Persuasion

Chapter 12

Anne and Henrietta, finding themselves the earliest of the party thenext morning, agreed to stroll down to the sea before breakfast. Theywent to the sands, to watch the flowing of the tide, which a finesouth-easterly breeze was bringing in with all the grandeur which soflat a shore admitted. They praised the morning; gloried in the sea;sympathized in the delight of the fresh-feeling breeze--and weresilent; till Henrietta suddenly began again with--

”Oh! yes,--I am quite convinced that, with very few exceptions, thesea-air always does good. There can be no doubt of its having been ofthe greatest service to Dr Shirley, after his illness, last springtwelve-month. He declares himself, that coming to Lyme for a month,did him more good than all the medicine he took; and, that being by thesea, always makes him feel young again. Now, I cannot help thinking ita pity that he does not live entirely by the sea. I do think he hadbetter leave Uppercross entirely, and fix at Lyme. Do not you, Anne?Do not you agree with me, that it is the best thing he could do, bothfor himself and Mrs Shirley? She has cousins here, you know, and manyacquaintance, which would make it cheerful for her, and I am sure shewould be glad to get to a place where she could have medical attendanceat hand, in case of his having another seizure. Indeed I think itquite melancholy to have such excellent people as Dr and Mrs Shirley,who have been doing good all their lives, wearing out their last daysin a place like Uppercross, where, excepting our family, they seem shutout from all the world. I wish his friends would propose it to him. Ireally think they ought. And, as to procuring a dispensation, therecould be no difficulty at his time of life, and with his character. Myonly doubt is, whether anything could persuade him to leave his parish.He is so very strict and scrupulous in his notions; over-scrupulous Imust say. Do not you think, Anne, it is being over-scrupulous? Do notyou think it is quite a mistaken point of conscience, when a clergymansacrifices his health for the sake of duties, which may be just as wellperformed by another person? And at Lyme too, only seventeen milesoff, he would be near enough to hear, if people thought there wasanything to complain of.”

Anne smiled more than once to herself during this speech, and enteredinto the subject, as ready to do good by entering into the feelings ofa young lady as of a young man, though here it was good of a lowerstandard, for what could be offered but general acquiescence? She saidall that was reasonable and proper on the business; felt the claims ofDr Shirley to repose as she ought; saw how very desirable it was thathe should have some active, respectable young man, as a residentcurate, and was even courteous enough to hint at the advantage of suchresident curate's being married.

”I wish,” said Henrietta, very well pleased with her companion, ”I wishLady Russell lived at Uppercross, and were intimate with Dr Shirley. Ihave always heard of Lady Russell as a woman of the greatest influencewith everybody! I always look upon her as able to persuade a person toanything! I am afraid of her, as I have told you before, quite afraidof her, because she is so very clever; but I respect her amazingly, andwish we had such a neighbour at Uppercross.”

Anne was amused by Henrietta's manner of being grateful, and amusedalso that the course of events and the new interests of Henrietta'sviews should have placed her friend at all in favour with any of theMusgrove family; she had only time, however, for a general answer, anda wish that such another woman were at Uppercross, before all subjectssuddenly ceased, on seeing Louisa and Captain Wentworth coming towardsthem. They came also for a stroll till breakfast was likely to beready; but Louisa recollecting, immediately afterwards that she hadsomething to procure at a shop, invited them all to go back with herinto the town. They were all at her disposal.

When they came to the steps, leading upwards from the beach, agentleman, at the same moment preparing to come down, politely drewback, and stopped to give them way. They ascended and passed him; andas they passed, Anne's face caught his eye, and he looked at her with adegree of earnest admiration, which she could not be insensible of.She was looking remarkably well; her very regular, very prettyfeatures, having the bloom and freshness of youth restored by the finewind which had been blowing on her complexion, and by the animation ofeye which it had also produced. It was evident that the gentleman,(completely a gentleman in manner) admired her exceedingly. CaptainWentworth looked round at her instantly in a way which shewed hisnoticing of it. He gave her a momentary glance, a glance ofbrightness, which seemed to say, ”That man is struck with you, and evenI, at this moment, see something like Anne Elliot again.”

