Her manners were by no means so elegant as her sister's, but they were much more prepossessing.

She came in with a smile, smiled all the time of her visit, except when she laughed, and smiled when she went away.

Her husband was a grave looking young man of five or six and twenty, with an air of more fashion and sense than his wife, but of less willingness to please or be pleased.

He entered the room with a look of self-consequence, slightly bowed to the ladies, without speaking a word, and, after briefly surveying them and their apartments, took up a newspaper from the table, and continued to read it as long as he staid.
Mrs.Palmer, on the contrary, who was strongly endowed by nature with a turn for being uniformly civil and happy, was hardly seated before her admiration of the parlour and every thing in it burst forth.
"Well! what a delightful room this is! I never saw anything so charming! Only think, Mama, how it is improved since I was here last! I always thought it such a sweet place, ma'am! (turning to Mrs.
Dashwood) but you have made it so charming! Only look, sister, how delightful every thing is! How I should like such a house for myself! Should not you, Mr.Palmer ?" Mr.Palmer made her no answer, and did not even raise his eyes from the newspaper.
"Mr.Palmer does not hear me," said she, laughing; "he never does sometimes.

It is so ridiculous!" This was quite a new idea to Mrs.Dashwood; she had never been used to find wit in the inattention of any one, and could not help looking with surprise at them both.
Mrs.Jennings, in the meantime, talked on as loud as she could, and continued her account of their surprise, the evening before, on seeing their friends, without ceasing till every thing was told.