The Palmers returned to Cleveland the next day, and the two families atBarton were again left to entertain each other. But this did not lastlong; Elinor had hardly got their last visitors out of her head, hadhardly done wondering at Charlotte's being so happy without a cause, atMr. Palmer's acting so simply, with good abilities, and at the strangeunsuitableness which often existed between husband and wife, before SirJohn's and Mrs. Jennings's active zeal in the cause of society, procured her some other new acquaintance to see and observe.

In a morning's excursion to Exeter, they had met with two young ladies, whom Mrs. Jennings had the satisfaction of discovering to be herrelations, and this was enough for Sir John to invite them directly tothe park, as soon as their present engagements at Exeter were over. Their engagements at Exeter instantly gave way before such aninvitation, and Lady Middleton was thrown into no little alarm on thereturn of Sir John, by hearing that she was very soon to receive avisit from two girls whom she had never seen in her life, and of whoseelegance, -- whose tolerable gentility even, she could have no proof; forthe assurances of her husband and mother on that subject went fornothing at all. Their being her relations too made it so much theworse; and Mrs. Jennings's attempts at consolation were thereforeunfortunately founded, when she advised her daughter not to care abouttheir being so fashionable; because they were all cousins and must putup with one another. As it was impossible, however, now to preventtheir coming, Lady Middleton resigned herself to the idea of it, withall the philosophy of a well-bred woman, contenting herself with merelygiving her husband a gentle reprimand on the subject five or six timesevery day.

The young ladies arrived: their appearance was by no means ungenteel orunfashionable. Their dress was very smart, their manners very civil, they were delighted with the house, and in raptures with the furniture, and they happened to be so doatingly fond of children that LadyMiddleton's good opinion was engaged in their favour before they hadbeen an hour at the Park. She declared them to be very agreeable girlsindeed, which for her ladyship was enthusiastic admiration. Sir John'sconfidence in his own judgment rose with this animated praise, and heset off directly for the cottage to tell the Miss Dashwoods of the MissSteeles' arrival, and to assure them of their being the sweetest girlsin the world. From such commendation as this, however, there was notmuch to be learned; Elinor well knew that the sweetest girls in theworld were to be met with in every part of England, under everypossible variation of form, face, temper and understanding. Sir Johnwanted the whole family to walk to the Park directly and look at hisguests. Benevolent, philanthropic man! It was painful to him even tokeep a third cousin to himself.

But Sir John could not prevail. He could only obtain a promise oftheir calling at the Park within a day or two, and then left them inamazement at their indifference, to walk home and boast anew of theirattractions to the Miss Steeles, as he had been already boasting of theMiss Steeles to them.

When their promised visit to the Park and consequent introduction tothese young ladies took place, they found in the appearance of theeldest, who was nearly thirty, with a very plain and not a sensibleface, nothing to admire; but in the other, who was not more than two orthree and twenty, they acknowledged considerable beauty; her featureswere pretty, and she had a sharp quick eye, and a smartness of air, which though it did not give actual elegance or grace, gave distinctionto her person. -- Their manners were particularly civil, and Elinor soonallowed them credit for some kind of sense, when she saw with whatconstant and judicious attention they were making themselves agreeableto Lady Middleton. With her children they were in continual raptures, extolling their beauty, courting their notice, and humouring theirwhims; and such of their time as could be spared from the importunatedemands which this politeness made on it, was spent in admiration ofwhatever her ladyship was doing, if she happened to be doing any thing, or in taking patterns of some elegant new dress, in which herappearance the day before had thrown them into unceasing delight. Fortunately for those who pay their court through such foibles, a fondmother, though, in pursuit of praise for her children, the mostrapacious of human beings, is likewise the most credulous; her demandsare exorbitant; but she will swallow any thing; and the excessiveaffection and endurance of the Miss Steeles towards her offspring wereviewed therefore by Lady Middleton without the smallest surprise ordistrust. She saw with maternal complacency all the impertinentencroachments and mischievous tricks to which her cousins submitted. She saw their sashes untied, their hair pulled about their ears, theirwork-bags searched, and their knives and scissors stolen away, and feltno doubt of its being a reciprocal enjoyment. It suggested no othersurprise than that Elinor and Marianne should sit so composedly by, without claiming a share in what was passing.

"Do come now," said he --"pray come-you must come-I declare you shallcome-You can't think how you will like them. Lucy is monstrouspretty, and so good humoured and agreeable! The children are allhanging about her already, as if she was an old acquaintance. And theyboth long to see you of all things, for they have heard at Exeter thatyou are the most beautiful creatures in the world; and I have told themit is all very true, and a great deal more. You will be delighted withthem I am sure. They have brought the whole coach full of playthingsfor the children. How can you be so cross as not to come? Why theyare your cousins, you know, after a fashion. YOU are my cousins, andthey are my wife's, so you must be related."

