A dinner at Mr Musgrove's had been the occasion when all these things

should have been seen by Anne; but she had staid at home, under the

mixed plea of a headache of her own, and some return of indisposition

in little Charles. She had thought only of avoiding Captain Wentworth;

but an escape from being appealed to as umpire was now added to the

advantages of a quiet evening.

As to Captain Wentworth's views, she deemed it of more consequence that

he should know his own mind early enough not to be endangering the

happiness of either sister, or impeaching his own honour, than that he

should prefer Henrietta to Louisa, or Louisa to Henrietta. Either of

them would, in all probability, make him an affectionate, good-humoured

wife. With regard to Charles Hayter, she had delicacy which must be

pained by any lightness of conduct in a well-meaning young woman, and a

heart to sympathize in any of the sufferings it occasioned; but if

Henrietta found herself mistaken in the nature of her feelings, the

alternation could not be understood too soon.

Charles Hayter had met with much to disquiet and mortify him in his

cousin's behaviour. She had too old a regard for him to be so wholly

estranged as might in two meetings extinguish every past hope, and

leave him nothing to do but to keep away from Uppercross: but there

was such a change as became very alarming, when such a man as Captain

Wentworth was to be regarded as the probable cause. He had been absent

only two Sundays, and when they parted, had left her interested, even

to the height of his wishes, in his prospect of soon quitting his

present curacy, and obtaining that of Uppercross instead. It had then

seemed the object nearest her heart, that Dr Shirley, the rector, who

for more than forty years had been zealously discharging all the duties

of his office, but was now growing too infirm for many of them, should

be quite fixed on engaging a curate; should make his curacy quite as

good as he could afford, and should give Charles Hayter the promise of

it. The advantage of his having to come only to Uppercross, instead of

going six miles another way; of his having, in every respect, a better

curacy; of his belonging to their dear Dr Shirley, and of dear, good Dr

Shirley's being relieved from the duty which he could no longer get

through without most injurious fatigue, had been a great deal, even to

Louisa, but had been almost everything to Henrietta. When he came

back, alas! the zeal of the business was gone by. Louisa could not

listen at all to his account of a conversation which he had just held

with Dr Shirley: she was at a window, looking out for Captain

Wentworth; and even Henrietta had at best only a divided attention to

give, and seemed to have forgotten all the former doubt and solicitude

of the negotiation.




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