"Lessening, I understand," replied Mrs Smith. "He thinks Mrs Clay

afraid of him, aware that he sees through her, and not daring to

proceed as she might do in his absence. But since he must be absent

some time or other, I do not perceive how he can ever be secure while

she holds her present influence. Mrs Wallis has an amusing idea, as

nurse tells me, that it is to be put into the marriage articles when

you and Mr Elliot marry, that your father is not to marry Mrs Clay. A

scheme, worthy of Mrs Wallis's understanding, by all accounts; but my

sensible nurse Rooke sees the absurdity of it. 'Why, to be sure,

ma'am,' said she, 'it would not prevent his marrying anybody else.'

And, indeed, to own the truth, I do not think nurse, in her heart, is a

very strenuous opposer of Sir Walter's making a second match. She must

be allowed to be a favourer of matrimony, you know; and (since self

will intrude) who can say that she may not have some flying visions of

attending the next Lady Elliot, through Mrs Wallis's recommendation?"

"I am very glad to know all this," said Anne, after a little

thoughtfulness. "It will be more painful to me in some respects to be

in company with him, but I shall know better what to do. My line of

conduct will be more direct. Mr Elliot is evidently a disingenuous,

artificial, worldly man, who has never had any better principle to

guide him than selfishness."

But Mr Elliot was not done with. Mrs Smith had been carried away from

her first direction, and Anne had forgotten, in the interest of her own

family concerns, how much had been originally implied against him; but

her attention was now called to the explanation of those first hints,

and she listened to a recital which, if it did not perfectly justify

the unqualified bitterness of Mrs Smith, proved him to have been very

unfeeling in his conduct towards her; very deficient both in justice

and compassion.

She learned that (the intimacy between them continuing unimpaired by Mr

Elliot's marriage) they had been as before always together, and Mr

Elliot had led his friend into expenses much beyond his fortune. Mrs

Smith did not want to take blame to herself, and was most tender of

throwing any on her husband; but Anne could collect that their income

had never been equal to their style of living, and that from the first

there had been a great deal of general and joint extravagance. From

his wife's account of him she could discern Mr Smith to have been a man

of warm feelings, easy temper, careless habits, and not strong

understanding, much more amiable than his friend, and very unlike him,

led by him, and probably despised by him. Mr Elliot, raised by his

marriage to great affluence, and disposed to every gratification of

pleasure and vanity which could be commanded without involving himself,

(for with all his self-indulgence he had become a prudent man), and

beginning to be rich, just as his friend ought to have found himself to

be poor, seemed to have had no concern at all for that friend's

probable finances, but, on the contrary, had been prompting and

encouraging expenses which could end only in ruin; and the Smiths

accordingly had been ruined.




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