Speaker 1: Chapter twenty of Persuasion. This is a LibriVox recording. All
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Speaker 1: Elizabeth Klett. Persuasion by Jane Austen, Chapter twenty. Sir Walter,
Speaker 1: his two daughters, and Missus Clay were the earliest of
Speaker 1: all their party at the rooms in the evening, and
Speaker 1: as Lady Dalrymple must be waited for, they took their
Speaker 1: station by one of the fires in the octagon room.
Speaker 1: But hardly were they so settled when the door opened
Speaker 1: again and Captain Wentworth walked in alone. Anne was the
Speaker 1: nearest to him, and making yet a little advance, she
Speaker 1: instantly spoke. He was preparing only to bow and pass on,
Speaker 1: But her, gentle how do you do? Brought him out
Speaker 1: of the straight line to stand near her and make
Speaker 1: inquiries in return, In spite of the formidable father and
Speaker 1: sister in the background. There being in the background was
Speaker 1: a support to Anne. She knew nothing of their looks,
Speaker 1: and felt equal to everything which he believed right to
Speaker 1: be done. While they were speaking, a whispering between her
Speaker 1: father and Elizabeth caught her ear. She could not distinguish,
Speaker 1: but she must guess the subject, And on Captain Wentworth's,
Speaker 1: making a distant bow. She comprehended that her father had
Speaker 1: judged so well as to give him that simple acknowledgment
Speaker 1: of acquaintance, and she was just in time, by a
Speaker 1: side glance to see a slight curtsey from Elizabeth herself. This,
Speaker 1: though late and reluctant and ungracious, was yet better than nothing,
Speaker 1: and her spirits improved. After talking, however, of the weather,
Speaker 1: and bath and the concert, their conversation began to flag,
Speaker 1: and so little was said at last that she was
Speaker 1: expecting him to go every moment, but he did not.
Speaker 1: He seemed in no hurry to leave her, and presently,
Speaker 1: with renewed spirit, with a little smile, a little glow,
Speaker 1: he said, I have hardly seen you since our day
Speaker 1: at Lyme. I am afraid you must have suffered from
Speaker 1: the shock and them all from its not overpowering of
Speaker 1: the time. She assured him that she had not. It
Speaker 1: was a frightful hour, said he, a frightful day. And
Speaker 1: he passed his hand across his eyes, as if the
Speaker 1: remembrance were still too painful. But in a moment, half
Speaker 1: smiling again, added the day has produced some effects, however,
Speaker 1: has had some consequences which must be considered as the
Speaker 1: very reverse a frightful. When you had the presence of
Speaker 1: mind to suggest that Bennick would be the properest person
Speaker 1: to fetch a surgeon, you could have little idea of
Speaker 1: his being eventually one of those most concerned in her recovery.
Speaker 1: Certainly I could have none, But it appears I should
Speaker 1: hope it would be a very happy match. There are
Speaker 1: on both sides good principles and good temper, yes, said he,
Speaker 1: looking not exactly forward, But there I think ends the
Speaker 1: resemblance with all my soul. I wish them happy and
Speaker 1: rejoice over every circumstance in favor of it. They have
Speaker 1: no difficulties to contend with it, home, no opposition, no caprice,
Speaker 1: no delays. The Musgroves are behaving like themselves, most honorably
Speaker 1: and kindly, only anxious with true parental hearts to promote
Speaker 1: their daughter's comfort. All this is much very much in
Speaker 1: favor of their happiness. More than perhaps he stopped. A
Speaker 1: sudden recollection seemed to occur, and to give him some
Speaker 1: taste of that emotion, which was reddening Anne's cheeks and
Speaker 1: fixing her eyes on the ground. After clearing his throat, however,
Speaker 1: he proceeded thus, I confess that I do think there
Speaker 1: is a disparity, too great a disparity, and in a
Speaker 1: point no less essential than mind. I regard Louisa Musgrove
Speaker 1: as a very amiable, sweet tempered girl, and not deficient
Speaker 1: in understanding. But Benneck is something more. He is a
Speaker 1: clever man, a reading man, And I confess that I
Speaker 1: do consider his attaching himself to her with some surprise.
Speaker 1: Had it been the effect of gratitude, had he learnt
Speaker 1: to love her because he believed her to be preferring him,
Speaker 1: it would have been another thing. But I have no
Speaker 1: reason to suppose it. So it seems, on the contrary,
Speaker 1: to have been a perfectly spontaneous, untaught feeling on his side,
Speaker 1: And this surprises me. A man like him, in his situation,
Speaker 1: with a heart pierced, wounded, almost broken, Fanny Harville was
Speaker 1: a very superior creature, and his attachment to her was
Speaker 1: indeed attachment. A man does not recover from such devotion
Speaker 1: of the heart to such a woman. He ought not.
