CHAPTER XV.

ationship,alludedtothepast,andentreatedtobereceivedasanacquaintancealready.Hewasquiteasgood-lookingashehadappearedatLyme,hiscountenanceimprovedbyspeaking,andhismannersweresoexactlywhattheyoughttobe,sopolished,soeasy,soparticularlyagreeable,thatshecouldcomparetheminexcellencetoonlyoneperson’smanners.Theywerenotthesame,buttheywere,perhaps,equallygood. Hesatdownwiththem,andimprovedtheirconversationverymuch.Therecouldbenodoubtofhisbeingasensibleman.Tenminuteswereenoughtocertifythat.Histone,hisexpressions,hischoiceofsubject,hisknowingwheretostopitwasalltheoperationofasensible,discerningmind.Assoonashecould,hebegantotalktoherofLyme,wantingtocompareopinionsrespectingtheplace,butespeciallywantingtospeakofthecircumstanceoftheirhappeningtobeguestsinthesameinnatthesametimetogivehisownroute,understandsomethingofhers,andregretthatheshouldhavelostsuchanopportunityofpayinghisrespectstoher.ShegavehimashortaccountofherpartyandbusinessatLyme.Hisregretincreasedashelistened.Hehadspenthiswholesolitaryeveningintheroomadjoiningtheirshadheardvoices,mirthcontinuallythoughttheymustbeamostdelightfulsetofpeople,longedtobewiththem,butcertainlywithoutthesmallestsuspicionofhispossessingtheshadowofarighttointroducehimself.Ifhehadbutaskedwhothepartywere!ThenameofMusgrovewouldhavetoldhimenough.“Well,itwouldservetocurehimofanabsurdpracticeofneveraskingaquestionataninn,whichhehadadopted,whenquiteayoungman,ontheprincipalofitsbeingveryungenteeltobecurious. “Thenotionsofayoungmanofoneortwoandtwenty,”saidhe,“astowhatisnecessaryinmannerstomakehimquitethething,aremoreabsurd,Ibelieve,thanthoseofanyothersetofbeingsintheworld.Thefollyofthemeanstheyoftenemployisonlytobeequalledbythefollyofwhattheyhaveinview.” ButhemustnotbeaddressinghisreflectionstoAnnealone:heknewithewassoondiffusedagainamongtheothers,anditwasonlyatintervalsthathecouldreturntoLyme. Hisenquiries,however,producedatlengthanaccountofthesceneshehadbeenengagedinthere,soonafterhisleavingtheplace.Havingalludedto“anaccident,”hemusthearthewhole.Whenhequestioned,SirWalterandElizabethbegantoquestionalso,butthedifferenceintheirmannerofdoingitcouldnotbeunfelt.ShecouldonlycompareMrElliottoLadyRussell,inthewishofreallycomprehendingwhathadpassed,andinthedegreeofconcernforwhatshemusthavesufferedinwitnessingit. Hestaidanhourwiththem.Theelegantlittleclockonthemantel-piecehadstruck“elevenwithitssilversounds,”andthewatchmanwasbeginningtobeheardatadistancetellingthesametale,beforeMrElliotoranyofthemseemedtofeelthathehadbeentherelong. AnnecouldnothavesupposeditpossiblethatherfirsteveninginCamdenPlacecouldhavepassedsowell!