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 accom-
pany 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 to-morrow would find her recovered;
and the idea of what to-morrow would have produced,
but for this unlucky illness, made every ailment more
severe; for on that day they were to have begun their
journey home; and, attended the whole way by a ser-
vant of Mrs. Jennings, were to have taken their mother
by surprise on the following forenoon. The little that
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 per-
suaded at last by Colonel Brandon to perform his promise
of following her; and while he was preparing to go,

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