It suited Mary best to think Henrietta the one preferred on the very

account of Charles Hayter, whose pretensions she wished to see put an

end to. She looked down very decidedly upon the Hayters, and thought

it would be quite a misfortune to have the existing connection between

the families renewed--very sad for herself and her children.

"You know," said she, "I cannot think him at all a fit match for

Henrietta; and considering the alliances which the Musgroves have made,

she has no right to throw herself away. I do not think any young woman

has a right to make a choice that may be disagreeable and inconvenient

to the principal part of her family, and be giving bad connections to

those who have not been used to them. And, pray, who is Charles

Hayter? Nothing but a country curate. A most improper match for Miss

Musgrove of Uppercross."

Her husband, however, would not agree with her here; for besides having

a regard for his cousin, Charles Hayter was an eldest son, and he saw

things as an eldest son himself.

"Now you are talking nonsense, Mary," was therefore his answer. "It

would not be a great match for Henrietta, but Charles has a very fair

chance, through the Spicers, of getting something from the Bishop in

the course of a year or two; and you will please to remember, that he

is the eldest son; whenever my uncle dies, he steps into very pretty

property. The estate at Winthrop is not less than two hundred and

fifty acres, besides the farm near Taunton, which is some of the best

land in the country. I grant you, that any of them but Charles would

be a very shocking match for Henrietta, and indeed it could not be; he

is the only one that could be possible; but he is a very good-natured,

good sort of a fellow; and whenever Winthrop comes into his hands, he

will make a different sort of place of it, and live in a very different

sort of way; and with that property, he will never be a contemptible

man--good, freehold property. No, no; Henrietta might do worse than

marry Charles Hayter; and if she has him, and Louisa can get Captain

Wentworth, I shall be very well satisfied."

"Charles may say what he pleases," cried Mary to Anne, as soon as he

was out of the room, "but it would be shocking to have Henrietta marry

Charles Hayter; a very bad thing for her, and still worse for me; and

therefore it is very much to be wished that Captain Wentworth may soon

put him quite out of her head, and I have very little doubt that he

has. She took hardly any notice of Charles Hayter yesterday. I wish

you had been there to see her behaviour. And as to Captain Wentworth's

liking Louisa as well as Henrietta, it is nonsense to say so; for he

certainly does like Henrietta a great deal the best. But Charles is so

positive! I wish you had been with us yesterday, for then you might

have decided between us; and I am sure you would have thought as I did,

unless you had been determined to give it against me."




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