Whiletheywerespeaking, a whisperingbetweenherfatherandElizabethcaughtherear. Shecouldnotdistinguish, butshemustguessthesubject; andonCaptainWentworth's making a distantbow, shecomprehendedthatherfatherhadjudgedsowellastogivehimthatsimpleacknowledgementofacquaintance, andshewasjustintimeby a sideglancetosee a slightcurtseyfromElizabethherself. This, thoughlate, andreluctant, andungracious, wasyetbetterthannothing, andherspiritsimproved.
2
Aftertalking, however, oftheweather, andBath, andtheconcert, theirconversationbegantoflag, andsolittlewassaidatlast, thatshewasexpectinghimtogoeverymoment, buthedidnot; heseemedinnohurrytoleaveher; andpresentlywithrenewedspirit, with a littlesmile, a littleglow, hesaid--
3
"I havehardlyseenyousinceourdayatLyme. I amafraidyoumusthavesufferedfromtheshock, andthemorefromitsnotoverpoweringyouatthetime."
4
Sheassuredhimthatshehadnot.
5
"Itwas a frightfulhour," saidhe, "a frightfulday!" andhepassedhishandacrosshiseyes, asiftheremembrancewerestilltoopainful, butin a moment, halfsmilingagain, added, "Thedayhasproducedsomeeffectshowever; hashadsomeconsequenceswhichmustbeconsideredastheveryreverseoffrightful. WhenyouhadthepresenceofmindtosuggestthatBenwickwouldbetheproperestpersontofetch a surgeon, youcouldhavelittleideaofhisbeingeventuallyoneofthosemostconcernedinherrecovery."
6
"Certainly I couldhavenone. Butitappears--I shouldhopeitwouldbe a veryhappymatch. Thereareonbothsidesgoodprinciplesandgoodtemper."
Hestopped. A suddenrecollectionseemedtooccur, andtogivehimsometasteofthatemotionwhichwasreddeningAnne's cheeksandfixinghereyesontheground. Afterclearinghisthroat, however, heproceededthus--
9
"I confessthat I dothinkthereis a disparity, toogreat a disparity, andin a pointnolessessentialthanmind. I regardLouisaMusgroveas a veryamiable, sweet-temperedgirl, andnotdeficientinunderstanding, butBenwickissomethingmore. Heis a cleverman, a readingman; and I confess, that I doconsiderhisattachinghimselftoherwithsomesurprise. Haditbeentheeffectofgratitude, hadhelearnttoloveher, becausehebelievedhertobepreferringhim, itwouldhavebeenanotherthing. But I havenoreasontosupposeitso. Itseems, onthecontrary, tohavebeen a perfectlyspontaneous, untaughtfeelingonhisside, andthissurprisesme. A manlikehim, inhissituation! with a heartpierced, wounded, almostbroken! FannyHarvillewas a verysuperiorcreature, andhisattachmenttoherwasindeedattachment. A mandoesnotrecoverfromsuch a devotionofthehearttosuch a woman. Heoughtnot; hedoesnot."
10
Eitherfromtheconsciousness, however, thathisfriendhadrecovered, orfromotherconsciousness, hewentnofarther; andAnnewho, inspiteoftheagitatedvoiceinwhichthelatterparthadbeenuttered, andinspiteofallthevariousnoisesoftheroom, thealmostceaselessslamofthedoor, andceaselessbuzzofpersonswalkingthrough, haddistinguishedeveryword, wasstruck, gratified, confused, andbeginningtobreatheveryquick, andfeelanhundredthingsin a moment. Itwasimpossibleforhertoenteronsuch a subject; andyet, after a pause, feelingthenecessityofspeaking, andhavingnotthesmallestwishfor a totalchange, sheonlydeviatedsofarastosay--
11
"Youwere a goodwhileatLyme, I think?"
12
"About a fortnight. I couldnotleaveittillLouisa's doingwellwasquiteascertained. I hadbeentoodeeplyconcernedinthemischieftobesoonatpeace. Ithadbeenmydoing, solelymine. Shewouldnothavebeenobstinateif I hadnotbeenweak. ThecountryroundLymeisveryfine. I walkedandrode a greatdeal; andthemore I saw, themore I foundtoadmire."
