Persuasion

in our favour. This peace will be turning all our rich naval officers ashore. They will be all wanting a home. Could not be a better time, Sir Walter, for ha

have to remark. A prize indeed would Kellynch Hall be to him; rather the g

he knew he must, at th

of your intention; which must be contemplated as a possible thing, because we know how difficult it is to keep the actions and designs of one part of the world from the notice and curiosity of the other; consequence has its tax; I, John Shepherd, might conceal any family-matters that I chose, for nobody would think it worth their while to observe me; but Sir Walter Elliot has eyes upon him which it may be very difficult to elude; and

afterwards, rising and pacing the

y, I imagine, who would not be surprised to f

inking a sailor might be a very desirable tenant. I have known a good deal of the profession; and besides their liberality, they are so neat and careful in all their ways! These valuable pictures of yours, Sir Walter, if you chose to leave them, would be pe

to him of course, and few navy officers, or men of any other description, can have had such a range; but what restrictions I might impose on the use of the pleasure-grounds, is another thing. I am not fond of the idea of my shrubberies be

use, Mr Shepherd

interest, Sir Walter, is in pretty safe hands. Depend upon me for taking care that no tenant has more than his just rig

Anne

with any other set of men, for all the comforts and all the privileges which an

was Mr Shepherd's rejoinder, and "Oh! certainly," was his

but I should be sorry to see an

reply, and with

any other line. One day last spring, in town, I was in company with two men, striking instances of what I am talking of; Lord St Ives, whose father we all know to have been a country curate, without bread to eat; I was to give place to Lord St Ives, and a certain Admiral Baldwin, the most deplorable-looking personage you can imagine; his face the colour of mahogany, rough and rugged to the last degree; all lines and wrinkles, nine grey hairs of a side, and nothing but a dab of powder at top. 'In the name of heaven, who is that old fellow?' said I to a friend of mine who was standing near, (Sir Bas

e body, which seldom leaves a man's looks to the natural effect of time. The lawyer plods, quite care-worn; the physician is up at all hours, and travelling in all weather; and even the clergyman--" she stopt a moment to consider what might do for the clergyman;--"and even the clergyman, you know is obliged to go into infected rooms, and expose his health and looks to all the injury of a poisonous atmosphere. In fact, as I have long been convinced, though every profession is nec

ake, Admiral Croft was a native of Somersetshire, who having acquired a very handsome fortune, was wishing to settle in his own country, and had come down to Taunton in order to look at some advertised places in that immediate neighbourhood, which, however, had not suited him; that accidentally hearing--(it was just as he had foretold, Mr Shepherd observed, Sir Walter's concerns could not be kept a secret,)--accidentally hearing of the possib

ft?" was Sir Walter's c

man's family, and mentioned a place; and Anne,

afalgar action, and has been in the East Indies sinc

ir Walter, "that his face is about as or

he smallest difficulty about terms, only wanted a comfortable home, and to get into it as soon as possible; knew he must pay for his convenience; knew what rent a ready-furnished house of that consequence might fetch; should no

for. A house was never taken good care of, Mr Shepherd observed, without a lady: he did not know, whether furniture might not be in danger of suffering as much where there was no lady, as where there were many children.

er, I found she was not quite unconnected in this country, any more than her husband; that is to say, she is sister to a gentleman who did live amongst us once; she told me so herself: sister to the gentleman who lived a few years

agerly with Miss Elliot, that

pherd; I remember no gentleman resident at M

ght; seen him a hundred times; came to consult me once, I remember, about a trespass of one of his neighbours; farmer's man breaking into his orchar

ing anothe

ntworth, I supp

d was all

acy of Monkford, you know, Sir Walter, some time back, for two or three yea

t you were speaking of some man of property: Mr Wentworth was nobody, I remember; quite unconnected; not

y in their favour; their age, and number, and fortune; the high idea they had formed of Kellynch Hall, and extreme solicitude for the advantage of renting it; making it appear as if they ranked not

hem infinitely too well off in being permitted to rent it on the highest terms, he was talked into allowing Mr Shepherd to proceed

ed a little additional soothing, in the Admiral's situation in life, which was just high enough, and not too high. "I have let my house to Admiral Croft," would sound extremely well; very much better than to any mere Mr--; a Mr (save, perhaps, some

growing so strong for a removal, that she was happy to have it fixed and exped

st attentive listener to the whole, left the room, to seek the comfort of cool air for her flushed cheeks; and as she