 do not doubt it,« replied he, rather astonished at her earnestness and
warmth; for had he not imagined it to be a joke for the good of her acquaintance
in general, founded only on a something or a nothing between Mr. Willoughby and
herself, he would not have ventured to mention it.
 

                                  Chapter XIX

Edward remained a week at the cottage; he was earnestly pressed by Mrs. Dashwood
to stay longer; but as if he were bent only on self-mortification, he seemed
resolved to be gone when his enjoyment among his friends was at the height. His
spirits, during the last two or three days, though still very unequal, were
greatly improved - he grew more and more partial to the house and environs -
never spoke of going away without a sigh - declared his time to be wholly
disengaged - even doubted to what place he should go when he left them - but
still, go he must. Never had any week passed so quickly - he could hardly
believe it to be gone. He said so repeatedly; other things he said too, which
marked the turn of his feelings and gave the lie to his actions. He had no
pleasure at Norland; he detested being in town; but either to Norland or London,
he must go. He valued their kindness beyond any thing, and his greatest
happiness was in being with them. Yet he must leave them at the end of a week,
in spite of their wishes and his own, and without any restraint on his time.
    Elinor placed all that was astonishing in this way of acting to his mother's
account; and it was happy for her that he had a mother whose character was so
imperfectly known to her, as to be the general excuse for every thing strange on
the part of her son. Disappointed, however, and vexed as she was, and sometimes
displeased with his uncertain behaviour to herself, she was very well disposed
on the whole to regard his actions with all the candid allowances and generous
qualifications, which had been rather more painfully extorted from her, for
Willoughby's service, by her mother. His want of spirits, of openness, and of
consistency, were most usually attributed to his want of independence, and his
better knowledge of Mrs. Ferrars's disposition and designs. The shortness of his
visit, the steadiness of his purpose in leaving them, originated in the same
fettered inclination, the same inevitable necessity of temporising with his
mother. The old, well established grievance of duty against will, parent against
child, was the cause of all. She
