gelsecouldhavedone.
Astothesadcatastropheitself,itcouldbecanvassedonlyinonestylebyacoupleofsteady,sensiblewomen,whosejudgementshadtoworkonascertainedeventsanditwasperfectlydecidedthatithadbeentheconsequenceofmuchthoughtlessnessandmuchimprudencethatitseffectsweremostalarming,andthatitwasfrightfultothink,howlongMissMusgrove’srecoverymightyetbedoubtful,andhowliableshewouldstillremaintosufferfromtheconcussionhereafter!TheAdmiralwounditupsummarilybyexclaiming—
“Ay,averybadbusinessindeed.Anewsortofwaythis,forayoungfellowtobemakinglove,bybreakinghismistress’shead,isnotit,MissElliot?Thisisbreakingaheadandgivingaplaster,truly!”
AdmiralCroft’smannerswerenotquiteofthetonetosuitLadyRussell,buttheydelightedAnne.Hisgoodnessofheartandsimplicityofcharacterwereirresistible.
“Now,thismustbeverybadforyou,”saidhe,suddenlyrousingfromalittlereverie,“tobecomingandfindingushere.Ihadnotrecollecteditbefore,Ideclare,butitmustbeverybad.Butnow,donotstanduponceremony.Getupandgooveralltheroomsinthehouseifyoulikeit.”
“Anothertime,Sir,Ithankyou,notnow.”
“Well,wheneveritsuitsyou.Youcanslipinfromtheshrubberyatanytimeandthereyouwillfindwekeepourumbrellashangingupbythatdoor.Agoodplaceisnotit?But,”(checkinghimself),“youwillnotthinkitagoodplace,foryourswerealwayskeptinthebutler’sroom.Ay,soitalwaysis,Ibelieve.Oneman’swaysmaybeasgoodasanother’s,butwealllikeourownbest.Andsoyoumustjudgeforyourself,whetheritwouldbebetterforyoutogoaboutthehouseornot.”
Anne,findingshemightdeclineit,didso,verygratefully.
“Wehavemadeveryfewchangeseither,”continuedtheAdmiral,afterthinkingamoment.“Veryfew.Wetoldyouaboutthelaundry-door,atUppercross.Thathasbeenaverygreatimprovement.Thewonderwas,howanyfamilyuponearthcouldbearwiththeinconvenienceofitsopeningasitdid,solong!YouwilltellSirWalterwhatwehavedone,andthatM