Speaker 1: He does not either from the consciousness, however, that his
Speaker 1: friend had recovered, or from other consciousness. He went no farther,
Speaker 1: and Anne, who, in spite of the agitated voice in
Speaker 1: which the latter part had been uttered, and in spite
Speaker 1: of all the various noises of the room, the almost
Speaker 1: ceaseless slam of the door and ceaseless buzz of persons
Speaker 1: walking through, had distinguished every word, was struck, gratified, confused,
Speaker 1: and beginning to breathe very quick, and fear an hundred
Speaker 1: things in a moment. It was impossible for her to
Speaker 1: enter on such a subject. And yet after a pause,
Speaker 1: feeling the necessity of speaking, and having not the smallest
Speaker 1: wish for total change, she only deviated so far as
Speaker 1: to say, you were a good wire. At Lime, I
Speaker 1: think about a fortnight. I could not leave it till
Speaker 1: Louisa's doing well was quite ascertained. I had been too
Speaker 1: deeply concerned in the mischief to be soon at peace.
Speaker 1: It had been my doing solely mine. She would not
Speaker 1: have been obstinate if I had not been weak. The
Speaker 1: country round Lime is very fine. I walked and rode
Speaker 1: a good deal, and the more I saw, the more
Speaker 1: I found to admire. I should very much like to
Speaker 1: see Lime again, said Anne. Indeed, I should not have
Speaker 1: supposed that you could have found anything in line to
Speaker 1: inspire such a feeling. The horror and distress you were
Speaker 1: involved in, the stretch of mind, the wear of spirits,
Speaker 1: I should have thought. Your last impressions of Lime must
Speaker 1: have been strong discussed. The last hours were certainly very painful,
Speaker 1: replied Anne. But when pain is over, the remembrance of
Speaker 1: it often becomes a pleasure. One does not love a
Speaker 1: place the less for having suffered in it, unless it
Speaker 1: has been all suffering, nothing but suffering, which was by
Speaker 1: no means the case of Lime. We were only in
Speaker 1: anxiety and distress during the last two hours, and previously
Speaker 1: there had been a great deal of enjoyment, so much
Speaker 1: novelty and beauty. I have traveled so little that every
Speaker 1: fresh place would be interesting to me. But there is
Speaker 1: real beauty in Lime, and in short with a faint
Speaker 1: blush at some recollections. Altogether, my impressions of the place
Speaker 1: are very agreeable. As she ceased, the entrance door opened again,
Speaker 1: and the very party appeared for whom they were waiting,
Speaker 1: Lady Dalrymple. Lady Dalrymple was the rejoicing sound, and with
Speaker 1: all the eagerness compatible with anxious elegance. Sir Walter and
Speaker 1: his two ladies stepped forward to meet her. Lady Dalrymple
Speaker 1: and Miss Carteret, escorted by mister Elliot and Colonel Wallace,
Speaker 1: who had happened to arrive nearly at the same instant,
Speaker 1: advanced into the room. The others joined them, and it
Speaker 1: was a group in which Anne found herself also necessarily included.
Speaker 1: She was divided from Captain Wentworth. Their interesting, almost too interesting,
Speaker 1: conversation must be broken up for a time, But slight
Speaker 1: was the penance compared with the happiness which brought it on.
Speaker 1: She had learnt in the last ten minutes more of
Speaker 1: his feelings towards Louisa, more of all his feelings than
Speaker 1: she had dared to think of, and she gave herself
Speaker 1: up to the demands of the party, to the needful
Speaker 1: civilities of the moment, with exquisite, though agitated sensations. She
Speaker 1: was in good humor withal. She had received ideas which
Speaker 1: disposed her to be courteous and kind to all, and
Speaker 1: to pity every one as being less happy than herself.
Speaker 1: The delightful emotions were a little subdued. When, on stepping
Speaker 1: back from the group to be joined again by Captain Wentworth,
Speaker 1: she saw that he was gone. She was just in
Speaker 1: time to see him turn into the concert room. He
Speaker 1: was gone, he had disappeared. She felt a moment's regret.
