by Jane Austen
Chapter 13
The remainder of Anne's time at Uppercross, comprehending only twodays, was spent entirely at the Mansion House; and she had thesatisfaction of knowing herself extremely useful there, both as animmediate companion, and as assisting in all those arrangements for thefuture, which, in Mr and Mrs Musgrove's distressed state of spirits,would have been difficulties.
They had an early account from Lyme the next morning. Louisa was muchthe same. No symptoms worse than before had appeared. Charles came afew hours afterwards, to bring a later and more particular account. Hewas tolerably cheerful. A speedy cure must not be hoped, buteverything was going on as well as the nature of the case admitted. Inspeaking of the Harvilles, he seemed unable to satisfy his own sense oftheir kindness, especially of Mrs Harville's exertions as a nurse."She really left nothing for Mary to do. He and Mary had beenpersuaded to go early to their inn last night. Mary had beenhysterical again this morning. When he came away, she was going towalk out with Captain Benwick, which, he hoped, would do her good. Healmost wished she had been prevailed on to come home the day before;but the truth was, that Mrs Harville left nothing for anybody to do."
Charles was to return to Lyme the same afternoon, and his father had atfirst half a mind to go with him, but the ladies could not consent. Itwould be going only to multiply trouble to the others, and increase hisown distress; and a much better scheme followed and was acted upon. Achaise was sent for from Crewkherne, and Charles conveyed back a farmore useful person in the old nursery-maid of the family, one whohaving brought up all the children, and seen the very last, thelingering and long-petted Master Harry, sent to school after hisbrothers, was now living in her deserted nursery to mend stockings anddress all the blains and bruises she could get near her, and who,consequently, was only too happy in being allowed to go and help nursedear Miss Louisa. Vague wishes of getting Sarah thither, had occurredbefore to Mrs Musgrove and Henrietta; but without Anne, it would hardlyhave been resolved on, and found practicable so soon.
They were indebted, the next day, to Charles Hayter, for all the minuteknowledge of Louisa, which it was so essential to obtain everytwenty-four hours. He made it his business to go to Lyme, and hisaccount was still encouraging. The intervals of sense andconsciousness were believed to be stronger. Every report agreed inCaptain Wentworth's appearing fixed in Lyme.
Anne was to leave them on the morrow, an event which they all dreaded."What should they do without her? They were wretched comforters forone another." And so much was said in this way, that Anne thought shecould not do better than impart among them the general inclination towhich she was privy, and persuaded them all to go to Lyme at once. Shehad little difficulty; it was soon determined that they would go; goto-morrow, fix themselves at the inn, or get into lodgings, as itsuited, and there remain till dear Louisa could be moved. They must betaking off some trouble from the good people she was with; they mightat least relieve Mrs Harville from the care of her own children; and inshort, they were so happy in the decision, that Anne was delighted withwhat she had done, and felt that she could not spend her last morningat Uppercross better than in assisting their preparations, and sendingthem off at an early hour, though her being left to the solitary rangeof the house was the consequence.
She was the last, excepting the little boys at the cottage, she was thevery last, the only remaining one of all that had filled and animatedboth houses, of all that had given Uppercross its cheerful character.A few days had made a change indeed!
If Louisa recovered, it would all be well again. More than formerhappiness would be restored. There could not be a doubt, to her mindthere was none, of what would follow her recovery. A few months hence,and the room now so deserted, occupied but by her silent, pensive self,might be filled again with all that was happy and gay, all that wasglowing and bright in prosperous love, all that was most unlike AnneElliot!
An hour's complete leisure for such reflections as these, on a darkNovember day, a small thick rain almost blotting out the very fewobjects ever to be discerned from the windows, was enough to make thesound of Lady Russell's carriage exceedingly welcome; and yet, thoughdesirous to be gone, she could not quit the Mansion House, or look anadieu to the Cottage, with its black, dripping and comfortless veranda,or even notice through the misty glasses the last humble tenements ofthe village, without a saddened heart. Scenes had passed in Uppercrosswhich made it precious. It stood the record of many sensations ofpain, once severe, but now softened; and of some instances of relentingfeeling, some breathings of friendship and reconciliation, which couldnever be looked for again, and which could never cease to be dear. Sheleft it all behind her, all but the recollection that such things hadbeen.
