Jane Austen 10 страница

And so you must judge for yourself, whether it would be better for you

to go about the house or not."

 

Anne, finding she might decline it, did so, very gratefully.

 

"We have made very few changes either," continued the Admiral,

after thinking a moment. "Very few. We told you about the laundry-door,

at Uppercross. That has been a very great improvement.

The wonder was, how any family upon earth could bear with the inconvenience

of its opening as it did, so long! You will tell Sir Walter

what we have done, and that Mr Shepherd thinks it the greatest improvement

the house ever had. Indeed, I must do ourselves the justice to say,

that the few alterations we have made have been all very much

for the better. My wife should have the credit of them, however.

I have done very little besides sending away some of the large

looking-glasses from my dressing-room, which was your father`s.

A very good man, and very much the gentleman I am sure:

but I should think, Miss Elliot," (looking with serious reflection),

"I should think he must be rather a dressy man for his time of life.

Such a number of looking-glasses! oh Lord! there was no getting away

from one`s self. So I got Sophy to lend me a hand, and we soon

shifted their quarters; and now I am quite snug, with my

little shaving glass in one corner, and another great thing

that I never go near."

 

Anne, amused in spite of herself, was rather distressed for an answer,

and the Admiral, fearing he might not have been civil enough,

took up the subject again, to say--

 

"The next time you write to your good father, Miss Elliot,

pray give him my compliments and Mrs Croft`s, and say that we are

settled here quite to our liking, and have no fault at all to find

with the place. The breakfast-room chimney smokes a little,

I grant you, but it is only when the wind is due north and blows hard,

which may not happen three times a winter. And take it altogether,

now that we have been into most of the houses hereabouts and can judge,

there is not one that we like better than this. Pray say so,

with my compliments. He will be glad to hear it."

 

Lady Russell and Mrs Croft were very well pleased with each other:

but the acquaintance which this visit began was fated not to proceed

far at present; for when it was returned, the Crofts announced

themselves to be going away for a few weeks, to visit their connexions

in the north of the county, and probably might not be at home again

before Lady Russell would be removing to Bath.

 

So ended all danger to Anne of meeting Captain Wentworth at Kellynch Hall,

or of seeing him in company with her friend. Everything was safe enough,

and she smiled over the many anxious feelings she had wasted

on the subject.

 

Chapter 14

 

 

Though Charles and Mary had remained at Lyme much longer after

Mr and Mrs Musgrove`s going than Anne conceived they could have been

at all wanted, they were yet the first of the family to be at home again;

and as soon as possible after their return to Uppercross

they drove over to the Lodge. They had left Louisa beginning to sit up;

but her head, though clear, was exceedingly weak, and her nerves

susceptible to the highest extreme of tenderness; and though

she might be pronounced to be altogether doing very well,

it was still impossible to say when she might be able to bear

the removal home; and her father and mother, who must return

in time to receive their younger children for the Christmas holidays,

had hardly a hope of being allowed to bring her with them.

 

They had been all in lodgings together. Mrs Musgrove had

got Mrs Harville`s children away as much as she could, every possible

supply from Uppercross had been furnished, to lighten the inconvenience

to the Harvilles, while the Harvilles had been wanting them

to come to dinner every day; and in short, it seemed to have been

only a struggle on each side as to which should be most disinterested

and hospitable.

 

Mary had had her evils; but upon the whole, as was evident

by her staying so long, she had found more to enjoy than to suffer.

Charles Hayter had been at Lyme oftener than suited her; and when

they dined with the Harvilles there had been only a maid-servant to wait,

and at first Mrs Harville had always given Mrs Musgrove precedence;

but then, she had received so very handsome an apology from her

on finding out whose daughter she was, and there had been so much

going on every day, there had been so many walks between their lodgings

and the Harvilles, and she had got books from the library,

and changed them so often, that the balance had certainly been

much in favour of Lyme. She had been taken to Charmouth too,

and she had bathed, and she had gone to church, and there were a great many

more people to look at in the church at Lyme than at Uppercross;

and all this, joined to the sense of being so very useful,

had made really an agreeable fortnight.

 

Anne enquired after Captain Benwick, Mary`s face was clouded directly.

Charles laughed.

 

"Oh! Captain Benwick is very well, I believe, but he is

a very odd young man. I do not know what he would be at.

