Jane Austen 13 страница

received the same compliment. He had an affectionate heart.

He must love somebody.

 

She saw no reason against their being happy. Louisa had fine

naval fervour to begin with, and they would soon grow more alike.

He would gain cheerfulness, and she would learn to be an enthusiast

for Scott and Lord Byron; nay, that was probably learnt already;

of course they had fallen in love over poetry. The idea of

Louisa Musgrove turned into a person of literary taste,

and sentimental reflection was amusing, but she had no doubt

of its being so. The day at Lyme, the fall from the Cobb,

might influence her health, her nerves, her courage, her character to

the end of her life, as thoroughly as it appeared to have

influenced her fate.

 

The conclusion of the whole was, that if the woman who had been sensible

of Captain Wentworth`s merits could be allowed to prefer another man,

there was nothing in the engagement to excite lasting wonder;

and if Captain Wentworth lost no friend by it, certainly nothing

to be regretted. No, it was not regret which made Anne`s heart

beat in spite of herself, and brought the colour into her cheeks

when she thought of Captain Wentworth unshackled and free.

She had some feelings which she was ashamed to investigate.

They were too much like joy, senseless joy!

 

She longed to see the Crofts; but when the meeting took place,

it was evident that no rumour of the news had yet reached them.

The visit of ceremony was paid and returned; and Louisa Musgrove

was mentioned, and Captain Benwick, too, without even half a smile.

 

The Crofts had placed themselves in lodgings in Gay Street,

perfectly to Sir Walter`s satisfaction. He was not at all ashamed

of the acquaintance, and did, in fact, think and talk a great deal more

about the Admiral, than the Admiral ever thought or talked about him.

 

The Crofts knew quite as many people in Bath as they wished for,

and considered their intercourse with the Elliots as a mere matter of form,

and not in the least likely to afford them any pleasure.

They brought with them their country habit of being almost always together.

He was ordered to walk to keep off the gout, and Mrs Croft

seemed to go shares with him in everything, and to walk

for her life to do him good. Anne saw them wherever she went.

Lady Russell took her out in her carriage almost every morning,

and she never failed to think of them, and never failed to see them.

Knowing their feelings as she did, it was a most attractive picture

of happiness to her. She always watched them as long as she could,

delighted to fancy she understood what they might be talking of,

as they walked along in happy independence, or equally delighted

to see the Admiral`s hearty shake of the hand when he encountered

an old friend, and observe their eagerness of conversation

when occasionally forming into a little knot of the navy, Mrs Croft

looking as intelligent and keen as any of the officers around her.

 

Anne was too much engaged with Lady Russell to be often walking herself;

but it so happened that one morning, about a week or ten days

after the Croft`s arrival, it suited her best to leave her friend,

or her friend`s carriage, in the lower part of the town,

and return alone to Camden Place, and in walking up Milsom Street

she had the good fortune to meet with the Admiral. He was standing

by himself at a printshop window, with his hands behind him,

in earnest contemplation of some print, and she not only might have

passed him unseen, but was obliged to touch as well as address him

before she could catch his notice. When he did perceive and

acknowledge her, however, it was done with all his usual frankness

and good humour. "Ha! is it you? Thank you, thank you.

This is treating me like a friend. Here I am, you see,

staring at a picture. I can never get by this shop without stopping.

But what a thing here is, by way of a boat! Do look at it.

Did you ever see the like? What queer fellows your fine painters must be,

to think that anybody would venture their lives in such a shapeless

old cockleshell as that? And yet here are two gentlemen

stuck up in it mightily at their ease, and looking about them at the rocks

and mountains, as if they were not to be upset the next moment,

which they certainly must be. I wonder where that boat was built!"

(laughing heartily); "I would not venture over a horsepond in it.

Well," (turning away), "now, where are you bound? Can I go anywhere

for you, or with you? Can I be of any use?"

 

"None, I thank you, unless you will give me the pleasure of your company

the little way our road lies together. I am going home."

 

 

"That I will, with all my heart, and farther, too. Yes, yes

we will have a snug walk together, and I have something to tell you

as we go along. There, take my arm; that`s right; I do not

feel comfortable if I have not a woman there. Lord! what a boat it is!"

taking a last look at the picture, as they began to be in motion.

 

"Did you say that you had something to tell me, sir?"

