The Annotated Persuasion Page 9

  Her feelings made her speak low; and Captain Wentworth, hearing only in part, and probably not having Dick Musgrove at all near his thoughts, looked rather in suspense, and as if waiting for more.

  “My brother,” whispered one of the girls; “mamma is thinking of poor Richard.”

  “Poor dear fellow!” continued Mrs. Musgrove; “he was grown so steady, and such an excellent correspondent, while he was under your care! Ah! it would have been a happy thing, if he had never left you. I assure you, Captain Wentworth, we are very sorry he ever left you.”

  There was a momentary expression in Captain Wentworth’s face at this speech, a certain glance of his bright eye, and curl of his handsome mouth, which convinced Anne, that instead of sharing in Mrs. Musgrove’s kind wishes, as to her son, he had probably been at some pains to get rid of him; but it was too transient an indulgence of self-amusement to be detected by any who understood him less than herself; in another moment he was perfectly collected and serious; and almost instantly afterwards coming up to the sofa, on which she and Mrs. Musgrove were sitting, took a place by the latter, and entered into conversation with her, in a low voice, about her son, doing it with so much sympathy and natural grace, as shewed the kindest consideration for all that was real and unabsurd in the parent’s feelings.31

  They were actually on the same sofa,32 for Mrs. Musgrove had most readily made room for him;—they were divided only by Mrs. Musgrove. It was no insignificant barrier indeed. Mrs. Musgrove was of a comfortable substantial size, infinitely more fitted by nature to express good cheer and good humour, than tenderness and sentiment; and while the agitations of Anne’s slender form, and pensive face, may be considered as very completely screened, Captain Wentworth should be allowed some credit for the self-command with which he attended to her large fat sighings over the destiny of a son, whom alive nobody had cared for.33

  Personal size and mental sorrow have certainly no necessary proportions. A large bulky figure has as good a right to be in deep affliction, as the most graceful set of limbs in the world. But, fair or not fair, there are unbecoming conjunctions, which reason will patronize in vain,—which taste cannot tolerate,—which ridicule will seize.34

  The admiral, after taking two or three refreshing turns about the room with his hands behind him,35 being called to order by his wife,36 now came up to Captain Wentworth, and without any observation of what he might be interrupting, thinking only of his own thoughts,37 began with,

  “If you had been a week later at Lisbon, last spring, Frederick, you would have been asked to give a passage to Lady Mary Grierson and her daughters.”38

  “Should I? I am glad I was not a week later then.”

  The admiral abused him for his want39 of gallantry. He defended himself; though professing that he would never willingly admit any ladies on board a ship of his, excepting for a ball,40 or a visit, which a few hours might comprehend.

  “But, if I know myself,” said he, “this is from no want of gallantry towards them. It is rather from feeling how impossible it is, with all one’s efforts, and all one’s sacrifices, to make the accommodations on board, such as women ought to have. There can be no want of gallantry, admiral, in rating the claims of women to every personal comfort high—and this is what I do. I hate to hear of women on board, or to see them on board; and no ship, under my command, shall ever convey a family of ladies any where, if I can help it.”

  This brought his sister upon him.

  “Oh Frederick!—But I cannot believe it of you.—All idle refinement!—Women may be as comfortable on board, as in the best house in England. I believe I have lived as much on board as most women, and I know nothing superior to the accommodations of a man of war.41 I declare I have not a comfort or an indulgence about me, even at Kellynch-hall,” (with a kind bow to Anne) “beyond what I always had in most of the ships I have lived in; and they have been five altogether.”

  “Nothing to the purpose,” replied her brother. “You were living with your husband; and were the only woman on board.”

  “But you, yourself, brought Mrs. Harville, her sister, her cousin, and the three children, round from Portsmouth to Plymouth.42 Where was this superfine, extraordinary sort of gallantry of yours, then?”

  “All merged in my friendship, Sophia. I would assist any brother officer’s wife that I could, and I would bring any thing of Harville’s from the world’s end, if he wanted it. But do not imagine that I did not feel it an evil43 in itself.”