We asked him to come home with us for a day or two: Charles undertook

to give him some shooting, and he seemed quite delighted, and, for my part,

I thought it was all settled; when behold! on Tuesday night,

he made a very awkward sort of excuse; `he never shot` and he had

`been quite misunderstood,` and he had promised this and he had

promised that, and the end of it was, I found, that he did not mean to come.

I suppose he was afraid of finding it dull; but upon my word

I should have thought we were lively enough at the Cottage

for such a heart-broken man as Captain Benwick."

 

Charles laughed again and said, "Now Mary, you know very well

how it really was. It was all your doing," (turning to Anne.)

"He fancied that if he went with us, he should find you close by:

he fancied everybody to be living in Uppercross; and when he discovered

that Lady Russell lived three miles off, his heart failed him,

and he had not courage to come. That is the fact, upon my honour,

Mary knows it is."

 

But Mary did not give into it very graciously, whether from

not considering Captain Benwick entitled by birth and situation

to be in love with an Elliot, or from not wanting to believe

Anne a greater attraction to Uppercross than herself, must be

left to be guessed. Anne`s good-will, however, was not to be lessened

by what she heard. She boldly acknowledged herself flattered,

and continued her enquiries.

 

"Oh! he talks of you," cried Charles, "in such terms--"

Mary interrupted him. "I declare, Charles, I never heard him

mention Anne twice all the time I was there. I declare, Anne,

he never talks of you at all."

 

"No," admitted Charles, "I do not know that he ever does, in a general

way; but however, it is a very clear thing that he admires you exceedingly.

His head is full of some books that he is reading upon your recommendation,

and he wants to talk to you about them; he has found out something or other

in one of them which he thinks--oh! I cannot pretend to remember it,

but it was something very fine--I overheard him telling Henrietta

all about it; and then `Miss Elliot` was spoken of in the highest terms!

Now Mary, I declare it was so, I heard it myself, and you were

in the other room. `Elegance, sweetness, beauty.` Oh! there was no end

of Miss Elliot`s charms."

 

"And I am sure," cried Mary, warmly, "it was a very little to his credit,

if he did. Miss Harville only died last June. Such a heart

is very little worth having; is it, Lady Russell? I am sure

you will agree with me."

 

"I must see Captain Benwick before I decide," said Lady Russell, smiling.

 

"And that you are very likely to do very soon, I can tell you, ma`am,"

said Charles. "Though he had not nerves for coming away with us,

and setting off again afterwards to pay a formal visit here,

he will make his way over to Kellynch one day by himself,

you may depend on it. I told him the distance and the road,

and I told him of the church`s being so very well worth seeing;

for as he has a taste for those sort of things, I thought that would

be a good excuse, and he listened with all his understanding and soul;

and I am sure from his manner that you will have him calling here soon.

So, I give you notice, Lady Russell."

 

"Any acquaintance of Anne`s will always be welcome to me,"

was Lady Russell`s kind answer.

 

"Oh! as to being Anne`s acquaintance," said Mary, "I think he is rather

my acquaintance, for I have been seeing him every day this last fortnight."

 

"Well, as your joint acquaintance, then, I shall be very happy

to see Captain Benwick."

 

"You will not find anything very agreeable in him, I assure you, ma`am.

He is one of the dullest young men that ever lived. He has walked with me,

sometimes, from one end of the sands to the other, without saying a word.

He is not at all a well-bred young man. I am sure you will not like him."

 

"There we differ, Mary," said Anne. "I think Lady Russell would like him.

I think she would be so much pleased with his mind, that she would

very soon see no deficiency in his manner."

 

"So do I, Anne," said Charles. "I am sure Lady Russell would like him.

He is just Lady Russell`s sort. Give him a book, and he will

read all day long."

 

"Yes, that he will!" exclaimed Mary, tauntingly. "He will sit poring

over his book, and not know when a person speaks to him, or when one

drop`s one`s scissors, or anything that happens. Do you think

Lady Russell would like that?"

 

Lady Russell could not help laughing. "Upon my word," said she,

"I should not have supposed that my opinion of any one could have

admitted of such difference of conjecture, steady and matter of fact

as I may call myself. I have really a curiosity to see the person

who can give occasion to such directly opposite notions.

I wish he may be induced to call here. And when he does, Mary,

you may depend upon hearing my opinion; but I am determined

not to judge him beforehand."

