asmosthappytoconveyherasneartoMrsSmith’slodgingsinWestgateBuildings,asAnnechosetobetaken.
Thevisitwaspaid,theiracquaintancere-established,theirinterestineachothermorethanre-kindled.Thefirsttenminuteshaditsawkwardnessanditsemotion.Twelveyearsweregonesincetheyhadparted,andeachpresentedasomewhatdifferentpersonfromwhattheotherhadimagined.TwelveyearshadchangedAnnefromtheblooming,silent,unformedgirloffifteen,totheelegantlittlewomanofseven-and-twenty,witheverybeautyexceptbloom,andwithmannersasconsciouslyrightastheywereinvariablygentleandtwelveyearshadtransformedthefine-looking,well-grownMissHamilton,inalltheglowofhealthandconfidenceofsuperiority,intoapoor,infirm,helplesswidow,receivingthevisitofherformerprotegeeasafavourbutallthatwasuncomfortableinthemeetinghadsoonpassedaway,andleftonlytheinterestingcharmofrememberingformerpartialitiesandtalkingoveroldtimes.
AnnefoundinMrsSmiththegoodsenseandagreeablemannerswhichshehadalmostventuredtodependon,andadispositiontoconverseandbecheerfulbeyondherexpectation.Neitherthedissipationsofthepast—andshehadlivedverymuchintheworld—northerestrictionsofthepresent,neithersicknessnorsorrowseemedtohaveclosedherheartorruinedherspirits.
Inthecourseofasecondvisitshetalkedwithgreatopenness,andAnne’sastonishmentincreased.ShecouldscarcelyimagineamorecheerlesssituationinitselfthanMrsSmith’s.Shehadbeenveryfondofherhusband:shehadburiedhim.Shehadbeenusedtoaffluence:itwasgone.Shehadnochildtoconnectherwithlifeandhappinessagain,norelationstoassistinthearrangementofperplexedaffairs,nohealthtomakealltherestsupportable.Heraccommodationswerelimitedtoanoisyparlour,andadarkbedroombehind,withnopossibilityofmovingfromonetotheotherwithoutassistance,whichtherewasonlyoneservantinthehousetoafford,andsheneverquittedthehousebuttobeconveyedintothewarmbath.Yet,inspiteofallthis