aracter,andextremelywellprovidedfor,shouldhavenothoughtofasecondmarriage,needsnoapologytothepublic,whichisratherapttobeunreasonablydiscontentedwhenawomandoesmarryagain,thanwhenshedoesnotbutSirWalter’scontinuinginsinglenessrequiresexplanation.Beitknownthen,thatSirWalter,likeagoodfather,(havingmetwithoneortwoprivatedisappointmentsinveryunreasonableapplications),pridedhimselfonremainingsingleforhisdeardaughters’sake.Foronedaughter,hiseldest,hewouldreallyhavegivenupanything,whichhehadnotbeenverymuchtemptedtodo.Elizabethhadsucceeded,atsixteen,toallthatwaspossible,ofhermother’srightsandconsequenceandbeingveryhandsome,andverylikehimself,herinfluencehadalwaysbeengreat,andtheyhadgoneontogethermosthappily.Histwootherchildrenwereofveryinferiorvalue.Maryhadacquiredalittleartificialimportance,bybecomingMrsCharlesMusgrovebutAnne,withaneleganceofmindandsweetnessofcharacter,whichmusthaveplacedherhighwithanypeopleofrealunderstanding,wasnobodywitheitherfatherorsisterherwordhadnoweight,herconveniencewasalwaystogiveway—shewasonlyAnne.
ToLadyRussell,indeed,shewasamostdearandhighlyvaluedgod-daughter,favourite,andfriend.LadyRusselllovedthemallbutitwasonlyinAnnethatshecouldfancythemothertoreviveagain.
Afewyearsbefore,AnneElliothadbeenaveryprettygirl,butherbloomhadvanishedearlyandaseveninitsheight,herfatherhadfoundlittletoadmireinher,(sototallydifferentwereherdelicatefeaturesandmilddarkeyesfromhisown),therecouldbenothinginthem,nowthatshewasfadedandthin,toexcitehisesteem.Hehadneverindulgedmuchhope,hehadnownone,ofeverreadinghernameinanyotherpageofhisfavouritework.AllequalityofalliancemustrestwithElizabeth,forMaryhadmerelyconnectedherselfwithanoldcountryfamilyofrespectabilityandlargefortune,andhadthereforegivenallthehonourandreceivednone:Elizabethwould,onedayo