mentshewastappingatherhusband’sdressing-roomdoor,andasAnnefollowedherupstairs,shewasintimeforthewholeconversation,whichbeganwithMary’ssaying,inatoneofgreatexultation—
“Imeantogowithyou,Charles,forIamofnomoreuseathomethanyouare.IfIweretoshutmyselfupforeverwiththechild,Ishouldnotbeabletopersuadehimtodoanythinghedidnotlike.AnnewillstayAnneundertakestostayathomeandtakecareofhim.ItisAnne’sownproposal,andsoIshallgowithyou,whichwillbeagreatdealbetter,forIhavenotdinedattheotherhousesinceTuesday.”
“ThisisverykindofAnne,”washerhusband’sanswer,“andIshouldbeverygladtohaveyougobutitseemsratherhardthatsheshouldbeleftathomebyherself,tonurseoursickchild.”
Annewasnowathandtotakeupherowncause,andthesincerityofhermannerbeingsoonsufficienttoconvincehim,whereconvictionwasatleastveryagreeable,hehadnofartherscruplesastoherbeinglefttodinealone,thoughhestillwantedhertojointhemintheevening,whenthechildmightbeatrestforthenight,andkindlyurgedhertolethimcomeandfetchher,butshewasquiteunpersuadableandthisbeingthecase,shehaderelongthepleasureofseeingthemsetofftogetherinhighspirits.Theyweregone,shehoped,tobehappy,howeveroddlyconstructedsuchhappinessmightseemasforherself,shewasleftwithasmanysensationsofcomfort,aswere,perhaps,everlikelytobehers.SheknewherselftobeofthefirstutilitytothechildandwhatwasittoherifFrederickWentworthwereonlyhalfamiledistant,makinghimselfagreeabletoothers?
Shewouldhavelikedtoknowhowhefeltastoameeting.Perhapsindifferent,ifindifferencecouldexistundersuchcircumstances.Hemustbeeitherindifferentorunwilling.Hadhewishedevertoseeheragain,heneednothavewaitedtillthistimehewouldhavedonewhatshecouldnotbutbelievethatinhisplacesheshouldhavedonelongago,wheneventshadbeenearlygivinghimtheindependencewhichalonehadbeenwanting.
Herbrotherandsistercamebackdelightedwiththeirnewacquaintance,andtheirvisitingeneral.Therehadbeenmusic,singing,talking,laughing,allthatwasmostagr