The undesirableness of any other house in the same neighbourhood for

Sir Walter was certainly much strengthened by one part, and a very

material part of the scheme, which had been happily engrafted on the

beginning. He was not only to quit his home, but to see it in the

hands of others; a trial of fortitude, which stronger heads than Sir

Walter's have found too much. Kellynch Hall was to be let. This,

however, was a profound secret, not to be breathed beyond their own

circle.

Sir Walter could not have borne the degradation of being known to

design letting his house. Mr Shepherd had once mentioned the word

"advertise," but never dared approach it again. Sir Walter spurned the

idea of its being offered in any manner; forbad the slightest hint

being dropped of his having such an intention; and it was only on the

supposition of his being spontaneously solicited by some most

unexceptionable applicant, on his own terms, and as a great favour,

that he would let it at all.

How quick come the reasons for approving what we like! Lady Russell

had another excellent one at hand, for being extremely glad that Sir

Walter and his family were to remove from the country. Elizabeth had

been lately forming an intimacy, which she wished to see interrupted.

It was with the daughter of Mr Shepherd, who had returned, after an

unprosperous marriage, to her father's house, with the additional

burden of two children. She was a clever young woman, who understood

the art of pleasing--the art of pleasing, at least, at Kellynch Hall;

and who had made herself so acceptable to Miss Elliot, as to have been

already staying there more than once, in spite of all that Lady

Russell, who thought it a friendship quite out of place, could hint of

caution and reserve.

Lady Russell, indeed, had scarcely any influence with Elizabeth, and

seemed to love her, rather because she would love her, than because

Elizabeth deserved it. She had never received from her more than

outward attention, nothing beyond the observances of complaisance; had

never succeeded in any point which she wanted to carry, against

previous inclination. She had been repeatedly very earnest in trying

to get Anne included in the visit to London, sensibly open to all the

injustice and all the discredit of the selfish arrangements which shut

her out, and on many lesser occasions had endeavoured to give Elizabeth

the advantage of her own better judgement and experience; but always in

vain: Elizabeth would go her own way; and never had she pursued it in

more decided opposition to Lady Russell than in this selection of Mrs

Clay; turning from the society of so deserving a sister, to bestow her

affection and confidence on one who ought to have been nothing to her

but the object of distant civility.




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