CHAPTER XXI.

Annecouldnotimmediatelygetovertheshockandmortificationoffindingsuchwordsappliedtoherfather.Shewasobligedtorecollectthatherseeingtheletterwasaviolationofthelawsofhonour,thatnooneoughttobejudgedortobeknownbysuchtestimonies,thatnoprivatecorrespondencecouldbeartheeyeofothers,beforeshecouldrecovercalmnessenoughtoreturntheletterwhichshehadbeenmeditatingover,andsay— “Thankyou.Thisisfullproofundoubtedlyproofofeverythingyouweresaying.Butwhybeacquaintedwithusnow?” “Icanexplainthistoo,”criedMrsSmith,smiling. “Canyoureally?” “Yes.IhaveshewnyouMrElliotashewasadozenyearsago,andIwillshewhimasheisnow.Icannotproducewrittenproofagain,butIcangiveasauthenticoraltestimonyasyoucandesire,ofwhatheisnowwanting,andwhatheisnowdoing.Heisnohypocritenow.Hetrulywantstomarryyou.Hispresentattentionstoyourfamilyareverysincere:quitefromtheheart.Iwillgiveyoumyauthority:hisfriendColonelWallis.” “ColonelWallis!youareacquaintedwithhim?” “No.Itdoesnotcometomeinquitesodirectalineasthatittakesabendortwo,butnothingofconsequence.Thestreamisasgoodasatfirstthelittlerubbishitcollectsintheturningsiseasilymovedaway.MrElliottalksunreservedlytoColonelWallisofhisviewsonyou,whichsaidColonelWallis,Iimaginetobe,inhimself,asensible,careful,discerningsortofcharacterbutColonelWallishasaveryprettysillywife,towhomhetellsthingswhichhehadbetternot,andherepeatsitalltoher.Sheintheoverflowingspiritsofherrecovery,repeatsitalltohernurseandthenurseknowingmyacquaintancewithyou,verynaturallybringsitalltome.OnMondayevening,mygoodfriendMrsRookeletmethusmuchintothesecretsofMarlboroughBuildings.WhenItalkedofawholehistory,therefore,youseeIwasnotromancingsomuchasyousupposed.” “MydearMrsSmith,yourauthorityisdeficient.Thiswillnotdo.MrElliot’shavinganyviewsonmewillnotintheleastaccountfortheeffortshemadetowardsareconciliationwithmyfather.ThatwasallpriortomycomingtoBath.IfoundthemonthemostfriendlytermswhenIarrived.” “IknowyoudidIknowitallperfectly,but—” “Indeed,MrsSmith,wemustnotexpecttogetrealinformationinsuchaline.Factsoropinionswhicharetopassthroughthehandsofsomany,tobemisconceivedbyfollyinone,andignoranceinanother,canhardlyhavemuchtruthleft.” “Onlygivemeahearing.Youwillsoonbeabletojudgeofthegeneralcreditdue,bylisteningtosomeparticularswhichyoucanyourselfimmediatelycontradictorconfirm.Nobodysupposesthatyouwerehisfirstinducement.Hehadseenyouindeed,beforehecametoBath,andadmiredyou,butwithoutknowingittobeyou.Sosaysmyhistorian,atleast.Isthistrue?Didheseeyoulastsummerorautumn,‘somewheredowninthewest,’touseherownwords,withoutknowingittobeyou?” “Hecertainlydid.Sofaritisverytrue.AtLyme.IhappenedtobeatLyme.” “Well,”continuedMrsSmith,triumphantly,“grantmyfriendthecreditduetotheestablishmentofthefirstpointasserted.HesawyouthenatLyme,andlikedyousowellastobeexceedinglypleasedtomeetwithyouagaininCamdenPlace,asMissAnneElliot,andfromthatmoment,Ihavenodoubt,hadadoublemotiveinhisvisitsthere.Buttherewasanother,andanearlier,whichIwillnowexplain.Ifthereisanythinginmystorywhichyouknowtobeeitherfalseorimprobable,stopme.Myaccountstates,thatyoursister’sfriend,theladynowstayingwithyou,whomIhaveheardyoumention,cametoBathwithMissElliotandSirWalteraslongagoasSeptember(inshortwhentheyfirstcamethemselves),andhasbeenstayingthereeversincethatsheisaclever,insinuating,handsomewoman,poorandplausible,andaltogethersuchinsituationandmanner,astogiveageneralidea,amongSirWalter’sacquaintance,ofhermeaningtobeLadyElliot,andasgeneralasurprisethatMissElliotshouldbeapparently,blindtothedanger.” HereMrsSmithpausedamomentbutAnnehadnotawordtosay,andshecontinued— “Thiswasthelightinwhichitappearedtothosewhoknewthefamily,longbeforeyoureturnedtoitandColonelWallishadhiseyeuponyourfatherenoughtobesensibleofit,thoughhedidnotthenvisitinCamdenPlacebuthisregardforMrElliotgavehimaninterestinwatchingallthatwasgoingonthere,andwhenMrElliotcametoBathforadayortwo,ashehappenedtodoalittlebeforeChristmas,ColonelWallismadehimacquaintedwiththeappearanceofthings,andthereportsbeginningtoprevail.Nowyouaretounderstand,thattimehadworkedaverymaterialchangeinMrElliot’sopinionsastothevalueofabaronetcy.Uponallpointsofbloodandconnexionheisacompletelyalteredman.Havinglonghadasmuchmoneyashecouldspend,nothingtowishforonthesideofavariceorindulgence,hehasbeengraduallylearningtopinhishappinessupontheconsequenceheisheirto.Ithoughtitcomingonbeforeouracquaintanceceased,butitisnowaconfirmedfeeling.HecannotbeartheideaofnotbeingSirWilliam.Youmayguess,therefore,thatthenewsheheardfromhisfriendcouldnotbeveryagreeable,andyoumayguesswhatitproducedtheresolutionofcomingbacktoBathassoonaspossible,andoffixinghimselfhereforatime,withtheviewofrenewinghisformeracquaintance,andrecoveringsuchafootinginthefamilyasmightgivehimthemeansofascertainingthedegreeofhisdanger,andofcircumventingtheladyifhefounditmaterial.ThiswasagreeduponbetweenthetwofriendsastheonlythingtobedoneandColonelWalliswastoassistineverywaythathecould.Hewastobeintroduced,andMrsWalliswastobeintroduced,andeverybodywastobeintroduced.MrElliotcamebackaccordinglyandonapplicationwasforgiven,asyouknow,andre-admittedintothefamilyandthereitwashisconstantobject,andhisonlyobject(tillyourarrivaladdedanothermotive),towatchSirWalterandMrsClay.Heomittednoopportunityofbeingwiththem,threwhimselfintheirway,calledatallhoursbutIneednotbeparticularonthissubject.Youcanimaginewhatanartfulmanwoulddoandwiththisguide,perhaps,mayrecollectwhatyouhaveseenhimdo.” “Yes,”saidAnne,“youtellmenothingwhichdoesnotaccordwithwhatIhaveknown,orcouldimagine.Thereisalwayssomethingoffensiveinthedetailsofcunning.Theman?uvresofselfishnessandduplicitymusteverberevolting,butIhaveheardnothingwhichreallysurprisesme.IknowthosewhowouldbeshockedbysucharepresentationofMrElliot,whowouldhavedifficultyinbelievingitbutIhaveneverbeensatisfied.Ihavealwayswantedsomeothermotiveforhisconductthanappeared.Ishouldliketoknowhispresentopinion,astotheprobabilityoftheeventhehasbeenindreadofwhetherheconsidersthedangertobelesseningornot.” “Lessening,Iunderstand,”repliedMrsSmith.“HethinksMrsClayafraidofhim,awarethatheseesthroughher,andnotdaringtoproceedasshemightdoinhisabsence.Butsincehemustbeabsentsometimeorother,Idonotperceivehowhecaneverbesecurewhilesheholdsherpresentinfluence.MrsWallishasanamusingidea,asnursetellsme,thatitistobeputintothemarriagearticleswhenyouandMrEllio