After attending Louisa through her business, and loitering about alittle longer, they returned to the inn; and Anne, in passingafterwards quickly from her own chamber to their dining-room, hadnearly run against the very same gentleman, as he came out of anadjoining apartment. She had before conjectured him to be a strangerlike themselves, and determined that a well-looking groom, who wasstrolling about near the two inns as they came back, should be hisservant. Both master and man being in mourning assisted the idea. Itwas now proved that he belonged to the same inn as themselves; and thissecond meeting, short as it was, also proved again by the gentleman'slooks, that he thought hers very lovely, and by the readiness andpropriety of his apologies, that he was a man of exceedingly goodmanners. He seemed about thirty, and though not handsome, had anagreeable person. Anne felt that she should like to know who he was.

They had nearly done breakfast, when the sound of a carriage, (almostthe first they had heard since entering Lyme) drew half the party tothe window. It was a gentleman's carriage, a curricle, but only cominground from the stable-yard to the front door; somebody must be goingaway. It was driven by a servant in mourning.

The word curricle made Charles Musgrove jump up that he might compareit with his own; the servant in mourning roused Anne's curiosity, andthe whole six were collected to look, by the time the owner of thecurricle was to be seen issuing from the door amidst the bows andcivilities of the household, and taking his seat, to drive off.

”Ah!” cried Captain Wentworth, instantly, and with half a glance atAnne, ”it is the very man we passed.”

The Miss Musgroves agreed to it; and having all kindly watched him asfar up the hill as they could, they returned to the breakfast table.The waiter came into the room soon afterwards.

”Pray,” said Captain Wentworth, immediately, ”can you tell us the nameof the gentleman who is just gone away?”

”Yes, Sir, a Mr Elliot, a gentleman of large fortune, came in lastnight from Sidmouth. Dare say you heard the carriage, sir, while youwere at dinner; and going on now for Crewkherne, in his way to Bath andLondon.”

”Elliot!” Many had looked on each other, and many had repeated thename, before all this had been got through, even by the smart rapidityof a waiter.

”Bless me!” cried Mary; ”it must be our cousin; it must be our MrElliot, it must, indeed! Charles, Anne, must not it? In mourning, yousee, just as our Mr Elliot must be. How very extraordinary! In thevery same inn with us! Anne, must not it be our Mr Elliot? myfather's next heir? Pray sir,” turning to the waiter, ”did not youhear, did not his servant say whether he belonged to the Kellynchfamily?”

”No, ma'am, he did not mention no particular family; but he said hismaster was a very rich gentleman, and would be a baronight some day.”

”There! you see!” cried Mary in an ecstasy, ”just as I said! Heir toSir Walter Elliot! I was sure that would come out, if it was so.Depend upon it, that is a circumstance which his servants take care topublish, wherever he goes. But, Anne, only conceive how extraordinary!I wish I had looked at him more. I wish we had been aware in time, whoit was, that he might have been introduced to us. What a pity that weshould not have been introduced to each other! Do you think he had theElliot countenance? I hardly looked at him, I was looking at thehorses; but I think he had something of the Elliot countenance, Iwonder the arms did not strike me! Oh! the great-coat was hanging overthe panel, and hid the arms, so it did; otherwise, I am sure, I shouldhave observed them, and the livery too; if the servant had not been inmourning, one should have known him by the livery.”

”Putting all these very extraordinary circumstances together,” saidCaptain Wentworth, ”we must consider it to be the arrangement ofProvidence, that you should not be introduced to your cousin.”

When she could command Mary's attention, Anne quietly tried to convinceher that their father and Mr Elliot had not, for many years, been onsuch terms as to make the power of attempting an introduction at alldesirable.

At the same time, however, it was a secret gratification to herself tohave seen her cousin, and to know that the future owner of Kellynch wasundoubtedly a gentleman, and had an air of good sense. She would not,upon any account, mention her having met with him the second time;luckily Mary did not much attend to their having passed close by him intheir earlier walk, but she would have felt quite ill-used by Anne'shaving actually run against him in the passage, and received his verypolite excuses, while she had never been near him at all; no, thatcousinly little interview must remain a perfect secret.

”Of course,” said Mary, ”you will mention our seeing Mr Elliot, thenext time you write to Bath. I think my father certainly ought to hearof it; do mention all about him.”

Anne avoided a direct reply, but it was just the circumstance which sheconsidered as not merely unnecessary to be communicated, but as whatought to be suppressed. The offence which had been given her father,many years back, she knew; Elizabeth's particular share in it shesuspected; and that Mr Elliot's idea always produced irritation in bothwas beyond a doubt. Mary never wrote to Bath herself; all the toil ofkeeping up a slow and unsatisfactory correspondence with Elizabeth fellon Anne.

