Persuasion

ing in company together at Mr Musgrove's, for the little boy's state could no longer supply his aunt wi

led forth. His profession qualified him, his disposition lead him, to talk; and "That was in the year six;" "That happened before I went to sea in the year six," occurred in the course of the first evening they spent together: and though his voice did not falter, and though she had no reason to suppo

ave found it most difficult to cease to speak to one another. With the exception, perhaps, of Admiral and Mrs Croft, who seemed particularly attached and happy, (Anne could allow no other exceptions even among the married couples), there co

y eyes but for him, as to the manner of living on board, daily regulations, food, hours, &c., and their surprise at his accounts, at learning the degree of accommodation and arrangement which was practicable, drew from him some pleasant ridicule, which

used by a whisper of Mrs Musgrove's who, ove

to spare my poor son, I dare say he would

e relieved her heart a little more; and for a few minutes, ther

g the Navy List (their own navy list, the first that had ever been at Uppercross), and sitting down toget

sp, I remember; we wi

st man who commanded her. Hardly fit for service then. Reported fit for

looked all

ship not fit to be employed. But they have a great many to provide for; and among the thousands that may just a

For an old built sloop, you would not see her equal. Lucky fellow to get her! He knows there must have been twenty better

s as well satisfied with my appointment as you can desire. It was a great object wit

ke you do ashore for half a year together? If a ma

xed you must have been when you came to the Asp

r that she would be the making of me; and I never had two days of foul weather all the time I was at sea in her; and after taking privateers enough to be very entertaining, I had the good luck in my passage home the next autumn, to fall in with the very French frigate I wanted. I brought her into Plymouth; and here another instance of luck. We had not been six hours in the Sound, when a gale came on, which lasted four days and nights, and which would have don

nt away to the Laconia, and there he met with our poor boy. Charles, my dear," (beckoning him to

been left ill at Gibraltar, with a recommendati

fraid of mentioning poor Dick before me, for it would be ra

of the probabilities of the case, o

cious volume into his own hands to save them the trouble, and once more read aloud the little statement of her name and

e Western Islands. Poor Harville, sister! You know how much he wanted money: worse than myself. He had a wife. Excellent fellow. I shall never forg

a lucky day for us, when you were put captain int

nly in part, and probably not having Dick Musgrove at all near hi

e of the girls; "mamma is

t correspondent, while he was under your care! Ah! it would have been a happy thing, if h

s to get rid of him; but it was too transient an indulgence of self-amusement to be detected by any who understood him less than herself; in another moment he was perfectly collected and serious, and almost instantly afterwards coming up to the sofa, on which she and Mr

substantial size, infinitely more fitted by nature to express good cheer and good humour, than tenderness and sentiment; and while the agitations of Anne's slender form, and pensive face, may be considered

t to be in deep affliction, as the most graceful set of limbs in the world. But, fair or not fair, there are unb

him, being called to order by his wife, now came up to Captain Wentworth, and without any o

ng, Frederick, you would have been asked to give a

glad I was not a

h professing that he would never willingly admit any ladies on board a ship

ces, to make the accommodations on board such as women ought to have. There can be no want of gallantry, Admiral, in rating the claims of women to every personal comfort high,

t his siste

e lived as much on board as most women, and I know nothing superior to the accommodations of a man-of-war. I declare I have not a comfort or an indulgence ab

rother. "You were living with your husb

, and three children, round from Portsmouth to Plymouth. Where w

e that I could, and I would bring anything of Harville's from the world's end,

hey were all perfe

perhaps. Such a number of women and childre

ome of us poor sailors' wives, who often want to be conveyed to one

prevent my taking Mrs Harville

as if women were all fine ladies, instead of rational creatu

married, if we have the good luck to live to another war, we shall see him do as you and I, and a gr

hat we

e with,--'Oh! you will think very differently, when you are married.' I can only say, '

p and mo

must have been, ma'am!" sa

e been once to the East Indies, and back again, and only once; besides being in different places about home: Cork, and Lisbon, and Gibralt

he could not accuse herself of having ever calle

ther, you know, there was nothing to be feared. Thank God! I have always been blessed with excellent health, and no climate disagrees with me. A little disordered always the first twenty-four hours of going to sea, but never knew what sickness was afterwards. The only time I ever really suffered in body or mind, the only time that I ever fancied myself unwell, or had any ideas of da

y answer. "There is nothing so bad as a separation. I am quite of your opinion. I know what it is, for

al; and though her eyes would sometimes fill with tears as she sat at the instrument, sh

ld do. The Miss Hayters, the females of the family of cousins already mentioned, were apparently admitted to the honour of being in love with him; and as for Henrietta and Louisa, they both seemed so entirely occupied by him, that no

ich had once charmed him; and once she knew that he must have spoken of her; she was hardly aware of it, till she heard the answer; but then she was sure of his having asked his partner whether Miss Elliot never danced? The answer was, "Oh, no; never; she has quite given up dancing. She had rather play. She is never tir

though she immediately drew back with a decided n

and speeches. His cold politeness, his ce