say, and Edward spends half
his time with his sister--besides, Lady Middleton and Mrs. Ferrars
will visit now;--and Mrs. Ferrars and your sister were both so good
to say more than once, they should always be glad to see me. They are
such charming women!--I am sure if ever you tell your sister what I
think of her, you cannot speak too high."

But Elinor would not give her any encouragement to hope that she
_should_ tell her sister. Lucy continued.

"I am sure I should have seen it in a moment, if Mrs. Ferrars had took
a dislike to me. If she had only made me a formal courtesy, for
instance, without saying a word, and never after had took any notice
of me, and never looked at me in a pleasant way--you know what I
mean--if I had been treated in that forbidding sort of way, I should
have gave it all up in despair. I could not have stood it. For where
she _does_ dislike, I know it is most violent."

Elinor was prevented from making any reply to this civil triumph, by
the door's being thrown open, the servant's announcing Mr. Ferrars,
and Edward's immediately walking in.

It was a very awkward moment; and the countenance of each showed that
it was so. They all looked exceedingly foolish; and Edward seemed to
have as great an inclination to walk out of the room again, as to
advance farther into it. The very circumstance, in its unpleasantest
form, which they would each have been most anxious to avoid, had
fallen on them. They were not only all three together, but were
together without the relief of any other person. The ladies recovered
themselves first. It was not Lucy's business to put herself forward,
and the appearance of secrecy must still be kept up. She could
therefore only _look_ her tenderness, and after slightly addressing
him, said no more.

But Elinor had more to do; and so anxious was she, for his sake and
her own, to do it well, that she forced herself, after a moment's
recollection, to welcome him, with a look and manner that were almost
easy, and almost open; and another struggle, another effort still
improved them. She would not allow the presence of Lucy, nor the
consciousness of some injustice towards herself, to deter her from
saying that she was happy to see him, and that she had very much
regretted being from home, when he called before in Berkeley Street.
She would not be frightened from paying him those attentions which, as
a friend and almost a relation, were his due, by the observant eyes
of Lu