Breakfast had not been long over, when they were joined by Captain andMrs Harville and Captain Benwick; with whom they had appointed to taketheir last walk about Lyme. They ought to be setting off forUppercross by one, and in the meanwhile were to be all together, andout of doors as long as they could.

Anne found Captain Benwick getting near her, as soon as they were allfairly in the street. Their conversation the preceding evening did notdisincline him to seek her again; and they walked together some time,talking as before of Mr Scott and Lord Byron, and still as unable asbefore, and as unable as any other two readers, to think exactly alikeof the merits of either, till something occasioned an almost generalchange amongst their party, and instead of Captain Benwick, she hadCaptain Harville by her side.

”Miss Elliot,” said he, speaking rather low, ”you have done a good deedin making that poor fellow talk so much. I wish he could have suchcompany oftener. It is bad for him, I know, to be shut up as he is;but what can we do? We cannot part.”

”No,” said Anne, ”that I can easily believe to be impossible; but intime, perhaps--we know what time does in every case of affliction, andyou must remember, Captain Harville, that your friend may yet be calleda young mourner--only last summer, I understand.”

”Ay, true enough,” (with a deep sigh) ”only June.”

”And not known to him, perhaps, so soon.”

”Not till the first week of August, when he came home from the Cape,just made into the Grappler. I was at Plymouth dreading to hear ofhim; he sent in letters, but the Grappler was under orders forPortsmouth. There the news must follow him, but who was to tell it?not I. I would as soon have been run up to the yard-arm. Nobody coulddo it, but that good fellow” (pointing to Captain Wentworth.) ”TheLaconia had come into Plymouth the week before; no danger of her beingsent to sea again. He stood his chance for the rest; wrote up forleave of absence, but without waiting the return, travelled night andday till he got to Portsmouth, rowed off to the Grappler that instant,and never left the poor fellow for a week. That's what he did, andnobody else could have saved poor James. You may think, Miss Elliot,whether he is dear to us!”

Anne did think on the question with perfect decision, and said as muchin reply as her own feeling could accomplish, or as his seemed able tobear, for he was too much affected to renew the subject, and when hespoke again, it was of something totally different.

Mrs Harville's giving it as her opinion that her husband would havequite walking enough by the time he reached home, determined thedirection of all the party in what was to be their last walk; theywould accompany them to their door, and then return and set offthemselves. By all their calculations there was just time for this;but as they drew near the Cobb, there was such a general wish to walkalong it once more, all were so inclined, and Louisa soon grew sodetermined, that the difference of a quarter of an hour, it was found,would be no difference at all; so with all the kind leave-taking, andall the kind interchange of invitations and promises which may beimagined, they parted from Captain and Mrs Harville at their own door,and still accompanied by Captain Benwick, who seemed to cling to themto the last, proceeded to make the proper adieus to the Cobb.

Anne found Captain Benwick again drawing near her. Lord Byron's ”darkblue seas” could not fail of being brought forward by their presentview, and she gladly gave him all her attention as long as attentionwas possible. It was soon drawn, perforce another way.

There was too much wind to make the high part of the new Cobb pleasantfor the ladies, and they agreed to get down the steps to the lower, andall were contented to pass quietly and carefully down the steep flight,excepting Louisa; she must be jumped down them by Captain Wentworth.In all their walks, he had had to jump her from the stiles; thesensation was delightful to her. The hardness of the pavement for herfeet, made him less willing upon the present occasion; he did it,however. She was safely down, and instantly, to show her enjoyment,ran up the steps to be jumped down again. He advised her against it,thought the jar too great; but no, he reasoned and talked in vain, shesmiled and said, ”I am determined I will:” he put out his hands; shewas too precipitate by half a second, she fell on the pavement on theLower Cobb, and was taken up lifeless! There was no wound, no blood,no visible bruise; but her eyes were closed, she breathed not, her facewas like death. The horror of the moment to all who stood around!

Captain Wentworth, who had caught her up, knelt with her in his arms,looking on her with a face as pallid as her own, in an agony ofsilence. ”She is dead! she is dead!” screamed Mary, catching hold ofher husband, and contributing with his own horror to make himimmoveable; and in another moment, Henrietta, sinking under theconviction, lost her senses too, and would have fallen on the steps,but for Captain Benwick and Anne, who caught and supported her betweenthem.

