Mrs.Jennings therefore attending her up stairs into the sick chamber, to satisfy herself that all continued right, left her there again to her charge and her thoughts, and retired to her own room to write letters and sleep.
The night was cold and stormy.

The wind roared round the house, and the rain beat against the windows; but Elinor, all happiness within, regarded it not.

Marianne slept through every blast; and the travellers--they had a rich reward in store, for every present inconvenience.
The clock struck eight.

Had it been ten, Elinor would have been convinced that at that moment she heard a carriage driving up to the house; and so strong was the persuasion that she DID, in spite of the ALMOST impossibility of their being already come, that she moved into the adjoining dressing-closet and opened a window shutter, to be satisfied of the truth.

She instantly saw that her ears had not deceived her.