] Perhaps Mrs. Jennings was in hopes, by this vigorous sketch of their future ennui, to provoke him to make that offer, which might give himself an escape from it..."

] Who knew she had such a subtle touch? (-;

The whole misunderstanding between Mrs. Jennings and Elinor as to what the colonel was really saying to her borders on farce(in a good way).

I was really laughing that Mrs. Jennings thought she could bring about the proposal (after trying for at least the last seven years to get the colonel to propose to someone, including her own daughter) by such means and such comments as the one you quoted.

But it's even funnier that she would think that when it came time to propse that he would do it in such circumstances, with not only herself but Marianne, of all people, right there in the room with them and with what she thinks of as "so unlover-like a speech".

I don't think that dear Mrs. Jennings could be any more thoroughly unromantic! It also shows that although she considers the colonel a dear friend, she doesn't really know him so well as the Dashwoods (esp. Elinor) have come to do in their comparatively short acquaintance. (It also kind of proves Marianne's earlier point that "Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other...")

I was also really LOL at Mrs. Jennings' efforts to behave herself during this part, purposely moving near the pianoforte so she *wouldn't* overhear and preventing herself from calling out "Lord! what should hinder it?" -- but instead just thinking to herself "This is very strange! -- sure he need not wait to be older."

For all that she has not a romantic bone in her body, Mrs. Jennings' heart is in the right place, though.