She endeavoured to be composed, and to be just. Without emulating the

feelings of an Emma towards her Henry, she would have attended on

Louisa with a zeal above the common claims of regard, for his sake; and

she hoped he would not long be so unjust as to suppose she would shrink

unnecessarily from the office of a friend.

In the mean while she was in the carriage. He had handed them both in,

and placed himself between them; and in this manner, under these

circumstances, full of astonishment and emotion to Anne, she quitted

Lyme. How the long stage would pass; how it was to affect their

manners; what was to be their sort of intercourse, she could not

foresee. It was all quite natural, however. He was devoted to

Henrietta; always turning towards her; and when he spoke at all, always

with the view of supporting her hopes and raising her spirits. In

general, his voice and manner were studiously calm. To spare Henrietta

from agitation seemed the governing principle. Once only, when she had

been grieving over the last ill-judged, ill-fated walk to the Cobb,

bitterly lamenting that it ever had been thought of, he burst forth, as

if wholly overcome-"Don't talk of it, don't talk of it," he cried. "Oh God! that I had

not given way to her at the fatal moment! Had I done as I ought! But

so eager and so resolute! Dear, sweet Louisa!"

Anne wondered whether it ever occurred to him now, to question the

justness of his own previous opinion as to the universal felicity and

advantage of firmness of character; and whether it might not strike him

that, like all other qualities of the mind, it should have its

proportions and limits. She thought it could scarcely escape him to

feel that a persuadable temper might sometimes be as much in favour of

happiness as a very resolute character.

They got on fast. Anne was astonished to recognise the same hills and

the same objects so soon. Their actual speed, heightened by some dread

of the conclusion, made the road appear but half as long as on the day

before. It was growing quite dusk, however, before they were in the

neighbourhood of Uppercross, and there had been total silence among

them for some time, Henrietta leaning back in the corner, with a shawl

over her face, giving the hope of her having cried herself to sleep;

when, as they were going up their last hill, Anne found herself all at

once addressed by Captain Wentworth. In a low, cautious voice, he

said:-"I have been considering what we had best do. She must not appear at

first. She could not stand it. I have been thinking whether you had

not better remain in the carriage with her, while I go in and break it

to Mr and Mrs Musgrove. Do you think this is a good plan?"




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