Music Welcome to Snuescast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find and connect with us on snuescast.com and on social media at Snuescast. This episode is brought to you by Sedentary Persuits. Tonight, we shall read the next part to persuasion, the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen, published in 1817. The story concerns Anne Elliott, an English woman whose family moves in order to lower their expenses by renting their home to an admiral and his wife. We will pick up early in Chapter 13 where we left off in the last episode. This chapter is also the start of the second volume or half of persuasion. And Elliott is reunited with Lady Russell, her confidant and mentor. Lady Russell remains keenly interested in Anne's prospects and happiness, though her advice in the past led to Anne breaking off her engagement with Captain Wentworth. Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body and to the self softness of your bed. Now take a few deep breaths. first three or four days passed most quietly, with no circumstance to mark them accepting the receipt of a note or two from Lime, which found their way to Anne. You could not tell how, and brought a rather improving account of Louisa. At the end of that period, Lady Russell's politeness could repose no longer, and the feint herself, threatening of the past, became in a decided tone, I must call on Mrs. Croft. I really must call upon her soon. And have you the courage to go with me and pay a visit in that house? It will be some trial to us both. And did not shrink from it on the contrary. She truly felt as if she said, in observing, I think you are very likely to suffer the most of the two. Your feelings are less reconciled to the change than mine. By remaining in the neighborhood, I am become inured to it. Anne had no power of saying to herself, these rooms ought to belong only to us, oh, how fallen in their destination, how unworthily occupied, an ancient family to be so driven away, strangers filling their place. No, except when she thought of her mother, and remembered where she had been used to sit and preside, she had no sigh of that description to heave. Mrs. Croft always met her with a kindness which gave her the pleasure of fancing herself a favorite, and on the present occasion, receiving her in that house, there was particular attention. The sad accident at Lyme was soon the prevailing topic, and on comparing their latest accounts of the invalid. It appeared that each lady dated her intelligence from the same hour of Yester Morn. The captain went worth had been in Kellynch yesterday, the first time since the accident. Had brought Anne the last note, which she had not been able to trace the exact steps of, had stayed a few hours and then returned again to Lyme, and without any present intention of quitting it anymore. He had inquired after her, she found, particularly, had expressed his hope of Miss Elliot's not being the worst for her exertions, and had spoken of those exertions as great. This was handsome, and gave her more pleasure than almost anything else could have done. As to the sad catastrophe itself, it could be canvased only in one style by a couple of steady, sensible women whose judgments had to work on ascertained events. And it was perfectly decided that it had been the consequence of much thoughtlessness and much imprudence, that its effects were most alarming, and that it

was frightful to think how long Miss Musgroves' recovery might yet be doubtful, and how liable she would still remain to suffer from the concussion thereafter. Admiral wound it up summarily by exclaiming,

I very bad business indeed. The admiral wound it up summarily by exclaiming,

I very bad business indeed, a new sort of way this, for a young fellow to be making love by breaking his mistress's head, his not-it-miss-el-it. This is breaking ahead and giving a plaster truly.

