without wondering at her own situation, so short had their
acquaintance with that lady been, so wholly unsuited were they in age
and disposition, and so many had been her objections against such a
measure only a few days before! But these objections had all, with
that happy ardour of youth which Marianne and her mother equally
shared, been overcome or overlooked; and Elinor, in spite of every
occasional doubt of Willoughby's constancy, could not witness the
rapture of delightful expectation which filled the whole soul and
beamed in the eyes of Marianne, without feeling how blank was her own
prospect, how cheerless her own state of mind in the comparison, and
how gladly she would engage in the solicitude of Marianne's situation
to have the same animating object in view, the same possibility of
hope. A short, a very short time however must now decide what
Willoughby's intentions were; in all probability he was already in
town. Marianne's eagerness to be gone declared her dependence on
finding him there; and Elinor was resolved not only upon gaining every
new light as to his character which her own observation or the
intelligence of others could give her, but likewise upon watching his
behaviour to her sister with such zealous attention, as to ascertain
what he was and what he meant, before many meetings had taken place.
Should the result of her observations be unfavourable, she was
determined at all events to open the eyes of her sister; should it be
otherwise, her exertions would be of a different nature--she must then
learn to avoid every selfish comparison, and banish every regret which
might lessen her satisfaction in the happiness of Marianne.

They were three days on their journey, and Marianne's behaviour as
they travelled was a happy specimen of what future complaisance and
companionableness to Mrs. Jennings might be expected to be. She sat in
silence almost all the way, wrapt in her own meditations, and scarcely
ever voluntarily speaking, except when any object of picturesque
beauty within their view drew from her an exclamation of delight
exclusively addressed to her sister. To atone for this conduct
therefore, Elinor took immediate possession of the post of civility
which she had assigned herself, behaved with the greatest attention to
Mrs. Jennings, talked with her, laughed with her, and listened to her
whenever she could; and Mrs. Jennings on her side treated them both
with all possible kindness, was solicit