 

"You will not like him, I will answer for it."

 

Lady Russell began talking of something else. Mary spoke with animation

of their meeting with, or rather missing, Mr Elliot so extraordinarily.

 

"He is a man," said Lady Russell, "whom I have no wish to see.

His declining to be on cordial terms with the head of his family,

has left a very strong impression in his disfavour with me."

 

This decision checked Mary`s eagerness, and stopped her short

in the midst of the Elliot countenance.

 

With regard to Captain Wentworth, though Anne hazarded no enquiries,

there was voluntary communication sufficient. His spirits had been

greatly recovering lately as might be expected. As Louisa improved,

he had improved, and he was now quite a different creature

from what he had been the first week. He had not seen Louisa;

and was so extremely fearful of any ill consequence to her

from an interview, that he did not press for it at all; and,

on the contrary, seemed to have a plan of going away for a week

or ten days, till her head was stronger. He had talked of going

down to Plymouth for a week, and wanted to persuade Captain Benwick

to go with him; but, as Charles maintained to the last, Captain Benwick

seemed much more disposed to ride over to Kellynch.

 

There can be no doubt that Lady Russell and Anne were both

occasionally thinking of Captain Benwick, from this time.

Lady Russell could not hear the door-bell without feeling that it might

be his herald; nor could Anne return from any stroll of solitary indulgence

in her father`s grounds, or any visit of charity in the village,

without wondering whether she might see him or hear of him.

Captain Benwick came not, however. He was either less disposed for it

than Charles had imagined, or he was too shy; and after giving him

a week`s indulgence, Lady Russell determined him to be unworthy

of the interest which he had been beginning to excite.

 

The Musgroves came back to receive their happy boys and girls from school,

bringing with them Mrs Harville`s little children, to improve the noise

of Uppercross, and lessen that of Lyme. Henrietta remained with Louisa;

but all the rest of the family were again in their usual quarters.

 

Lady Russell and Anne paid their compliments to them once,

when Anne could not but feel that Uppercross was already quite alive again.

Though neither Henrietta, nor Louisa, nor Charles Hayter,

nor Captain Wentworth were there, the room presented as strong a contrast

as could be wished to the last state she had seen it in.

 

Immediately surrounding Mrs Musgrove were the little Harvilles,

whom she was sedulously guarding from the tyranny of the two children

from the Cottage, expressly arrived to amuse them. On one side

was a table occupied by some chattering girls, cutting up silk

and gold paper; and on the other were tressels and trays,

bending under the weight of brawn and cold pies, where riotous boys

were holding high revel; the whole completed by a roaring Christmas fire,

which seemed determined to be heard, in spite of all the noise

of the others. Charles and Mary also came in, of course,

during their visit, and Mr Musgrove made a point of paying his respects

to Lady Russell, and sat down close to her for ten minutes,

talking with a very raised voice, but from the clamour of the children

on his knees, generally in vain. It was a fine family-piece.

 

Anne, judging from her own temperament, would have deemed

such a domestic hurricane a bad restorative of the nerves,

which Louisa`s illness must have so greatly shaken. But Mrs Musgrove,

who got Anne near her on purpose to thank her most cordially,

again and again, for all her attentions to them, concluded

a short recapitulation of what she had suffered herself by observing,

with a happy glance round the room, that after all she had gone through,

nothing was so likely to do her good as a little quiet cheerfulness

at home.

 

Louisa was now recovering apace. Her mother could even think of her

being able to join their party at home, before her brothers and sisters

went to school again. The Harvilles had promised to come with her

and stay at Uppercross, whenever she returned. Captain Wentworth was gone,

for the present, to see his brother in Shropshire.

 

"I hope I shall remember, in future," said Lady Russell, as soon as

they were reseated in the carriage, "not to call at Uppercross

in the Christmas holidays."

 

Everybody has their taste in noises as well as in other matters;

and sounds are quite innoxious, or most distressing, by their sort

rather than their quantity. When Lady Russell not long afterwards,

was entering Bath on a wet afternoon, and driving through

the long course of streets from the Old Bridge to Camden Place,

amidst the dash of other carriages, the heavy rumble of carts and drays,

the bawling of newspapermen, muffin-men and milkmen, and the ceaseless

clink of pattens, she made no complaint. No, these were noises

which belonged to the winter pleasures; her spirits rose

under their influence; and like Mrs Musgrove, she was feeling,

though not saying, that after being long in the country, nothing could be

so good for her as a little quiet cheerfulness.

