Chapter 20

by Jane Austen

　　As the Miss Dashwoods entered the drawing-room of the parkthe next day, at one door, Mrs. Palmer came running in atthe other, looking as good humoured and merry as before.She took them all most affectionately by the hand,and expressed great delight in seeing them again."I am so glad to see you!" said she, seating herselfbetween Elinor and Marianne, "for it is so bad a day I wasafraid you might not come, which would be a shocking thing,as we go away again tomorrow. We must go, for the Westonscome to us next week you know. It was quite a sudden thingour coming at all, and I knew nothing of it till the carriagewas coming to the door, and then Mr. Palmer asked me if Iwould go with him to Barton. He is so droll! He nevertells me any thing! I am so sorry we cannot stay longer;however we shall meet again in town very soon, I hope."They were obliged to put an end to such an expectation."Not go to town!" cried Mrs. Palmer, with a laugh,"I shall be quite disappointed if you do not. I couldget the nicest house in world for you, next door to ours,in Hanover-square. You must come, indeed. I am sureI shall be very happy to chaperon you at any time tillI am confined, if Mrs. Dashwood should not like to gointo public."They thanked her; but were obliged to resist allher entreaties."Oh, my love," cried Mrs. Palmer to her husband,who just then entered the room--"you must help me topersuade the Miss Dashwoods to go to town this winter."Her love made no answer; and after slightly bowingto the ladies, began complaining of the weather."How horrid all this is!" said he. "Such weathermakes every thing and every body disgusting. Dullnessis as much produced within doors as without, by rain.It makes one detest all one's acquaintance. What thedevil does Sir John mean by not having a billiard roomin his house? How few people know what comfort is! SirJohn is as stupid as the weather."The rest of the company soon dropt in."I am afraid, Miss Marianne," said Sir John, "you havenot been able to take your usual walk to Allenham today."Marianne looked very grave and said nothing."Oh, don't be so sly before us," said Mrs. Palmer;"for we know all about it, I assure you; and I admire yourtaste very much, for I think he is extremely handsome.We do not live a great way from him in the country, you know.Not above ten miles, I dare say.""Much nearer thirty," said her husband."Ah, well! there is not much difference.I never was at his house; but they say it is a sweetpretty place.""As vile a spot as I ever saw in my life,"said Mr. Palmer.Marianne remained perfectly silent, though hercountenance betrayed her interest in what was said."Is it very ugly?" continued Mrs. Palmer--"then itmust be some other place that is so pretty I suppose."When they were seated in the dining room, Sir Johnobserved with regret that they were only eight all together."My dear," said he to his lady, "it is very provokingthat we should be so few. Why did not you ask the Gilbertsto come to us today?""Did not I tell you, Sir John, when you spoke to meabout it before, that it could not be done? They dinedwith us last.""You and I, Sir John," said Mrs. Jennings,"should not stand upon such ceremony.""Then you would be very ill-bred," cried Mr. Palmer."My love you contradict every body," said his wifewith her usual laugh. "Do you know that you are quite rude?""I did not know I contradicted any body in callingyour mother ill-bred.""Ay, you may abuse me as you please," said the good-naturedold lady, "you have taken Charlotte off my hands, and cannotgive her back again. So there I have the whip hand of you."Charlotte laughed heartily to think that herhusband could not get rid of her; and exultingly said,she did not care how cross he was to her, as they mustlive together. It was impossible for any one to be morethoroughly good-natured, or more determined to be happythan Mrs. Palmer. The studied indifference, insolence,and discontent of her husband gave her no pain;and when he scolded or abused her, she was highly diverted."Mr. Palmer is so droll!" said she, in a whisper,to Elinor. "He is always out of humour."Elinor was not inclined, after a little observation,to give him credit for being so genuinely and unaffectedlyill-natured or ill-bred as he wished to appear.His temper might perhaps be a little soured by finding,like many others of his sex, that through some unaccountablebias in favour of beauty, he was the husband of a very sillywoman,--but she knew that this kind of blunder was toocommon for any sensible man to be lastingly hurt by it.--It was rather a wish of distinction, she believed,which produced his contemptuous treatment of every body,and his general abuse of every thing before him.It was the desire of appearing superior to other people.The motive was too common to be wondered at; but the means,however they might succeed by establishing his superiorityin ill-breeding, were not likely to attach any one to himexcept his wife."Oh, my dear Miss Dashwood," said Mrs. Palmer soon afterwards,"I have got such a favour to ask of you and your sister.Will you come and spend some time at Cleveland thisChristmas? Now, pray do,--and come while the Westons arewith us. You cannot think how happy I shall be! It willbe quite delightful!--My love," applying to her husband,"don't you long to have the Miss Dashwoods come to Cleveland?""Certainly," he replied, with a sneer--"I cameinto Devonshire with no other view.""There now,"--said his lady, "you see Mr. Palmerexpects you; so you cannot refuse to come."They both eagerly and resolutely declined her invitation."But indeed you must and shall come. I am sure youwill like it of all things. The Westons will be with us,and it will be quite delightful. You cannot thinkwhat a sweet place Cleveland is; and we are so gay now,for Mr. Palmer is always going about the country canvassingagainst the election; and so many people came to dinewith us that I never saw before, it is quite charming! But,poor fellow! it is very fatiguing to him! for he is forcedto make every body like him."Elinor could hardly keep her countenance as sheassented to the hardship of such an obligation."How charming it will be," said Charlotte, "when heis in Parliament!--won't it? How I shall laugh! It willbe so ridiculous to see all his letters directed to himwith an M.P.