CHAPTER VI.

dtoEngland,orpaidoff,orsomething,andiscomingtoseethemalmostdirectlyandmostunluckilyitcameintomamma’shead,whentheyweregone,thatWentworth,orsomethingverylikeit,wasthenameofpoorRichard’scaptainatonetimeIdonotknowwhenorwhere,butagreatwhilebeforehedied,poorfellow!Anduponlookingoverhislettersandthings,shefounditwasso,andisperfectlysurethatthismustbetheveryman,andherheadisquitefullofit,andofpoorRichard!Sowemustbeasmerryaswecan,thatshemaynotbedwellinguponsuchgloomythings.” Therealcircumstancesofthispatheticpieceoffamilyhistorywere,thattheMusgroveshadhadtheillfortuneofaverytroublesome,hopelesssonandthegoodfortunetolosehimbeforehereachedhistwentiethyearthathehadbeensenttoseabecausehewasstupidandunmanageableonshorethathehadbeenverylittlecaredforatanytimebyhisfamily,thoughquiteasmuchashedeservedseldomheardof,andscarcelyatallregretted,whentheintelligenceofhisdeathabroadhadworkeditswaytoUppercross,twoyearsbefore. Hehad,infact,thoughhissisterswerenowdoingalltheycouldforhim,bycallinghim“poorRichard,”beennothingbetterthanathick-headed,unfeeling,unprofitableDickMusgrove,whohadneverdoneanythingtoentitlehimselftomorethantheabbreviationofhisname,livingordead. Hehadbeenseveralyearsatsea,andhad,inthecourseofthoseremovalstowhichallmidshipmenareliable,andespeciallysuchmidshipmenaseverycaptainwishestogetridof,beensixmonthsonboardCaptainFrederickWentworth’sfrigate,theLaconiaandfromtheLaconiahehad,undertheinfluenceofhiscaptain,writtentheonlytwoletterswhichhisfatherandmotherhadeverreceivedfromhimduringthewholeofhisabsencethatistosay,theonlytwodisinterestedlettersalltheresthadbeenmereapplicationsformoney. Ineachletterhehadspokenwellofhiscaptainbutyet,solittleweretheyinthehabitofattendingtosuchmatters,sounobservantandincuriousweretheyastothenamesofmenorships,thatithadmadescarcelyanyimpressionatthetimeandthatMrsMusgroveshouldhavebeensuddenlystruck,thisveryday,witharecollectionofthenameofWentworth,asconnectedwithherson,seemedoneofthoseextraordinaryburstsofmindwhichdosometimesoccur. Shehadgonetoherletters,andfounditallasshesupposedandthere-perusaloftheseletters,aftersolonganinterval,herpoorsongoneforever,andallthestrengthofhisfaultsforgotten,hadaffectedherspiritsexceedingly,andthrownherintogreatergriefforhimthanshehadknownonfirsthearingofhisdeath.MrMusgrovewas,inalesserdegree,affectedlikewiseandwhentheyreachedthecottage,theywereevidentlyinwant,first,ofbeinglistenedtoanewonthissubject,andafterwards,ofallthereliefwhichcheerfulcompanionscouldgivethem. TohearthemtalkingsomuchofCaptainWentworth,repeatinghisnamesooften,puzzlingoverpastyears,andatlastascertainingthatitmight,thatitprobablywould,turnouttobetheverysameCaptainWentworthwhomtheyrecollectedmeeting,onceortwice,aftertheircomingbackfromClifton—averyfineyoungman—buttheycouldnotsaywhetheritwassevenoreightyearsago,wasanewsortoftrialtoAnne’snerves.Shefound,however,thatitwasonetowhichshemustinureherself.Sinceheactuallywasexpectedinthecountry,shemustteachherselftobeinsensibleonsuchpoints.Andnotonlydiditappearthathewasexpected,andspeedily,buttheMusgroves,intheirwarmgratitudeforthekindnesshehadshewnpoorDick,andveryhighrespectforhischaracter,stampedasitwasbypoorDick’shavingbeensixmonthsunderhiscare,andmentioninghiminstrong,thoughnotperfectlywell-speltpraise,as“afinedashingfelow,onlytwoperticularabouttheschoolmaster,”werebentonintroducingthemselves,andseekinghisacquaintance,assoonastheycouldhearofhisarrival. Theresolutionofdoingsohelpedtoformthecomfortoftheirevening.