d was so much more occupied by the important
secret in her possession, than by anything else, that she reverted to
it again as soon as Elinor appeared.

"Well, my dear," she cried, "I sent you up the young man. Did not I do
right?--And I suppose you had no great difficulty--You did not find
him very unwilling to accept your proposal?"

"No, ma'am; _that_ was not very likely."

"Well, and how soon will he be ready?--For it seems all to depend upon
that."

"Really," said Elinor, "I know so little of these kind of forms, that
I can hardly even conjecture as to the time, or the preparation
necessary; but I suppose two or three months will complete his
ordination."

"Two or three months!" cried Mrs. Jennings; "Lord! my dear, how calmly
you talk of it; and can the Colonel wait two or three months! Lord
bless me!--I am sure it would put _me_ quite out of patience!--And
though one would be very glad to do a kindness by poor Mr. Ferrars, I
do think it is not worth while to wait two or three months for him.
Sure somebody else might be found that would do as well; somebody that
is in orders already."

"My dear ma'am," said Elinor, "what can you be thinking of? Why,
Colonel Brandon's only object is to be of use to Mr. Ferrars."

"Lord bless you, my dear! Sure you do not mean to persuade me that the
Colonel only marries you for the sake of giving ten guineas to Mr.
Ferrars!"

[Illustration: _Both gained considerable amusement_]

The deception could not continue after this; and an explanation
immediately took place, by which both gained considerable amusement
for the moment, without any material loss of happiness to either, for
Mrs. Jennings only exchanged one form of delight for another, and
still without forfeiting her expectation of the first.

"Aye, aye, the parsonage is but a small one," said she, after the
first ebullition of surprise and satisfaction was over, "and very
likely _may_ be out of repair; but to hear a man apologising, as I
thought, for a house that to my knowledge has five sitting rooms on
the ground-floor, and I think the housekeeper told me could make up
fifteen beds! and to you too, that had been used to live in Barton
cottage! It seems quite ridiculous. But, my dear, we must touch up the
Colonel to do some thing to the parsonage, and make it comfortable for
them, before Lucy goes to it."

"But Colonel Brandon does not seem to have any idea of the living's
being enough to allow them to marry."