 

"Yes, I have, presently. But here comes a friend, Captain Brigden;

I shall only say, `How d`ye do?` as we pass, however. I shall not stop.

`How d`ye do?` Brigden stares to see anybody with me but my wife.

She, poor soul, is tied by the leg. She has a blister on one of her heels,

as large as a three-shilling piece. If you look across the street,

you will see Admiral Brand coming down and his brother. Shabby fellows,

both of them! I am glad they are not on this side of the way.

Sophy cannot bear them. They played me a pitiful trick once:

got away with some of my best men. I will tell you the whole story

another time. There comes old Sir Archibald Drew and his grandson.

Look, he sees us; he kisses his hand to you; he takes you for my wife.

Ah! the peace has come too soon for that younker. Poor old Sir Archibald!

How do you like Bath, Miss Elliot? It suits us very well.

We are always meeting with some old friend or other; the streets

full of them every morning; sure to have plenty of chat;

and then we get away from them all, and shut ourselves in our lodgings,

and draw in our chairs, and are snug as if we were at Kellynch,

ay, or as we used to be even at North Yarmouth and Deal.

We do not like our lodgings here the worse, I can tell you,

for putting us in mind of those we first had at North Yarmouth.

The wind blows through one of the cupboards just in the same way."

 

When they were got a little farther, Anne ventured to press again

for what he had to communicate. She hoped when clear of Milsom Street

to have her curiosity gratified; but she was still obliged to wait,

for the Admiral had made up his mind not to begin till they had

gained the greater space and quiet of Belmont; and as she was

not really Mrs Croft, she must let him have his own way.

As soon as they were fairly ascending Belmont, he began--

 

"Well, now you shall hear something that will surprise you.

But first of all, you must tell me the name of the young lady

I am going to talk about. That young lady, you know, that we have

all been so concerned for. The Miss Musgrove, that all this has been

happening to. Her Christian name: I always forget her Christian name."

 

Anne had been ashamed to appear to comprehend so soon as she really

did; but now she could safely suggest the name of "Louisa."

 

"Ay, ay, Miss Louisa Musgrove, that is the name. I wish young ladies

had not such a number of fine Christian names. I should never be out

if they were all Sophys, or something of that sort. Well,

this Miss Louisa, we all thought, you know, was to marry Frederick.

He was courting her week after week. The only wonder was,

what they could be waiting for, till the business at Lyme came;

then, indeed, it was clear enough that they must wait till her brain

was set to right. But even then there was something odd in their

way of going on. Instead of staying at Lyme, he went off to Plymouth,

and then he went off to see Edward. When we came back from Minehead

he was gone down to Edward`s, and there he has been ever since.

We have seen nothing of him since November. Even Sophy could

not understand it. But now, the matter has take the strangest turn of all;

for this young lady, the same Miss Musgrove, instead of being

to marry Frederick, is to marry James Benwick. You know James Benwick."

 

"A little. I am a little acquainted with Captain Benwick."

 

"Well, she is to marry him. Nay, most likely they are married already,

for I do not know what they should wait for."

 

"I thought Captain Benwick a very pleasing young man," said Anne,

"and I understand that he bears an excellent character."

 

"Oh! yes, yes, there is not a word to be said against James Benwick.

He is only a commander, it is true, made last summer, and these are

bad times for getting on, but he has not another fault that I know of.

An excellent, good-hearted fellow, I assure you; a very active,

zealous officer too, which is more than you would think for, perhaps,

for that soft sort of manner does not do him justice."

 

"Indeed you are mistaken there, sir; I should never augur want of spirit

from Captain Benwick`s manners. I thought them particularly pleasing,

and I will answer for it, they would generally please."

 

"Well, well, ladies are the best judges; but James Benwick is rather too

piano for me; and though very likely it is all our partiality,

Sophy and I cannot help thinking Frederick`s manners better than his.

There is something about Frederick more to our taste."

 

Anne was caught. She had only meant to oppose the too common idea

of spirit and gentleness being incompatible with each other,

not at all to represent Captain Benwick`s manners as the very best

that could possibly be; and, after a little hesitation,

she was beginning to say, "I was not entering into any comparison

of the two friends," but the Admiral interrupted her with--

 

"And the thing is certainly true. It is not a mere bit of gossip.

We have it from Frederick himself. His sister had a letter

from him yesterday, in which he tells us of it, and he had just had it

in a letter from Harville, written upon the spot, from Uppercross.

