CHAPTER XV.

d,inMrElliot’swishing,afteranintervalofsomanyyears,tobewellreceivedbythem.Inaworldlyview,hehadnothingtogainbybeingontermswithSirWalternothingtoriskbyastateofvariance.Inallprobabilityhewasalreadythericherofthetwo,andtheKellynchestatewouldassurelybehishereafterasthetitle.Asensibleman,andhehadlookedlikeaverysensibleman,whyshoulditbeanobjecttohim?Shecouldonlyofferonesolutionitwas,perhaps,forElizabeth’ssake.Theremightreallyhavebeenalikingformerly,thoughconvenienceandaccidenthaddrawnhimadifferentwayandnowthathecouldaffordtopleasehimself,hemightmeantopayhisaddressestoher.Elizabethwascertainlyveryhandsome,withwell-bred,elegantmanners,andhercharactermightneverhavebeenpenetratedbyMrElliot,knowingherbutinpublic,andwhenveryyounghimself.Howhertemperandunderstandingmightbeartheinvestigationofhispresentkeenertimeoflifewasanotherconcernandratherafearfulone.Mostearnestlydidshewishthathemightnotbetoonice,ortooobservantifElizabethwerehisobjectandthatElizabethwasdisposedtobelieveherselfso,andthatherfriendMrsClaywasencouragingtheidea,seemedapparentbyaglanceortwobetweenthem,whileMrElliot’sfrequentvisitsweretalkedof. AnnementionedtheglimpsesshehadhadofhimatLyme,butwithoutbeingmuchattendedto.“Oh!yes,perhaps,ithadbeenMrElliot.Theydidnotknow.Itmightbehim,perhaps.”Theycouldnotlistentoherdescriptionofhim.TheyweredescribinghimthemselvesSirWalterespecially.Hedidjusticetohisverygentlemanlikeappearance,hisairofeleganceandfashion,hisgoodshapedface,hissensibleeyebut,atthesametime,“mustlamenthisbeingverymuchunder-hung,adefectwhichtimeseemedtohaveincreasednorcouldhepretendtosaythattenyearshadnotalteredalmosteveryfeaturefortheworse.MrElliotappearedtothinkthathe(SirWalter)waslookingexactlyashehaddonewhentheylastparted”butSirWalterhad“notbeenabletoreturnthecomplimententirely,whichhadembarrassedhim.Hedidnotmeantocomplain,however.MrElliotwasbettertolookatthanmostmen,andhehadnoobjectiontobeingseenwithhimanywhere.” MrElliot,andhisfriendsinMarlboroughBuildings,weretalkedofthewholeevening.“ColonelWallishadbeensoimpatienttobeintroducedtothem!andMrElliotsoanxiousthatheshould!”andtherewasaMrsWallis,atpresentknownonlytothembydescription,asshewasindailyexpectationofherconfinementbutMrElliotspokeofheras“amostcharmingwoman,quiteworthyofbeingknowninCamdenPlace,”andassoonassherecoveredtheyweretobeacquainted.SirWalterthoughtmuchofMrsWallisshewassaidtobeanexcessivelyprettywoman,beautiful.“Helongedtoseeher.Hehopedshemightmakesomeamendsforthemanyveryplainfaceshewascontinuallypassinginthestreets.TheworstofBathwasthenumberofitsplainwomen.Hedidnotmeantosaythattherewerenoprettywomen,butthenumberoft