"John is in such spirits today!" said she, on his taking Miss Steeles'spocket handkerchief, and throwing it out of window --"He is full ofmonkey tricks."

"And here is my sweet little Annamaria," she added, tenderly caressinga little girl of three years old, who had not made a noise for the lasttwo minutes; "And she is always so gentle and quiet-Never was theresuch a quiet little thing!"

But unfortunately in bestowing these embraces, a pin in her ladyship'shead dress slightly scratching the child's neck, produced from thispattern of gentleness such violent screams, as could hardly be outdoneby any creature professedly noisy. The mother's consternation wasexcessive; but it could not surpass the alarm of the Miss Steeles, andevery thing was done by all three, in so critical an emergency, whichaffection could suggest as likely to assuage the agonies of the littlesufferer. She was seated in her mother's lap, covered with kisses, herwound bathed with lavender-water, by one of the Miss Steeles, who wason her knees to attend her, and her mouth stuffed with sugar plums bythe other. With such a reward for her tears, the child was too wise tocease crying. She still screamed and sobbed lustily, kicked her twobrothers for offering to touch her, and all their united soothings wereineffectual till Lady Middleton luckily remembering that in a scene ofsimilar distress last week, some apricot marmalade had beensuccessfully applied for a bruised temple, the same remedy was eagerlyproposed for this unfortunate scratch, and a slight intermission ofscreams in the young lady on hearing it, gave them reason to hope thatit would not be rejected. -- She was carried out of the room thereforein her mother's arms, in quest of this medicine, and as the two boyschose to follow, though earnestly entreated by their mother to staybehind, the four young ladies were left in a quietness which the roomhad not known for many hours.

And soon afterwards, on the second boy's violently pinching one of thesame lady's fingers, she fondly observed, "How playful William is!"

"What a sweet woman Lady Middleton is!" said Lucy Steele.

Marianne was silent; it was impossible for her to say what she did notfeel, however trivial the occasion; and upon Elinor therefore the wholetask of telling lies when politeness required it, always fell. She didher best when thus called on, by speaking of Lady Middleton with morewarmth than she felt, though with far less than Miss Lucy.

"Yet I hardly know how," cried Marianne, "unless it had been undertotally different circumstances. But this is the usual way ofheightening alarm, where there is nothing to be alarmed at in reality."

Here too, Miss Dashwood's commendation, being only simple and just, came in without any eclat. She merely observed that he was perfectlygood humoured and friendly.

"Poor little creatures!" said Miss Steele, as soon as they were gone."It might have been a very sad accident."

"And Sir John too," cried the elder sister, "what a charming man he is!"

"And what a charming little family they have! I never saw such finechildren in my life. -- I declare I quite doat upon them already, andindeed I am always distractedly fond of children."

"I have a notion," said Lucy, "you think the little Middletons rathertoo much indulged; perhaps they may be the outside of enough; but it isso natural in Lady Middleton; and for my part, I love to see childrenfull of life and spirits; I cannot bear them if they are tame andquiet."

"I should guess so," said Elinor, with a smile, "from what I havewitnessed this morning."

In some surprise at the familiarity of this question, or at least ofthe manner in which it was spoken, Elinor replied that she was.

A short pause succeeded this speech, which was first broken by MissSteele, who seemed very much disposed for conversation, and who nowsaid rather abruptly, "And how do you like Devonshire, Miss Dashwood? I suppose you were very sorry to leave Sussex."

"We have heard Sir John admire it excessively," said Lucy, who seemedto think some apology necessary for the freedom of her sister.

"I confess," replied Elinor, "that while I am at Barton Park, I neverthink of tame and quiet children with any abhorrence."

"Norland is a prodigious beautiful place, is not it?" added Miss Steele.

"I think every one MUST admire it," replied Elinor, "who ever saw theplace; though it is not to be supposed that any one can estimate itsbeauties as we do."

"And had you a great many smart beaux there? I suppose you have not somany in this part of the world; for my part, I think they are a vastaddition always."

"But why should you think," said Lucy, looking ashamed of her sister,"that there are not as many genteel young men in Devonshire as Sussex?"