”Is there no one to help me?” were the first words which burst fromCaptain Wentworth, in a tone of despair, and as if all his own strengthwere gone.

”Go to him, go to him,” cried Anne, ”for heaven's sake go to him. Ican support her myself. Leave me, and go to him. Rub her hands, rubher temples; here are salts; take them, take them.”

Captain Benwick obeyed, and Charles at the same moment, disengaginghimself from his wife, they were both with him; and Louisa was raisedup and supported more firmly between them, and everything was done thatAnne had prompted, but in vain; while Captain Wentworth, staggeringagainst the wall for his support, exclaimed in the bitterest agony--

”Oh God! her father and mother!”

”A surgeon!” said Anne.

He caught the word; it seemed to rouse him at once, and saying only--”True, true, a surgeon this instant,” was darting away, when Anneeagerly suggested--

”Captain Benwick, would not it be better for Captain Benwick? He knowswhere a surgeon is to be found.”

Every one capable of thinking felt the advantage of the idea, and in amoment (it was all done in rapid moments) Captain Benwick had resignedthe poor corpse-like figure entirely to the brother's care, and wasoff for the town with the utmost rapidity.

As to the wretched party left behind, it could scarcely be said whichof the three, who were completely rational, was suffering most: CaptainWentworth, Anne, or Charles, who, really a very affectionate brother,hung over Louisa with sobs of grief, and could only turn his eyes fromone sister, to see the other in a state as insensible, or to witnessthe hysterical agitations of his wife, calling on him for help which hecould not give.

Anne, attending with all the strength and zeal, and thought, whichinstinct supplied, to Henrietta, still tried, at intervals, to suggestcomfort to the others, tried to quiet Mary, to animate Charles, toassuage the feelings of Captain Wentworth. Both seemed to look to herfor directions.

”Anne, Anne,” cried Charles, ”What is to be done next? What, inheaven's name, is to be done next?”

Captain Wentworth's eyes were also turned towards her.

”Had not she better be carried to the inn? Yes, I am sure: carry hergently to the inn.”

”Yes, yes, to the inn,” repeated Captain Wentworth, comparativelycollected, and eager to be doing something. ”I will carry her myself.Musgrove, take care of the others.”

By this time the report of the accident had spread among the workmenand boatmen about the Cobb, and many were collected near them, to beuseful if wanted, at any rate, to enjoy the sight of a dead young lady,nay, two dead young ladies, for it proved twice as fine as the firstreport. To some of the best-looking of these good people Henrietta wasconsigned, for, though partially revived, she was quite helpless; andin this manner, Anne walking by her side, and Charles attending to hiswife, they set forward, treading back with feelings unutterable, theground, which so lately, so very lately, and so light of heart, theyhad passed along.

They were not off the Cobb, before the Harvilles met them. CaptainBenwick had been seen flying by their house, with a countenance whichshowed something to be wrong; and they had set off immediately,informed and directed as they passed, towards the spot. Shocked asCaptain Harville was, he brought senses and nerves that could beinstantly useful; and a look between him and his wife decided what wasto be done. She must be taken to their house; all must go to theirhouse; and await the surgeon's arrival there. They would not listen toscruples: he was obeyed; they were all beneath his roof; and whileLouisa, under Mrs Harville's direction, was conveyed up stairs, andgiven possession of her own bed, assistance, cordials, restorativeswere supplied by her husband to all who needed them.

Louisa had once opened her eyes, but soon closed them again, withoutapparent consciousness. This had been a proof of life, however, ofservice to her sister; and Henrietta, though perfectly incapable ofbeing in the same room with Louisa, was kept, by the agitation of hopeand fear, from a return of her own insensibility. Mary, too, wasgrowing calmer.

The surgeon was with them almost before it had seemed possible. Theywere sick with horror, while he examined; but he was not hopeless. Thehead had received a severe contusion, but he had seen greater injuriesrecovered from: he was by no means hopeless; he spoke cheerfully.

That he did not regard it as a desperate case, that he did not say afew hours must end it, was at first felt, beyond the hope of most; andthe ecstasy of such a reprieve, the rejoicing, deep and silent, after afew fervent ejaculations of gratitude to Heaven had been offered, maybe conceived.

