Having run his eye over the letter, he shook his head and began -: 'No chance of seeing them at Sanditon I am sorry to say. - A very indifferent account of them indeed. Seriously, a very indifferent account. - Mary, you will be quite sorry to hear how ill they have been and are. - Miss Heywood, if you will give me leave, I will read Miss Diana's letter aloud. - I like to have my friends acquainted with each other - and I am afraid this is the only sort of acquaintance I shall have the means of accomplishing between you. - And I can have no scruple on Diana's account - for her letters show her exactly as she is, the most active, friendly, warmhearted being in existence, and therefore must give a good impression.'
He read. - 'My dear Tom, we were all much grieved at your accident, and if you had not described yourself as fallen into such very good hands, I should have been with you at all hazards the day after the receipt of your letter, though it found me suffering under a more severe attack than usual of my old grievance, spasmodic bile and hardly able to crawl from my bed to the sofa. - But how were you treated? - Send me more particulars in your next. - If indeed a simple sprain, as you denominate it, nothing would have been so judicious as friction, friction by the hand alone, supposing it could be applied instantly. - Two years ago I happened to be calling on Mrs Sheldon when her coachman sprained his foot as he was cleaning the carriage and could hardly limp into the house - but by the immediate use of friction alone steadily persevered in, (and I rubbed his ankle with my own hand for six hours without intermission) - he was well in three days. - Many thanks my dear Tom, for the kindness with respect to us, which had so large a share in bringing on your accident - But pray never run into peril again, in looking for an apothecary on our account, for had you the most experienced man in his line settled at Sanditon, it would be no recommendation to us. We have entirely done with the whole medical tribe. We have consulted physician after physician in vain, till we are quite convinced that they can do nothing for us and that we must trust to our own knowledge of our own wretched constitutions for any relief. - But if you think it advisable for the interest of the place, to get a medical man there, I will undertake the commission with pleasure, and have no doubt of succeeding. - I could soon put the necessary irons in the fire. - As for getting to Sanditon myself, it is quite an impossibility. I grieve to say that I dare not attempt it, but my feelings tell me too plainly that in my present state, the sea air would probably be the death of me. - And neither of my dear companions will leave me, or I would promote their going down to you for a fortnight. But in truth, I doubt whether Susan's nerves would be equal to the effort. She has been suffering much from the headache and six leeches20 a day for ten days together relieved her so little that we thought it right to change our measures - and being convinced on examination that much of the evil lay in her gum, I persuaded her to attack the disorder there. She has accordingly had three teeth drawn, and is decidedly better, but her nerves are a good deal deranged. She can only speak in a whisper - and fainted away twice this morning on poor Arthur's trying to suppress a cough. He, I am happy to say is tolerably well - though more languid than I like - and I fear for his liver. - I have heard nothing of Sidney since your being together in town, but conclude his scheme to the Isle of Wight has not taken place, or we should have seen him in his way. - Most sincerely do we wish you a good season at Sanditon, and though we cannot contribute to your Beau Monde in person, we are doing our utmost to send you company worth having; and think we may safely reckon on securing you two large families, one a rich West Indian21 from Surrey, the other, a most respectable girls' boarding school, or academy, from Camberwell. - I will not tell you how many people I have employed in the business - Wheel within wheel. - But success more than repays. - Yours most affectionately. -'
'Well -' said Mr Parker as he finished. 'Though I dare say Sidney might find something extremely entertaining in this letter and make us laugh for half an hour together I declare I by myself, can see nothing in it but either what is very pitiable or very creditable. - With all their sufferings, you perceive how much they are occupied in promoting the good of others! - So anxious for Sanditon! Two large families - one, for Prospect House probably, the other, for Number 2, Denham Place - or the end house of the Tenace, - and extra beds at the hotel. - I told you my sisters were excellent women, Miss Heywood.'
