A veryfewdaysmore, andCaptainWentworthwasknowntobeatKellynch, andMrMusgrovehadcalledonhim, andcomebackwarminhispraise, andhewasengagedwiththeCroftstodineatUppercross, bytheendofanotherweek. Ithadbeen a greatdisappointmenttoMrMusgrovetofindthatnoearlierdaycouldbefixed, soimpatientwashetoshewhisgratitude, byseeingCaptainWentworthunderhisownroof, andwelcominghimtoallthatwasstrongestandbestinhiscellars. But a weekmustpass; only a week, inAnne's reckoning, andthen, shesupposed, theymustmeet; andsoonshebegantowishthatshecouldfeelsecureevenfor a week.
1
CaptainWentworthmade a veryearlyreturntoMrMusgrove's civility, andshewasallbutcallingthereinthesamehalfhour. SheandMarywereactuallysettingforwardfortheGreatHouse, where, assheafterwardslearnt, theymustinevitablyhavefoundhim, whentheywerestoppedbytheeldestboy's beingatthatmomentbroughthomeinconsequenceof a badfall. Thechild's situationputthevisitentirelyaside; butshecouldnothearofherescapewithindifference, eveninthemidstoftheseriousanxietywhichtheyafterwardsfeltonhisaccount.
CharlesMusgrove, indeed, afterwards, shewedmoreofinclination; "thechildwasgoingonsowell, andhewishedsomuchtobeintroducedtoCaptainWentworth, that, perhaps, hemightjointhemintheevening; hewouldnotdinefromhome, buthemightwalkinforhalfanhour." Butinthishewaseagerlyopposedbyhiswife, with "Oh! no, indeed, Charles, I cannotbeartohaveyougoaway. Onlythinkifanythingshouldhappen?"
6
Thechildhad a goodnight, andwasgoingonwellthenextday. Itmustbe a workoftimetoascertainthatnoinjuryhadbeendonetothespine; butMrRobinsonfoundnothingtoincreasealarm, andCharlesMusgrovebegan, consequently, tofeelnonecessityforlongerconfinement. Thechildwastobekeptinbedandamusedasquietlyaspossible; butwhatwastherefor a fathertodo? Thiswasquite a femalecase, anditwouldbehighlyabsurdinhim, whocouldbeofnouseathome, toshuthimselfup. HisfatherverymuchwishedhimtomeetCaptainWentworth, andtherebeingnosufficientreasonagainstit, heoughttogo; anditendedinhismaking a bold, publicdeclaration, whenhecameinfromshooting, ofhismeaningtodressdirectly, anddineattheotherhouse.
7
"Nothingcanbegoingonbetterthanthechild," saidhe; "so I toldmyfather, justnow, that I wouldcome, andhethoughtmequiteright. Yoursisterbeingwithyou, mylove, I havenoscrupleatall. Youwouldnotliketoleavehimyourself, butyousee I canbeofnouse. Annewillsendformeifanythingisthematter."
"Soyouand I aretobelefttoshiftbyourselves, withthispoorsickchild; andnot a creaturecomingnearusalltheevening! I knewhowitwouldbe. Thisisalwaysmyluck. Ifthereisanythingdisagreeablegoingonmenarealwayssuretogetoutofit, andCharlesisasbadasanyofthem. Veryunfeeling! I mustsayitisveryunfeelingofhimtoberunningawayfromhispoorlittleboy. Talksofhisbeinggoingonsowell! Howdoesheknowthatheisgoingonwell, orthattheremaynotbe a suddenchangehalfanhourhence? I didnotthinkCharleswouldhavebeensounfeeling. Sohereheistogoawayandenjoyhimself, andbecause I amthepoormother, I amnottobeallowedtostir; andyet, I amsure, I ammoreunfitthananybodyelsetobeaboutthechild. Mybeingthemotheristheveryreasonwhymyfeelingsshouldnotbetried. I amnotatallequaltoit. Yousawhowhysterical I wasyesterday."
10
"Butthatwasonlytheeffectofthesuddennessofyouralarm--oftheshock. Youwillnotbehystericalagain. I daresayweshallhavenothingtodistressus. I perfectlyunderstandMrRobinson's directions, andhavenofears; andindeed, Mary, I cannotwonderatyourhusband. Nursingdoesnotbelongto a man; itisnothisprovince. A sickchildisalwaysthemother's property: herownfeelingsgenerallymakeitso."
