Pride and Prejudice; Sense and Sensibility

Chapter 86 The Misfit Palmer Couple
The next day, when the three Miss Dashwoods entered the drawing-room at Barton Manor through one door, Mrs. Palmer came running in through the other, still in the same spirit of joy, and shook hands with them affectionately, Delighted to see them again.

"It's a pleasure to see you!" said she, sitting down between Eleanor and Marianne. "It's a bad day, and I'm afraid you won't come, which would be too bad, because we're leaving to-morrow." We must go, because, you see, Mr. and Mrs. Weston are coming to see us next week. We came here so suddenly that I didn't know it when the carriage pulled up to the house. I only heard Mr. Palmer ask me Would you like to go to Barton with him. He's so funny! Never tells me what he does. I'm sorry we can't stay longer. But I hope we'll meet again in town soon."

They had to make her dispel this hope.

"Don't go into town!" cried Mrs. Palmer, laughing. "I'll be very disappointed if you don't. I can find you the most comfortable house in the world next door to us, in a London square in Hanover, Named after the House of Hanover in England. The square, really. You must come anyway. If Mrs. Dashwood doesn't want to be seen, I'd be more than happy to be with you all the time until I give birth."

They thanked her, but had to decline her repeated invitations.

"Oh, my dear," cried Mrs. Palmer to her husband, who had just entered the room, "you must help me persuade these Miss Dashwoods to go to town this winter."

Her darling did not answer.He nodded slightly to the ladies, and then complained about the weather.

"What a loathsome weather this is!" he said. "This weather makes everything and everyone so loathsome. When it rains, it's the same monotony inside and out, and it makes one feel disgusted with one's acquaintances." Get bored. Sir John really doesn't even have a billiard room at home! How few people enjoy it! Sir John is as boring as this weather."

Soon, other people also entered the living room.

"Marian," said Sir John, "you probably did not take your usual walk at Allenham today."

Marianne kept a straight face and said nothing.

"Oh! Don't hide from us," said Mrs. Palmer. "I tell you, we know everything. I admire your good eyes, and I think he is very handsome. You know, where we live Not too far from his home, not more than ten miles at the most."

"Almost thirty miles," said her husband.

"Well! It doesn't make much difference. I've never been to his house, but I hear it's a very nice place."

"I've never seen a worse place," Mr Palmer said.

Marianne remained silent, though it was evident from her facial expression that she was unconsciously taking great interest in their conversation.

"Is it very bad?" went on Mrs. Palmer. "Then that very fine place must belong to someone else."

When they were all seated in the dining room, Sir John regretted that there were only eight of them.

"My dear," he said to his wife, "it's such a disappointment that there are so few people. Why didn't you invite the Gilberts to-day?"

"Didn't I tell you, Sir John, when you mentioned this to me earlier? We just invited them to dinner."

"Sir John," said Mrs. Jennings, "neither you nor I need decorum."

"Then you'd be very uneducated," cried Mr. Palmer.

"My dear, you can't get along with anyone," said his wife, still laughing. "You know you're rude, don't you?"

"I don't know who to say that your mother lacks education is to make trouble with."

"Well, abuse me as you like, as you please," said the good-natured old lady, "you have taken Charlotte from me, and now you cannot withdraw, so , You have been pinched in my palm."

Charlotte could not help laughing heartily at the thought of her husband's inability to leave her, and then said smugly that she did not care how rough he was with her, for they must live together.

Who could be so absolutely good-natured and always happy like Mrs. Palmer?Her husband's deliberate neglect, contempt and disdain would not make her feel any pain; his reprimand and insults to her would instead make her feel extremely happy.

"Mr. Palmer is funny!" she whispered to Elinor. "He's always in a bad temper."

Elinor, on closer inspection, could not believe that Mr. Palmer was so bad-tempered and unbred as he appeared to be.He was perhaps, like so many men, fond of beautiful women out of some inexplicable partiality, and ended up marrying a foolish woman, which made him a little eccentric—but she knew it was too much of a blunder. Common, but no sensible person would dwell on it endlessly.She thought that he probably wanted to be famous, so he despised everyone so much and criticized everything in front of him.He did this simply out of a desire to appear superior to others.This motive is so common that it should come as no surprise.Not so, however, in the manner in which he adopted it, which, though it might give him an uncultivated superiority, could not endear him to anyone but his wife.

"Ah! my dear Miss Dashwood," said Mrs. Palmer afterwards, "I should do you and your sister the honor of going to Cleveland for some time this Christmas. Indeed, the honor--while Mrs. and Mrs. Weston are with us Come when there are guests. You can't imagine how happy I am! I must be very happy then! My dear," she begged her husband, "don't you want the Miss Dashwoods to go to Cleveland ?”

"Of course I do," sneered her husband. "I've come to Devonshire for no other purpose."

"You see," said her wife, "Mr. Palmer expects you, and you cannot refuse."

They eagerly and firmly declined her invitation.

"Really, you're coming anyway. You're going to love it. Mr. and Mrs. Weston are very happy to be visiting. You can't imagine what a lovely place Cleveland is. We're so happy now, Because Mr. Palmer is always running around and giving campaign speeches, and people come to our house to eat and drink, which I have never seen before, which is very pleasant! But, poor chap! How tired he is! Because he wants Please everyone."

Eleanor couldn't help laughing as she agreed with the hard work.