The tone, the look, with which ”Thank God!” was uttered by CaptainWentworth, Anne was sure could never be forgotten by her; nor the sightof him afterwards, as he sat near a table, leaning over it with foldedarms and face concealed, as if overpowered by the various feelings ofhis soul, and trying by prayer and reflection to calm them.

Louisa's limbs had escaped. There was no injury but to the head.

It now became necessary for the party to consider what was best to bedone, as to their general situation. They were now able to speak toeach other and consult. That Louisa must remain where she was, howeverdistressing to her friends to be involving the Harvilles in suchtrouble, did not admit a doubt. Her removal was impossible. TheHarvilles silenced all scruples; and, as much as they could, allgratitude. They had looked forward and arranged everything before theothers began to reflect. Captain Benwick must give up his room tothem, and get another bed elsewhere; and the whole was settled. Theywere only concerned that the house could accommodate no more; and yetperhaps, by ”putting the children away in the maid's room, or swinginga cot somewhere,” they could hardly bear to think of not finding roomfor two or three besides, supposing they might wish to stay; though,with regard to any attendance on Miss Musgrove, there need not be theleast uneasiness in leaving her to Mrs Harville's care entirely. MrsHarville was a very experienced nurse, and her nursery-maid, who hadlived with her long, and gone about with her everywhere, was just suchanother. Between these two, she could want no possible attendance byday or night. And all this was said with a truth and sincerity offeeling irresistible.

Charles, Henrietta, and Captain Wentworth were the three inconsultation, and for a little while it was only an interchange ofperplexity and terror. ”Uppercross, the necessity of some one's goingto Uppercross; the news to be conveyed; how it could be broken to Mrand Mrs Musgrove; the lateness of the morning; an hour already gonesince they ought to have been off; the impossibility of being intolerable time.” At first, they were capable of nothing more to thepurpose than such exclamations; but, after a while, Captain Wentworth,exerting himself, said--

”We must be decided, and without the loss of another minute. Everyminute is valuable. Some one must resolve on being off for Uppercrossinstantly. Musgrove, either you or I must go.”

Charles agreed, but declared his resolution of not going away. Hewould be as little incumbrance as possible to Captain and Mrs Harville;but as to leaving his sister in such a state, he neither ought, norwould. So far it was decided; and Henrietta at first declared thesame. She, however, was soon persuaded to think differently. Theusefulness of her staying! She who had not been able to remain inLouisa's room, or to look at her, without sufferings which made herworse than helpless! She was forced to acknowledge that she could dono good, yet was still unwilling to be away, till, touched by thethought of her father and mother, she gave it up; she consented, shewas anxious to be at home.

The plan had reached this point, when Anne, coming quietly down fromLouisa's room, could not but hear what followed, for the parlour doorwas open.

”Then it is settled, Musgrove,” cried Captain Wentworth, ”that youstay, and that I take care of your sister home. But as to the rest, asto the others, if one stays to assist Mrs Harville, I think it need beonly one. Mrs Charles Musgrove will, of course, wish to get back toher children; but if Anne will stay, no one so proper, so capable asAnne.”

She paused a moment to recover from the emotion of hearing herself sospoken of. The other two warmly agreed with what he said, and she thenappeared.

”You will stay, I am sure; you will stay and nurse her;” cried he,turning to her and speaking with a glow, and yet a gentleness, whichseemed almost restoring the past. She coloured deeply, and herecollected himself and moved away. She expressed herself mostwilling, ready, happy to remain. ”It was what she had been thinkingof, and wishing to be allowed to do. A bed on the floor in Louisa'sroom would be sufficient for her, if Mrs Harville would but think so.”

One thing more, and all seemed arranged. Though it was ratherdesirable that Mr and Mrs Musgrove should be previously alarmed by someshare of delay; yet the time required by the Uppercross horses to takethem back, would be a dreadful extension of suspense; and CaptainWentworth proposed, and Charles Musgrove agreed, that it would be muchbetter for him to take a chaise from the inn, and leave Mr Musgrove'scarriage and horses to be sent home the next morning early, when therewould be the farther advantage of sending an account of Louisa's night.