11
"I hope I amasfondofmychildasanymother, but I donotknowthat I amofanymoreuseinthesick-roomthanCharles, for I cannotbealwaysscoldingandteazingthepoorchildwhenitisill; andyousaw, thismorning, thatif I toldhimtokeepquiet, hewassuretobeginkickingabout. I havenotnervesforthesortofthing."
"Yes; youseehispapacan, andwhyshouldnot I? Jemimaissocareful; andshecouldsenduswordeveryhourhowhewas. I reallythinkCharlesmightaswellhavetoldhisfatherwewouldallcome. I amnotmorealarmedaboutlittleCharlesnowthanheis. I wasdreadfullyalarmedyesterday, butthecaseisverydifferentto-day."
14
"Well, ifyoudonotthinkittoolatetogivenoticeforyourself, supposeyouweretogo, aswellasyourhusband. LeavelittleCharlestomycare. MrandMrsMusgrovecannotthinkitwrongwhile I remainwithhim."
15
"Areyouserious?" criedMary, hereyesbrightening. "Dearme! that's a verygoodthought, verygood, indeed. Tobesure, I mayjustaswellgoasnot, for I amofnouseathome--am I? anditonlyharassesme. You, whohavenot a mother's feelings, are a greatdealtheproperestperson. YoucanmakelittleCharlesdoanything; healwaysmindsyouat a word. Itwillbe a greatdealbetterthanleavinghimonlywithJemima. Oh! I shallcertainlygo; I amsure I oughtif I can, quiteasmuchasCharles, fortheywantmeexcessivelytobeacquaintedwithCaptainWentworth, and I knowyoudonotmindbeingleftalone. Anexcellentthoughtofyours, indeed, Anne. I willgoandtellCharles, andgetreadydirectly. Youcansendforus, youknow, at a moment's notice, ifanythingisthematter; but I daresaytherewillbenothingtoalarmyou. I shouldnotgo, youmaybesure, if I didnotfeelquiteateaseaboutmydearchild."
16
Thenextmomentshewastappingatherhusband's dressing-roomdoor, andasAnnefollowedherupstairs, shewasintimeforthewholeconversation, whichbeganwithMary's saying, in a toneofgreatexultation--
17
"I meantogowithyou, Charles, for I amofnomoreuseathomethanyouare. If I weretoshutmyselfupforeverwiththechild, I shouldnotbeabletopersuadehimtodoanythinghedidnotlike. Annewillstay; Anneundertakestostayathomeandtakecareofhim. ItisAnne's ownproposal, andso I shallgowithyou, whichwillbe a greatdealbetter, for I havenotdinedattheotherhousesinceTuesday."
18
"ThisisverykindofAnne," washerhusband's answer, "and I shouldbeverygladtohaveyougo; butitseemsratherhardthatsheshouldbeleftathomebyherself, tonurseoursickchild."
Ononeotherquestionwhichperhapsherutmostwisdommightnothaveprevented, shewassoonsparedallsuspense; for, aftertheMissMusgroveshadreturnedandfinishedtheirvisitattheCottageshehadthisspontaneousinformationfromMary:--
Hehadbeenmostwarmlyattachedtoher, andhadneverseen a womansincewhomhethoughtherequal; but, exceptfromsomenaturalsensationofcuriosity, hehadnodesireofmeetingheragain. Herpowerwithhimwasgoneforever.
37
Itwasnowhisobjecttomarry. Hewasrich, andbeingturnedonshore, fullyintendedtosettleassoonashecouldbeproperlytempted; actuallylookinground, readytofallinlovewithallthespeedwhich a clearheadand a quicktastecouldallow. Hehad a heartforeitheroftheMissMusgroves, iftheycouldcatchit; a heart, inshort, foranypleasingyoungwomanwhocameinhisway, exceptingAnneElliot. Thiswashisonlysecretexception, whenhesaidtohissister, inanswertohersuppositions:--
38
"Yes, here I am, Sophia, quitereadytomake a foolishmatch. Anybodybetweenfifteenandthirtymayhavemeforasking. A littlebeauty, and a fewsmiles, and a fewcomplimentstothenavy, and I am a lostman. Shouldnotthisbeenoughfor a sailor, whohashadnosocietyamongwomentomakehimnice?"
39
Hesaidit, sheknew, tobecontradicted. Hisbrightproudeyespoketheconvictionthathewasnice; andAnneElliotwasnotoutofhisthoughts, whenhemoreseriouslydescribedthewomanheshouldwishtomeetwith. "A strongmind, withsweetnessofmanner," madethefirstandthelastofthedescription.