CHAPTER I.

hmadeherLadyElliot,hadneverrequiredindulgenceafterwards.—Shehadhumoured,orsoftened,orconcealedhisfailings,andpromotedhisrealrespectabilityforseventeenyearsandthoughnottheveryhappiestbeingintheworldherself,hadfoundenoughinherduties,herfriends,andherchildren,toattachhertolife,andmakeitnomatterofindifferencetoherwhenshewascalledontoquitthem.—Threegirls,thetwoeldestsixteenandfourteen,wasanawfullegacyforamothertobequeath,anawfulchargerather,toconfidetotheauthorityandguidanceofaconceited,sillyfather.Shehad,however,oneveryintimatefriend,asensible,deservingwoman,whohadbeenbrought,bystrongattachmenttoherself,tosettleclosebyher,inthevillageofKellynchandonherkindnessandadvice,LadyElliotmainlyreliedforthebesthelpandmaintenanceofthegoodprinciplesandinstructionwhichshehadbeenanxiouslygivingherdaughters. Thisfriend,andSirWalter,didnotmarry,whatevermighthavebeenanticipatedonthatheadbytheiracquaintance.ThirteenyearshadpassedawaysinceLadyElliot’sdeath,andtheywerestillnearneighboursandintimatefriends,andoneremainedawidower,theotherawidow. ThatLadyRussell,ofsteadyageandcharacter,andextremelywellprovidedfor,shouldhavenothoughtofasecondmarriage,needsnoapologytothepublic,whichisratherapttobeunreasonablydiscontentedwhenawomandoesmarryagain,thanwhenshedoesnotbutSirWalter’scontinuinginsinglenessrequiresexplanation.Beitknownthen,thatSirWalter,likeagoodfather,(havingmetwithoneortwoprivatedisappointmentsinveryunreasonableapplications),pridedhimselfonremainingsingleforhisdeardaughters’sake.Foronedaughter,hiseldest,hewouldreallyhavegivenupanything,whichhehadnotbeenverymuchtemptedtodo.Elizabethhadsucceeded,atsixteen,toallthatwaspossible,ofhermother’srightsandconsequenceandbeingveryhandsome,andverylikehimself,herinfluencehadalwaysbeengreat,andtheyhadgoneontogethermosthappily.Histwootherchildrenwereofveryinferiorvalue.Maryhadacquiredalittleartificialimportance,bybecomingMrsCharlesMusgrovebutAnne,withaneleganceofmindandsweetnessofcharacter,whichmusthaveplacedherhighwithanypeopleofrealunderstanding,wasnobodywitheitherfatherorsisterherwordhadnoweight,herconveniencewasalwaystogiveway—shewasonlyAnne. ToLadyRussell,indeed,shewasamostdearandhighlyvaluedgod-daughter,favourite,andfriend.LadyRusselllovedthemallbutitwasonlyinAnnethatshecouldfancythemothertoreviveagain. Afewyearsbefore,AnneElliothadbeenaveryprettygirl,butherbloomhadvanishedearlyandaseveninitsheight,herfatherhadfoundlittletoadmireinher,(sototallydifferentwereherdelicatefeaturesandmilddarkeyesfromhisown),therecould