NOTHING occurred during the next three or four days,
to make Elinor regret what she had done, in applying
to her mother; for Willoughby neither came nor wrote.
They were engaged about the end of that time to attend
Lady Middleton to a party, from which Mrs. Jennings
was kept away by the indisposition of her youngest
daughter; and for this party, Marianne, wholly
dispirited, careless of her appearance, and seeming
equally indifferent whether she went or staid, prepared,
without one look of hope, or one expression of pleasure.
She sat by the drawing room fire after tea, till the
moment of Lady Middleton's arrival, without once
stirring from her seat, or altering her attitude, lost in
her own thoughts and insensible of her sister's presence;
and when at last they were told that Lady Middleton
waited for them at the door, she started as if she had
forgotten that any one was expected.

They arrived in due time at the place of destination,
and as soon as the string of carriages before them would
allow, alighted, ascended the stairs, heard their names
announced from one landing-place to another in an
audible voice, and entered a room splendidly lit up,
quite full of company, and insufferably hot. When they
had paid their tribute of politeness by curtesying to the
lady of the house, they were permitted to mingle in
the croud, and take their share of the heat and incon-
venience, to which their arrival must necessarily add.
After some time spent in saying little and doing less,
Lady Middleton sat down to Casino, and as Marianne
was not in spirits for moving about, she and Elinor
luckily succeeding to chairs, placed themselves at no
great distance from the table.

They had not remained in this manner long, before

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