Charles, Henrietta, and Captain Wentworth were the three in

consultation, and for a little while it was only an interchange of

perplexity and terror. "Uppercross, the necessity of some one's going

to Uppercross; the news to be conveyed; how it could be broken to Mr

and Mrs Musgrove; the lateness of the morning; an hour already gone

since they ought to have been off; the impossibility of being in

tolerable time." At first, they were capable of nothing more to the

purpose than such exclamations; but, after a while, Captain Wentworth,

exerting himself, said-"We must be decided, and without the loss of another minute. Every

minute is valuable. Some one must resolve on being off for Uppercross

instantly. Musgrove, either you or I must go."

Charles agreed, but declared his resolution of not going away. He

would be as little incumbrance as possible to Captain and Mrs Harville;

but as to leaving his sister in such a state, he neither ought, nor

would. So far it was decided; and Henrietta at first declared the

same. She, however, was soon persuaded to think differently. The

usefulness of her staying! She who had not been able to remain in

Louisa's room, or to look at her, without sufferings which made her

worse than helpless! She was forced to acknowledge that she could do

no good, yet was still unwilling to be away, till, touched by the

thought of her father and mother, she gave it up; she consented, she

was anxious to be at home.

The plan had reached this point, when Anne, coming quietly down from

Louisa's room, could not but hear what followed, for the parlour door

was open.

"Then it is settled, Musgrove," cried Captain Wentworth, "that you

stay, and that I take care of your sister home. But as to the rest, as

to the others, if one stays to assist Mrs Harville, I think it need be

only one. Mrs Charles Musgrove will, of course, wish to get back to

her children; but if Anne will stay, no one so proper, so capable as

Anne."

She paused a moment to recover from the emotion of hearing herself so

spoken of. The other two warmly agreed with what he said, and she then

appeared.

"You will stay, I am sure; you will stay and nurse her;" cried he,

turning to her and speaking with a glow, and yet a gentleness, which

seemed almost restoring the past. She coloured deeply, and he

recollected himself and moved away. She expressed herself most

willing, ready, happy to remain. "It was what she had been thinking

of, and wishing to be allowed to do. A bed on the floor in Louisa's

room would be sufficient for her, if Mrs Harville would but think so."




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