Admiral Croft's manners were not quite of the tone to suit Lady Russell, but they delighted Anne. His goodness of heart and simplicity of character were irresistible. Now, this must be very bad for you," said he, suddenly rousing from a little reverie, to be coming and finding us here. I had not recollected it before I declare, but it must be very bad. But now, do not stand upon ceremony. Get up and go over all the rooms in the house if you like it. Another time, sir, I thank you, not now. Well, whenever it suits you, you can slip in from the shrubbery at any time, and there you will find we keep our umbrellas hanging up by that door. A good place, is it not? But checking himself, you will not think it a good place. For yours, we're always kept in the butler's room. I so it always is, I believe. One man's ways may be as good as another's, but we all like our own best. And so you must judge for yourself, whether it would be better for you to go about the house or not. And finding she might decline it did so very gratefully. We have made very few changes, either. Continued the admiral, after thinking a moment. Very few. We told you about the laundry door at Opera Cross. There has been a very great improvement. The wonder was, how any family upon Earth could bear with the inconvenience of its opening as it did so long. You will tell Sir Walter what we have done, and that Mr. Shepherd thinks that the greatest improvement the house ever had. Indeed, I must do ourselves the justice to say that the few alterations we have made have been all very much for the better. My wife should have the credit of them, however, I have done very little, besides sending away some of the large looking glasses from my dressing room, which was your father's. A very good man, and very much the gentleman I am sure, but I should think Miss Elliott looking with serious reflection. I should think he must be rather a dressy man for his time of life. Such a number of looking glasses, whole Lord, there was no getting away from oneself. So I got so feet, a lend me a hand, and we soon shifted their quarters. And now I am quite snug with my little shaving glass in one corner and another great thing that I never go near. Anne, amused in spite of herself, was rather distressed for an answer. And the admiral, fearing he might not have been civil enough, took up the subject again to say, The next time you write to your good father, Miss Elliott, Pray give him my compliments and Mrs. Crofts, and say that we are settled here quite to our liking, and have no fault at all to find with the place. The breakfast room chimney smokes a little, like ranch you, but it is only when the wind is due north and blows hard, which may not happen three times a winter. And take it all together, now that we have been into most of the houses hereabouts and can judge, there's not one that we like better than this. Pray say so with my compliments. He will be glad to hear it. Lady Russell and Mrs. Croft were very well pleased with each other. the acquaintance which this visit began was fated not to proceed far at present. For when it was returned, the Crofts announced themselves to be going away for a few weeks to visit their connections in the north of the county and probably might not be at home again before Lady Russell would be removing to Bath. So ended all danger to Anne of meeting Captain Wentworth at Kellynch Hall, or of seeing him in company with her friend. Everything was safe enough, and she smiled over the many, anxious feelings she had wasted on the subject. Chapter 14 Though Charles and Mary had remained at Lyme much longer after Mr and Mrs. Mus Musgroves going than and conceived they could have been at all wanted. They were yet the first of the family to be at home again. And as soon as possible, after their return to Upper Cross, they drove over to the lodge. They had left Louisa beginning to sit up, but her head, though clear, was exceedingly weak, and her nerves susceptible to the highest extreme of tenderness. And though she might be pronounced to be altogether doing very well, it was still impossible to say when she might be able to bear the removal home and her father and mother who must return in time to receive their younger children for the Christmas holidays had hardly a hope of being allowed to bring her with them. They had been all in lodgings together. Mrs. Musgrove had got Mrs. Harville's children away as much as she could. Every possible supply from upper cross had been furnished to lighten the inconvenience to the Harvils, while the Harvils had been wanting them to come to dinner every day. And in short, it seemed to have been only a struggle on each side as to which should be most disinterested and hospitable. Mary had had her evils, but upon the whole, as was evident by her staying so long, she had found more to enjoy than to suffer. Charles Hater had been at Lyme oftener than suited her, and when they dined with the Harvills there had been only a maid servant to wait, and at first Mrs. Harvill had always given Mrs. Musgrove precedence, but then she had received so very handsome an apology from her on finding out whose daughter she was, and there had been so much going on every day. There had been so many walks between their lodgings and the Harvills. And she had got books from the

library and changed them so often that the balance had certainly been much in favor of lime. She had been taken to Charmouth too and she had bathed and she had gone to church. And there were a great many more people to look at in the church at Lyme than at Upper Cross. And all this, joined to the sense of being so very useful, had made really an agreeable fortnight. And inquired after Captain Benwick, Mary's face was clouded directly. Charles laughed. Oh, Captain Benwick is very well, I believe, but he is a very odd young man. I do not know what he would be at. We asked him to come home with us for a day or two. Charles undertook to give him some shooting, and he seemed quite delighted. And for my part, I thought it was all settled. When behold, on Tuesday night, he made a very awkward sort of excuse. He never shot, and he had been quite misunderstood, and he had promised this, and he had promised that. And the end of it was, I found, that he did not mean to come. I suppose he was afraid of finding it dull. But upon my word, I should have thought we were lively enough at the cottage for such a heartbroken man as Captain Benwick. Charles laughed again and said, Now Mary, you know very well how it really was. It was all you're doing turning to Anne. He fancied that if he went with us, he should find you close by. He fancied everybody to be living in uppercross, and when he discovered that Lady Russell lived three miles off, his heart failed him, and he had not courage to come. That is the fact upon my honor. Mary knows it is. But Mary did not give into it very graciously whether from not considering Captain Benwick entitled by birth and situation to be in love with an Elliott, or from not wanting to believe Anne a greater attraction to uppercross and herself must be left to be guessed. Anne's good will, however, was not to be lessened by what she heard. She boldly acknowledged herself lattered and continued her enquiries. Oh, how he talks of you, cried Charles in such terms. Mary interrupted him. I declare Charles, I never heard him mention Ann twice all the time I was there.