 

Anne did not share these feelings. She persisted in a very determined,

though very silent disinclination for Bath; caught the first dim view

of the extensive buildings, smoking in rain, without any wish

of seeing them better; felt their progress through the streets to be,

however disagreeable, yet too rapid; for who would be glad to see her

when she arrived? And looked back, with fond regret, to the bustles

of Uppercross and the seclusion of Kellynch.

 

Elizabeth`s last letter had communicated a piece of news of some interest.

Mr Elliot was in Bath. He had called in Camden Place; had called

a second time, a third; had been pointedly attentive. If Elizabeth

and her father did not deceive themselves, had been taking much pains

to seek the acquaintance, and proclaim the value of the connection,

as he had formerly taken pains to shew neglect. This was very wonderful

if it were true; and Lady Russell was in a state of very agreeable

curiosity and perplexity about Mr Elliot, already recanting the sentiment

she had so lately expressed to Mary, of his being "a man whom she had

no wish to see." She had a great wish to see him. If he really sought

to reconcile himself like a dutiful branch, he must be forgiven

for having dismembered himself from the paternal tree.

 

Anne was not animated to an equal pitch by the circumstance,

but she felt that she would rather see Mr Elliot again than not,

which was more than she could say for many other persons in Bath.

 

She was put down in Camden Place; and Lady Russell then drove

to her own lodgings, in Rivers Street.

 

Chapter 15

 

 

Sir Walter had taken a very good house in Camden Place,

a lofty dignified situation, such as becomes a man of consequence;

and both he and Elizabeth were settled there, much to their satisfaction.

 

Anne entered it with a sinking heart, anticipating an imprisonment

of many months, and anxiously saying to herself, "Oh! when shall I

leave you again?" A degree of unexpected cordiality, however,

in the welcome she received, did her good. Her father and sister

were glad to see her, for the sake of shewing her the house and furniture,

and met her with kindness. Her making a fourth, when they

sat down to dinner, was noticed as an advantage.

 

Mrs Clay was very pleasant, and very smiling, but her courtesies and smiles

were more a matter of course. Anne had always felt that she would

pretend what was proper on her arrival, but the complaisance of the others

was unlooked for. They were evidently in excellent spirits,

and she was soon to listen to the causes. They had no inclination

to listen to her. After laying out for some compliments of being

deeply regretted in their old neighbourhood, which Anne could not pay,

they had only a few faint enquiries to make, before the talk must be

all their own. Uppercross excited no interest, Kellynch very little:

it was all Bath.

 

They had the pleasure of assuring her that Bath more than answered

their expectations in every respect. Their house was undoubtedly

the best in Camden Place; their drawing-rooms had many decided advantages

over all the others which they had either seen or heard of,

and the superiority was not less in the style of the fitting-up,

or the taste of the furniture. Their acquaintance was

exceedingly sought after. Everybody was wanting to visit them.

They had drawn back from many introductions, and still were

perpetually having cards left by people of whom they knew nothing.

 

Here were funds of enjoyment. Could Anne wonder that her father

and sister were happy? She might not wonder, but she must sigh

that her father should feel no degradation in his change, should see

nothing to regret in the duties and dignity of the resident landholder,

should find so much to be vain of in the littlenesses of a town;

and she must sigh, and smile, and wonder too, as Elizabeth threw open

the folding-doors and walked with exultation from one drawing-room

to the other, boasting of their space; at the possibility of that woman,

who had been mistress of Kellynch Hall, finding extent to be proud of

between two walls, perhaps thirty feet asunder.

 

But this was not all which they had to make them happy.

They had Mr Elliot too. Anne had a great deal to hear of Mr Elliot.

He was not only pardoned, they were delighted with him.

He had been in Bath about a fortnight; (he had passed through Bath

in November, in his way to London, when the intelligence of

Sir Walter`s being settled there had of course reached him,

though only twenty-four hours in the place, but he had not been able

to avail himself of it;) but he had now been a fortnight in Bath,

and his first object on arriving, had been to leave his card

in Camden Place, following it up by such assiduous endeavours to meet,

and when they did meet, by such great openness of conduct,

such readiness to apologize for the past, such solicitude to be received

as a relation again, that their former good understanding

was completely re-established.