I fancy they are all at Uppercross."

 

This was an opportunity which Anne could not resist; she said, therefore,

"I hope, Admiral, I hope there is nothing in the style of Captain

Wentworth`s letter to make you and Mrs Croft particularly uneasy.

It did seem, last autumn, as if there were an attachment between him

and Louisa Musgrove; but I hope it may be understood to have worn out

on each side equally, and without violence. I hope his letter

does not breathe the spirit of an ill-used man."

 

"Not at all, not at all; there is not an oath or a murmur

from beginning to end."

 

Anne looked down to hide her smile.

 

"No, no; Frederick is not a man to whine and complain; he has

too much spirit for that. If the girl likes another man better,

it is very fit she should have him."

 

"Certainly. But what I mean is, that I hope there is nothing

in Captain Wentworth`s manner of writing to make you suppose

he thinks himself ill-used by his friend, which might appear,

you know, without its being absolutely said. I should be very sorry

that such a friendship as has subsisted between him and Captain Benwick

should be destroyed, or even wounded, by a circumstance of this sort."

 

"Yes, yes, I understand you. But there is nothing at all of that nature

in the letter. He does not give the least fling at Benwick;

does not so much as say, `I wonder at it, I have a reason of my own

for wondering at it.` No, you would not guess, from his way of writing,

that he had ever thought of this Miss (what`s her name?) for himself.

He very handsomely hopes they will be happy together; and there is

nothing very unforgiving in that, I think."

 

Anne did not receive the perfect conviction which the Admiral meant

to convey, but it would have been useless to press the enquiry farther.

She therefore satisfied herself with common-place remarks or quiet

attention, and the Admiral had it all his own way.

 

"Poor Frederick!" said he at last. "Now he must begin all over again

with somebody else. I think we must get him to Bath. Sophy must write,

and beg him to come to Bath. Here are pretty girls enough, I am sure.

It would be of no use to go to Uppercross again, for that other

Miss Musgrove, I find, is bespoke by her cousin, the young parson.

Do not you think, Miss Elliot, we had better try to get him to Bath?"

 

Chapter 19

 

 

While Admiral Croft was taking this walk with Anne, and expressing

his wish of getting Captain Wentworth to Bath, Captain Wentworth

was already on his way thither. Before Mrs Croft had written,

he was arrived, and the very next time Anne walked out, she saw him.

 

Mr Elliot was attending his two cousins and Mrs Clay. They were

in Milsom Street. It began to rain, not much, but enough to

make shelter desirable for women, and quite enough to make it

very desirable for Miss Elliot to have the advantage of being

conveyed home in Lady Dalrymple`s carriage, which was seen waiting

at a little distance; she, Anne, and Mrs Clay, therefore,

turned into Molland`s, while Mr Elliot stepped to Lady Dalrymple,

to request her assistance. He soon joined them again, successful,

of course; Lady Dalrymple would be most happy to take them home,

and would call for them in a few minutes.

 

Her ladyship`s carriage was a barouche, and did not hold

more than four with any comfort. Miss Carteret was with her mother;

consequently it was not reasonable to expect accommodation

for all the three Camden Place ladies. There could be no doubt

as to Miss Elliot. Whoever suffered inconvenience, she must suffer none,

but it occupied a little time to settle the point of civility

between the other two. The rain was a mere trifle, and Anne was

most sincere in preferring a walk with Mr Elliot. But the rain was also

a mere trifle to Mrs Clay; she would hardly allow it even to drop at all,

and her boots were so thick! much thicker than Miss Anne`s;

and, in short, her civility rendered her quite as anxious to be left

to walk with Mr Elliot as Anne could be, and it was discussed between them

with a generosity so polite and so determined, that the others were

obliged to settle it for them; Miss Elliot maintaining that Mrs Clay

had a little cold already, and Mr Elliot deciding on appeal,

that his cousin Anne`s boots were rather the thickest.

 

It was fixed accordingly, that Mrs Clay should be of the party

in the carriage; and they had just reached this point, when Anne,

as she sat near the window, descried, most decidedly and distinctly,

Captain Wentworth walking down the street.

