etogowiththemandwhenMaryimmediatelyreplied,withsomejealousyatnotbeingsupposedagoodwalker,“Oh,yes,Ishouldliketojoinyouverymuch,Iamveryfondofalongwalk”Annefeltpersuaded,bythelooksofthetwogirls,thatitwaspreciselywhattheydidnotwish,andadmiredagainthesortofnecessitywhichthefamilyhabitsseemedtoproduce,ofeverythingbeingtobecommunicated,andeverythingbeingtobedonetogether,howeverundesiredandinconvenient.ShetriedtodissuadeMaryfromgoing,butinvainandthatbeingthecase,thoughtitbesttoaccepttheMissMusgroves’muchmorecordialinvitationtoherselftogolikewise,asshemightbeusefulinturningbackwithhersister,andlesseningtheinterferenceinanyplanoftheirown.
“IcannotimaginewhytheyshouldsupposeIshouldnotlikealongwalk,”saidMary,asshewentupstairs.“EverybodyisalwayssupposingthatIamnotagoodwalkerandyettheywouldnothavebeenpleased,ifwehadrefusedtojointhem.Whenpeoplecomeinthismanneronpurposetoaskus,howcanonesayno?”
Justastheyweresettingoff,thegentlemenreturned.Theyhadtakenoutayoungdog,whohadspoilttheirsport,andsentthembackearly.Theirtimeandstrength,andspirits,were,therefore,exactlyreadyforthiswalk,andtheyenteredintoitwithpleasure.CouldAnnehaveforeseensuchajunction,shewouldhavestaidathomebut,fromsomefeelingsofinterestandcuriosity,shefanciednowthatitwastoolatetoretract,andthewholesixsetforwardtogetherinthedirectionchosenbytheMissMusgroves,whoevidentlyconsideredthewalkasundertheirguidance.
Anne’sobjectwas,nottobeinthewayofanybodyandwherethenarrowpathsacrossthefieldsmademanyseparationsnecessary,tokeepwithherbrotherandsister.Herpleasureinthewalkmustarisefromtheexerciseandtheday,fromtheviewofthelastsmilesoftheyearuponthetawnyleaves,andwitheredhedges,andfromrepeatingtoherselfsomefewofthethousandpoeticaldescriptionsextantofautumn,thatseasonofpeculiarandinexhaustibleinfluenceonthemindoftasteandtenderness,thatseasonwhichhaddrawnfromeverypoet,worthyofbeingread,someattemptatdescription,orsomelinesoffeeling.Sheoccupiedhermindasmuchaspossibleinsuchlikemusingsandquotationsbut