Lady Russell had only to listen composedly,and wish them happy,but internally her heart revelled in angry pleasure,in pleased contempt,that the man who at twenty-three had seemed to understand somewhat of the value of an Anne Elliot, should, eight years afterwards, be charmed by a Louisa Musgrove.
The first three or four days passed most quietly,with no circumstance to mark them excepting the receipt of a note or two from Lyme, which found their way to Anne, she could not tell how, and brought a rather improving account of Louisa. At the end of that period, Lady Russell’s politeness could repose no longer, and the fainter self-threatenings of the past became in a decided tone, “I must call on Mrs Croft; I really must call upon her soon. Anne, have you courage to go with me, and pay a visit in that house?It will be some trial to us both.”
Anne did not shrink from it; on the contrary,she truly felt as she said, in observing—
“I think you are very likely to suffer the most of the two;your feelings are less reconciled to the change than mine.By remaining in the neighbourhood,I am become inured to it.”
She could have said more on the subject;for she had in fact so high an opinion of the Crofts,and considered her father so very fortunate in his tenants,felt the parish to be so sure of a good example,and the poor of the best attention and relief,that however sorry and ashamed for the necessity of the removal,she could not but in conscience feel that they were gone who deserved not to stay, and that Kellynch Hall had passed into better hands than its owners’. These convictions must unquestionably have their own pain, and severe was its kind; but they precluded that pain which Lady Russell would suffer in entering the house again, and returning through the well-known apartments.
In such moments Anne had no power of saying to herself,“These rooms ought to belong only to us. Oh,how fallen in their destination!How unworthily occupied!An ancient family to be so driven away!Strangers filling their place!” No, except when she thought of her mother,and remembered where she had been used to sit and preside,she had no sigh of that description to heave.
Mrs Croft always met her with a kindness which gave her the pleasure of fancying herself a favourite, and on the present occasion, receiving her in that house, there was particular attention.
The sad accident at Lyme was soon the prevailing topic,and on comparing their latest accounts of the invalid,it appeared that each lady dated her intelligence from the same hour of yestermorn; that Captain Wentworth had been in Kellynch yesterday (the first time since the accident), had brought Anne the last note, which she had not been able to trace the exact steps of; had staid a few hours and then returned again to Lyme, and without any present intention of quitting it any more. He had enquired after her, she found, particularly; had expressed his hope of Miss Elliot’s not being the worse for her exertions, and had spoken of those exertions as great. This was handsome, and gave her more pleasure than almost anything else could have done.
As to the sad catastrophe itself,it could be canvassed only in one style by a couple of steady,sensible women, whose judgements had to work on ascertained events;and it was perfectly decided that it had been the consequence of much thoughtlessness and much imprudence; that its effects were most alarming, and that it was frightful to think, how long Miss Musgrove’s recovery might yet be doubtful, and how liable she would still remain to suffer from the concussion hereafter!The Admiral wound it up summarily by exclaiming—
“Ay, a very bad business indeed. A new sort of way this,for a young fellow to be making love,by breaking his mistress’s head, is not it, Miss Elliot?This is breaking a head and giving a plaster, truly!”
Admiral Croft’s manners were not quite of the tone to suit Lady Russell,but they delighted Anne.His goodness of heart and simplicity of character were irresistible.
“Now, this must be very bad for you,” said he,suddenly rousing from a little reverie,“to be coming and finding us here.I had not recollected it before, I declare,but it must be very bad. But now,do not stand upon ceremony.Get up and go over all the rooms in the house if you like it. ”
“Another time, Sir, I thank you, not now.”
“Well, whenever it suits you.You can slip in from the shrubbery at any time;and there you will find we keep our umbrellas hanging up by that door.A good place is not it?But,” (checking himself),“you will not think it a good place,for yours were always kept in the butler’s room. Ay,so it always is, I believe.One man’s ways may be as good as another’s,but we all like our own best.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 XIV.