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 to complain, however. Mr Elliot was better to look at than most men, and he had no objection to being seen with him anywhere.”