for besides that the circumstance did not in her opinion

justify such lasting amazement or variety of speculation,

her wonder was otherwise disposed of. It was engrossed

by the extraordinary silence of her sister and Willoughby

on the subject, which they must know to be peculiarly

interesting to them all. As this silence continued,

every day made it appear more strange and more incompatible

with the disposition of both. Why they should not openly

acknowledge to her mother and herself, what their constant

behaviour to each other declared to have taken place,

Elinor could not imagine.

She could easily conceive that marriage might not

be immediately in their power; for though Willoughby

was independent, there was no reason to believe him rich.

His estate had been rated by Sir John at about six or seven

hundred a year; but he lived at an expense to which that income

could hardly be equal, and he had himself often complained

of his poverty. But for this strange kind of secrecy

maintained by them relative to their engagement, which

in fact concealed nothing at all, she could not account;

and it was so wholly contradictory to their general

opinions and practice, that a doubt sometimes entered

her mind of their being really engaged, and this doubt

was enough to prevent her making any inquiry of Marianne.

Nothing could be more expressive of attachment

to them all, than Willoughby's behaviour. To Marianne

it had all the distinguishing tenderness which a lover's

heart could give, and to the rest of the family it was the

affectionate attention of a son and a brother. The cottage

seemed to be considered and loved by him as his home;

many more of his hours were spent there than at Allenham;

and if no general engagement collected them at the park,

the exercise which called him out in the morning was

almost certain of ending there, where the rest of the day

was spent by himself at the side of Marianne, and by his

favourite pointer at her feet.

One evening in particular, about a week after

Colonel Brandon left the country, his heart seemed

more than usually open to every feeling of attachment

to the objects around him; and on Mrs. Dashwood's

happening to mention her design of improving the cottage