 

They had not a fault to find in him. He had explained away

all the appearance of neglect on his own side. It had originated

in misapprehension entirely. He had never had an idea of

throwing himself off; he had feared that he was thrown off,

but knew not why, and delicacy had kept him silent. Upon the hint

of having spoken disrespectfully or carelessly of the family

and the family honours, he was quite indignant. He, who had ever boasted

of being an Elliot, and whose feelings, as to connection,

were only too strict to suit the unfeudal tone of the present day.

He was astonished, indeed, but his character and general conduct

must refute it. He could refer Sir Walter to all who knew him;

and certainly, the pains he had been taking on this, the first opportunity

of reconciliation, to be restored to the footing of a relation

and heir-presumptive, was a strong proof of his opinions on the subject.

 

The circumstances of his marriage, too, were found to admit of

much extenuation. This was an article not to be entered on by himself;

but a very intimate friend of his, a Colonel Wallis, a highly

respectable man, perfectly the gentleman, (and not an ill-looking man,

Sir Walter added), who was living in very good style in Marlborough

Buildings, and had, at his own particular request, been admitted

to their acquaintance through Mr Elliot, had mentioned one or two things

relative to the marriage, which made a material difference

in the discredit of it.

 

Colonel Wallis had known Mr Elliot long, had been well acquainted

also with his wife, had perfectly understood the whole story.

She was certainly not a woman of family, but well educated,

accomplished, rich, and excessively in love with his friend.

There had been the charm. She had sought him. Without that attraction,

not all her money would have tempted Elliot, and Sir Walter was,

moreover, assured of her having been a very fine woman.

Here was a great deal to soften the business. A very fine woman

with a large fortune, in love with him! Sir Walter seemed to admit it

as complete apology; and though Elizabeth could not see the circumstance

in quite so favourable a light, she allowed it be a great extenuation.

 

Mr Elliot had called repeatedly, had dined with them once,

evidently delighted by the distinction of being asked, for they

gave no dinners in general; delighted, in short, by every proof

of cousinly notice, and placing his whole happiness in being

on intimate terms in Camden Place.

 

Anne listened, but without quite understanding it. Allowances,

large allowances, she knew, must be made for the ideas of those who spoke.

She heard it all under embellishment. All that sounded extravagant

or irrational in the progress of the reconciliation might have no origin

but in the language of the relators. Still, however, she had

the sensation of there being something more than immediately appeared,

in Mr Elliot`s wishing, after an interval of so many years,

to be well received by them. In a worldly view, he had nothing to gain

by being on terms with Sir Walter; nothing to risk by a state of variance.

In all probability he was already the richer of the two,

and the Kellynch estate would as surely be his hereafter as the title.

A sensible man, and he had looked like a very sensible man,

why should it be an object to him? She could only offer one solution;

it was, perhaps, for Elizabeth`s sake. There might really have been

a liking formerly, though convenience and accident had drawn him

a different way; and now that he could afford to please himself,

he might mean to pay his addresses to her. Elizabeth was certainly

very handsome, with well-bred, elegant manners, and her character

might never have been penetrated by Mr Elliot, knowing her but in public,

and when very young himself. How her temper and understanding

might bear the investigation of his present keener time of life

was another concern and rather a fearful one. Most earnestly did she wish

that he might not be too nice, or too observant if Elizabeth

were his object; and that Elizabeth was disposed to believe herself so,

and that her friend Mrs Clay was encouraging the idea, seemed apparent

by a glance or two between them, while Mr Elliot`s frequent visits

were talked of.

 

Anne mentioned the glimpses she had had of him at Lyme, but without

being much attended to. "Oh! yes, perhaps, it had been Mr Elliot.

They did not know. It might be him, perhaps." They could not listen

to her description of him. They were describing him themselves;

Sir Walter especially. He did justice to his very gentlemanlike

appearance, his air of elegance and fashion, his good shaped face,

his sensible eye; but, at the same time, "must lament his being

very much under-hung, a defect which time seemed to have increased;

nor could he pretend to say that ten years had not altered

almost every feature for the worse. Mr Elliot appeared to think

that he (Sir Walter) was looking exactly as he had done when

they last parted;" but Sir Walter had "not been able to return

the compliment entirely, which had embarrassed him. He did not mean