I declare Charles, I never heard him mention and twice all the time I was there. I declare, Anne, he never talks of you at all. No, admitted Charles, I do not know that he ever does in a general way, but however, it is a very clear thing that he admires you exceedingly. His head is full of some books that he is reading upon your recommendation, and he wants to talk to you about them. He is found out something or other in one of them which he thinks. Oh, I cannot pretend to remember it, but it was something very fine. I overheard him telling Henrietta

all about it. And then Miss Elliott was spoken of in the highest terms. Now Mary, I declare it was so, I heard it myself, and you were in the other room. elegance, sweetness, beauty.

Oh, there was no end of Miss Elliott's charms.

And I am sure, cried Mary warmly, it was a very little to his credit if he did. Miss Harville only died last June. Such a heart is very little worth having, is it, Lady Russell? I am sure you will agree with me. I must see Captain Benwick before I decide," said Lady Russell, smiling. And that you are very likely to do very soon. I can tell you, ma'am," said Charles. Though we had not nerves for coming away with us and setting off again afterwards to pay a formal visit here, he will make his way over to Kellynch one day by himself. You may depend upon it. I told him the distance and the road, and I told him of the churches being so very well worth seeing, for as he has a taste for those sorts of things,

I thought that would be a good excuse. And he listened with all his understanding and soul,

and I am sure from his manner that he will be calling on here soon. So I give you notice lady

Russell. Any acquaintance of Anne's will always be welcome to me. Was Lady Russell's kind answer? Oh, as to being Anne's acquaintance," said Mary. I think he is rather my acquaintance, for I have been seeing him every day this last fortnight. Well, as you're joined acquaintanceinten's then, I shall be very happy to see Captain Benweck. You will not find him anything very agreeable. I assure you, ma'am, he is one of the dullest young men that ever lived. He has walked with me sometimes from one end of the sands to the other without saying a word. He is not at all a well-bred young man. I am sure you will not like him." "'There we differ, Mary,' said Anne. I think Lady Russell would like him. I think she would be so much pleased with his mind that she would very soon see no deficiency in his manner. "'So do I, Anne,' said Charles. I am sure Lady Russell would like him. He is just Lady Russell's sort. Give him a book, and he will read all day long.' "'Yes, that he will,' exclaimed Mary, tauntingly. He will sit pouring over his book and not know when a person speaks to him, or when one drops one's scissors or anything that happens. Do you think Lady Russell would like that? Lady Russell could not help laughing. Upon my word,' said she. I should not have supposed that my opinion of anyone could have admitted of such difference of conjecture, steady and matter of fact as I may call myself. I have really a curiosity to see the person who can give occasion to such directly opposite notions. I wish he may be induced to call here, and when he does marry, you may depend upon hearing my opinion, but I am determined not to judge him beforehand. You will not like him, I will answer for it." Lady Russell began talking of something else. Mary spoke with animation of their meeting with, or rather missing, Mr. Elliot so extraordinarily. He is a man, said Lady Russell, whom I have no wish to see. His declining to be on cordial terms with the head of his family, has left a very strong impression in his disfavor with me. This decision checked Mary's eagerness and stopped her short in the midst of the Elliott countenance. With regard to Captain Wentworth, though Anne has herded no encrase, there was voluntary communication sufficient. His spirits had been greatly recovering, as might be expected. As Luisa improved, he had improved, and he was now quite a different creature from what he had been