 

Her start was perceptible only to herself; but she instantly felt that

she was the greatest simpleton in the world, the most unaccountable

and absurd! For a few minutes she saw nothing before her;

it was all confusion. She was lost, and when she had scolded

back her senses, she found the others still waiting for the carriage,

and Mr Elliot (always obliging) just setting off for Union Street

on a commission of Mrs Clay`s.

 

She now felt a great inclination to go to the outer door;

she wanted to see if it rained. Why was she to suspect herself

of another motive? Captain Wentworth must be out of sight.

She left her seat, she would go; one half of her should not be always

so much wiser than the other half, or always suspecting the other

of being worse than it was. She would see if it rained.

She was sent back, however, in a moment by the entrance of

Captain Wentworth himself, among a party of gentlemen and ladies,

evidently his acquaintance, and whom he must have joined

a little below Milsom Street. He was more obviously struck

and confused by the sight of her than she had ever observed before;

he looked quite red. For the first time, since their renewed acquaintance,

she felt that she was betraying the least sensibility of the two.

She had the advantage of him in the preparation of the last few moments.

All the overpowering, blinding, bewildering, first effects

of strong surprise were over with her. Still, however,

she had enough to feel! It was agitation, pain, pleasure,

a something between delight and misery.

 

He spoke to her, and then turned away. The character of his manner

was embarrassment. She could not have called it either cold or friendly,

or anything so certainly as embarrassed.

 

After a short interval, however, he came towards her, and spoke again.

Mutual enquiries on common subjects passed: neither of them, probably,

much the wiser for what they heard, and Anne continuing fully sensible

of his being less at ease than formerly. They had by dint of being

so very much together, got to speak to each other with a considerable

portion of apparent indifference and calmness; but he could not do it now.

Time had changed him, or Louisa had changed him. There was consciousness

of some sort or other. He looked very well, not as if he had been

suffering in health or spirits, and he talked of Uppercross,

of the Musgroves, nay, even of Louisa, and had even a momentary look

of his own arch significance as he named her; but yet it was

Captain Wentworth not comfortable, not easy, not able to feign that he was.

 

It did not surprise, but it grieved Anne to observe that Elizabeth

would not know him. She saw that he saw Elizabeth, that Elizabeth saw him,

that there was complete internal recognition on each side;

she was convinced that he was ready to be acknowledged as an acquaintance,

expecting it, and she had the pain of seeing her sister turn away

with unalterable coldness.

 

Lady Dalrymple`s carriage, for which Miss Elliot was growing

very impatient, now drew up; the servant came in to announce it.

It was beginning to rain again, and altogether there was a delay,

and a bustle, and a talking, which must make all the little crowd

in the shop understand that Lady Dalrymple was calling to convey

Miss Elliot. At last Miss Elliot and her friend, unattended but

by the servant, (for there was no cousin returned), were walking off;

and Captain Wentworth, watching them, turned again to Anne,

and by manner, rather than words, was offering his services to her.

 

"I am much obliged to you," was her answer, "but I am not going with them.

The carriage would not accommodate so many. I walk: I prefer walking."

 

"But it rains."

 

"Oh! very little, Nothing that I regard."

 

After a moment`s pause he said: "Though I came only yesterday,

I have equipped myself properly for Bath already, you see,"

(pointing to a new umbrella); "I wish you would make use of it,

if you are determined to walk; though I think it would be more prudent

to let me get you a chair."

 

She was very much obliged to him, but declined it all, repeating

her conviction, that the rain would come to nothing at present,

and adding, "I am only waiting for Mr Elliot. He will be here in a moment,

I am sure."

 

She had hardly spoken the words when Mr Elliot walked in.

Captain Wentworth recollected him perfectly. There was no difference

between him and the man who had stood on the steps at Lyme,

admiring Anne as she passed, except in the air and look and manner

of the privileged relation and friend. He came in with eagerness,

appeared to see and think only of her, apologised for his stay,

was grieved to have kept her waiting, and anxious to get her away

without further loss of time and before the rain increased;

and in another moment they walked off together, her arm under his,

a gentle and embarrassed glance, and a "Good morning to you!"

being all that she had time for, as she passed away.

 

As soon as they were out of sight, the ladies of Captain Wentworth`s party

began talking of them.

 

"Mr Elliot does not dislike his cousin, I fancy?"

 

"Oh! no, that is clear enough. One can guess what will happen there.

He is always with them; half lives in the family, I believe.

What a very good-looking man!"