13
"I shouldverymuchliketoseeLymeagain," saidAnne.
14
"Indeed! I shouldnothavesupposedthatyoucouldhavefoundanythinginLymetoinspiresuch a feeling. Thehorroranddistressyouwereinvolvedin, thestretchofmind, thewearofspirits! I shouldhavethoughtyourlastimpressionsofLymemusthavebeenstrongdisgust."
15
"Thelasthourswerecertainlyverypainful," repliedAnne; "butwhenpainisover, theremembranceofitoftenbecomes a pleasure. Onedoesnotlove a placethelessforhavingsufferedinit, unlessithasbeenallsuffering, nothingbutsuffering, whichwasbynomeansthecaseatLyme. Wewereonlyinanxietyanddistressduringthelasttwohours, andpreviouslytherehadbeen a greatdealofenjoyment. Somuchnoveltyandbeauty! I havetravelledsolittle, thateveryfreshplacewouldbeinterestingtome; butthereisrealbeautyatLyme; andinshort" (with a faintblushatsomerecollections), "altogethermyimpressionsoftheplaceareveryagreeable."
Anne's mindwasin a mostfavourablestatefortheentertainmentoftheevening; itwasjustoccupationenough: shehadfeelingsforthetender, spiritsforthegay, attentionforthescientific, andpatienceforthewearisome; andhadneverliked a concertbetter, atleastduringthefirstact. Towardsthecloseofit, intheintervalsucceedinganItaliansong, sheexplainedthewordsofthesongtoMrElliot. Theyhad a concertbillbetweenthem.
24
"This," saidshe, "isnearlythesense, orratherthemeaningofthewords, forcertainlythesenseofanItalianlove-songmustnotbetalkedof, butitisasnearlythemeaningas I cangive; for I donotpretendtounderstandthelanguage. I am a verypoorItalianscholar."
25
"Yes, yes, I seeyouare. I seeyouknownothingofthematter. Youhaveonlyknowledgeenoughofthelanguagetotranslateatsighttheseinverted, transposed, curtailedItalianlines, intoclear, comprehensible, elegantEnglish. Youneednotsayanythingmoreofyourignorance. Hereiscompleteproof."
26
"I willnotopposesuchkindpoliteness; but I shouldbesorrytobeexaminedby a realproficient."
27
"I havenothadthepleasureofvisitinginCamdenPlacesolong," repliedhe, "withoutknowingsomethingofMissAnneElliot; and I doregardherasonewhoistoomodestfortheworldingeneraltobeawareofhalfheraccomplishments, andtoohighlyaccomplishedformodestytobenaturalinanyotherwoman."
28
"Forshame! forshame! thisistoomuchflattery. I forgetwhatwearetohavenext," turningtothebill.
29
"Perhaps," saidMrElliot, speakinglow, "I havehad a longeracquaintancewithyourcharacterthanyouareawareof."
30
"Indeed! Howso? Youcanhavebeenacquaintedwithitonlysince I cametoBath, exceptingasyoumighthearmepreviouslyspokenofinmyownfamily."
31
"I knewyoubyreportlongbeforeyoucametoBath. I hadheardyoudescribedbythosewhoknewyouintimately. I havebeenacquaintedwithyoubycharactermanyyears. Yourperson, yourdisposition, accomplishments, manner; theywereallpresenttome."
32
MrElliotwasnotdisappointedintheinteresthehopedtoraise. Noonecanwithstandthecharmofsuch a mystery. Tohavebeendescribedlongagoto a recentacquaintance, bynamelesspeople, isirresistible; andAnnewasallcuriosity. Shewondered, andquestionedhimeagerly; butinvain. Hedelightedinbeingasked, buthewouldnottell.