Speaker 1: But they should meet again. He would look for her,
Speaker 1: he would find her out before the evening were over,
Speaker 1: And at present perhaps it was as well to be
Speaker 1: asunder she was in need of a little interval for recollection.
Speaker 1: Upon Lady Russell's appearance soon afterwards, the whole party was collected,
Speaker 1: and all that remained was to marshal themselves and proceed
Speaker 1: into the concert room, and be of all the consequence
Speaker 1: in their power draw as many eyes, excite as many whispers,
Speaker 1: and disturb as many people as they could. Very very
Speaker 1: happy were both Elizabeth and Anne Elliot as they walked in. Elizabeth,
Speaker 1: arm in arm with Miss Carteret and looking on the
Speaker 1: broad back of the dowager viscountessdal Rymple before her, had
Speaker 1: nothing to wish for which did not seem within her reach.
Speaker 1: And Anne. But it would be an insult to the
Speaker 1: nature of Anne's felicity to draw any comparison between it,
Speaker 1: and her sisters, the origin of one, all selfish, vanity,
Speaker 1: of the other, all generous attachment. Anne saw nothing, thought
Speaker 1: nothing of the brilliancy of the room. Her happiness was
Speaker 1: from within. Her eyes were bright and her cheeks glowed,
Speaker 1: but she knew nothing about it. She was thinking only
Speaker 1: of the last half hour, and as they passed to
Speaker 1: their seats, her mind took a hasty range over it.
Speaker 1: His choice of subjects, his expressions, and still more, his
Speaker 1: manner and look had been such as she could see
Speaker 1: in only one light, his opinion of Louisa Musgrove's inferiority,
Speaker 1: an opinion which he had seemed solicitous to give his
Speaker 1: wonder at Captain Bennock, his feelings as to a first
Speaker 1: strong attachment. Sentences begun, which he could not finish. His
Speaker 1: half averted eyes and more than half expressive glance all
Speaker 1: all declared that he had a heart returning to her
Speaker 1: at least, that anger, resentment, avoidance were no more, and
Speaker 1: that they were succeeded not merely by friendship and regard,
Speaker 1: but by the tenderness of the past. Yes, some share
Speaker 1: of the tenderness of the past. She could not contemplate
Speaker 1: the change as implying less he must love her. These
Speaker 1: were thoughts, with their attendant visions, which occupied and flurried
Speaker 1: her too much to leave her any power of observation,
Speaker 1: and she passed along the room without having a glimpse
Speaker 1: of him, without even trying to discern him. When their
Speaker 1: places were determined on and they were all properly arranged,
Speaker 1: she looked round to see if he should happen to
Speaker 1: be in the same part of the room, but he
Speaker 1: was not. Her eye could not reach him, and the
Speaker 1: concert being just opening, she must consent for a time
Speaker 1: to be happy in a humbler way. The party was
Speaker 1: divided and disposed of on two contiguous benches. Anne was
Speaker 1: among those on the foremost, and mister Elliot had maneuvered
Speaker 1: so well with the assistance of his friend Colonel Wallace,
Speaker 1: as to have a seat by her. Miss Eliot surrounded
Speaker 1: by her cousins, and the principal object of Colonel Wallace's gallantry,
Speaker 1: was quite contented. Anne's mind was in a most favorable
Speaker 1: state for the entertainment of the evening. It was just
Speaker 1: occupation enough. She had feelings for the tender spirits, for
Speaker 1: the gay attention, for the scientific and patience for the wearisome,
Speaker 1: and had never liked a concert better, at least during
Speaker 1: the first act. Towards the close of it, in the
Speaker 1: interval succeeding an Italian song, she explained the words of
Speaker 1: the song to mister Elliot. They had a concert bill
Speaker 1: between them. This said, she is nearly the sense, or
Speaker 1: rather the meaning of the words. For certainly the sense
Speaker 1: of an Italian love song must not be talked of.
Speaker 1: But it is as nearly the meaning as I can give.
Speaker 1: For I do not pretend to understand the language. I
Speaker 1: am a very poor Italian scholar. Yes, yes, I see
Speaker 1: you are. I see you know nothing of the matter.
Speaker 1: You have only knowledge enough of the language to translate
Speaker 1: at sight these inverted, transposed, curtailed Italian lines into clear, comprehensible,
Speaker 1: elegant English. You need not see anything more of your ignorance.
Speaker 1: Here is complete proof. I will not oppose such kind politeness.
