they could hardly bear to think of not finding room for two or three besides, supposing they might wish to stay; though, with regard to any attendance on Miss Musgrove, there need not be the least uneasiness in leaving her to Mrs Harville’s care entirely.  Mrs Harville was a very experienced nurse, and her nursery-maid, who had lived with her long, and gone about with her everywhere, was just such another.  Between these two, she could want no possible attendance by day or night.  And all this was said with a truth and sincerity of feeling irresistible.

Charles, Henrietta, and Captain Wentworth were the three in consultation, and for a little while it was only an interchange of perplexity and terror.  “Uppercross, the necessity of some one’s going to Uppercross; the news to be conveyed; how it could be broken to Mr and Mrs Musgrove; the lateness of the morning; an hour already gone since they ought to have been off; the impossibility of being in tolerable time.”  At first, they were capable of nothing more to the purpose than such exclamations; but, after a while, Captain Wentworth, exerting himself, said—­

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

Charles agreed, but declared his resolution of not going away.  He would be as little incumbrance as possible to Captain and Mrs Harville; but as to leaving his sister in such a state, he neither ought, nor would.  So far it was decided; and Henrietta at first declared the same.  She, however, was soon persuaded to think differently.  The usefulness of her staying!  She who had not been able to remain in Louisa’s room, or to look at her, without sufferings which made her worse than helpless!  She was forced to acknowledge that she could do no good, yet was still unwilling to be away, till, touched by the thought of her father and mother, she gave it up; she consented, she was anxious to be at home.

The plan had reached this point, when Anne, coming quietly down from Louisa’s room, could not but hear what followed, for the parlour door was open.

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

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

“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, which seemed almost restoring the past.  She coloured deeply, and he recollected himself and moved away.  She expressed herself most willing, ready, happy to remain.  “It was what she had been thinking of, and wishing to be allowed to do.  A bed on the floor in Louisa’s room would be sufficient for her, if Mrs Harville would but think so.”