"If he's in Parliament," said Charlotte, "that would be great! Isn't it? I should be very happy! Seeing that the letters addressed to him are all postmarked 'Member of Commons', what should I do?" How funny! But you know, he said he'd never issue free letters for me. He declared never! Didn't you, Mr. Palmer?"

Mr. Palmer did not answer her.

"You know he can't bear to have him write," continued Charlotte, "and he says it's a very tiresome business."

"No," said Mr. Palmer, "I never said anything so absurd. Don't make up insulting words against me."

"Look how funny he is. He's always like that! Sometimes he'll stop talking to me for half a day, and then he'll say something funny like this--everything out there. "

Once back in the living room, Charlotte asked Elinor if she liked Mr. Palmer very much, which surprised Elinor.

"Of course," said Elinor, "he looks very modest."

"Oh—you like him, I'm so glad you liked him, I knew you would, he's so nice. I can tell you that Mr. Palmer is very fond of you and your two sisters. If you don't go Cleveland, you don't know how disappointed he will be. I can't imagine why you wouldn't come."

Eleanor had to decline her invitation again, and took the opportunity to change the subject and end her pleading.She thought that since Mrs. Palmer was from Willoughby's country, she might be able to describe his character in more detail than the Middletons knew.She wished with all her heart that someone would come and prove that he was a decent man, and relieve her of Marianne's apprehensions.She began by asking if they had seen Willoughby often in Cleveland, and if they had known him very well.

"Oh! my dear, yes, I know him very well," replied Mrs. Palmer, "I never spoke to him, to tell the truth. But I see him all the time in town. Somehow he goes to I happened not to be at Barton Park once when I was at Allenham. My mother saw him once here, and I lived with my uncle in Weymouth. But I dare say, if it hadn't been for our unlucky chance We shall see him a lot in Somerset at the same time. I think he seldom goes to Combe. But even if he lives there, I don't think Mr. Palmer visits him, because you know he Belonging to the Opposition, and so far away. I know why you asked him, your sister is going to marry him. It makes me so happy, because, you see, she'll be my neighbor by then."

"To tell the truth," replied Elinor, "if you feel sure of such a marriage, you must know better than I do."

"Don't pretend you don't know, because you see everybody's talking about it. To be honest, I heard it when I was passing through town."

"My dear Mrs. Palmer!"

"On my honor, I have. I met Colonel Bland in Bond Street on Monday morning, as we were leaving London, and he told me the story himself."

"You astonish me. Colonel Bland would tell you such a thing! You must be mistaken. I don't believe that Colonel Bland would give such information to a completely unrelated person, even if it was true. .”

"But, all the same, I want to assure you that it happened, and I can tell you how it happened. When we met him, he turned and walked with us. We talked about my My sister and brother-in-law were discussing one by one. I said to him: 'By the way, Colonel, I heard that a family has recently moved into Barton Cottage. Says one of them is going to marry Mr. Willoughby of Combe House. Pray, is that true? Of course you ought to know, for you were in Devonshire not so long ago.'"

"What did the colonel say?"

"Well, he didn't say much. But he looked as if he knew it was the case, and I've been sure of it ever since. It's a happy event, I bet! When will it be done?" ah?"

"I hope Mr. Bland is all right?"

"Oh! yes, very well. He thinks highly of you, and can't stop praising you."

"I'm honored by his compliment. He's a fantastic guy and I think he's absolutely lovely."

"I think so too. He's a lovely man, but he's too serious and rigid. My mother said he's in love with your sister too. To be honest, it would be a great honor for him if he really fell in love with your sister, because He rarely falls in love with anyone."

"Mr. Willoughby is familiar to many people in your part of Somerset, isn't it?" asked Eleanor.

"Yes, very familiar. That's not to say that I think many people knew him, for Coombe House is so far away. But I dare say he was thought exceedingly lovely. Mr. Willoughby, wherever he went The most likable man anywhere, you can tell your sister that. On my honour, your sister is very lucky to have found him. That's not to say he wasn't extremely lucky to find your sister, Because your sister is so beautiful and lovely, it's rare for anyone to be worthy of her. But I assure you, I don't say this because your sister is more beautiful than you. I think you are both beautiful. I dare say, Pa Mr. Mo must also think so, it's just that we couldn't hear him admit it last night."

Mrs. Palmer's account of Willoughby was of no substance, but Elinor would be pleased with any kindness, however slight, of him.

"I'm so glad we've met at last," continued Charlotte, "and I hope we'll be good friends forever. You don't know how I long to see you! It's very nice of you to live in the cottage! There is nothing better than that, no doubt! I am so glad that your sister is going to marry a man of her own accord! I hope you will often visit Combe House, which is, as everyone says, a lovely place."

"You've known Colonel Bland a long time, haven't you?"

"Yes, a long time ago. I have known him since my sister's marriage. He was a great friend of Sir John's. I think," she said, in a low voice, "that he would have liked to marry me if he could. John Sir John and Lady Middleton both hope so. But my mother doesn't think it's a good match, or Sir John will propose to Colonel Bland, and we'll be married right away."

"Sir John is going to mention this marriage to your mother. Doesn't Colonel Bland know? Has he ever expressed his love to you?"

"Oh! no, but if my mother doesn't object, I dare say he is very willing. He only saw me twice then, when I was at school. But I'm much happier now. Mr Palmer is exactly the kind of guy I like."

(End of this chapter)