of those fine bold hills that we have
so often admired.
I did not see it to advantage, for nothing
could be more forlorn than the furniture,--
but if it were newly fitted up--a couple of
hundred pounds, Willoughby says, would make
it one of the pleasantest summer-rooms in
England."
Could Elinor have listened to her without
interruption from the others, she would
have described every room in the house with
equal delight.