persontofetchasurgeon,youcouldhavelittleideaofhisbeingeventuallyoneofthosemostconcernedinherrecovery.”
“CertainlyIcouldhavenone.Butitappears—Ishouldhopeitwouldbeaveryhappymatch.Thereareonbothsidesgoodprinciplesandgoodtemper.”
“Yes,”saidhe,lookingnotexactlyforward“butthere,Ithink,endstheresemblance.WithallmysoulIwishthemhappy,andrejoiceovereverycircumstanceinfavourofit.Theyhavenodifficultiestocontendwithathome,noopposition,nocaprice,nodelays.TheMusgrovesarebehavinglikethemselves,mosthonourablyandkindly,onlyanxiouswithtrueparentalheartstopromotetheirdaughter’scomfort.Allthisismuch,verymuchinfavouroftheirhappinessmorethanperhaps—”
Hestopped.Asuddenrecollectionseemedtooccur,andtogivehimsometasteofthatemotionwhichwasreddeningAnne’scheeksandfixinghereyesontheground.Afterclearinghisthroat,however,heproceededthus—
“IconfessthatIdothinkthereisadisparity,toogreatadisparity,andinapointnolessessentialthanmind.IregardLouisaMusgroveasaveryamiable,sweet-temperedgirl,andnotdeficientinunderstanding,butBenwickissomethingmore.Heisacleverman,areadingmanandIconfess,thatIdoconsiderhisattachinghimselftoherwithsomesurprise.Haditbeentheeffectofgratitude,hadhelearnttoloveher,becausehebelievedhertobepreferringhim,itwouldhavebeenanotherthing.ButIhavenoreasontosupposeitso.Itseems,onthecontrary,tohavebeenaperfectlyspontaneous,untaughtfeelingonhisside,andthissurprisesme.Amanlikehim,inhissituation!withaheartpierced,wounded,almostbroken!FannyHarvillewasaverysuperiorcreature,andhisattachmenttoherwasindeedattachment.Amandoesnotrecoverfromsuchadevotionofthehearttosuchawoman.Heoughtnothedoesnot.”
Eitherfromtheconsciousness,however,thathisfriendhadrecovered,orfromotherconsciousness,hewentnofartherandAnnewho,inspiteoftheagitatedvoiceinwhichthelatterparthadbeenuttered,andinspiteofallthevar