--But do you know, he says, he will never frankfor me? He declares he won't. Don't you, Mr. Palmer?"Mr. Palmer took no notice of her."He cannot bear writing, you know," she continued--"he says it is quite shocking.""No," said he, "I never said any thing so irrational.Don't palm all your abuses of languages upon me.""There now; you see how droll he is. This is alwaysthe way with him! Sometimes he won't speak to me for halfa day together, and then he comes out with somethingso droll--all about any thing in the world."She surprised Elinor very much as they returnedinto the drawing-room, by asking her whether she didnot like Mr. Palmer excessively."Certainly," said Elinor; "he seems very agreeable.""Well--I am so glad you do. I thought you would,he is so pleasant; and Mr. Palmer is excessively pleasedwith you and your sisters I can tell you, and you can'tthink how disappointed he will be if you don't cometo Cleveland.--I can't imagine why you should objectto it."Elinor was again obliged to decline her invitation;and by changing the subject, put a stop to her entreaties.She thought it probable that as they lived in thesame county, Mrs. Palmer might be able to give somemore particular account of Willoughby's generalcharacter, than could be gathered from the Middletons'partial acquaintance with him; and she was eager to gainfrom any one, such a confirmation of his merits as mightremove the possibility of fear from Marianne. She beganby inquiring if they saw much of Mr. Willoughby at Cleveland,and whether they were intimately acquainted with him."Oh dear, yes; I know him extremely well,"replied Mrs. Palmer;--"Not that I ever spoketo him, indeed; but I have seen him for ever in town.Somehow or other I never happened to be staying at Bartonwhile he was at Allenham. Mama saw him here once before;--but I was with my uncle at Weymouth. However, I dare saywe should have seen a great deal of him in Somersetshire,if it had not happened very unluckily that we should neverhave been in the country together. He is very littleat Combe, I believe; but if he were ever so much there,I do not think Mr. Palmer would visit him, for he isin the opposition, you know, and besides it is such away off. I know why you inquire about him, very well;your sister is to marry him. I am monstrous glad of it,for then I shall have her for a neighbour you know.""Upon my word," replied Elinor, "you know muchmore of the matter than I do, if you have any reasonto expect such a match.""Don't pretend to deny it, because you know it iswhat every body talks of. I assure you I heard of itin my way through town.""My dear Mrs. Palmer!""Upon my honour I did.--I met Colonel BrandonMonday morning in Bond-street, just before we left town,and he told me of it directly.""You surprise me very much. Colonel Brandon tellyou of it! Surely you must be mistaken. To give suchintelligence to a person who could not be interested in it,even if it were true, is not what I should expect ColonelBrandon to do.""But I do assure you it was so, for all that,and I will tell you how it happened. When we met him,he turned back and walked with us; and so we began talkingof my brother and sister, and one thing and another,and I said to him, 'So, Colonel, there is a new familycome to Barton cottage, I hear, and mama sends me wordthey are very pretty, and that one of them is going to bemarried to Mr. Willoughby of Combe Magna. Is it true,pray? for of course you must know, as you have been inDevonshire so lately.'""And what did the Colonel say?""Oh--he did not say much; but he looked as if heknew it to be true, so from that moment I set it downas certain. It will be quite delightful, I declare!When is it to take place?""Mr. Brandon was very well I hope?""Oh! yes, quite well; and so full of your praises,he did nothing but say fine things of you.""I am flattered by his commendation. He seemsan excellent man; and I think him uncommonly pleasing.""So do I.--He is such a charming man, that itis quite a pity he should be so grave and so dull.Mamma says he was in love with your sister too.--I assure you it was a great compliment if he was, for hehardly ever falls in love with any body.""Is Mr. Willoughby much known in your partof Somersetshire?" said Elinor."Oh! yes, extremely well; that is, I do not believemany people are acquainted with him, because Combe Magnais so far off; but they all think him extremely agreeableI assure you. Nobody is more liked than Mr. Willoughbywherever he goes, and so you may tell your sister.She is a monstrous lucky girl to get him, upon my honour;not but that he is much more lucky in getting her,because she is so very handsome and agreeable, that nothingcan be good enough for her. However, I don't thinkher hardly at all handsomer than you, I assure you;for I think you both excessively pretty, and so doesMr. Palmer too I am sure, though we could not get himto own it last night."Mrs. Palmer's information respecting Willoughbywas not very material; but any testimony in his favour,however small, was pleasing to her."I am so glad we are got acquainted at last,"continued Charlotte.--"And now I hope we shall always begreat friends. You can't think how much I longed to see you!It is so delightful that you should live at the cottage!Nothing can be like it, to be sure! And I am so gladyour sister is going to be well married! I hope you willbe a great deal at Combe Magna. It is a sweet place,by all accounts.""You have been long acquainted with Colonel Brandon,have not you?""Yes, a great while; ever since my sister married.--He was a particular friend of Sir John's. I believe,"she added in a low voice, "he would have been veryglad to have had me, if he could. Sir John and LadyMiddleton wished it very much. But mama did not thinkthe match good enough for me, otherwise Sir John wouldhave mentioned it to the Colonel, and we should have beenmarried immediately.""Did not Colonel Brandon know of Sir John's proposalto your mother before it was made? Had he never ownedhis affection to yourself?""Oh, no; but if mama had not objected to it,I dare say he would have liked it of all things.He had not seen me then above twice, for it was beforeI left school. However, I am much happier as I am.Mr. Palmer is the kind of man I like."