"Nay, my dear, I'm sure I don't pretend to say that there an't. I'msure there's a vast many smart beaux in Exeter; but you know, how couldI tell what smart beaux there might be about Norland; and I was onlyafraid the Miss Dashwoods might find it dull at Barton, if they had notso many as they used to have. But perhaps you young ladies may notcare about the beaux, and had as lief be without them as with them. For my part, I think they are vastly agreeable, provided they dresssmart and behave civil. But I can't bear to see them dirty and nasty. Now there's Mr. Rose at Exeter, a prodigious smart young man, quite abeau, clerk to Mr. Simpson, you know, and yet if you do but meet him ofa morning, he is not fit to be seen. -- I suppose your brother was quitea beau, Miss Dashwood, before he married, as he was so rich?"

"Oh! dear! one never thinks of married men's being beaux-they havesomething else to do."

This specimen of the Miss Steeles was enough. The vulgar freedom andfolly of the eldest left her no recommendation, and as Elinor was notblinded by the beauty, or the shrewd look of the youngest, to her wantof real elegance and artlessness, she left the house without any wishof knowing them better.

"Upon my word," replied Elinor, "I cannot tell you, for I do notperfectly comprehend the meaning of the word. But this I can say, thatif he ever was a beau before he married, he is one still for there isnot the smallest alteration in him."

Not so the Miss Steeles. -- They came from Exeter, well provided withadmiration for the use of Sir John Middleton, his family, and all hisrelations, and no niggardly proportion was now dealt out to his faircousins, whom they declared to be the most beautiful, elegant, accomplished, and agreeable girls they had ever beheld, and with whomthey were particularly anxious to be better acquainted. -- And to bebetter acquainted therefore, Elinor soon found was their inevitablelot, for as Sir John was entirely on the side of the Miss Steeles, their party would be too strong for opposition, and that kind ofintimacy must be submitted to, which consists of sitting an hour or twotogether in the same room almost every day. Sir John could do no more; but he did not know that any more was required: to be together was, inhis opinion, to be intimate, and while his continual schemes for theirmeeting were effectual, he had not a doubt of their being establishedfriends.

"Lord! Anne," cried her sister, "you can talk of nothing butbeaux; -- you will make Miss Dashwood believe you think of nothing else."And then to turn the discourse, she began admiring the house and thefurniture.

"'Twill be a fine thing to have her married so young to be sure," saidshe, "and I hear he is quite a beau, and prodigious handsome. And Ihope you may have as good luck yourself soon, -- but perhaps you may havea friend in the corner already."

To do him justice, he did every thing in his power to promote theirunreserve, by making the Miss Steeles acquainted with whatever he knewor supposed of his cousins' situations in the most delicateparticulars, -- and Elinor had not seen them more than twice, before theeldest of them wished her joy on her sister's having been so lucky asto make a conquest of a very smart beau since she came to Barton.

Elinor could not suppose that Sir John would be more nice inproclaiming his suspicions of her regard for Edward, than he had beenwith respect to Marianne; indeed it was rather his favourite joke ofthe two, as being somewhat newer and more conjectural; and sinceEdward's visit, they had never dined together without his drinking toher best affections with so much significancy and so many nods andwinks, as to excite general attention. The letter F-had been likewiseinvariably brought forward, and found productive of such countlessjokes, that its character as the wittiest letter in the alphabet hadbeen long established with Elinor.

"Ferrars!" repeated Miss Steele; "Mr. Ferrars is the happy man, is he? What! your sister-in-law's brother, Miss Dashwood? a very agreeableyoung man to be sure; I know him very well."

"How can you say so, Anne?" cried Lucy, who generally made an amendmentto all her sister's assertions. "Though we have seen him once or twiceat my uncle's, it is rather too much to pretend to know him very well."

The Miss Steeles, as she expected, had now all the benefit of thesejokes, and in the eldest of them they raised a curiosity to know thename of the gentleman alluded to, which, though often impertinentlyexpressed, was perfectly of a piece with her general inquisitivenessinto the concerns of their family. But Sir John did not sport longwith the curiosity which he delighted to raise, for he had at least asmuch pleasure in telling the name, as Miss Steele had in hearing it.

Elinor heard all this with attention and surprise. "And who was thisuncle? Where did he live? How came they acquainted?" She wished verymuch to have the subject continued, though she did not chuse to join init herself; but nothing more of it was said, and for the first time inher life, she thought Mrs. Jennings deficient either in curiosity afterpetty information, or in a disposition to communicate it. The mannerin which Miss Steele had spoken of Edward, increased her curiosity; forit struck her as being rather ill-natured, and suggested the suspicionof that lady's knowing, or fancying herself to know something to hisdisadvantage. -- But her curiosity was unavailing, for no farther noticewas taken of Mr. Ferrars's name by Miss Steele when alluded to, or evenopenly mentioned by Sir John.

"His name is Ferrars," said he, in a very audible whisper; "but pray donot tell it, for it's a great secret."