It was a merry, joyous party, and no one seemed in
higher spirits than Captain Wentworth. She felt
that he had every thing to elevate him which general
attention and deference, and especially the attention
of all the young women, could do. The Miss Hayters,
the females of the family of cousins already mentioned,
were apparently admitted to the honour of being in
love with him; and as for Henrietta and Louisa, they
both seemed so entirely occupied by him, that nothing
but the continued appearance of the most perfect good-will
between themselves could have made it credible that
they were not decided rivals. If he were a little
spoilt by such universal, such eager admiration, who
could wonder?
These were some of the thoughts which occupied Anne,
while her fingers were mechanically at work, proceeding
for half an hour together, equally without error,
and without consciousness. Once she felt that
he was looking at herself, observing her altered features,
perhaps, trying to trace in them the ruins of the face
which had once charmed him; and once she knew that
he must have spoken of her; she was hardly aware of
it, till she heard the answer; but then she was sure
of his having asked his partner whether Miss Elliot
never danced? The answer was, “Oh, no;
never; she has quite given up dancing. She had
rather play. She is never tired of playing.”
Once, too, he spoke to her. She had left the
instrument on the dancing being over, and he had sat
down to try to make out an air which he wished to
give the Miss Musgroves an idea of. Unintentionally
she returned to that part of the room; he saw her,
and, instantly rising, said, with studied politeness—
“I beg your pardon, madam, this is your seat;”
and though she immediately drew back with a decided
negative, he was not to be induced to sit down again.
Anne did not wish for more of such looks and speeches.
His cold politeness, his ceremonious grace, were worse
than anything.
Chapter 9
Captain Wentworth was come to Kellynch as to a home,
to stay as long as he liked, being as thoroughly the
object of the Admiral’s fraternal kindness as
of his wife’s. He had intended, on first
arriving, to proceed very soon into Shropshire, and
visit the brother settled in that country, but the
attractions of Uppercross induced him to put this
off. There was so much of friendliness, and
of flattery, and of everything most bewitching in
his reception there; the old were so hospitable, the
young so agreeable, that he could not but resolve
to remain where he was, and take all the charms and
perfections of Edward’s wife upon credit a little
longer.
It was soon Uppercross with him almost every day.
The Musgroves could hardly be more ready to invite
than he to come, particularly in the morning, when
he had no companion at home, for the Admiral and Mrs
Croft were generally out of doors together, interesting
themselves in their new possessions, their grass,
and their sheep, and dawdling about in a way not endurable
to a third person, or driving out in a gig, lately
added to their establishment.
