Anne had been ashamed to appear to comprehend so soon as she really

did; but now she could safely suggest the name of "Louisa."

"Ay, ay, Miss Louisa Musgrove, that is the name. I wish young ladies

had not such a number of fine Christian names. I should never be out

if they were all Sophys, or something of that sort. Well, this Miss

Louisa, we all thought, you know, was to marry Frederick. He was

courting her week after week. The only wonder was, what they could be

waiting for, till the business at Lyme came; then, indeed, it was clear

enough that they must wait till her brain was set to right. But even

then there was something odd in their way of going on. Instead of

staying at Lyme, he went off to Plymouth, and then he went off to see

Edward. When we came back from Minehead he was gone down to Edward's,

and there he has been ever since. We have seen nothing of him since

November. Even Sophy could not understand it. But now, the matter has

taken the strangest turn of all; for this young lady, the same Miss

Musgrove, instead of being to marry Frederick, is to marry James

Benwick. You know James Benwick."

"A little. I am a little acquainted with Captain Benwick."

"Well, she is to marry him. Nay, most likely they are married already,

for I do not know what they should wait for."

"I thought Captain Benwick a very pleasing young man," said Anne, "and

I understand that he bears an excellent character."

"Oh! yes, yes, there is not a word to be said against James Benwick.

He is only a commander, it is true, made last summer, and these are bad

times for getting on, but he has not another fault that I know of. An

excellent, good-hearted fellow, I assure you; a very active, zealous

officer too, which is more than you would think for, perhaps, for that

soft sort of manner does not do him justice."

"Indeed you are mistaken there, sir; I should never augur want of

spirit from Captain Benwick's manners. I thought them particularly

pleasing, and I will answer for it, they would generally please."

"Well, well, ladies are the best judges; but James Benwick is rather

too piano for me; and though very likely it is all our partiality,

Sophy and I cannot help thinking Frederick's manners better than his.

There is something about Frederick more to our taste."

Anne was caught. She had only meant to oppose the too common idea of

spirit and gentleness being incompatible with each other, not at all to

represent Captain Benwick's manners as the very best that could

possibly be; and, after a little hesitation, she was beginning to say,

"I was not entering into any comparison of the two friends," but the

Admiral interrupted her with-"And the thing is certainly true. It is not a mere bit of gossip. We

have it from Frederick himself. His sister had a letter from him

yesterday, in which he tells us of it, and he had just had it in a

letter from Harville, written upon the spot, from Uppercross. I fancy

they are all at Uppercross."




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