Captain Wentworth was come to Kellynch as to a home, to stay as long as

he liked, being as thoroughly the object of the Admiral's fraternal

kindness as of his wife's. He had intended, on first arriving, to

proceed very soon into Shropshire, and visit the brother settled in

that country, but the attractions of Uppercross induced him to put this

off. There was so much of friendliness, and of flattery, and of

everything most bewitching in his reception there; the old were so

hospitable, the young so agreeable, that he could not but resolve to

remain where he was, and take all the charms and perfections of

Edward's wife upon credit a little longer.

It was soon Uppercross with him almost every day. The Musgroves could

hardly be more ready to invite than he to come, particularly in the

morning, when he had no companion at home, for the Admiral and Mrs

Croft were generally out of doors together, interesting themselves in

their new possessions, their grass, and their sheep, and dawdling about

in a way not endurable to a third person, or driving out in a gig,

lately added to their establishment.

Hitherto there had been but one opinion of Captain Wentworth among the

Musgroves and their dependencies. It was unvarying, warm admiration

everywhere; but this intimate footing was not more than established,

when a certain Charles Hayter returned among them, to be a good deal

disturbed by it, and to think Captain Wentworth very much in the way.

Charles Hayter was the eldest of all the cousins, and a very amiable,

pleasing young man, between whom and Henrietta there had been a

considerable appearance of attachment previous to Captain Wentworth's

introduction. He was in orders; and having a curacy in the

neighbourhood, where residence was not required, lived at his father's

house, only two miles from Uppercross. A short absence from home had

left his fair one unguarded by his attentions at this critical period,

and when he came back he had the pain of finding very altered manners,

and of seeing Captain Wentworth.

Mrs Musgrove and Mrs Hayter were sisters. They had each had money, but

their marriages had made a material difference in their degree of

consequence. Mr Hayter had some property of his own, but it was

insignificant compared with Mr Musgrove's; and while the Musgroves were

in the first class of society in the country, the young Hayters would,

from their parents' inferior, retired, and unpolished way of living,

and their own defective education, have been hardly in any class at

all, but for their connexion with Uppercross, this eldest son of course

excepted, who had chosen to be a scholar and a gentleman, and who was

very superior in cultivation and manners to all the rest.




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