late!Itwasteno’clock.CoulditbeMrElliot?TheyknewhewastodineinLansdownCrescent.Itwaspossiblethathemightstopinhiswayhometoaskthemhowtheydid.Theycouldthinkofnooneelse.MrsClaydecidedlythoughtitMrElliot’sknock.”MrsClaywasright.Withallthestatewhichabutlerandfoot-boycouldgive,MrElliotwasusheredintotheroom.
Itwasthesame,theverysameman,withnodifferencebutofdress.Annedrewalittleback,whiletheothersreceivedhiscompliments,andhersisterhisapologiesforcallingatsounusualanhour,but“hecouldnotbesonearwithoutwishingtoknowthatneithershenorherfriendhadtakencoldthedaybefore,”&c.&cwhichwasallaspolitelydone,andaspolitelytaken,aspossible,butherpartmustfollowthen.SirWaltertalkedofhisyoungestdaughter“MrElliotmustgivehimleavetopresenthimtohisyoungestdaughter”(therewasnooccasionforrememberingMary)andAnne,smilingandblushing,verybecominglyshewedtoMrElliottheprettyfeatureswhichhehadbynomeansforgotten,andinstantlysaw,withamusementathislittlestartofsurprise,thathehadnotbeenatallawareofwhoshewas.Helookedcompletelyastonished,butnotmoreastonishedthanpleasedhiseyesbrightened!andwiththemostperfectalacrityhewelcomedtherelationship,alludedtothepast,andentreatedtobereceivedasanacquaintancealready.Hewasquiteasgood-lookingashehadappearedatLyme,hiscountenanceimprovedbyspeaking,andhismannersweresoexactlywhattheyoughttobe,sopolished,soeasy,soparticularlyagreeable,thatshecouldcomparetheminexcellencetoonlyoneperson’smanners.Theywerenotthesame,buttheywere,perhaps,equallygood.
Hesatdownwiththem,andimprovedtheirconversationverymuch.Therecouldbenodoubtofhisbeingasensibleman.Tenminuteswereenoughtocertifythat.Histone,hisexpressions,hischoiceofsubject,hisknowingwheretostopitwasalltheoperationofasensible,discerningmind.Assoonashecould,hebegantotalktoherofLyme,wantingtocompareopinionsrespectingtheplace,butespeciallywantingtospeakofthecircumstanceoftheirhappeningtobe