Part 11 (1/2)

She could not attempt to see how he looked, but he walked immediately to aas if irresolute and embarrassed, and for about the space of five seconds she repented what she had done--censured it as unwise, blushed over it as indelicate She longed to be able to speak of the weather or the concert, but could only co a newspaper in her hand The distressing pause was over, however; he turned round in half atowards the table where she sat, said in a voice of effort and constraint--

'You must have heard toopromised Admiral Croft to speak to you on a particular subject, and this conviction deternant to reat a liberty! You will acquitonly for another, and speaking by necessity; and the Adht impertinent by one who knows him as you do His intentions are always the kindest and the best, and you will perceive he is actuated by none other in the application which I aed toto expect any answer Anne listened as if her life depended on the issue of his speech He proceeded with a forced alacrity:--

'The Ad confidently informed that you were--uponquickly)--the aardness of _giving_ information of this kind to one of the parties--you can be at no loss to understand me It was very confidently said that Mr Elliot--that everything was settled in the family for a union between Mr Elliot and yourself It was added that you were to live at Kellynch--that Kellynch was to be given up This the Admiral knew could not be correct But it occurred to hiht be the _wish_ of the parties And my commission from him, Madam, is to say, that if the family wish is such, his lease of Kellynch shall be cancelled, and he and my sister will provide the the which under similar circumstances would not be done for _them_ This is all, Madam

A very feords in reply from you will be sufficient That _I_ should be the person commissioned on this subject is extraordinary! and believe me, Madam, it is no less painful A very feords, however, will put an end to the aardness and distress we '

Anne spoke a word or two, but they were unintelligible; and before she could command herself, he added, 'If you will only tell me that the Adh pronounce only the words, _he e'

'No, Sir,' said Anne; 'there is no e You are misin--the Admiral is misinformed I do justice to the kindness of his intentions, but he is quite mistaken There is no truth in any such report'

He was a moment silent She turned her eyes towards hi the roo at her with all the power and keenness which she believed no other eyes than his possessed

'No truth in any such report?' he repeated 'No truth in any _part_ of it?'

'None'

He had been standing by a chair, enjoying the relief of leaning on it, or of playing with it He now sat down, drew it a little nearer to her, and looked with an expression which had so softer Her countenance did not discourage It was a silent but a very powerful dialogue; on his supplication, on hers acceptance Still a little nearer, and a hand taken and pressed; and 'Anne,forth in all the fulness of exquisite feeling,--and all suspense and indecision were over They were re-united They were restored to all that had been lost They were carried back to the past with only an increase of attachht as made them little fit for the interruption of Mrs Croft when she joined the afterwards _She_, probably, in the observations of the next ten h it was hardly possible for a woman of her description to wish the ht be very likely wishi+ng for some excuse to run about the house, some storm to break the s above, or a summons to the Admiral's shoemaker below Fortune favoured theentle, steady rain, just happily set in as the Ado She was earnestly invited to stay dinner

A note was despatched to Ca that time the husband and wife, either by the wife's contrivance, or by si on in their usual ere frequently out of the rooone upstairs to hear a noise, or downstairs to settle their accounts, or upon the landing to triood an account that all the h Before they parted at night, Anne had the felicity of being assured that in the first place (so far froained inexpressibly in personal loveliness; and that as to character, hers was now fixed on histhe just entleness--that he had never ceased to love and prefer her, though it had been only at Uppercross that he had learnt to do her justice, and only at Lys; that at Lyme he had received lessons ofadmiration of Mr Elliot had at least _roused_ him, and the scene on the Cobb, and at Captain Harville's, had fixed her superiority In his preceding atteer and pique), he protested that he had continually felt the ih till _that day_, till the leisure for reflection which followed it, he had not understood the perfect excellence of the mind hich Louisa's could so ill bear comparison; or the perfect, the unrivalled hold it possessed over his own There he had learnt to distinguish between the steadiness of principle and the obstinacy of self-will, between the darings of heedlessness and the resolution of a collectedto exalt in his estiun to deplore the pride, the folly, the ain her when thrown in his way From that period to the present had his penance been the most severe He had no sooner been free fro the first few days of Louisa's accident, no sooner had begun to feel hih alive, not at liberty

He found that he was considered by his friend Harville an engaged man

The Harvilles entertained not a doubt of a h this to a degree was contradicted instantly, it yet made him feel that perhaps by _her_ faht be held, and that he was not _free_ in honour, though if such were to be the conclusion, too free alas! in heart He had never thought justly on this subject before, and he had not sufficiently considered that his excessive intier of ill consequence inwhether he could attach hi unpleasant reports if not raising unrequited regard

He found too late that he had entangled hihly satisfied of his not _caring_ for Louisa at all, he s for him hat the Harvilles supposed It determined him to leave Lyladly weaken by any _fair_ ht exist; and he went therefore into Shropshi+re,after a while to return to the Crofts at Kellynch, and act as he found requisite

He had re the blindness of his own pride and the blunders of his own calculations, till at once released froement with Benwick

Bath--Bath had instantly followed in _thought_, and not long after in _fact_ To Bath--to arrive with hope, to be torn by jealousy at the first sight of Mr Elliot; to experience all the changes of each at the concert; to be 's circue could express, or any heart but his own be capable of

He was very eager and very delightful in the description of what he had felt at the concert; the evening seemed to have beenforward in the octagon roo and tearing her away, and one or two subsequentdespondency, were dwelt on with energy

'To see you,' cried he, 'in the midst of those who could not beand sibilities and proprieties of thewho could hope to influence you! Even if your own feelings were reluctant or indifferent, to consider what powerful support would be his! Was it not enough to make the fool of ony?

Was not the very sight of the friend who sat behind you; was not the recollection of what had been, the knowledge of her influence, the indelible, immovable iainst uished,' replied Anne 'You should not have suspected e so different If I rong in yielding to persuasion once, remember it was to persuasion exerted on the side of safety, not of risk When I yielded, I thought it was to duty; but no duty could be called in aid here Ina man indifferent to me, all risk would have been incurred, and all duty violated'

'Perhaps I ought to have reasoned thus,' he replied; 'but I could not I could not derive benefit froe I had acquired of your character I could not bring it into play; it was overwhels which I had been s under year after year I could think of you only as one who had yielded, who had given me up, who had been influenced by anyone rather than by uided you in that year of misery I had no reason to believe her of less authority now The force of habit was to be added'

'I should have thought,' said Anne, 'that ht have spared you ht be only the ease which your engageive I left you in this belief; and yet--I was deter, and I felt that I had still ahere The Admiral's news, indeed, was a revulsion; since that moment I have been divided what to do, and had it been confirmed, this would have been my last day in Bath'

There was time for all this to pass, with such interruptions only as enhanced the charm of the cos at once so rationally and so rapturously happy as during that evening occupied the sofa of Mrs Croft's drawing-room in Gay Street

Captain Wentworth had taken care to meet the Admiral as he returned into the house, to satisfy him as to Mr Elliot and Kellynch; and the delicacy of the Ad another word on the subject to Anne He was quite concerned lest heon a tender part--who could say? Sheher cousin better than he liked her; and, upon recollection, if they had been to ? When the evening closed, it is probable that the Admiral received some new ideas fro with her gave Anne the gratifying persuasion of her seeing and approving It had been such a day to Anne; the hours which had passed since her leaving Camden Place had done soback It was necessary to sit up half the night, and lie awake the remainder, to comprehend with composure her present state, and pay for the overplus of bliss by headache and fatigue