kingouttheschemeofretrenchmentwhichwasatlastsubmittedtoSirWalter.EveryemendationofAnne’shadbeenonthesideofhonestyagainstimportance.Shewantedmorevigorousmeasures,amorecompletereformation,aquickerreleasefromdebt,amuchhighertoneofindifferenceforeverythingbutjusticeandequity.
“Ifwecanpersuadeyourfathertoallthis,”saidLadyRussell,lookingoverherpaper,“muchmaybedone.Ifhewilladopttheseregulations,insevenyearshewillbeclearandIhopewemaybeabletoconvincehimandElizabeth,thatKellynchHallhasarespectabilityinitselfwhichcannotbeaffectedbythesereductionsandthatthetruedignityofSirWalterElliotwillbeveryfarfromlessenedintheeyesofsensiblepeople,byactinglikeamanofprinciple.Whatwillhebedoing,infact,butwhatverymanyofourfirstfamilieshavedone,oroughttodo?Therewillbenothingsingularinhiscaseanditissingularitywhichoftenmakestheworstpartofoursuffering,asitalwaysdoesofourconduct.Ihavegreathopeofprevailing.Wemustbeseriousanddecidedforafterall,thepersonwhohascontracteddebtsmustpaythemandthoughagreatdealisduetothefeelingsofthegentleman,andtheheadofahouse,likeyourfather,thereisstillmoreduetothecharacterofanhonestman.”
ThiswastheprincipleonwhichAnnewantedherfathertobeproceeding,hisfriendstobeurginghim.Sheconsidereditasanactofindispensabledutytoclearawaytheclaimsofcreditorswithalltheexpeditionwhichthemostcomprehensiveretrenchmentscouldsecure,andsawnodignityinanythingshortofit.Shewantedittobeprescribed,andfeltasaduty.SheratedLadyRussell’sinfluencehighlyandastotheseveredegreeofself-denialwhichherownconscienceprompted,shebelievedtheremightbelittlemoredifficultyinpersuadingthemtoacomplete,thantohalfareformation.HerknowledgeofherfatherandElizabethinclinedhertothinkthatthesacrificeofonepairofhorseswouldbehardlylesspainfulthanofboth,andsoon,throughthewholelistofLadyRussell’stoogentlereductions.
HowAnne’smorerigidrequisitionsmighthavebeentakenisoflittleconsequence.LadyRusse