Anne had never entered Kellynch since her quitting Lady Russell's housein September. It had not been necessary, and the few occasions of itsbeing possible for her to go to the Hall she had contrived to evade andescape from. Her first return was to resume her place in the modernand elegant apartments of the Lodge, and to gladden the eyes of itsmistress.
There was some anxiety mixed with Lady Russell's joy in meeting her.She knew who had been frequenting Uppercross. But happily, either Annewas improved in plumpness and looks, or Lady Russell fancied her so;and Anne, in receiving her compliments on the occasion, had theamusement of connecting them with the silent admiration of her cousin,and of hoping that she was to be blessed with a second spring of youthand beauty.
When they came to converse, she was soon sensible of some mentalchange. The subjects of which her heart had been full on leavingKellynch, and which she had felt slighted, and been compelled tosmother among the Musgroves, were now become but of secondary interest.She had lately lost sight even of her father and sister and Bath.Their concerns had been sunk under those of Uppercross; and when LadyRussell reverted to their former hopes and fears, and spoke hersatisfaction in the house in Camden Place, which had been taken, andher regret that Mrs Clay should still be with them, Anne would havebeen ashamed to have it known how much more she was thinking of Lymeand Louisa Musgrove, and all her acquaintance there; how much moreinteresting to her was the home and the friendship of the Harvilles andCaptain Benwick, than her own father's house in Camden Place, or herown sister's intimacy with Mrs Clay. She was actually forced to exertherself to meet Lady Russell with anything like the appearance of equalsolicitude, on topics which had by nature the first claim on her.
There was a little awkwardness at first in their discourse on anothersubject. They must speak of the accident at Lyme. Lady Russell hadnot been arrived five minutes the day before, when a full account ofthe whole had burst on her; but still it must be talked of, she mustmake enquiries, she must regret the imprudence, lament the result, andCaptain Wentworth's name must be mentioned by both. Anne was consciousof not doing it so well as Lady Russell. She could not speak the name,and look straight forward to Lady Russell's eye, till she had adoptedthe expedient of telling her briefly what she thought of the attachmentbetween him and Louisa. When this was told, his name distressed her nolonger.
Lady Russell had only to listen composedly, and wish them happy, butinternally her heart revelled in angry pleasure, in pleased contempt,that the man who at twenty-three had seemed to understand somewhat ofthe value of an Anne Elliot, should, eight years afterwards, be charmedby a Louisa Musgrove.
The first three or four days passed most quietly, with no circumstanceto mark them excepting the receipt of a note or two from Lyme, whichfound their way to Anne, she could not tell how, and brought a ratherimproving account of Louisa. At the end of that period, Lady Russell'spoliteness could repose no longer, and the fainter self-threatenings ofthe past became in a decided tone, "I must call on Mrs Croft; I reallymust call upon her soon. Anne, have you courage to go with me, and paya 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 shesaid, in observing--
"I think you are very likely to suffer the
most of the two; yourfeelings are less reconciled to the change than mine. By remaining inthe neighbourhood, I am become inured to it."
She could have said more on the subject; for she had in fact so high anopinion of the Crofts, and considered her father so very fortunate inhis tenants, felt the parish to be so sure of a good example, and thepoor of the best attention and relief, that however sorry and ashamedfor the necessity of the removal, she could not but in conscience feelthat they were gone who deserved not to stay, and that Kellynch Hallhad passed into better hands than its owners'. These convictions mustunquestionably have their own pain, and severe was its kind; but theyprecluded that pain which Lady Russell would suffer in entering thehouse again, and returning through the well-known apartments.
In such moments Anne had no power of saying to herself, "These roomsought to belong only to us. Oh, how fallen in their destination! Howunworthily occupied! An ancient family to be so driven away!Strangers filling their place!" No, except when she thought of hermother, and remembered where she had been used to sit and preside, shehad no sigh of that description to heave.