Speaker 1: But I should be sorry to be examined by a
Speaker 1: real profit. I have not had the pleasure of visiting
Speaker 1: in Camden Place so long, replied he, without knowing something
Speaker 1: of miss Anne Elliot, and I do regard her as
Speaker 1: one who is too modest for the world. In general
Speaker 1: to be aware of half her accomplishments, and too highly
Speaker 1: accomplished for modesty to be natural than any other woman.
Speaker 1: For shame, for shame, this is too much flattery. I
Speaker 1: forget what we are to have next. Turning to the bill, perhaps,
Speaker 1: said mister Eliot, speaking low, I have had a longer
Speaker 1: acquaintance with your character than you are aware of. Indeed,
Speaker 1: how so you can have been acquainted with it only
Speaker 1: since I came to Bath. Excepting, as you might hear
Speaker 1: me previously spoken of in my own family, I knew
Speaker 1: you by report long before you came to Bath. I
Speaker 1: had heard you described by those who knew you intimately.
Speaker 1: I have been acquainted with you by character many years.
Speaker 1: Your person, your disposition, accomplishment's manner, they were all present
Speaker 1: to me. Mister Elliot was not disappointed in the interest
Speaker 1: he hoped to raise. No one can withstand the charm
Speaker 1: of such a mystery, to have been described long ago
Speaker 1: to a recent acquaintance by nameless people is irresistible. And
Speaker 1: Anne was all curiosity, she wondered. She questioned him eagerly,
Speaker 1: but in vain. He delighted in being asked, but he
Speaker 1: would not tell no No. Some time or other, perhaps,
Speaker 1: but not now. He would mention no names now, but
Speaker 1: such he could assure her had been the fact he
Speaker 1: had many years ago received such a description of miss
Speaker 1: Anne Elliot as had inspired him with the highest idea
Speaker 1: of her merit and excited the warmest curiosity to know her.
Speaker 1: Anne could think of no one so likely to have
Speaker 1: spoken with partiality of her many years ago. As the
Speaker 1: mister Wentworth of Monkford, Captain Wentworth's brother, he might have
Speaker 1: been in mister Elliot's company, but she had not courage
Speaker 1: to ask the question the name of Anne, Elliot, said,
Speaker 1: he has long had an interesting sound to me, very
Speaker 1: long has it possessed charm over my fancy? And if
Speaker 1: I dared, I would breathe my wishes that the name
Speaker 1: might never change. Such she believed were his words. But
Speaker 1: scarcely had she received their sound than her attention was
Speaker 1: caught by other sounds immediately behind her, which rendered everything
Speaker 1: else trivial. Her father and Lady Dalrymple were speaking. A
Speaker 1: well looking man, said Sir Walter, A very well looking man,
Speaker 1: A very fine young man, indeed, said Lady Dalrymple, more
Speaker 1: air than one often sees in Bath, Irish I daresay no,
Speaker 1: I know just his name, A bowing acquaintance Wentworth, Captain
Speaker 1: Wentworth of the Navy. His sister married my tenant in Somersetshire,
Speaker 1: the croft who rents Kennynch. Before Sir Walter had reached
Speaker 1: this point, Anne's eyes had caught the right direction and
Speaker 1: distinguished Captain Wentworth standing among a cluster of men at
Speaker 1: a little distance. As her eyes fell on him, his
Speaker 1: seemed to be withdrawn from her. It had that appearance.
Speaker 1: It seemed as if she had been one moment too late,
Speaker 1: and as long as she dared observe, he did not
Speaker 1: look again. But the performance was recommencing, and she was
Speaker 1: forced to seem to restore her attention to the orchestra
Speaker 1: and look straight forward. When she could give another glance,
Speaker 1: he had moved away. He could not have come nearer
Speaker 1: to her if he would, she was so surrounded and
Speaker 1: shut in, But she would rather have caught his eye.