'And I am sure they must be very extraordinary ones.' - said Charlotte. 'I am astonished at the cheerful style of the letter, considering the state in which both sisters appear to be. - Three teeth drawn at once! - frightful! - Your sister Diana seems almost as ill as possible, but those three teeth of your sister Susan's, are more distressing than all the rest. -'
'Oh! - they are so used to the operation - to every operation - and have such fortitude! -'
'Your sisters know what they are about, I dare say, but their measures seem to touch on extremes. - I feel that in any illness, I should be so anxious for professional advice, so very little venturesome for myself, or anybody I loved! - But then, we have been so healthy a family, that I can be no judge of what the habit of self-doctoring may do. -'
'Why to own the truth,' said Mrs Parker 'I do think the Miss Parkers carry it too far sometimes - and so do you my love, you know. - You often think they would be better, if they would leave themselves more alone - and especially Arthur. I know you think it a great pity they should give him such a turn for being ill. -'
'Well, well - my dear Mary - I grant you, it is unfortunate for poor Arthur, that, at his time of life he should be encouraged to give way to indisposition. It is bad; - it is bad that he should be fancying himself too sickly for any profession - and sit down at one and twenty,22 on the interest of his own little fortune, without any idea of attempting to improve it, or of engaging in any occupation that may be of use to himself or others. - But let us talk of pleasanter things. - These two large families are just what we wanted - But - here is something at hand, pleasanter still - Morgan, with his "Dinner on table".'
CHAPTER 6
The party were very soon moving after dinner. Mr Parker could not be satisfied without an early visit to the library, and the library subscription book, and Charlotte was glad to see as much, and as quickly as possible, where all was new. They were out in the very quietest part of a watering-place day, when the important business of dinner or of sitting after dinner was going on in almost every inhabited lodging; - here and there a solitary elderly man might be seen, who was forced to move early and walk for health - but in general, it was a thorough pause of company, it was emptiness and tranquillity on the Terrace, the cliffs, and the sands.
The shops were deserted - the straw hats and pendant lace seemed left to their fate both within the house and without, and Mrs Whitby at the library was sitting in her inner room, reading one of her own novels, for want of employment. - The list of subscribers was but commonplace. The Lady Denham, Miss Brereton, Mr and Mrs Parker, Sir Edward Denham and Miss Denham, whose names might be said to lead off the season, were followed by nothing better than - Mrs Mathews - Miss Mathews, Miss E. Mathews, Miss H. Mathews. - Dr and Mrs Brown. - Mr Richard Pratt - Lieutenant Smith R.N., Captain Little, - Limehouse. - Mrs Jane Fisher. Miss Fisher, Miss Scroggs. - Rev. Mr Hanking. Mr Beard - solicitor, Grays Inn. - Mrs Davis and Miss Merry-weather.
Mr Parker could not but feel that the list was not only without distinction, but less numerous than he had hoped. It was but July however, and August and September were the months; - and besides, the promised large families from Surrey and Camberwell, were an ever-ready consolation.
Mrs Whitby came forward without delay from her literary recess, delighted to see Mr Parker again, whose manners recommended him to everybody, and they were fully occupied in their various civilities and the communications, while Charlotte having added her name to the list as the first offering to the success of the season, was busy in some immediate purchases for the further good of everybody, as soon as Miss Whitby could be hurried down from her toilette, with all her glossy curls and smart trinke
ts23 to wait on her.
The library of course, afforded every thing; all the useless things in the world that could not be done without, and among so many pretty temptations, and with so much good will for Mr Parker to encourage expenditure, Charlotte began to feel that she must check herself - or rather she reflected that at two and twenty there could be no excuse for her doing otherwise - and that it would not do for her to be spending all her money the very first evening. She took up a book; it happened to be a volume of Camilla.24 She had not Camilla's youth, and had no intention of having her distress, - so, she turned from the drawers of rings and brooches repressed farther solicitation and paid for what she bought.
For her particular gratification, they were then to take a turn on the cliff - but as they quitted the library they were met by two ladies whose arrival made an alteration necessary, Lady Denham and Miss Brereton. - They had been to Trafalgar House, and been directed thence to the library, and though Lady Denham was a great deal too active to regard the walk of a mile as anything requiring rest, and talked of going home again directly, the Parkers knew that to be pressed into their house, and obliged to take her tea with them, would suit her best, - and therefore the stroll on the cliff gave way to an immediate return home.