the first week. He had not seen Luisa and was so extremely fearful of any ill consequence to her from an interview that he did not press for it at all, and on the contrary, seemed to have a plan of going away for a week or ten days till her head was stronger. He had talked of going down to Plymouth for a week and wanted to persuade Captain Benwick to go with him, but as Charles maintained to the last Captain Benwick seemed much more disposed to ride over to Kellynch. There can be no doubt that Lady Russell and Anne were both occasionally thinking of Captain Benwick from this time. Lady Russell could not hear the doorbell without feeling that it might be his harald, nor could Anne return from any stroll of solitary indulgence in her father's grounds, or any visit of charity in the village without wondering whether she might see him or hear of him. Captain Benwick came not, however. He was either less disposed for it than Charles had imagined, or he was too shy. And after giving him a week's indulgence, Lady Russell determined him to be unworthy of the interest which he had been beginning to excite. The Musgroves came back to receive their happy boys and girls from school, bringing with them Mrs. Harville's little children to improve the noise of uppercross and lessen that of lime. Henrietta remained with Luisa, but all the rest of the family were again in their usual quarters.

Lady Russell and Anne paid their compliments to them at once, when Anne could not but feel that opera-cross was already quite alive again. Though neither Henrietta nor Louisa nor Charles Hater nor Captain Wentworth were there, the room presented as strong a contrast as could be wished to the last state she had seen it in. Immediately surrounding Mrs. Musgrove were the little Harvils, whom she was, sensuly guarding from the tyranny of the two children from the cottage, expressly arrived to amuse them. On one side was a table occupied by some chattering girls, cutting up silk and gold paper, and on the other were trussles and trays, bending under the weight of brawn and cold pies, where riotous boys were holding high revel. The hole completed by a roaring Christmas fire which seemed determined to be heard, in spite of all the noise of the others. Charles and Mary also came in, of course, during their visit, and Mr. Musgrove made a point of paying his respects to Lady Russell, and sat down close to her for ten minutes, talking with a very raised voice. But from the clamor of the children on his knees, generally in vain, it was a fine family piece. Anne, judging from her own temperament, would have deemed such a domestic hurricane a bad restorative of the nerves, which Louisa's illness must have so greatly shaken. But Mrs. Musgrove, who got Anne near her on purpose to thank her most cordially, again and again, for all her attentions to them, concluded a short recapitulation of what she had suffered herself by observing, with a happy glance around the room, that after all she had gone through, nothing was so likely to do her good as a little quiet cheerfulness at home. Louisa was now recovering a pace. Her mother could even think of her being able to join their party at home before her brothers and sisters went to school again. The Harvils had promised to come with her and stay at Upper Cross whenever she returned.

Captain Wentworth was gone for the present to see his brother in Shropshire.

I hope I shall remember in future," said Lady Russell, as soon as they were receded in

the carriage, not to call at uppercross in the Christmas holidays.

Everybody has their taste and noises as well as in other matters,

and sounds are quite innocuous or most distressing by their sort rather than by their quantity.

When Lady Russell not long afterwards was entering bath on a wet afternoon and driving through the long course of streets from the old bridge to Camden Place, amidst the dash of other carriages, the heavy rumble of carts and dres, the balling of newspaper men, muffin men, and milkmen, and the ceaseless clink of patterns, she made no complaint. No, these were noises which belong to the winter pleasures, her spirits rose under their influence, and like Mrs. Musgrove, she was feeling, though not saying, that after being long in the country, nothing could be so good for her as a little quiet cheerfulness. And did not share these feelings. She persisted in a very determined, though very silent, disinclination for Bath. Caught the first dim view of the extensive buildings, smoking in rain, without any wish of seeing them better. Felt their progress through the streets to be, however disagreeable, yet too rapid for who would be glad to see her when she arrived, and looked back with fond regret to the bustles of uppercross and the seclusion of Kellynch. Elizabeth's last letter had communicated a piece of news of some interest. Mr. Elliott was in bath. He had called in Camden Place, had called a second time, a third, had been pointedly attentive. If Elizabeth and her father did not deceive themselves, he had been taking much pains to seek the acquaintance and proclaim the value of the connection, as he had formerly taken pains to show neglect. This was very wonderful if it were true. And Lady Russell was in a state of very agreeable curiosity and perplexity about Mr. Elliott. already recanting the sentiment,

she had so lately expressed to Mary of his being,

...