guestsinthesameinnatthesametimetogivehisownroute,understandsomethingofhers,andregretthatheshouldhavelostsuchanopportunityofpayinghisrespectstoher.ShegavehimashortaccountofherpartyandbusinessatLyme.Hisregretincreasedashelistened.Hehadspenthiswholesolitaryeveningintheroomadjoiningtheirshadheardvoices,mirthcontinuallythoughttheymustbeamostdelightfulsetofpeople,longedtobewiththem,butcertainlywithoutthesmallestsuspicionofhispossessingtheshadowofarighttointroducehimself.Ifhehadbutaskedwhothepartywere!ThenameofMusgrovewouldhavetoldhimenough.“Well,itwouldservetocurehimofanabsurdpracticeofneveraskingaquestionataninn,whichhehadadopted,whenquiteayoungman,ontheprincipalofitsbeingveryungenteeltobecurious.
“Thenotionsofayoungmanofoneortwoandtwenty,”saidhe,“astowhatisnecessaryinmannerstomakehimquitethething,aremoreabsurd,Ibelieve,thanthoseofanyothersetofbeingsintheworld.Thefollyofthemeanstheyoftenemployisonlytobeequalledbythefollyofwhattheyhaveinview.”
ButhemustnotbeaddressinghisreflectionstoAnnealone:heknewithewassoondiffusedagainamongtheothers,anditwasonlyatintervalsthathecouldreturntoLyme.
Hisenquiries,however,producedatlengthanaccountofthesceneshehadbeenengagedinthere,soonafterhisleavingtheplace.Havingalludedto“anaccident,”hemusthearthewhole.Whenhequestioned,SirWalterandElizabethbegantoquestionalso,butthedifferenceintheirmannerofdoingitcouldnotbeunfelt.ShecouldonlycompareMrElliottoLadyRussell,inthewishofreallycomprehendingwhathadpassed,andinthedegreeofconcernforwhatshemusthavesufferedinwitnessingit.
Hestaidanhourwiththem.Theelegantlittleclockonthemantel-piecehadstruck“elevenwithitssilversounds,”andthewatchmanwasbeginningtobeheardatadistancetellingthesametale,beforeMrElliotoranyofthemseemedtofeelthathehadbeentherelong.
AnnecouldnothavesupposeditpossiblethatherfirsteveninginCamdenPlacecouldhavepassedsowell!