Within a few days after this meeting, the newspapers announced to theworld, that the lady of Thomas Palmer, Esq. was safely delivered of ason and heir; a very interesting and satisfactory paragraph, at leastto all those intimate connections who knew it before.
This event, highly important to Mrs. Jennings's happiness, produced atemporary alteration in the disposal of her time, and influenced, in alike degree, the engagements of her young friends; for as she wished tobe as much as possible with Charlotte, she went thither every morning assoon as she was dressed, and did not return till late in the evening;and the Miss Dashwoods, at the particular request of the Middletons,spent the whole of every day in Conduit Street. For their own comfortthey would much rather have remained, at least all the morning; but it was not a thing to be urged against the wishesof everybody. Their hours were therefore made over to Lady Middleton andthe two Miss Steeles, by whom their company, in fact was as littlevalued, as it was professedly sought.
They had too much sense to be desirable companions to the former; andby the latter they were considered with a jealous eye, as intruding onTHEIR ground, and sharing the kindness which they wanted to monopolize.Though nothing could be more polite than Lady Middleton's behaviour toElinor and Marianne, she did not really like them at all. Because theyneither flattered herself nor her children, she could not believe themgood-natured; and because they were fond of reading, she fancied themsatirical: perhaps without exactly knowing what it was to be satirical;but THAT did not signify. It was censure in common use, and easilygiven.
Their presence was a restraint both on her and on Lucy. It checked theidleness of one, and the business of the other. Lady Middleton wasashamed of doing nothing before them, and the flattery which Lucy wasproud to think of and administer at other times, she feared they woulddespise her for offering. Miss Steele was the least discomposed of thethree, by their presence; and it was in their power to reconcile her toit entirely.
Would either of them only have given her a full andminute account of the whole affair between Marianne and Mr. Willoughby,she would have thought herself amply rewarded for the sacrifice of thebest place by the fire after dinner, which their arrival occasioned.But this conciliation was not granted; for though she often threw outexpressions of pity for her sister to Elinor, and more than once dropta reflection on the inconstancy of beaux before Marianne, no effect wasproduced, but a look of indifference from the former, or of disgust inthe latter. An effort even yet lighter might have made her theirfriend. Would they only have laughed at her about the Doctor! But solittle were they, anymore than the others, inclined to oblige her, thatif Sir John dined from home, she might spend a whole day withouthearing any other raillery on the subject, than what she was kindenough to bestow on herself.
