Sometimes I thought it had been--but it never was." "Yet you wrote to him ?"-- "Yes--could that be wrong after all that had passed?
-- But I cannot talk." Elinor said no more, and turning again to the three letters which now raised a much stronger curiosity than before, directly ran over the contents of all.

The first, which was what her sister had sent him on their arrival in town, was to this effect.
Berkeley Street, January.
"How surprised you will be, Willoughby, on receiving this; and I think you will feel something more than surprise, when you know that I am in town.
An opportunity of coming hither, though with Mrs.
Jennings, was a temptation we could not resist.
I wish you may receive this in time to come here to-night, but I will not depend on it.

At any rate I shall expect you to-morrow.

For the present, adieu.
"M.D." Her second note, which had been written on the morning after the dance at the Middletons', was in these words:-- "I cannot express my disappointment in having missed you the day before yesterday, nor my astonishment at not having received any answer to a note which I sent you above a week ago.

I have been expecting to hear from you, and still more to see you, every hour of the day.