 

"Yes, and Miss Atkinson, who dined with him once at the Wallises,

says he is the most agreeable man she ever was in company with."

 

"She is pretty, I think; Anne Elliot; very pretty, when one comes

to look at her. It is not the fashion to say so, but I confess

I admire her more than her sister."

 

"Oh! so do I."

 

"And so do I. No comparison. But the men are all wild after Miss Elliot.

Anne is too delicate for them."

 

Anne would have been particularly obliged to her cousin, if he would have

walked by her side all the way to Camden Place, without saying a word.

She had never found it so difficult to listen to him, though nothing

could exceed his solicitude and care, and though his subjects

were principally such as were wont to be always interesting:

praise, warm, just, and discriminating, of Lady Russell,

and insinuations highly rational against Mrs Clay. But just now

she could think only of Captain Wentworth. She could not understand

his present feelings, whether he were really suffering much

from disappointment or not; and till that point were settled,

she could not be quite herself.

 

She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time; but alas! alas!

she must confess to herself that she was not wise yet.

 

Another circumstance very essential for her to know, was how long

he meant to be in Bath; he had not mentioned it, or she could not

recollect it. He might be only passing through. But it was more probable

that he should be come to stay. In that case, so liable as every body was

to meet every body in Bath, Lady Russell would in all likelihood

see him somewhere. Would she recollect him? How would it all be?

 

She had already been obliged to tell Lady Russell that Louisa Musgrove

was to marry Captain Benwick. It had cost her something to encounter

Lady Russell`s surprise; and now, if she were by any chance

to be thrown into company with Captain Wentworth, her imperfect knowledge

of the matter might add another shade of prejudice against him.

 

The following morning Anne was out with her friend, and for the first hour,

in an incessant and fearful sort of watch for him in vain; but at last,

in returning down Pulteney Street, she distinguished him

on the right hand pavement at such a distance as to have him in view

the greater part of the street. There were many other men about him,

many groups walking the same way, but there was no mistaking him.

She looked instinctively at Lady Russell; but not from any mad idea

of her recognising him so soon as she did herself. No, it was

not to be supposed that Lady Russell would perceive him till they

were nearly opposite. She looked at her however, from time to time,

anxiously; and when the moment approached which must point him out,

though not daring to look again (for her own countenance she knew

was unfit to be seen), she was yet perfectly conscious of

Lady Russell`s eyes being turned exactly in the direction for him--

of her being, in short, intently observing him. She could thoroughly

comprehend the sort of fascination he must possess over Lady Russell`s mind,

the difficulty it must be for her to withdraw her eyes, the astonishment

she must be feeling that eight or nine years should have passed over him,

and in foreign climes and in active service too, without robbing him

of one personal grace!

 

At last, Lady Russell drew back her head. "Now, how would she

speak of him?"

 

"You will wonder," said she, "what has been fixing my eye so long;

but I was looking after some window-curtains, which Lady Alicia and

Mrs Frankland were telling me of last night. They described

the drawing-room window-curtains of one of the houses on this

side of the way, and this part of the street, as being the handsomest

and best hung of any in Bath, but could not recollect the exact number,

and I have been trying to find out which it could be; but I confess

I can see no curtains hereabouts that answer their description."

 

Anne sighed and blushed and smiled, in pity and disdain,

either at her friend or herself. The part which provoked her most,

was that in all this waste of foresight and caution, she should have

lost the right moment for seeing whether he saw them.

 

A day or two passed without producing anything. The theatre or the rooms,

where he was most likely to be, were not fashionable enough

for the Elliots, whose evening amusements were solely in the

elegant stupidity of private parties, in which they were getting

more and more engaged; and Anne, wearied of such a state of stagnation,

sick of knowing nothing, and fancying herself stronger because

her strength was not tried, was quite impatient for the concert evening.

It was a concert for the benefit of a person patronised by Lady Dalrymple.

Of course they must attend. It was really expected to be a good one,

and Captain Wentworth was very fond of music. If she could only have

a few minutes conversation with him again, she fancied she should

be satisfied; and as to the power of addressing him, she felt all over

courage if the opportunity occurred. Elizabeth had turned from him,

Lady Russell overlooked him; her nerves were strengthened

by these circumstances; she felt that she owed him attention.

 

She had once partly promised Mrs Smith to spend the evening with her;

but in a short hurried call she excused herself and put it off,