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 Street,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!’
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 headaches,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.
Chapter 33
After some opposition,Marianne yielded to her sister's entreaties,and consented to go out with her and Mrs Jennings one morning for half an hour.She expressly conditioned,however,for paying no visits,and would do no more than accompany them to Gray's in Sackville Street,where Elinor was carrying on a negotiation for the exchange of a few old-fashioned jewels of her mother.
When they stopped at the door,Mrs Jennings recollected that there was a lady at the other end of the street on whom she ought to call;and as she had no business at Gray's,it was resolved,that while her young friends transacted theirs,she should pay her visit,and return to them.
On ascending the stairs,the Miss Dashwoods found so many people before them in the room,that there was not a person at liberty to attend to their orders;and they were obliged to wait.All that could be done was,to sit down at that end of the counter which seemed to promise the quickest succession;one gentleman only was standing there,and it is probable that Elinor was not without hope of exciting his politeness to a quicker dispatch.But the correctness of his eye,and the delicacy of his taste,proved to be beyond his politeness.He was giving orders for a toothpick-case for himself,and till its size,shape,and ornaments were determined,-all of which,after examining and debating for a quarter of an hour over every toothpick-case in the shop,were finally arranged by his own inventive fancy,-he had no leisure to bestow any other attention on the two ladies,than what was comprised in three or four very broad stares;a kind of notice which served to imprint on Elinor the remembrance of a person and face of strong,natural,sterling insignificance,though adorned in the first style of fashion.
