 of her mother's active fancy,
which fashioned every thing delightful to her, as it chose.
    »His regard for her, infinitely surpassing anything that Willoughby ever
felt or feigned, as much more warm, as more sincere or constant - which ever we
are to call it - has subsisted through all the knowledge of dear Marianne's
unhappy prepossession for that worthless young man! - and without selfishness -
without encouraging a hope! - could he have seen her happy with another - Such a
noble mind! - such openness, such sincerity! - no one can be deceived in him.«
    »Colonel Brandon's character,« said Elinor, »as an excellent man, is well
established.«
    »I know it is« - replied her mother seriously, »or after such a warning, I
should be the last to encourage such affection, or even to be pleased by it. But
his coming for me as he did, with such active, such ready friendship, is enough
to prove him one of the worthiest of men.«
    »His character, however,« answered Elinor, »does not rest on one act of
kindness, to which his affection for Marianne, were humanity out of the case,
would have prompted him. To Mrs. Jennings, to the Middletons, he has been long
and intimately known; they equally love and respect him; and even my own
knowledge of him, though lately acquired, is very considerable; and so highly do
I value and esteem him, that if Marianne can be happy with him, I shall be as
ready as yourself to think our connection the greatest blessing to us in the
world. What answer did you give him? - Did you allow him to hope?«
    »Oh! my love, I could not then talk of hope to him or to myself. Marianne
might at that moment be dying. But he did not ask for hope or encouragement. His
was an involuntary confidence, an irrepressible effusion to a soothing friend -
not an application to a parent. Yet after a time I did say, for at first I was
quite overcome - that if she lived, as I trusted she might, my greatest
happiness would lie in promoting their marriage; and since our arrival, since
our delightful security I have repeated it to him more fully, have given him
every encouragement in my power. Time, a very little time, I tell him, will do
everything; - Marianne's heart is not to be wasted for ever on such a man as
Willoughby. - His own merits must