Speaker 1: Mister Elliot's speech too distressed her. She had no longer
Speaker 1: any inclination to talk to him. She wished him not
Speaker 1: so near her. The first act was over. Now she
Speaker 1: hoped for some beneficial change, and after a period of
Speaker 1: nothing saying amongst the party, some of them did decide
Speaker 1: on going in quest of Tea. Anne was one of
Speaker 1: the few who did not choose to move. She remained
Speaker 1: in her seat, and so did Lady Russell. But she
Speaker 1: had the pleasure of getting rid of mister Elliot, and
Speaker 1: she did not mean, whatever she might feel on Lady
Speaker 1: Russell's account, to shrink from conversation with Captain Wentworth if
Speaker 1: he gave her the opportunity. She was persuaded by Lady
Speaker 1: Russell's countenance that she had seen him. He did not come. However,
Speaker 1: Anne sometimes fancied she discerned him at a distance, but
Speaker 1: he never came. The anxious interval wore awigh unproductively. The
Speaker 1: others returned, the room filled again, benches were reclaimed and repossessed,
Speaker 1: and another hour of pleasure or of penance was to
Speaker 1: be set out. Another hour of music was to give
Speaker 1: delight or the gapes as real or affected taste. For
Speaker 1: it prevailed to Anne it chiefly wore the prospect of
Speaker 1: an hour of agitation. She could not quit that room
Speaker 1: in peace without seeing Captain Wentworth once more, without the
Speaker 1: interchange of one friendly look. In resettling themselves, there were
Speaker 1: now many changes, the result of which was favorable for her.
Speaker 1: Colonel Wallace declined sitting down again, and mister Elliot was
Speaker 1: invited by Elizabeth and Miss Carteret in a manner not
Speaker 1: to be refused, to sit between them. And by some
Speaker 1: other removals and a little scheming of her own, Anne
Speaker 1: was enabled to place herself much nearer the end of
Speaker 1: the bench than she had been before, much more within
Speaker 1: reach of a passer by. She could not do so
Speaker 1: without comparing herself with Miss La Rol, the inimitable Miss
Speaker 1: La Rol. But still she did it, and not with
Speaker 1: much happier effect, though by what seemed prosperity in the
Speaker 1: shape of an early abdication in her next neighbors. She
Speaker 1: found herself at the very end of the bench before
Speaker 1: the concert closed. Such was her situation, with a vacant
Speaker 1: space at hand. When Captain Wentworth was again in sight,
Speaker 1: she saw him not far off. He saw her too,
Speaker 1: Yet he looked grave and seemed irresolute, and only by
Speaker 1: very slow degrees, came at last near enough to speak
Speaker 1: to her. She felt that something must be the matter.
Speaker 1: The change was indubitable, the difference between his present air
Speaker 1: and what it had been in the octagon room was
Speaker 1: strikingly great? Why was it? She thought of her father
Speaker 1: of Lady Russell. Could there have been any unpleasant glances?
Speaker 1: He began by speaking of the concert gravely, more like
Speaker 1: the Captain Wentworth of Upper Cross, owned himself disappointed, had
Speaker 1: expected singing, and in short must confessed that he should
Speaker 1: not be sorry when it was over. Anne replied and
Speaker 1: spoke in defense of the performance, so well and yet
Speaker 1: in allowance for his feelings, so pleasantly that his countenance improved,
Speaker 1: and he replied again with almost a smile. They talked
Speaker 1: for a few minutes more. The improvement held. He even
Speaker 1: looked down towards the bench as if he saw a
Speaker 1: place on it well worth occupying. When at that moment,
Speaker 1: atash on her shoulder obliged Anne to turn round. It
Speaker 1: came from mister Elliot. He begged her pardon, but she
Speaker 1: must be applied to to explain Italian again. Miss Carteret
Speaker 1: was very anxious to have a general idea of what
Speaker 1: was next to be sung. Anne could not refuse, but
Speaker 1: never had she sacrificed to politeness with a more suffering spirit.
Speaker 1: A few minutes, though as few as possible, were inevitably consumed,
Speaker 1: and when her own mistress again, when able to turn
Speaker 1: and look, as she had done before, she found herself
Speaker 1: accosted by Captain Wentworth in a reserved yet hurried sort
Speaker 1: of farewell. He must wish her good night. He was
Speaker 1: going he should get home as fast as he could.
Speaker 1: Is not this song worthstainful? Said Anne, suddenly struck by
Speaker 1: an idea which made her yet more anxious to be encouraging. No,
Speaker 1: he replied impressively, there is nothing worth my staying for,
Speaker 1: and he was gone directly. Jealousy of mister Elliot it
Speaker 1: was the only intelligible motive Captain Wentworth jealous of her affection?
Speaker 1: Could she have believed it a week ago, three hours ago?
Speaker 1: For a moment, the gratification was exquisite, But alas, there
Speaker 1: were very different thoughts to succeed. How were such jealousy
Speaker 1: to be quieted? How was the truth to reach him?
Speaker 1: How in all the peculiar disadvantages of their respective situations
Speaker 1: would he ever learn of her real sentiments? It was
Speaker 1: misery to think of mister Elliot's attentions. Their evil was incalculable.
Speaker 1: End of Chapter twenty