e
removal with her infant; and Mr. Palmer, though treating their
apprehensions as idle, found the anxiety and importunity of his wife
too great to be withstood. Her departure, therefore, was fixed on; and
within an hour after Mr. Harris's arrival, she set off, with her
little boy and his nurse, for the house of a near relation of Mr.
Palmer's, who lived a few miles on the other side of Bath; whither her
husband promised, at her earnest entreaty, to join her in a day or
two; and whither she was almost equally urgent with her mother to
accompany her. Mrs. Jennings, however, with a kindness of heart which
made Elinor really love her, declared her resolution of not stirring
from Cleveland as long as Marianne remained ill, and of endeavouring,
by her own attentive care, to supply to her the place of the mother
she had taken her from; and Elinor found her on every occasion a most
willing and active helpmate, desirous to share in all her fatigues,
and often by her better experience in nursing, of material use.

Poor Marianne, languid and low from the nature of her malady, and
feeling herself universally ill, could no longer hope that tomorrow
would find her recovered; and the idea of what tomorrow would have
produced, but for this unlucky illness, made every ailment severe; for
on that day they were to have begun their journey home; and, attended
the whole way by a servant of Mrs. Jennings, were to have taken their
mother by surprise on the following forenoon. The little she said was
all in lamentation of this inevitable delay; though Elinor tried to
raise her spirits, and make her believe, as she _then_ really believed
herself, that it would be a very short one.

The next day produced little or no alteration in the state of the
patient; she certainly was not better, and, except that there was no
amendment, did not appear worse. Their party was now farther reduced;
for Mr. Palmer, though very unwilling to go as well from real humanity
and good-nature, as from a dislike of appearing to be frightened away
by his wife, was persuaded at last by Colonel Brandon to perform his
promise of following her; and while he was preparing to go, Colonel
Brandon himself, with a much greater exertion, began to talk of going
likewise. Here, however, the kindness of Mrs. Jennings interposed most
acceptably; for to send the Colonel away while his love was in so much
uneasiness on her sister's account, would be to deprive them both, she
thought,