CHAPTER V

    When they met before dinner, Mr. P. was looking over Letters.-'Not a Line from Sidney！'-said he.-'He is an idle fellow.-I sent him an account of my accident from Willingden, and thought he would have vouchsafed me an Answer.-But perhaps it implies that he is coming himself.-I trust it may.-But here is a Letter from one of my Sisters. They never fail me.-Women are the only Correspondents to be depended on.-Now Mary, （smiling at his Wife）-before I open it, what shall we guess as to the state of health of those it comes from-or rather what would Sidney say if he were here？-Sidney is a saucy fellow, Miss H.-And you must know, he will have it there is a good deal of Imagination in my two Sisters' complaints- but it really is not so-or very little-They have wretched health, as you have heard us say frequently, and are subject to a variety of very serious Disorders.-Indeed, I do not believe they know what a day's health is；-and at the same time, they are such excellent useful Women and have so much energy of Character that, where any Good is to be done, they force themselves on exertions which to those who do not thoroughly know them, have an extraordinary appearance.-But there is really no affectation about them. They have only weaker constitutions and stronger minds than are often met with, either separate or together.-And our Youngest Brother-who lives with them, and who is not much above twenty, I am sorry to say, is almost as great an Invalid as themselves.-He is so delicate that he can engage in no Profession.-Sidney laughs at him-but it really is no Joke-though Sidney often makes me laugh at them all inspite of myself.

    Now, if he were here, I know he would be offering odds, that either Susan Diana or Arthur would appear by this letter to have been at the point of death within the last month.'-Having run his eye over the Letter, he shook his head and began： 'No chance of seeing them at Sanditon I am sorry to say.-A very indifferent account of them indeed. Seriously, a very indifferent account.-Mary, you will be quite sorry to hear how ill they have been and are.-Miss H., if you will give me leave, I will read Diana's Letter aloud.-I like to have my friends acquainted with each other-and I am afraid this is the only sort of acquaintance I shall have the means of accomplishing between you.-And I can have no scruple on Diana's account-for her Letters shew her exactly as she is, the most active, friendly, warmhearted Being in existence, and therefore must give a good impression.' He read.-'My dear Tom, We were all much grieved at your accident, and if you had not described yourself as fallen into such very good hands, I should have been with you at all hazards the day after the receipt of your Letter, though it found me suffering under a more severe attack than usual of my old grievance, Spasmodic Bile and hardly able to crawl from my Bed to the Sofa.-But how were you treated？-Send me more Particulars in your next.-If indeed a simple Sprain, as you denominate it, nothing would have been so judicious as Friction, Friction by the hand alone, supposing it could be applied instantly.-Two years ago I happened to be calling on Mrs. Sheldon when her Coachman sprained his foot as he was cleaning the Carriage and could hardly limp into the House-but by the immediate use of Friction alone steadily persevered in, （and I rubbed his Ancle with my own hand for six Hours without Intermission）-he was well in three days.

    Many Thanks my dear Tom, for the kindness with respect to us, which had so large a share in bringing on your accident-But pray never run into Peril again, in looking for an Apothecary on our account, for had you the most experienced Man in his Line settled at Sanditon, it would be no recommendation to us. We have entirely done with the whole Medical Tribe. We have consulted Physician after Physician in vain, till we are quite convinced that they can do nothing for us and that we must trust to our own knowledge of our own wretched Constitutions for any relief.-But if you think it advisable for the interest of the Place, to get a Medical Man there, I will undertake the commission with pleasure, and have no doubt of succeeding.- I could soon put the necessary Irons in the fire.-As for getting to Sanditon myself it is quite an Impossibility. I grieve to say that I dare not attempt it, but my feelings tell me too plainly that in my present state, the Sea air would probably be the death of me.- And neither of my dear Companions will leave me, or I would promote their going down to you for a fortnight. But in truth, I doubt whether Susan's nerves would be equal to the effort. She has been suffering much from the Headache and Six Leaches a day for ten days together relieved her so little that we thought it right to change our measures-and being convinced on examination that much of the Evil lay in her Gum, I persuaded her to attack the disorder there. She has accordingly had three Teeth drawn, and is decidedly better, but her Nerves are a good deal deranged. She can only speak in a whisper-and fainted away twice this morning on poor Arthur's trying to suppress a cough. He, I am happy to say is tolerably well-tho' more languid than I like-and I fear for his Liver.-I have heard nothing of Sidney since your being together in Town, but conclude his scheme to the