'No, no,' said her Ladyship - 'I will not have you hurry your tea on my account. - I know you like your tea late. - My early hours are not to put my neighbours to inconvenience. No, no, Miss Clara and I will get back to our own tea. - We came out with no other thought. - We wanted just to see you and make sure of your being really come -, but we get back to our own tea.'
She went on however towards Trafalgar House and took possession of the drawing room very quietly - without seeming to hear a word of Mrs Parker's orders to the servant as they entered, to bring tea directly. Charlotte was fully consoled for the loss of her walk, by finding herself in company with those, whom the conversation of the morning had given her a great curiosity to see. She observed them well. - Lady Denham was of middle height, stout, upright and alert in her motions, with a shrewd eye, and self-satisfied air - but not an unagreable countenance - and though her manner was rather downright and abrupt, as of a person who valued herself on being free-spoken, there was a good humour and cordiality about her - a civility and readiness to be acquainted with Charlotte herself, and a heartiness of welcome towards her old friends, which was inspiring the good will, she seemed to feel; - and as for Miss Brereton, her appearance so completely justified Mr Parker's praise that Charlotte thought she had never beheld a more lovely, or more interesting young woman.
Elegantly tall, regularly handsome, with great delicacy of complexion and soft blue eyes, a sweetly modest and yet naturally graceful address, Charlotte could see in her only the most perfect representation of whatever heroine might be most beautiful and bewitching, in all the numerous volumes they had left behind them on Mrs Whitby's shelves. - Perhaps it might be partly owing to her having just issued from a circulating library - but she could not separate the idea of a complete heroine from Clara Brereton. Her situation with Lady Denham so very much in favour of it! - She seemed placed with her on purpose to be ill-used. Such poverty and dependence joined to such beauty and merit, seemed to leave no choice in the business.
These feelings were not the result of any spirit of romance in Charlotte herself. No, she was a very sober-minded young lady, sufficiently well-read in novels to supply her imagination with amusement, but not at all unreasonably influenced by them; and while she pleased herself the first five minutes with fancying the persecutions which ought to be the lot of the interesting Clara, especially in the form of the most barbarous conduct on Lady Denham's side, she found no reluctance to admit from subsequent observation, that they appeared to be on very comfortable terms. She could see nothing worse in Lady Denham, than the sort of old fashioned formality of always calling her Miss Clara - nor anything objectionable in the degree of observance and attention which Clara paid. - On one side it seemed protecting kindness, on the other grateful and affectionate respect.
The conversation turned entirely upon Sanditon, its present number of visitants and the changes of a good season. It was evident that Lady Denham had more anxiety, more fears of loss, than her coadjutor. She wanted to have the place fill faster, and seemed to have more harassing apprehensions of the lodgings' being in some instances underlet. - Miss Diana Parker's two large families were not forgotten.
'Very good, very good,' said her Ladyship. - 'A West Indy family and a school. That sounds well. That will bring money.'
'No people spend more freely, I believe, than West Indians,' observed Mr Parker.
'Aye - so I have heard - and because they have full purses, fancy themselves equal, may be, to your old country families. But then, they who scatter their money so freely, never think of whether they may not be doing mischief of raising the price of things - and I have heard that's very much the case with your West-injines - and if they come among us to raise the price of our necessaries of life, we shall not much thank them Mr Parker.'
'My dear madam, they can only raise the price of consumable articles, by such an extraordinary demand for them and such a diffusion of money among us, as must do us more good than harm. - Our butchers and bakers and traders in general cannot get rich without bringing prosperity to us. - If they do not gain, our rents must be insecure - and in proportion to their profit must be ours eventually in the increased value of our houses.'