Mrs Croft always met her with a kindness which gave her the pleasure offancying herself a favourite, and on the present occasion, receivingher in that house, there was particular attention.
The sad accident at Lyme was soon the prevailing topic, and oncomparing their latest accounts of the invalid, it appeared that eachlady dated her intelligence from the same hour of yestermorn; thatCaptain Wentworth had been in Kellynch yesterday (the first time sincethe accident), had brought Anne the last note, which she had not beenable to trace the exact steps of; had staid a few hours and thenreturned again to Lyme, and without any present intention of quittingit any more. He had enquired after her, she found, particularly; hadexpressed his hope of Miss Elliot's not being the worse for herexertions, and had spoken of those exertions as great. This washandsome, and gave her more pleasure than almost anything else couldhave done.
As to the sad catastrophe itself, it could be canvassed only in onestyle by a couple of steady, sensible women, whose judgements had towork on ascertained events; and it was perfectly decided that it hadbeen the consequence of much thoughtlessness and much imprudence; thatits effects were most alarming, and that it was frightful to think, howlong Miss Musgrove's recovery might yet be doubtful, and how liable shewould still remain to suffer from the concussion hereafter! TheAdmiral wound it up summarily by exclaiming--
"Ay, a very bad business indeed. A new sort of way this, for a youngfellow 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 LadyRussell, but they delighted Anne. His goodness of heart and simplicityof character were irresistible.
"Now, this must be very bad for you," said he, suddenly rousing from alittle reverie, "to be coming and finding us here. I had notrecollected it before, I declare, but it must be very bad. But now, donot stand upon ceremony. Get up and go over all the rooms in the houseif you like it."
"Another time, Sir, I thank you, not now."
"Well, whenever it suits you. You can slip in from the shrubbery atany time; and there you will find we keep our umbrellas hanging up bythat door. A good place is not it? But," (checking himself), "youwill not think it a good place, for yours were always kept in thebutler's room. Ay, so it always is, I believe. One man's ways may beas good as another's, but we all like our own best. And so you mustjudge for yourself, whether it would be better for you to go about thehouse or not."
Anne, finding she might decline it, did so, very gratefully.
"We have made very few changes either," continued the Admiral, afterthinking a moment. "Very few. We told you about the laundry-door, atUppercross. That has been a very great improvement. The wonder was,how any family upon earth could bear with the inconvenience of itsopening as it did, so long! You will tell Sir Walter what we havedone, and that Mr Shepherd thinks it the greatest improvement the houseever had. Indeed, I must do ourselves the justice to say, that the fewalterations we have made have been all very much for the better. Mywife should have the credit of them, however. I have done very littlebesides sending away some of the large looking-glasses from mydressing-room, which was your father's. A very good man, and very muchthe gentleman I am sure: but I should think, Miss Elliot," (lookingwith serious reflection), "I should think he must be rather a dressyman 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 ahand, and we soon shifted their quarters; and now I am quite snug, withmy little shaving glass in one corner, and another great thing that Inever 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 upthe subject again, to say--
"The next time you write to your good father, Miss Elliot, pray givehim my compliments and Mrs Croft's, and say that we are settled herequite 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 onlywhen the wind is due north and blows hard, which may not happen threetimes a winter. And take it altogether, now that we have been intomost of the houses hereabouts and can judge, there is not one that welike better than this. Pray say so, with my compliments. He will beglad to hear it."
Lady Russell and Mrs Croft were very well pleased with each other: butthe acquaintance which this visit began was fated not to proceed far atpresent; for when it was returned, the Crofts announced themselves tobe going away for a few weeks, to visit their connexions in the northof the county, and probably might not be at home again before LadyRussell would be removing to Bath.
So ended all danger to Anne of meeting Captain Wentworth at KellynchHall, or of seeing him in company with her friend. Everything was safeenough, and she smiled over the many anxious feelings she had wasted onthe subject.