CHAPTER VIII.

Idoassureyou,ma’am,”pursuedMrsCroft,“thatnothingcanexceedtheaccommodationsofaman-of-warIspeak,youknow,ofthehigherrates.Whenyoucometoafrigate,ofcourse,youaremoreconfinedthoughanyreasonablewomanmaybeperfectlyhappyinoneofthemandIcansafelysay,thatthehappiestpartofmylifehasbeenspentonboardaship.Whileweweretogether,youknow,therewasnothingtobefeared.ThankGod!Ihavealwaysbeenblessedwithexcellenthealth,andnoclimatedisagreeswithme.Alittledisorderedalwaysthefirsttwenty-fourhoursofgoingtosea,butneverknewwhatsicknesswasafterwards.TheonlytimeIeverreallysufferedinbodyormind,theonlytimethatIeverfanciedmyselfunwell,orhadanyideasofdanger,wasthewinterthatIpassedbymyselfatDeal,whentheAdmiral(CaptainCroftthen)wasintheNorthSeas.Ilivedinperpetualfrightatthattime,andhadallmannerofimaginarycomplaintsfromnotknowingwhattodowithmyself,orwhenIshouldhearfromhimnextbutaslongaswecouldbetogether,nothingeverailedme,andInevermetwiththesmallestinconvenience.” “Aye,tobesure.Yes,indeed,ohyes!Iamquiteofyouropinion,MrsCroft,”wasMrsMusgrove’sheartyanswer.“Thereisnothingsobadasaseparation.Iamquiteofyouropinion.Iknowwhatitis,forMrMusgrovealwaysattendstheassizes,andIamsogladwhentheyareover,andheissafebackagain.” Theeveningendedwithdancing.Onitsbeingproposed,Anneofferedherservices,asusualandthoughhereyeswouldsometimesfillwithtearsasshesatattheinstrument,shewasextremelygladtobeemployed,anddesirednothinginreturnbuttobeunobserved. Itwasamerry,joyousparty,andnooneseemedinhigherspiritsthanCaptainWentworth.Shefeltthathehadeverythingtoelevatehimwhichgeneralattentionanddeference,andespeciallytheattentionofalltheyoungwomen,coulddo.TheMissHayters,thefemalesofthefamilyofcousinsalreadymentioned,wereapparentlyadmittedtothehonourofbeinginlovewithhimandasforHenriettaandLouisa,theybothseemedsoentirelyoccupiedbyhim,thatnothingbutthecontinuedappearanceofthemostperfectgood-willbetweenthemselvescouldhavemadeitcrediblethattheywerenotdecidedrivals.Ifhewerealittlespoiltbysuchuniversal,sucheageradmiration,whocouldwonder? TheseweresomeofthethoughtswhichoccupiedAnne,whileherfingersweremechanicallyatwork,proceedingforhalfanhourtogether,equallywithouterror,andwithoutconsciousness.Onceshefeltthathewaslookingatherself,observingheralteredfeatures,perhaps,tryingtotraceinthemtheruinsofthefacewhichhadoncecharmedhimandoncesheknewthathemusthavespokenofhershewashardlyawareofit,tillsheheardtheanswerbutthenshewassureofhishavingaskedhispartnerwhetherMissElliotneverdanced?Theanswerwas,“Oh,nonevershehasquitegivenupdancing.Shehadratherplay.Sheisnevertiredofplaying.”Once,too,hespoketoher.Shehadlefttheinstrumentonthedancingbeingover,andhehadsatdowntotrytomakeoutanairwhichhewishedtogivetheMissMusgrovesanideaof.Unintentionallyshereturnedtothatpartoftheroomhesawher,and,instantlyrising,said,withstudiedpoliteness— “Ibegyourpardon,madam,thisisyourseat”andthoughsheimmediatelydrewbackwithadecidednegative,hewasnottobeinducedtositdownagain. Annedidnotwishformoreofsuchlooksandspeeches.Hiscoldpoliteness,hisceremoniousgrace,wereworsethananything.