‘My love,I would ask them with all my heart,if it was in my power.But I had just settled within myself to ask the Miss Steeles to spend a few days with us.They are very well-behaved,good kind of girls;and I think the attention is due to them,as their uncle did so very well by Edward.We can ask your sisters some other year,you know;but the Miss Steeles may not be in town any more.I am sure you will like them;indeed,you do like them,you know,very much already,and so does my mother;and they are such favourites with Harry!’
Mr Dashwood was convinced.He saw the necessity of inviting the Miss Steeles immediately,and his conscience was pacified by the resolution of inviting his sisters another year;at the same time,however,slyly suspecting that another year would make the invitation needless by bringing Elinor to town as Colonel Brandon's wife,and Marianne as their visitor.
Fanny,rejoicing in her escape,and proud of the ready wit that had secured it,wrote the next morning to Lucy,to request her company and her sister's for some days in Harley Street,as soon as Lady Middleton could spare them.This was enough to make Lucy really and reasonably happy.Mrs Dashwood seemed actually working for her herself,cherishing all her hopes,and promoting all her views!Such an opportunity of being with Edward and his family was,above all things,the most material to her interest,and such an invitation the most gratifying to her feelings!It was an advantage that could not be too gratefully acknowledged,nor too speedily made use of;and the visit to Lady Middleton,which had not before had any precise limits,was instantly discovered to have been always meant to end in two days'time.
When the note was shown to Elinor,as it was within ten minutes after its arrival,it gave her,for the first time,some share in the expectations of Lucy;for such a mark of uncommon kindness,vouchsafed on so short an acquaintance,seemed to declare that the good-will towards her arose from something more than merely malice against herself,and might be brought,by time and address,to do everything that Lucy wished.Her flattery had already subdued the pride of Lady Middleton,and made an entry into the close heart of Mrs John Dashwood;and these were effects that laid open the probability of greater.
The Miss Steeles removed to Harley Street,and all that reached Elinor of their influence there,strengthened her expectation of the event.Sir John,who called on them more than once,brought home such accounts of the favour they were in as must be universally striking.Mrs Dashwood had never been so much pleased with any young women in her life as she was with them;had given each of them a needle-book,made by some emigrant;called Lucy by her Christian name;and did not know whether she should ever be able to part with them.
Chapter 37
Mrs Palmer was so well at the end of a fortnight,that her mother felt it no longer necessary to give up the whole of her time to her;and contenting herself with visiting her once or twice a day,returned from that period to her own home,and her own habits,in which she found the Miss Dashwoods very ready to reassume their former share.
About the third or fourth morning after their being thus re-settled in Berkeley Street,Mrs Jennings,on returning from her ordinary visit to Mrs Palmer,entered the drawing-room,where Elinor was sitting by herself,with an air of such hurrying importance as prepared her to hear something wonderful;and giving her time only to form that idea,began directly to justify it by saying,
‘Lord!my dear Miss Dashwood!have you heard the news?’
‘No,ma'am.What is it?’
‘Something so strange!But you shall hear it all.When I got to Mr Palmer's,I found Charlotte quite in a fuss about the child.She was sure it was very ill-it cried,and fretted,and was all over pimples.So I looked at it directly,and “Lord!my dear,”says I,“it is nothing in the world but the red gum;”and nurse said just the same.But Charlotte,she would not be satisfied,so Mr Donavan was sent for;and luckily he happened to be just come in from Harley Street,so he stepped over directly,and as soon as ever he saw the child,he said just as we did,that it was nothing in the world but red gum,and then Charlotte was easy.And so,just as he was going away again,it came into my head,I am sure I do not know how I happened to think of it,but it came into my head to ask him if there was any news.So upon that,he smirked,and simpered,and looked grave,and seemed to know something or other,and at last he said in a whisper,“For fear any unpleasant report should reach the young ladies under your care as to their sister's indisposition,I think it advisable to say,that I believe there is no great reason for alarm;I hope Mrs Dashwood will do very well.”’
‘What!is Fanny ill?’