  “Depend upon it they were all perfectly comfortable.”

  “I might not like them the better for that, perhaps. Such a number of women and children have no right to be comfortable on board.”44

  “My dear Frederick, you are talking quite idly. Pray, what would become of us poor sailors’ wives, who often want to be conveyed to one port or another, after our husbands, if every body had your feelings?”

  “My feelings, you see, did not prevent my taking Mrs. Harville, and all her family, to Plymouth.”

  “But I hate to hear you talking so, like a fine gentleman, and as if women were all fine ladies,45 instead of rational creatures. We none of us expect to be in smooth water all our days.”46

  “Ah! my dear,” said the admiral, “when he has got a wife, he will sing a different tune. When he is married, if we have the good luck to live to another war,47 we shall see him do as you and I, and a great many others, have done. We shall have him very thankful to any body that will bring him his wife.”

  “Ay, that we shall.”

  “Now I have done,” cried Captain Wentworth—“When once married people begin to attack me with, ‘Oh! you will think very differently, when you are married,’ I can only say, ‘No, I shall not’; and then they say again, ‘Yes, you will,’ and there is an end of it.”

  He got up and moved away.

  “What a great traveller you must have been, ma’am!” said Mrs. Musgrove to Mrs. Croft.

  “Pretty well, ma’am, in the fifteen years of my marriage; though many women have done more. I have crossed the Atlantic four times, and have been once to the East Indies, and back again; and only once,48 besides being in different places about home—Cork, and Lisbon, and Gibraltar.49 But I never went beyond the Streights50—and never was in the West Indies. We do not call Bermuda or Bahama, you know, the West Indies.”51

  Mrs. Musgrove had not a word to say in dissent; she could not accuse herself of having ever called them any thing in the whole course of her life.

  “And I do assure you, ma’am,” pursued Mrs. Croft, “that nothing can exceed the accommodations of a man of war; I speak, you know, of the higher rates.52 When you come to a frigate, of course, you are more confined—though any reasonable woman may be perfectly happy in one of them; and I can safely say, that the happiest part of my life has been spent on board a ship. While we were together, you know, there was nothing to be feared. Thank God! I have always been blessed with excellent health, and no climate disagrees with me. A little disordered always the first twenty-four hours of going to sea, but never knew what sickness was afterwards. The only time that I ever really suffered in body or mind, the only time that I ever fancied myself unwell, or had any ideas of danger, was the winter that I passed by myself at Deal, when the Admiral (Captain Croft then) was in the North Seas.53 I lived in perpetual fright at that time, and had all manner of imaginary complaints from not knowing what to do with myself, or when I should hear from him next; but as long as we could be together, nothing ever ailed me, and I never met with the smallest inconvenience.”

  “Ay, to be sure.—Yes, indeed, oh yes, I am quite of your opinion, Mrs. Croft,” was Mrs. Musgrove’s hearty answer. “There is nothing so bad as a separation. I am quite of your opinion. I know what it is, for Mr. Musgrove always attends the assizes,54 and I am so glad when they are over, and he is safe back again.”

  The evening ended with dancing. On its being proposed, Anne offered her services, as usual, and though her eyes would sometimes fill with tears as sh
e sat at the instrument, she was extremely glad to be employed, and desired nothing in return but to be unobserved.55

  It was a merry, joyous party, and no one seemed in higher spirits than Captain Wentworth. She felt that he had every thing to elevate him, which general attention and deference, and especially the attention of all the young women could do. The Miss Hayters, the females of the family of cousins already mentioned, were apparently admitted to the honour of being in love with him; and as for Henrietta and Louisa, they both seemed so entirely occupied by him, that nothing but the continued appearance of the most perfect good-will between themselves, could have made it credible that they were not decided rivals.56 If he were a little spoilt by such universal, such eager admiration, who could wonder?

