ay he would have
liked it of all things. He had not seen me then above twice, for it
was before I left school. However, I am much happier as I am. Mr.
Palmer is the kind of man I like."
CHAPTER XXI
The Palmers returned to Cleveland the next day, and the two families
at Barton were again left to entertain each other. But this did not
last long; Elinor had hardly got their last visitors out of her head,
had hardly done wondering at Charlotte's being so happy without a
cause, at Mr. Palmer's acting so simply, with good abilities, and at
the strange unsuitableness which often existed between husband and
wife, before Sir John'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
her relations, and this was enough for Sir John to invite them
directly to the park, as soon as their present engagements at Exeter
were over. Their engagements at Exeter instantly gave way before such
an invitation, and Lady Middleton was thrown into no little alarm on
the return of Sir John, by hearing that she was very soon to receive a
visit from two girls whom she had never seen in her life, and of whose
elegance--whose tolerable gentility even--she could have no proof; for
the assurances of her husband and mother on that subject went for
nothing at all. Their being her relations too made it so much the
worse; and Mrs. Jennings's attempts at consolation were therefore
unfortunately founded, when she advised her daughter not to care about
their being so fashionable; because they were all cousins and must put
up with one another. As it was impossible, however, now to prevent
their coming, Lady Middleton resigned herself to the idea of it, with
all the philosophy of a well-bred woman, contenting herself with
merely giving her husband a gentle reprimand on the subject five or
six times every day.
The young ladies arrived: their appearance was by no means ungenteel
or unfashionable. 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
Lady Middleton's good opinion was engaged in their favour before they
had been an hour at the Park. She declared them to be very agreeable
girls indeed, which for her ladyship
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