CHAPTER XII.

AnneandHenrietta,findingthemselvestheearliestofthepartythenextmorning,agreedtostrolldowntotheseabeforebreakfast.Theywenttothesands,towatchtheflowingofthetide,whichafinesouth-easterlybreezewasbringinginwithallthegrandeurwhichsoflatashoreadmitted.Theypraisedthemorninggloriedintheseasympathizedinthedelightofthefresh-feelingbreeze—andweresilenttillHenriettasuddenlybeganagainwith— “Oh!yes,—Iamquiteconvincedthat,withveryfewexceptions,thesea-airalwaysdoesgood.TherecanbenodoubtofitshavingbeenofthegreatestservicetoDrShirley,afterhisillness,lastspringtwelve-month.Hedeclareshimself,thatcomingtoLymeforamonth,didhimmoregoodthanallthemedicinehetookand,thatbeingbythesea,alwaysmakeshimfeelyoungagain.Now,Icannothelpthinkingitapitythathedoesnotliveentirelybythesea.IdothinkhehadbetterleaveUppercrossentirely,andfixatLyme.Donotyou,Anne?Donotyouagreewithme,thatitisthebestthinghecoulddo,bothforhimselfandMrsShirley?Shehascousinshere,youknow,andmanyacquaintance,whichwouldmakeitcheerfulforher,andIamsureshewouldbegladtogettoaplacewhereshecouldhavemedicalattendanceathand,incaseofhishavinganotherseizure.IndeedIthinkitquitemelancholytohavesuchexcellentpeopleasDrandMrsShirley,whohavebeendoinggoodalltheirlives,wearingouttheirlastdaysinaplacelikeUppercross,where,exceptingourfamily,theyseemshutoutfromalltheworld.Iwishhisfriendswouldproposeittohim.Ireallythinktheyought.And,astoprocuringadispensation,therecouldbenodifficultyathistimeoflife,andwithhischaracter.Myonlydoubtis,whetheranythingcouldpersuadehimtoleavehisparish.Heissoverystrictandscrupulousinhisnotionsover-scrupulousImustsay.Donotyouthink,Anne,itisbeingover-scrupulous?Donotyouthinkitisquiteamistakenpointofconscience,whenaclergymansacrificeshishealthforthesakeofduties,whichmaybejustaswellperformedbyanotherperson?AndatLymetoo,onlyseventeenmilesoff,hewouldbenearenoughtohear,ifpeoplethoughttherewasanythingtocomplainof.” Annesmiledmorethanoncetoherselfduringthisspeech,andenteredintothesubject,asreadytodogoodbyenteringintothefeelingsofayoungladyasofayoungman,thoughhereitwasgoodofalowerstandard,forwhatcouldbeofferedbutgeneralacquiescence?ShesaidallthatwasreasonableandproperonthebusinessfelttheclaimsofDrShirleytoreposeassheoughtsawhowverydesirableitwasthatheshouldhavesomeactive,respectableyoungman,asaresidentcurate,andwasevencourteousenoughtohintattheadvantageofsuchresidentcurate’sbeingmarried. “Iwish,”saidHenrietta,verywellpleasedwithhercompanion,“IwishLadyRusselllivedatUppercross,andwereintimatewithDrShirley.IhavealwaysheardofLadyRussellasawomanofthegreatestinfluencewitheverybody!Ialwayslookuponherasabletopersuadeapersontoanything!Iamafraidofher,asIhavetoldyoubefore,quiteafraidofher,becausesheissoverycleverbutIrespectheramazingly,andwishwehadsuchaneighbouratUppercross.” AnnewasamusedbyHenrietta’smannerofbeinggrateful,andamusedalsothatthecourseofeventsandthenewinterestsofHenrietta’sviewsshouldhaveplacedherfriendatallinfavourwithanyoftheMusgrovefamilyshehadonlytime,however,forageneralanswer,andawishthatsuchanotherwomanwereatUppercross,beforeallsubjectssuddenlyceased,onseeingLouisaandCaptainWentworthcomingtowardsthem.TheycamealsoforastrolltillbreakfastwaslikelytobereadybutLouisarecollecting,immediatelyafterwardsthatshehadsomethingtoprocureatashop,invitedthemalltogobackwithherintothetown.Theywereallatherdisposal. Whentheycametothesteps,leadingupwardsfromthebeach,agentleman,atthesamemomentpreparingtocomedown,politelydrewback,andstoppedtogivethemway.Theyascendedandpassedhimandastheypassed,Anne’sfacecaughthiseye,andhelookedatherwithadegreeofearnestadmiration,whichshecouldnotbeinsensibleof.Shewaslookingremarkablywellherveryregular,veryprettyfeatures,havingthebloomandfreshnessofyouthrestoredbythefinewindwhichhadbeenblowingonhercomplexion,andbytheanimationofeyewhichithadalsoproduced.Itwasevidentthatthegentleman,(completelyagentlemaninmanner)admiredherexceedingly.CaptainWentworthlookedroundatherinstantlyinawaywhichshewedhisnoticingofit.Hegaveheramomentaryglance,aglanceofbrightness,whichseemedtosay,“Thatmanisstruckwithyou,andevenI,atthismoment,seesomethinglikeAnneElliotagain.” AfterattendingLouisathroughherbusiness,andloiteringaboutalittlelonger,theyreturnedtotheinnandAnne,inpassingafterwardsquicklyfromherownchambertotheirdining-room,hadnearlyrunagainsttheverysamegentleman,ashecameoutofanadjoiningapartment.Shehadbeforeconjecturedhimtobeastrangerlikethemselves,anddeterminedthatawell-lookinggroom,whowasstrollingaboutnearthetwoinnsastheycameback,shouldbehisservant.Bothmasterandmanbeinginmourningassistedtheidea.Itwasnowprovedthathebelongedtothesameinnasthemselvesandthissecondmeeting,shortasitwas,alsoprovedagainbythegentleman’slooks,thathethoughthersverylovely,andbythereadinessandproprietyofhisapologies,thathewasamanofexceedinglygoodmanners.Heseemedaboutthirty,andthoughnothandsome,hadanagreeableperson.Annefeltthatsheshouldliketoknowwhohewas. Theyhadnearlydonebreakfast,whenthesoundofacarriage,(almostthefirsttheyhadheardsinceenteringLyme)drewhalfthepartytothewindow.Itwasagentleman’scarriage,acurricle,butonlycomingroundfromthestable-yardtothefrontdoors