 that no one
could so well perform it as himself. It was an office in short, from which,
unwilling to give Edward the pain of receiving an obligation from her, she would
have been very glad to be spared herself; - but Colonel Brandon, on motives of
equal delicacy, declining it likewise, still seemed so desirous of its being
given through her means, that she would not on any account make farther
opposition. Edward, she believed, was still in town, and fortunately she had
heard his address from Miss Steele. She could undertake therefore to inform him
of it, in the course of the day. After this had been settled, Colonel Brandon
began to talk of his own advantage in securing so respectable and agreeable a
neighbour, and then it was that he mentioned with regret, that the house was
small and indifferent; - an evil which Elinor, as Mrs. Jennings had supposed her
to do, made very light of, at least as far as regarded its size.
    »The smallness of the house,« said she, »I cannot imagine any inconvenience
to them, for it will be in proportion to their family and income.«
    By which the Colonel was surprised to find that she was considering Mr.
Ferrars's marriage as the certain consequence of the presentation; for he did
not suppose it possible that Delaford living could supply such an income, as any
body in his style of life would venture to settle on - and he said so.
    »This little rectory can do no more than make Mr. Ferrars comfortable as a
bachelor; it cannot enable him to marry. I am sorry to say that my patronage
ends with this; and my interest is hardly more extensive. If, however, by any
unforeseen chance it should be in my power to serve him farther, I must think
very differently of him from what I now do, if I am not as ready to be useful to
him then, as I sincerely wish I could be at present. What I am now doing indeed,
seems nothing at all, since it can advance him so little towards what must be
his principal, his only object of happiness. His marriage must still be a
distant good; - at least, I am afraid it cannot take place very soon. -«
    Such was the sentence which, when misunderstood, so justly offended the
delicate feelings of Mrs. Jennings; but after this narration of what really
passed between Colonel Brandon and Elinor, while they stood at the window, the
gratitude expressed by the latter on their parting, may perhaps appear in
general
