SirWalterhadtaken a verygoodhouseinCamdenPlace, a loftydignifiedsituation, suchasbecomes a manofconsequence; andbothheandElizabethweresettledthere, muchtotheirsatisfaction.
1
Anneentereditwith a sinkingheart, anticipatinganimprisonmentofmanymonths, andanxiouslysayingtoherself, "Oh! whenshall I leaveyouagain?" A degreeofunexpectedcordiality, however, inthewelcomeshereceived, didhergood. Herfatherandsisterweregladtoseeher, forthesakeofshewingherthehouseandfurniture, andmetherwithkindness. Hermaking a fourth, whentheysatdowntodinner, wasnoticedasanadvantage.
2
MrsClaywasverypleasant, andverysmiling, buthercourtesiesandsmilesweremore a matterofcourse. Annehadalwaysfeltthatshewouldpretendwhatwasproperonherarrival, butthecomplaisanceoftheotherswasunlookedfor. Theywereevidentlyinexcellentspirits, andshewassoontolistentothecauses. Theyhadnoinclinationtolistentoher. Afterlayingoutforsomecomplimentsofbeingdeeplyregrettedintheiroldneighbourhood, whichAnnecouldnotpay, theyhadonly a fewfaintenquiriestomake, beforethetalkmustbealltheirown. Uppercrossexcitednointerest, Kellynchverylittle: itwasallBath.
Butthiswasnotallwhichtheyhadtomakethemhappy. TheyhadMrElliottoo. Annehad a greatdealtohearofMrElliot. Hewasnotonlypardoned, theyweredelightedwithhim. HehadbeeninBathabout a fortnight; (hehadpassedthroughBathinNovember, inhiswaytoLondon, whentheintelligenceofSirWalter's beingsettledtherehadofcoursereachedhim, thoughonlytwenty-fourhoursintheplace, buthehadnotbeenabletoavailhimselfofit;) buthehadnowbeen a fortnightinBath, andhisfirstobjectonarriving, hadbeentoleavehiscardinCamdenPlace, followingitupbysuchassiduousendeavourstomeet, andwhentheydidmeet, bysuchgreatopennessofconduct, suchreadinesstoapologizeforthepast, suchsolicitudetobereceivedas a relationagain, thattheirformergoodunderstandingwascompletelyre-established.
6
Theyhadnot a faulttofindinhim. Hehadexplainedawayalltheappearanceofneglectonhisownside. Ithadoriginatedinmisapprehensionentirely. Hehadneverhadanideaofthrowinghimselfoff; hehadfearedthathewasthrownoff, butknewnotwhy, anddelicacyhadkepthimsilent. Uponthehintofhavingspokendisrespectfullyorcarelesslyofthefamilyandthefamilyhonours, hewasquiteindignant. He, whohadeverboastedofbeinganElliot, andwhosefeelings, astoconnection, wereonlytoostricttosuittheunfeudaltoneofthepresentday. Hewasastonished, indeed, buthischaracterandgeneralconductmustrefuteit. HecouldreferSirWaltertoallwhoknewhim; andcertainly, thepainshehadbeentakingonthis, thefirstopportunityofreconciliation, toberestoredtothefootingof a relationandheir-presumptive, was a strongproofofhisopinionsonthesubject.
7
Thecircumstancesofhismarriage, too, werefoundtoadmitofmuchextenuation. Thiswasanarticlenottobeenteredonbyhimself; but a veryintimatefriendofhis, a ColonelWallis, a highlyrespectableman, perfectlythegentleman, (andnotanill-lookingman, SirWalteradded), whowaslivinginverygoodstyleinMarlboroughBuildings, andhad, athisownparticularrequest, beenadmittedtotheiracquaintancethroughMrElliot, hadmentionedoneortwothingsrelativetothemarriage, whichmade a materialdifferenceinthediscreditofit.
8
ColonelWallishadknownMrElliotlong, hadbeenwellacquaintedalsowithhiswife, hadperfectlyunderstoodthewholestory. Shewascertainlynot a womanoffamily, butwelleducated, accomplished, rich, andexcessivelyinlovewithhisfriend. Therehadbeenthecharm. Shehadsoughthim. Withoutthatattraction, notallhermoneywouldhavetemptedElliot, andSirWalterwas, moreover, assuredofherhavingbeen a veryfinewoman. Herewas a greatdealtosoftenthebusiness. A veryfinewomanwith a largefortune, inlovewithhim! SirWalterseemedtoadmititascompleteapology; andthoughElizabethcouldnotseethecircumstanceinquitesofavourable a light, shealloweditbe a greatextenuation.
