CHAPTER II.

ofhisbeingspontaneouslysolicitedbysomemostunexceptionableapplicant,onhisownterms,andasagreatfavour,thathewouldletitatall. Howquickcomethereasonsforapprovingwhatwelike!LadyRussellhadanotherexcellentoneathand,forbeingextremelygladthatSirWalterandhisfamilyweretoremovefromthecountry.Elizabethhadbeenlatelyforminganintimacy,whichshewishedtoseeinterrupted.ItwaswiththedaughterofMrShepherd,whohadreturned,afteranunprosperousmarriage,toherfather’shouse,withtheadditionalburdenoftwochildren.Shewasacleveryoungwoman,whounderstoodtheartofpleasing—theartofpleasing,atleast,atKellynchHallandwhohadmadeherselfsoacceptabletoMissElliot,astohavebeenalreadystayingtheremorethanonce,inspiteofallthatLadyRussell,whothoughtitafriendshipquiteoutofplace,couldhintofcautionandreserve. LadyRussell,indeed,hadscarcelyanyinfluencewithElizabeth,andseemedtoloveher,ratherbecauseshewouldloveher,thanbecauseElizabethdeservedit.Shehadneverreceivedfromhermorethanoutwardattention,nothingbeyondtheobservancesofcomplaisancehadneversucceededinanypointwhichshewantedtocarry,againstpreviousinclination.ShehadbeenrepeatedlyveryearnestintryingtogetAnneincludedinthevisittoLondon,sensiblyopentoalltheinjusticeandallthediscreditoftheselfisharrangementswhichshutherout,andonmanylesseroccasionshadendeavouredtogiveElizabeththeadvantageofherownbetterjudgementandexperiencebutalwaysinvain:ElizabethwouldgoherownwayandneverhadshepursueditinmoredecidedoppositiontoLadyRussellthaninthisselectionofMrsClayturningfromthesocietyofsodeservingasister,tobestowheraffectionandconfidenceononewhooughttohavebeennothingtoherbuttheobjectofdistantcivility. Fromsituation,MrsClaywas,inLadyRussell’sestimate,averyunequal,andinhercharactershebelievedaverydangerouscompanionandaremovalthatwouldleaveMrsClaybehind,andbringachoiceofmoresuitableintimateswithinMissElliot’sreach,wasthereforeanobjectoffirst-rateimportance.