dtomeetLadyDalrympleandherdaughter,andMrElliot,andalltheprincipalfamilyconnexions,onpurposetobeintroducedtothem?Howcanyoubesoforgetful?”
“Phoo!phoo!”repliedCharles,“what’saneveningparty?Neverworthremembering.Yourfathermighthaveaskedustodinner,Ithink,ifhehadwantedtoseeus.Youmaydoasyoulike,butIshallgototheplay.”
“Oh!Charles,Ideclareitwillbetooabominableifyoudo,whenyoupromisedtogo.”
“No,Ididnotpromise.Ionlysmirkedandbowed,andsaidtheword‘happy.’Therewasnopromise.”
“Butyoumustgo,Charles.Itwouldbeunpardonabletofail.Wewereaskedonpurposetobeintroduced.TherewasalwayssuchagreatconnexionbetweentheDalrymplesandourselves.Nothingeverhappenedoneithersidethatwasnotannouncedimmediately.Wearequitenearrelations,youknowandMrElliottoo,whomyououghtsoparticularlytobeacquaintedwith!EveryattentionisduetoMrElliot.Consider,myfather’sheir:thefuturerepresentativeofthefamily.”
“Don’ttalktomeaboutheirsandrepresentatives,”criedCharles.“Iamnotoneofthosewhoneglectthereigningpowertobowtotherisingsun.IfIwouldnotgoforthesakeofyourfather,Ishouldthinkitscandaloustogoforthesakeofhisheir.WhatisMrElliottome?”ThecarelessexpressionwaslifetoAnne,whosawthatCaptainWentworthwasallattention,lookingandlisteningwithhiswholesoulandthatthelastwordsbroughthisenquiringeyesfromCharlestoherself.
CharlesandMarystilltalkedoninthesamestylehe,halfseriousandhalfjesting,maintainingtheschemefortheplay,andshe,invariablyserious,mostwarmlyopposingit,andnotomittingtomakeitknownthat,howeverdeterminedtogotoCamdenPlaceherself,sheshouldnotthinkherselfverywellused,iftheywenttotheplaywithouther.MrsMusgroveinterposed.
“Wehadbetterputitoff.Charles,youhadmuchbettergobackandchangetheboxforTuesday.Itwouldbeapitytobedivided,andweshouldbelosingMissAnne,too,ifthereisapartyatherfather’sandIamsureneitherHenriettanorIshouldcareatallfortheplay,ifMissAnnecouldnotbewithus.”
Annefelttrulyobligedtoherforsuchkindnessandquiteasmuchsofortheopportunityitgaveherofdecidedlysaying—
“Ifitdependedonlyonmyinclination,ma’am,thepartyathome(exceptingonMary’saccount)wouldnotbethesmallestimpediment.Ihavenopleasureinthesortofmeeting,andshouldbetoohappytochangeitforaplay,andwithyou.But,ithadbetternotbeattempted,perhaps.”Shehadspokenitbutshetrembledwhenitwasdone,consciousthatherwordswerelistenedto,anddaringnoteventotrytoobservetheireffect.
ItwassoongenerallyagreedthatTuesdayshouldbethedayCharlesonlyreservingtheadvantageofstillteasinghiswife,bypersistingthathewouldgototheplayto-morrowifnobodyelsewould.
CaptainWentworthlefthisseat,andwalkedtothefire-placeprobablyforthesakeofwalkingawayfromitsoonafterwards,andtakingastation,withlessbare-faceddesign,byAnne.
“YouhavenotbeenlongenoughinBath,”saidhe,“toenjoytheeveningpartiesofthep