"My dear Mrs Smith, Mr Elliot's wife has not been dead much above half

a year. He ought not to be supposed to be paying his addresses to any

one."

"Oh! if these are your only objections," cried Mrs Smith, archly, "Mr

Elliot is safe, and I shall give myself no more trouble about him. Do

not forget me when you are married, that's all. Let him know me to be

a friend of yours, and then he will think little of the trouble

required, which it is very natural for him now, with so many affairs

and engagements of his own, to avoid and get rid of as he can; very

natural, perhaps. Ninety-nine out of a hundred would do the same. Of

course, he cannot be aware of the importance to me. Well, my dear Miss

Elliot, I hope and trust you will be very happy. Mr Elliot has sense

to understand the value of such a woman. Your peace will not be

shipwrecked as mine has been. You are safe in all worldly matters, and

safe in his character. He will not be led astray; he will not be

misled by others to his ruin."

"No," said Anne, "I can readily believe all that of my cousin. He

seems to have a calm decided temper, not at all open to dangerous

impressions. I consider him with great respect. I have no reason,

from any thing that has fallen within my observation, to do otherwise.

But I have not known him long; and he is not a man, I think, to be

known intimately soon. Will not this manner of speaking of him, Mrs

Smith, convince you that he is nothing to me? Surely this must be calm

enough. And, upon my word, he is nothing to me. Should he ever

propose to me (which I have very little reason to imagine he has any

thought of doing), I shall not accept him. I assure you I shall not.

I assure you, Mr Elliot had not the share which you have been

supposing, in whatever pleasure the concert of last night might afford:

not Mr Elliot; it is not Mr Elliot that--"

She stopped, regretting with a deep blush that she had implied so much;

but less would hardly have been sufficient. Mrs Smith would hardly

have believed so soon in Mr Elliot's failure, but from the perception

of there being a somebody else. As it was, she instantly submitted,

and with all the semblance of seeing nothing beyond; and Anne, eager to

escape farther notice, was impatient to know why Mrs Smith should have

fancied she was to marry Mr Elliot; where she could have received the

idea, or from whom she could have heard it.




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