noevilofherself,butshehadheardagreatdealofverypainfulimport.ShesawhowherowncharacterwasconsideredbyCaptainWentworth,andtherehadbeenjustthatdegreeoffeelingandcuriosityaboutherinhismannerwhichmustgiveherextremeagitation.
Assoonasshecould,shewentafterMary,andhavingfound,andwalkedbackwithhertotheirformerstation,bythestile,feltsomecomfortintheirwholepartybeingimmediatelyafterwardscollected,andoncemoreinmotiontogether.Herspiritswantedthesolitudeandsilencewhichonlynumberscouldgive.
CharlesandHenriettareturned,bringing,asmaybeconjectured,CharlesHayterwiththem.TheminutiaeofthebusinessAnnecouldnotattempttounderstandevenCaptainWentworthdidnotseemadmittedtoperfectconfidenceherebutthattherehadbeenawithdrawingonthegentleman’sside,andarelentingonthelady’s,andthattheywerenowverygladtobetogetheragain,didnotadmitadoubt.Henriettalookedalittleashamed,butverywellpleased—CharlesHayterexceedinglyhappy:andtheyweredevotedtoeachotheralmostfromthefirstinstantoftheirallsettingforwardforUppercross.
EverythingnowmarkedoutLouisaforCaptainWentworthnothingcouldbeplainerandwheremanydivisionswerenecessary,orevenwheretheywerenot,theywalkedsidebysidenearlyasmuchastheothertwo.Inalongstripofmeadowland,wheretherewasamplespaceforall,theywerethusdivided,formingthreedistinctpartiesandtothatpartyofthethreewhichboastedleastanimation,andleastcomplaisance,Annenecessarilybelonged.ShejoinedCharlesandMary,andwastiredenoughtobeverygladofCharles’sotherarmbutCharles,thoughinverygoodhumourwithher,wasoutoftemperwithhiswife.Maryhadshewnherselfdisobligingtohim,andwasnowtoreaptheconsequence,whichconsequencewashisdroppingherarmalmosteverymomenttocutofftheheadsofsomenettlesinthehedgewithhisswitchandwhenMarybegantocomplainofit,andlamentherbeingill-used,accordingtocustom,inbeingonthehedgeside,whileAnnewasneverincommodedontheother,hedroppedthearmsofbothtohuntafteraweaselwhichhehadamomentaryglanceof,andtheycouldhardlygethimalongatall.
Thislongmeadowborderedalane,whichtheirfootpath,attheendo