onvenientdistancefromKellynch,onlyfiftymiles,andLadyRussell’sspendingsomepartofeverywinterthereandtotheverygreatsatisfactionofLadyRussell,whosefirstviewsontheprojectedchangehadbeenforBath,SirWalterandElizabethwereinducedtobelievethattheyshouldloseneitherconsequencenorenjoymentbysettlingthere.
LadyRussellfeltobligedtoopposeherdearAnne’sknownwishes.ItwouldbetoomuchtoexpectSirWaltertodescendintoasmallhouseinhisownneighbourhood.Anneherselfwouldhavefoundthemortificationsofitmorethansheforesaw,andtoSirWalter’sfeelingstheymusthavebeendreadful.AndwithregardtoAnne’sdislikeofBath,sheconsidereditasaprejudiceandmistakearising,first,fromthecircumstanceofherhavingbeenthreeyearsatschoolthere,afterhermother’sdeathandsecondly,fromherhappeningtobenotinperfectlygoodspiritstheonlywinterwhichshehadafterwardsspenttherewithherself.
LadyRussellwasfondofBath,inshort,anddisposedtothinkitmustsuitthemallandastoheryoungfriend’shealth,bypassingallthewarmmonthswithheratKellynchLodge,everydangerwouldbeavoidedanditwasinfact,achangewhichmustdobothhealthandspiritsgood.Annehadbeentoolittlefromhome,toolittleseen.Herspiritswerenothigh.Alargersocietywouldimprovethem.Shewantedhertobemoreknown.
TheundesirablenessofanyotherhouseinthesameneighbourhoodforSirWalterwascertainlymuchstrengthenedbyonepart,andaverymaterialpartofthescheme,whichhadbeenhappilyengraftedonthebeginning.Hewasnotonlytoquithishome,buttoseeitinthehandsofothersatrialoffortitude,whichstrongerheadsthanSirWalter’shavefoundtoomuch.KellynchHallwastobelet.This,however,wasaprofoundsecret,nottobebreathedbeyondtheirowncircle.
SirWaltercouldnothavebornethedegradationofbeingknowntodesignlettinghishouse.MrShepherdhadoncementionedtheword“advertise,”butneverdaredapproachitagain.SirWalterspurnedtheideaofitsbeingofferedinanymannerforbadtheslightesthintbeingdroppedofhishavingsuchanintentionanditwasonlyonthesupposition