'Oh! - well. - But I should not like to have butcher's meat raised, though - and I shall keep it down as long as I can. - Aye - that young lady smiles I see; - I dare say she thinks me an odd sort of a creature, - but she will come to care about such matters herself in time. Yes, yes, my dear, depend upon it, you will be thinking of the price of butcher's meat in time - though you may not happen to have quite such a servants' hall full to feed, as I have. - And I do believe those are the best off, that have fewest servants. - I am not a woman of parade, as all the world knows, and if it was not for what I owe to poor Mr Hollis's memory, I should never keep up Sanditon House as I do; - it is not for my own pleasure. - Well Mr Parker - and the other is a boarding school, a French boarding school, is it? - No harm in that. - They'll stay their six weeks. - And out of such a number who knows but what some may be consumptive and want asses' milk - and I have two milch-asses at this present time. - But perhaps the little misses may hurt the furniture. - I hope they will have a good sharp governess to look after them. -'
Poor Mr Parker got no more credit from Lady Denham than he had from his sisters, for the object which had taken him to Willingden.
'Lord! my dear sir,' she cried, 'how could you think of such a thing? I am very sorry you met with your accident, but upon my word you deserved it. - Going after a doctor! - Why, what should we do with a doctor here? It would be only encouraging our servants and the poor to fancy themselves ill, if there was a doctor at hand. - Oh! pray, let us have none of the tribe at Sanditon. We go on very well as we are. There is the sea and the downs and my milch-asses - and I have told Mrs Whitby that if anybody enquires for a chamber-horse, they may be supplied at a fair rate - (poor Mr Hollis's chamber-horse,25 as good as new) - and what can people want for more? - Here have I lived seventy good years in the world and never took physic above twice - and never saw the face of a doctor in all my life, on my own account. - And I verily believe if my poor dear Sir Harry had never seen one neither, he would have been alive now. - Ten fees, one after another, did the man take who sent him out of the world. - I beseech you Mr Parker, no doctors here.'
The tea things were brought in.
'Oh! my dear Mrs Parker - you should not indeed - why would you do so? I was just upon the point of wishing you good evening. But since you are so very neighbourly, I believe Miss Clara and I must stay.'
CHAPTER 7
The popularity of the Parkers brought them some visitors the very next morning; - amongst them, Sir Edward Denham and his sister, who having been at Sanditon House drove on to pay their com
pliments; and the duty of letter-writing being accomplished, Charlotte was settled with Mrs Parker in the drawing room in time to see them all.
The Denhams were the only ones to excite particular attention. Charlotte was glad to complete her knowledge of the family by an introduction to them, and found them, the better half at least - (for while single, the gentleman may sometimes be thought the better half, of the pair) - not unworthy notice. Miss Denham was a fine young woman, but cold and reserved, giving the idea of one who felt her consequence with pride and her poverty with discontent, and who was immediately gnawed by the want of a handsomer equipage than the simple gig in which they travelled, and which their groom was leading about still in her sight. - Sir Edward was much her superior in air and manner; - certainly handsome, but yet more to be remarked for his very good address and wish of paying attention and giving pleasure. - He came into the room remarkably well, talked much - and very much to Charlotte, by whom he chanced to be placed - and she soon perceived that he had a fine countenance, a most pleasing gentleness of voice, and a great deal of conversation. She liked him. Sober-minded as she was, she thought him agreable, and did not quarrel with the suspicion of his finding her equally so, which would arise from his evidently disregarding his sister's motion to go, and persisting in his station and his discourse. I make no apologies for my heroine's vanity. - If there are young ladies in the world at her time of life, more dull of fancy and more careless of pleasing, I know them not, and never wish to know them.
At last, from the low French windows of the drawing room which commanded the road and all the paths across the down, Charlotte and Sir Edward as they sat, could not but observe Lady Denham and Miss Brereton waking by - and there was instantly a slight change in Sir Edward's countenance - with an anxious glance after them as they proceeded - followed by an early proposal to his sister - not merely for moving, but for walking on together to the Tenace - which altogether gave a hasty turn to Charlotte's fancy, cured her of her halfhour's fever, and placed her in a more capable state of judging, when Sir Edward was gone, of how agreable he had actually been. - 'Perhaps there was a good deal in his air and address and his title did him no harm.'