MrElliot, andhisfriendsinMarlboroughBuildings, weretalkedofthewholeevening. "ColonelWallishadbeensoimpatienttobeintroducedtothem! andMrElliotsoanxiousthatheshould!" andtherewas a MrsWallis, atpresentknownonlytothembydescription, asshewasindailyexpectationofherconfinement; butMrElliotspokeofheras "a mostcharmingwoman, quiteworthyofbeingknowninCamdenPlace," andassoonassherecoveredtheyweretobeacquainted. SirWalterthoughtmuchofMrsWallis; shewassaidtobeanexcessivelyprettywoman, beautiful. "Helongedtoseeher. Hehopedshemightmakesomeamendsforthemanyveryplainfaceshewascontinuallypassinginthestreets. TheworstofBathwasthenumberofitsplainwomen. Hedidnotmeantosaythattherewerenoprettywomen, butthenumberoftheplainwasoutofallproportion. Hehadfrequentlyobserved, ashewalked, thatonehandsomefacewouldbefollowedbythirty, orfive-and-thirtyfrights; andonce, ashehadstoodin a shoponBondStreet, hehadcountedeighty-sevenwomengoby, oneafteranother, withouttherebeing a tolerablefaceamongthem. Ithadbeen a frostymorning, tobesure, a sharpfrost, whichhardlyonewomanin a thousandcouldstandthetestof. Butstill, therecertainlywere a dreadfulmultitudeofuglywomeninBath; andasforthemen! theywereinfinitelyworse. Suchscarecrowsasthestreetswerefullof! Itwasevidenthowlittlethewomenwereusedtothesightofanythingtolerable, bytheeffectwhich a manofdecentappearanceproduced. Hehadneverwalkedanywherearm-in-armwithColonelWallis (whowas a finemilitaryfigure, thoughsandy-haired) withoutobservingthateverywoman's eyewasuponhim; everywoman's eyewassuretobeuponColonelWallis." ModestSirWalter! Hewasnotallowedtoescape, however. HisdaughterandMrsClayunitedinhintingthatColonelWallis's companionmighthaveasgood a figureasColonelWallis, andcertainlywasnotsandy-haired.
13
"HowisMarylooking?" saidSirWalter, intheheightofhisgoodhumour. "Thelasttime I sawhershehad a rednose, but I hopethatmaynothappeneveryday."
14
"Oh! no, thatmusthavebeenquiteaccidental. IngeneralshehasbeeninverygoodhealthandverygoodlookssinceMichaelmas."
15
"If I thoughtitwouldnottempthertogooutinsharpwinds, andgrowcoarse, I wouldsendher a newhatandpelisse."
16
Annewasconsideringwhethersheshouldventuretosuggestthat a gown, or a cap, wouldnotbeliabletoanysuchmisuse, when a knockatthedoorsuspendedeverything. "A knockatthedoor! andsolate! Itwasten o'clock. CoulditbeMrElliot? TheyknewhewastodineinLansdownCrescent. Itwaspossiblethathemightstopinhiswayhometoaskthemhowtheydid. Theycouldthinkofnooneelse. MrsClaydecidedlythoughtitMrElliot's knock." MrsClaywasright. Withallthestatewhich a butlerandfoot-boycouldgive, MrElliotwasusheredintotheroom.
Hesatdownwiththem, andimprovedtheirconversationverymuch. Therecouldbenodoubtofhisbeing a sensibleman. Tenminuteswereenoughtocertifythat. Histone, hisexpressions, hischoiceofsubject, hisknowingwheretostop; itwasalltheoperationof a sensible, discerningmind. Assoonashecould, hebegantotalktoherofLyme, wantingtocompareopinionsrespectingtheplace, butespeciallywantingtospeakofthecircumstanceoftheirhappeningtobeguestsinthesameinnatthesametime; togivehisownroute, understandsomethingofhers, andregretthatheshouldhavelostsuchanopportunityofpayinghisrespectstoher. Shegavehim a shortaccountofherpartyandbusinessatLyme. Hisregretincreasedashelistened. Hehadspenthiswholesolitaryeveningintheroomadjoiningtheirs; hadheardvoices, mirthcontinually; thoughttheymustbe a mostdelightfulsetofpeople, longedtobewiththem, butcertainlywithoutthesmallestsuspicionofhispossessingtheshadowof a righttointroducehimself. Ifhehadbutaskedwhothepartywere! ThenameofMusgrovewouldhavetoldhimenough. "Well, itwouldservetocurehimofanabsurdpracticeofneverasking a questionataninn, whichhehadadopted, whenquite a youngman, ontheprincipalofitsbeingveryungenteeltobecurious.
19
"Thenotionsof a youngmanofoneortwoandtwenty," saidhe, "astowhatisnecessaryinmannerstomakehimquitethething, aremoreabsurd, I believe, thanthoseofanyothersetofbeingsintheworld. Thefollyofthemeanstheyoftenemployisonlytobeequalledbythefollyofwhattheyhaveinview."