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CHAPTER XXVI . Elinor could not find herself in the carriage with Mrs . Jennings , and beginning a journey to London under her protection , and as her guest , without wondering at her own situation , so short had their acquaintance with that lady been , so wholly unsuited were they in age and disposition , and so many had been her objections against such a measure only a few days before ! But these objections had all , with that happy ardour of youth which Marianne and her mother equally shared , been overcome or overlooked ; and Elinor , in spite of every occasional doubt of Willoughby’s constancy , could not witness the rapture of delightful expectation which filled the whole soul and beamed in the eyes of Marianne , without feeling how blank was her own prospect , how cheerless her own state of mind in the comparison , and how gladly she would engage in the solicitude of Marianne’s situation to have the same animating object in view , the same possibility of hope . A short , a very short time however must now decide what Willoughby’s intentions were ; in all probability he was already in town . Marianne’s eagerness to be gone declared her dependence on finding him there ; and Elinor was resolved not only upon gaining every new light as to his character which her own observation or the intelligence of others could give her , but likewise upon watching his behaviour to her sister with such zealous attention , as to ascertain what he was and what he meant , before many meetings had taken place . Should the result of her observations be unfavourable , she was determined at all events to open the eyes of her sister ; should it be otherwise , her exertions would be of a different nature — she must then learn to avoid every selfish comparison , and banish every regret which might lessen her satisfaction in the happiness of Marianne . They were three days on their journey , and Marianne’s behaviour as they travelled was a happy specimen of what future complaisance and companionableness to Mrs . Jennings might be expected to be . She sat in silence almost all the way , wrapt in her own meditations , and scarcely ever voluntarily speaking , except when any object of picturesque beauty within their view drew from her an exclamation of delight exclusively addressed to her sister . To atone for this conduct therefore , Elinor took immediate possession of the post of civility which she had assigned herself , behaved with the greatest attention to Mrs . Jennings , talked with her , laughed with her , and listened to her whenever she could ; and Mrs . Jennings on her side treated them both with all possible kindness , was solicitous on every occasion for their ease and enjoyment , and only disturbed that she could not make them choose their own dinners at the inn , nor extort a confession of their preferring salmon to cod , or boiled fowls to veal cutlets . They reached town by three o’clock the third day , glad to be released , after such a journey , from the confinement of a carriage , and ready to enjoy all the luxury of a good fire .
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