edwithLouisabutalltherestofthefamilywereagainintheirusualquarters.
LadyRussellandAnnepaidtheircomplimentstothemonce,whenAnnecouldnotbutfeelthatUppercrosswasalreadyquitealiveagain.ThoughneitherHenrietta,norLouisa,norCharlesHayter,norCaptainWentworthwerethere,theroompresentedasstrongacontrastascouldbewishedtothelaststateshehadseenitin.
ImmediatelysurroundingMrsMusgrovewerethelittleHarvilles,whomshewassedulouslyguardingfromthetyrannyofthetwochildrenfromtheCottage,expresslyarrivedtoamusethem.Ononesidewasatableoccupiedbysomechatteringgirls,cuttingupsilkandgoldpaperandontheotherweretresselsandtrays,bendingundertheweightofbrawnandcoldpies,whereriotousboyswereholdinghighrevelthewholecompletedbyaroaringChristmasfire,whichseemeddeterminedtobeheard,inspiteofallthenoiseoftheothers.CharlesandMaryalsocamein,ofcourse,duringtheirvisit,andMrMusgrovemadeapointofpayinghisrespectstoLadyRussell,andsatdownclosetoherfortenminutes,talkingwithaveryraisedvoice,butfromtheclamourofthechildrenonhisknees,generallyinvain.Itwasafinefamily-piece.
Anne,judgingfromherowntemperament,wouldhavedeemedsuchadomestichurricaneabadrestorativeofthenerves,whichLouisa’sillnessmusthavesogreatlyshaken.ButMrsMusgrove,whogotAnnenearheronpurposetothankhermostcordially,againandagain,forallherattentionstothem,concludedashortrecapitulationofwhatshehadsufferedherselfbyobserving,withahappyglanceroundtheroom,thatafterallshehadgonethrough,nothingwassolikelytodohergoodasalittlequietcheerfulnessathome.
Louisawasnowrecoveringapace.Hermothercouldeventhinkofherbeingabletojointheirpartyathome,beforeherbrothersandsisterswenttoschoolagain.TheHarvilleshadpromisedtocomewithherandstayatUppercross,whenevershereturned.CaptainWentworthwasgone,forthepresent,toseehisbrotherinShropshire.
“IhopeIshallremember,infuture,”saidLadyRussell,assoonastheywerereseatedinthecarriage,“nottocallatUppercrossintheChristmasholidays.”
Everybodyhastheirtastei