Persuasion - Page 137/178

"I do not know. I do not think they were."

"Old Lady Mary Maclean? I need not ask after her. She never misses, I

know; and you must have seen her. She must have been in your own

circle; for as you went with Lady Dalrymple, you were in the seats of

grandeur, round the orchestra, of course."

"No, that was what I dreaded. It would have been very unpleasant to me

in every respect. But happily Lady Dalrymple always chooses to be

farther off; and we were exceedingly well placed, that is, for hearing;

I must not say for seeing, because I appear to have seen very little."

"Oh! you saw enough for your own amusement. I can understand. There

is a sort of domestic enjoyment to be known even in a crowd, and this

you had. You were a large party in yourselves, and you wanted nothing

beyond."

"But I ought to have looked about me more," said Anne, conscious while

she spoke that there had in fact been no want of looking about, that

the object only had been deficient.

"No, no; you were better employed. You need not tell me that you had a

pleasant evening. I see it in your eye. I perfectly see how the hours

passed: that you had always something agreeable to listen to. In the

intervals of the concert it was conversation."

Anne half smiled and said, "Do you see that in my eye?"

"Yes, I do. Your countenance perfectly informs me that you were in

company last night with the person whom you think the most agreeable in

the world, the person who interests you at this present time more than

all the rest of the world put together."

A blush overspread Anne's cheeks. She could say nothing.

"And such being the case," continued Mrs Smith, after a short pause, "I

hope you believe that I do know how to value your kindness in coming to

me this morning. It is really very good of you to come and sit with

me, when you must have so many pleasanter demands upon your time."

Anne heard nothing of this. She was still in the astonishment and

confusion excited by her friend's penetration, unable to imagine how

any report of Captain Wentworth could have reached her. After another

short silence-"Pray," said Mrs Smith, "is Mr Elliot aware of your acquaintance with

me? Does he know that I am in Bath?"

"Mr Elliot!" repeated Anne, looking up surprised. A moment's

reflection shewed her the mistake she had been under. She caught it

instantaneously; and recovering her courage with the feeling of safety,

soon added, more composedly, "Are you acquainted with Mr Elliot?"