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In this manner they had continued about a quarter of an hour, when Marianne, whose nerves could not then bear any sudden noise, was startled by a rap at the door

"Who can this be?" cried Elinor "So early too! I thought we HAD been safe"

Marianne moved to the -"It is Colonel Brandon!" said she, with vexation "We are never safe fros is fro to her own roo to do with his own time has no conscience in his intrusion on that of others"

The event proved her conjecture right, though it was founded on injustice and error; for Colonel Brandon DID come in; and Elinor, as convinced that solicitude for Marianne brought him thither, and who saw THAT solicitude in his disturbed and h brief inquiry after her, could not forgive her sister for estees in Bond Street," said he, after the first salutation, "and she encouraged ed, because I thought it probable that IMy object-- it--I hope, I believe it is--is to be acomfort;--no, I must not say co conviction to your sister's ard for her, for yourself, for yoursoard--nothing but an earnest desire of being useful--I think I ah where so ht, is there not so?" He stopped

"I understand you," said Elinor "You have sohby, that will open his character farther Your telling it will be the greatest act of friendship that can be shewn Marianne MY gratitude will be insured i to that end, and HERS ained by it in time Pray, pray let me hear it"

"You shall; and, to be brief, when I quitted Barton last October,--but this will give you no idea--I o farther back You will find me a very aard narrator, Miss Dashwood; I hardly knohere to begin A short account of myself, I believe, will be necessary, and it SHALL be a short one On such a subject," sighing heavily, "can I have little temptation to be diffuse"