itwasnotpossible,thatwhenwithinreachofCaptainWentworth’sconversationwitheitheroftheMissMusgroves,sheshouldnottrytohearityetshecaughtlittleveryremarkable.Itwasmerelivelychat,suchasanyyoungpersons,onanintimatefooting,mightfallinto.HewasmoreengagedwithLouisathanwithHenrietta.Louisacertainlyputmoreforwardforhisnoticethanhersister.Thisdistinctionappearedtoincrease,andtherewasonespeechofLouisa’swhichstruckher.Afteroneofthemanypraisesoftheday,whichwerecontinuallyburstingforth,CaptainWentworthadded:—
“WhatgloriousweatherfortheAdmiralandmysister!Theymeanttotakealongdrivethismorningperhapswemayhailthemfromsomeofthesehills.Theytalkedofcomingintothissideofthecountry.Iwonderwhereaboutstheywillupsetto-day.Oh!itdoeshappenveryoften,Iassureyoubutmysistermakesnothingofitshewouldaslievebetossedoutasnot.”
“Ah!Youmakethemostofit,Iknow,”criedLouisa,“butifitwerereallyso,Ishoulddojustthesameinherplace.IfIlovedaman,asshelovestheAdmiral,Iwouldalwaysbewithhim,nothingshouldeverseparateus,andIwouldratherbeoverturnedbyhim,thandrivensafelybyanybodyelse.”
Itwasspokenwithenthusiasm.
“Hadyou?”criedhe,catchingthesametone“Ihonouryou!”Andtherewassilencebetweenthemforalittlewhile.
Annecouldnotimmediatelyfallintoaquotationagain.Thesweetscenesofautumnwereforawhileputby,unlesssometendersonnet,fraughtwiththeaptanalogyofthedecliningyear,withdeclininghappiness,andtheimagesofyouthandhope,andspring,allgonetogether,blessedhermemory.Sherousedherselftosay,astheystruckbyorderintoanotherpath,“IsnotthisoneofthewaystoWinthrop?”Butnobodyheard,or,atleast,nobodyansweredher.
Winthrop,however,oritsenvirons—foryoungmenare,sometimestobemetwith,strollingaboutnearhome—wastheirdestinationandafteranotherhalfmileofgradualascentthroughlargeenclosures,wheretheploughsatwork,andthefreshmadepathspokethefarmercounteractingthesweetsofpoeticaldespondence,andmeaningtohavespringagain,theygainedthesummitofthemostconsiderablehill,whichpartedUppercrossandWinthrop,andsooncommandedafullviewofthelatte