  These were some of the thoughts which occupied Anne, while her fingers were mechanically at work, proceeding for half an hour together, equally without error, and without consciousness. Once she felt that he was looking at herself—observing her altered features, perhaps, trying to trace in them the ruins of the face which had once charmed him; and once she knew that he must have spoken of her;57—she was hardly aware of it, till she heard the answer; but then she was sure of his having asked his partner whether Miss Elliot58 never danced? The answer was, “Oh! no, never; she has quite given up dancing. She had rather play. She is never tired of playing.”59 Once, too, he spoke to her. She had left the instrument on the dancing being over, and he had sat down to try to make out an air which he wished to give the Miss Musgroves an idea of.60 Unintentionally she returned to that part of the room; he saw her, and, instantly rising, said, with studied politeness,

  “I beg your pardon, madam,61 this is your seat”; and though she immediately drew back with a decided negative, he was not to be induced to sit down again.

  Anne did not wish for more of such looks and speeches. His cold politeness, his ceremonious grace,62 were worse than any thing.

  Chapter Nine

  Captain Wentworth was come to Kellynch as to a home, to stay as long as he liked, being as thoroughly the object of the Admiral’s fraternal kindness as of his wife’s. He had intended, on first arriving, to proceed very soon into Shropshire,1 and visit the brother settled in that county, but the attractions of Uppercross induced him to put this off. There was so much of friendliness, and of flattery, and of every thing most bewitching in his reception there; the old were so hospitable, the young so agreeable, that he could not but resolve to remain where he was, and take all the charms and perfections of Edward’s wife upon credit a little longer.

  It was soon Uppercross with him almost every day. The Musgroves could hardly be more ready to invite than he to come, particularly in the morning, when he had no companion at home, for the Admiral and Mrs. Croft were generally out of doors together, interesting themselves in their new possessions, their grass, and their sheep,2 and dawdling about in a way not endurable to a third person, or driving out in a gig,3 lately added to their establishment.4

  Hitherto there had been but one opinion of Captain Wentworth, among the Musgroves and their dependencies. It was unvarying, warm admiration every where. But this intimate footing was not more than established, when a certain Charles Hayter returned among them, to be a good deal disturbed by it, and to think Captain Wentworth very much in the way.

  Charles Hayter was the eldest of all the cousins, and a very amiable, pleasing young man, between whom and Henrietta there had been a considerable appearance of attachment previous to Captain Wentworth’s introduction. He was in orders,5 and having a curacy in the neighbourhood where residence was not required,6 lived at his father’s house, only two miles from Uppercross. A short absence from home had left his fair one7 unguarded by his attentions at this critical period, and when he came back he had the pain of finding very altered manners,8 and of seeing Captain Wentworth.

  Mrs. Musgrove and Mrs. Hayter were sisters.9 They had each had money, but their marriages had made a material difference in their degree of consequence.10 Mr. Hayter had some property of his own, but it was insignificant compared with Mr. Musgrove’s; and while the Musgroves were in the first class of society in the country, the young Hayters would, from their parents’ inferior, retired, and unpolished way of living, and their own defective education, have been hardly in any class at all, but for their connexion with Uppercross; this eldest son of course excepted, who had chosen to be a scholar and a gentleman,11 and who was very superior in cultivation and manners to all the rest.

  The two families had always been on excellent terms, there being no pride on one side, and no envy on the other, and only such a consciousness of superiority in the Miss Musgroves, as made them pleased to improve their cousins.—Charles’s attentions to Henrietta had been observed by her father and mother without any disapprobation. “It would not be a great match for her; but if Henrietta liked him,—and Henrietta did seem to like him.”

  Henrietta fully thought so herself, before Captain Wentworth came; but from that time Cousin Charles had been very much forgotten.

  Which of the two sisters was preferred by Captain Wentworth was as yet quite doubtful, as far as Anne’s observation reached. Henrietta was perhaps the prettiest, Louisa had the higher spirits; and she knew not now, whether the more gentle or the more lively character were most likely to attract him.

  Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove, either from seeing little, or from an entire confidence in the discretion of both their daughters, and of all the young men who came near them, seemed to leave every thing to take its chance.12 There was not the smallest appearance of solicitude or remark13 about them, in the Mansion-house; but it was different at the Cottage: the young couple there were more disposed to speculate and wonder; and Captain Wentworth had not been above four or five times in the Miss Musgroves’ company, and Charles Hayter had but just reappeared, when Anne had to listen to the opinions of her brother and sister, as to which was the one liked best. Charles gave it for Louisa, Mary for Henrietta, but quite agreeing that to have him marry either would be extremely delightful.

  Charles “had never seen a pleasanter man in his life; and from what he had once heard Captain Wentworth himself say, was very sure that he had not made less than twenty thousand pounds by the war.14 Here was a fortune at once; besides which, there would be the chance of what might be done in any future war; and he was sure Captain Wentworth was as likely a man to distinguish himself as any officer in the navy. Oh! it would be a capital match for either of his sisters.”

  “Upon my word it would,” replied Mary. “Dear me! If he should rise to any very great honours! If he should ever be made a Baronet!15 ‘Lady Wentworth’ sounds very well. That would be a noble thing, indeed, for Henrietta! She would take place of me then,16 and Henrietta would not dislike that. Sir Frederick and Lady Wentworth! It would be but a new creation, however, and I never think much of your new creations.”17

  It suited Mary best to think Henrietta the one preferred, on the very account of Charles Hayter, whose pretensions she wished to see put an end to. She looked down very decidedly upon the Hayters, and thought it would be quite a misfortune to have the existing connexion between the families renewed—very sad for herself and her children.

  “You know,” said she, “I cannot think him at all a fit match for Henrietta; and considering the alliances18 which the Musgroves have made, she has no right to throw herself away. I do not think any young woman has a right to make a choice that may be disagreeable and inconvenient to the principal part of her family,19 and be giving bad connexions20 to those who have not been used to them. And, pray, who is Charles Hayter? Nothing but a country curate.21 A most improper match for Miss Musgrove,22 of Uppercross.”

  Her husband, however, would not agree with her here; for besides having a regard for his cousin, Charles Hayter was an eldest son, and he saw things as an eldest son himself.23

  “Now you are talking nonsense, Mary,” was therefore his answer. “It would not be a great match for Henrietta, but Charles has a very fair chance, throug
h the Spicers, of getting something from the Bishop in the course of a year or two;24 and you will please to remember, that he is the eldest son; whenever my uncle dies, he steps into very pretty property. The estate at Winthrop is not less than two hundred and fifty acres, besides the farm near Taunton,25 which is some of the best land in the country.26 I grant you, that any of them but Charles would be a very shocking match for Henrietta, and indeed it could not be;27 he is the only one that could be possible; but he is a very good-natured, good sort of a fellow; and whenever Winthrop comes into his hands, he will make a different sort of place of it, and live in a very different sort of way; and with that property, he will never be a contemptible man. Good, freehold property.28 No, no; Henrietta might do worse than marry Charles Hayter; and if she has him, and Louisa can get Captain Wentworth, I shall be very well satisfied.”

  “Charles may say what he pleases,” cried Mary to Anne, as soon as he was out of the room, “but it would be shocking to have Henrietta marry Charles Hayter; a very bad thing for her, and still worse for me; and therefore it is very much to be wished that Captain Wentworth may soon put him quite out of her head, and I have very little doubt that he has. She took hardly any notice of Charles Hayter yesterday. I wish you had been there to see her behaviour. And as to Captain Wentworth’s liking Louisa as well as Henrietta, it is nonsense to say so; for he certainly does like Henrietta a great deal the best. But Charles is so positive! I wish you had been with us yesterday, for then you might have decided between us; and I am sure you would have thought as I did, unless you had been determined to give it against me.”

  A dinner at Mr. Musgrove’s had been the occasion, when all these things should29 have been seen by Anne; but she had staid at home, under the mixed plea of a headache of her own, and some return of indisposition in little Charles. She had thought only of avoiding Captain Wentworth; but an escape from being appealed to as umpire was now added to the advantages of a quiet evening.