Captain Wentworth now hurried off to get everything ready on his part,and to be soon followed by the two ladies. When the plan was madeknown to Mary, however, there was an end of all peace in it. She wasso wretched and so vehement, complained so much of injustice in beingexpected to go away instead of Anne; Anne, who was nothing to Louisa,while she was her sister, and had the best right to stay in Henrietta'sstead! Why was not she to be as useful as Anne? And to go homewithout Charles, too, without her husband! No, it was too unkind. Andin short, she said more than her husband could long withstand, and asnone of the others could oppose when he gave way, there was no help forit; the change of Mary for Anne was inevitable.

Anne had never submitted more reluctantly to the jealous andill-judging claims of Mary; but so it must be, and they set off for thetown, Charles taking care of his sister, and Captain Benwick attendingto her. She gave a moment's recollection, as they hurried along, tothe little circumstances which the same spots had witnessed earlier inthe morning. There she had listened to Henrietta's schemes for DrShirley's leaving Uppercross; farther on, she had first seen Mr Elliot;a moment seemed all that could now be given to any one but Louisa, orthose who were wrapt up in her welfare.

Captain Benwick was most considerately attentive to her; and, united asthey all seemed by the distress of the day, she felt an increasingdegree of good-will towards him, and a pleasure even in thinking thatit might, perhaps, be the occasion of continuing their acquaintance.

Captain Wentworth was on the watch for them, and a chaise and four inwaiting, stationed for their convenience in the lowest part of thestreet; but his evident surprise and vexation at the substitution ofone sister for the other, the change in his countenance, theastonishment, the expressions begun and suppressed, with which Charleswas listened to, made but a mortifying reception of Anne; or must atleast convince her that she was valued only as she could be useful toLouisa.

She endeavoured to be composed, and to be just. Without emulating thefeelings of an Emma towards her Henry, she would have attended onLouisa with a zeal above the common claims of regard, for his sake; andshe hoped he would not long be so unjust as to suppose she would shrinkunnecessarily from the office of a friend.

In the meanwhile she was in the carriage. He had handed them both in,and placed himself between them; and in this manner, under thesecircumstances, full of astonishment and emotion to Anne, she quittedLyme. How the long stage would pass; how it was to affect theirmanners; what was to be their sort of intercourse, she could notforesee. It was all quite natural, however. He was devoted toHenrietta; always turning towards her; and when he spoke at all, alwayswith the view of supporting her hopes and raising her spirits. Ingeneral, his voice and manner were studiously calm. To spare Henriettafrom agitation seemed the governing principle. Once only, when she hadbeen grieving over the last ill-judged, ill-fated walk to the Cobb,bitterly lamenting that it ever had been thought of, he burst forth, asif wholly overcome--

”Don't talk of it, don't talk of it,” he cried. ”Oh God! that I hadnot given way to her at the fatal moment! Had I done as I ought! Butso eager and so resolute! Dear, sweet Louisa!”

Anne wondered whether it ever occurred to him now, to question thejustness of his own previous opinion as to the universal felicity andadvantage of firmness of character; and whether it might not strike himthat, like all other qualities of the mind, it should have itsproportions and limits. She thought it could scarcely escape him tofeel that a persuadable temper might sometimes be as much in favour ofhappiness as a very resolute character.

They got on fast. Anne was astonished to recognise the same hills andthe same objects so soon. Their actual speed, heightened by some dreadof the conclusion, made the road appear but half as long as on the daybefore. It was growing quite dusk, however, before they were in theneighbourhood of Uppercross, and there had been total silence amongthem for some time, Henrietta leaning back in the corner, with a shawlover her face, giving the hope of her having cried herself to sleep;when, as they were going up their last hill, Anne found herself all atonce addressed by Captain Wentworth. In a low, cautious voice, hesaid:--

”I have been considering what we had best do. She must not appear atfirst. She could not stand it. I have been thinking whether you hadnot better remain in the carriage with her, while I go in and break itto Mr and Mrs Musgrove. Do you think this is a good plan?”

She did: he was satisfied, and said no more. But the remembrance ofthe appeal remained a pleasure to her, as a proof of friendship, and ofdeference for her judgement, a great pleasure; and when it became asort of parting proof, its value did not lessen.

When the distressing communication at Uppercross was over, and he hadseen the father and mother quite as composed as could be hoped, and thedaughter all the better for being with them, he announced his intentionof returning in the same carriage to Lyme; and when the horses werebaited, he was off.

(End of volume one.)