33
"No, no, sometimeorother, perhaps, butnotnow. Hewouldmentionnonamesnow; butsuch, hecouldassureher, hadbeenthefact. Hehadmanyyearsagoreceivedsuch a descriptionofMissAnneElliotashadinspiredhimwiththehighestideaofhermerit, andexcitedthewarmestcuriositytoknowher."
"ThenameofAnneElliot," saidhe, "haslonghadaninterestingsoundtome. Verylonghasitpossessed a charmovermyfancy; and, if I dared, I wouldbreathemywishesthatthenamemightneverchange."
"A well-lookingman," saidSirWalter, "a verywell-lookingman."
38
"A veryfineyoungmanindeed!" saidLadyDalrymple. "MoreairthanoneoftenseesinBath. Irish, I daresay."
39
"No, I justknowhisname. A bowingacquaintance. Wentworth; CaptainWentworthofthenavy. HissistermarriedmytenantinSomersetshire, theCroft, whorentsKellynch."
40
BeforeSirWalterhadreachedthispoint, Anne's eyeshadcaughttherightdirection, anddistinguishedCaptainWentworthstandingamong a clusterofmenat a littledistance. Ashereyesfellonhim, hisseemedtobewithdrawnfromher. Ithadthatappearance. Itseemedasifshehadbeenonemomenttoolate; andaslongasshedaredobserve, hedidnotlookagain: buttheperformancewasrecommencing, andshewasforcedtoseemtorestoreherattentiontotheorchestraandlookstraightforward.
Inre-settlingthemselvestherewerenowmanychanges, theresultofwhichwasfavourableforher. ColonelWallisdeclinedsittingdownagain, andMrElliotwasinvitedbyElizabethandMissCarteret, in a mannernottoberefused, tositbetweenthem; andbysomeotherremovals, and a littleschemingofherown, Annewasenabledtoplaceherselfmuchnearertheendofthebenchthanshehadbeenbefore, muchmorewithinreachof a passer-by. Shecouldnotdoso, withoutcomparingherselfwithMissLarolles, theinimitableMissLarolles; butstillshedidit, andnotwithmuchhappiereffect; thoughbywhatseemedprosperityintheshapeofanearlyabdicationinhernextneighbours, shefoundherselfattheveryendofthebenchbeforetheconcertclosed.
46
Suchwashersituation, with a vacantspaceathand, whenCaptainWentworthwasagaininsight. Shesawhimnotfaroff. Hesawhertoo; yethelookedgrave, andseemedirresolute, andonlybyveryslowdegreescameatlastnearenoughtospeaktoher. Shefeltthatsomethingmustbethematter. Thechangewasindubitable. ThedifferencebetweenhispresentairandwhatithadbeenintheOctagonRoomwasstrikinglygreat. Whywasit? Shethoughtofherfather, ofLadyRussell. Couldtherehavebeenanyunpleasantglances? Hebeganbyspeakingoftheconcertgravely, moreliketheCaptainWentworthofUppercross; ownedhimselfdisappointed, hadexpectedsinging; andinshort, mustconfessthatheshouldnotbesorrywhenitwasover. Annereplied, andspokeindefenceoftheperformancesowell, andyetinallowanceforhisfeelingssopleasantly, thathiscountenanceimproved, andherepliedagainwithalmost a smile. Theytalkedfor a fewminutesmore; theimprovementheld; heevenlookeddowntowardsthebench, asifhesaw a placeonitwellworthoccupying; whenatthatmoment a touchonhershoulderobligedAnnetoturnround. ItcamefromMrElliot. Hebeggedherpardon, butshemustbeappliedto, toexplainItalianagain. MissCarteretwasveryanxioustohave a generalideaofwhatwasnexttobesung. Annecouldnotrefuse; butneverhadshesacrificedtopolitenesswith a moresufferingspirit.
47
A fewminutes, thoughasfewaspossible, wereinevitablyconsumed; andwhenherownmistressagain, whenabletoturnandlookasshehaddonebefore, shefoundherselfaccostedbyCaptainWentworth, in a reservedyethurriedsortoffarewell. "Hemustwishhergoodnight; hewasgoing; heshouldgethomeasfastashecould."