Music Welcome to Snewscast, the podcast designed to help you fall asleep. Find and connect with us on snoozecast.com and on social media at Snewscast. This episode is brought to you by Studyed Politeness. Tonight, we shall read the next part to persuasion, the last novel fully completed by Jane Austen, and published in 1817. The story concerns Anne Elliott, a 27-year-old English woman whose family moves in order to lower their expenses and reduce their debt by renting their home to an admiral and his wife. In the last episode Anne hears from her sister Mary that Captain Wentworth remarked that he felt Anne was so changed he would not have recognized her. This deeply mortifies Anne, though she admits it to be true. Captain Wentworth still bit her over their past, shows no desire to renew their acquaintance despite frequent social interactions. His focus is now on finding a suitable marriage, excluding Anne from his considerations, though he still has some lingering, unresolved feelings. We pick up in the middle of a conversation between Captain Wentworth, his sister and her husband, Mrs. and Admiral Croft and the Musgrove family, regarding the captain's naval experiences. Let's get cozy. Close your eyes. Relax your body into the softness of of your bad.

Now... softness of your bad. Now take a few deep breaths. I do assure you, ma'am, pursued Mrs. Croft, that nothing can exceed the accommodations of a man of war. I speak, you know, of the higher rates. When you come to a frigate, of course, you are more confined. Though any reasonable woman may be perfectly happy in one of them, and I can safely say that the happiest part of my life has been spent on board a ship. While we were together, you know, there was nothing to be feared. Thank God I have always been blessed with excellent health and no climate disagrees with me. A little disordered always the first 24 hours of going to sea, but never knew what sickness was afterwards. The only time I ever really suffered in body or mind, the only time that I ever fancied myself on well or had any ideas of danger was the winter that I passed by myself at deal when the admiral, Captain Croft then, was in the North seas. I lived in perpetual fright at that time and had all manner of imaginary complaints from not knowing what to do with myself,

or when I should hear from him next. But as long as we could be together,

nothing ever ailed me, and I never met with the smallest inconvenience.

I, to be sure, yes indeed, oh yes, I am quite of your opinion, Mrs. Croft, was Mrs. Musgroves' hearty answer. There is nothing so bad as a separation. I am quite of your opinion. I know what it is for Mr. Musgrove always attends the assizes. And I am so glad when they are over and he is safe back again. The evening ended with dancing on its being proposed and offered her services as usual. And though her eyes would sometimes fill with tears as she sat at the instrument, she was extremely glad to be employed and desired nothing in return but to be unobserved. It was a merry, joyous party, and no one seemed in higher spirits than Captain Wentworth. She felt that he had everything to elevate him, which general attention and deference, and especially the attention of all the young women could do. The mishaters, the females of the family of cousins already mentioned, were apparently admitted to the honor of being in love with him. And as for Henrietta and Luisa, they both seemed so entirely occupied by him that nothing but the continued appearance of the most perfect goodwill between themselves could have made it credible that they were not decided rivals. If he were a little spoiled by such universal, such eager admiration, who could wonder? These were some of the thoughts which occupied Anne, while her fingers were mechanically at work, proceeding for half an hour together, equally without error and without consciousness. Once she felt that he was looking at herself, observing her altered features perhaps, trying to trace in them the ruins of the face which had once charmed him, and once she knew that he must have spoken of her, she was hardly aware of it, till she heard the answer. But then she was sure of his having asked his partner whether Miss Elliott ever danced. The answer was, oh no, never. She has quite given up dancing. She had rather play. She is never tired of playing. Once, two, he spoke to her. She had left the instrument on the dancing being over, and he had sat down to try to make out an air which he wished to give the Miss Musgroves an idea of. Unintentionally, she returned to that part of the room. He saw her and instantly rising, said,

with studied politeness,

I beg your pardon, Madame, this is your seat.

And though she immediately drew back

with the decided negative, he was not to be induced to sit down again. And did not wish for more of such looks and speeches, his cold politeness, his ceremonious grace, were worse than anything. Chapter 9 Captain Wentworth was come to Kellynch as to a home to stay as long as he liked, being as thoroughly the object of the admiral's fraternal kindness as of his wife's. He had intended, on first arriving, to proceed very soon into Shrakshaar and visit the brother settled in that country, but the attractions of uppercross induced him to put this off. There was so much of friendliness and of flattery and of everything most bewitching in his reception there. The old were so hospitable, the young so agreeable, that he could not but resolve to where he was, and take all the charms and perfections of Edward's wife upon credit a little longer. It was soon up across with him almost every day. The muskroves could hardly be more ready to invite than he to come, particularly in the morning when he had no companion at home. For the admiral and Mrs. Croft were generally out of doors together, interesting themselves in their new possessions, their grass, and their sheep, and dawdling about in a way not indurable to a third person, or driving out in a gage, lately added to their establishment. There too there had been but one opinion of Captain Wentworth among the musk roves and their dependencies. It was unvering, warm, admiration everywhere. But this intimate footing was not more than established when a certain Charles Hater returned among them to be a good deal disturbed by it, and to think Captain Wentworth very much in the way. Charles Hater was the eldest of all the cousins and a very amiable, pleasing young man, between whom and Henrietta there had been a considerable appearance of attachment previous to Captain Wentworth's introduction. He was in orders and having a curacy in the neighborhood where residence was not required, lived at his father's house, only two miles from Upper Cross.

A short absence from home had left his fair one unguarded by his attentions at this critical period.

And when he came back, he had the pain of finding very altered manners, and of seeing Captain Wentworth. Mrs. Musgrove and Mrs. Hater were sisters. They had each had money, but their marriages had made a material difference in their degree of consequence. Mr. Hater had some property of his own, but it was insignificant compared with Mr. Musgroves. And while the Musgroves were in the first class of society in the country, the young haters would, from their parents inferior, retired, and unpolished way of living, and their own defective education, have been hardly in any class at all but for their connection with upper cross. This eldest son of course accepted, who had chosen to be a scholar and a gentleman, and who was very superior in cultivation and manners to all the rest. The two families had always been on excellent terms. There being no pride on one side, and no envy on the other, and only such a consciousness of superiority in the mismuscroves has made them pleased to improve their cousins. Charles' attentions to Henrietta had been observed by her father and mother without any disaprovation. would not be a great match for her, but if Henrietta liked him, then Henrietta did seem to like him. Henrietta fully thought so herself, before Captain Wentworth came, but from that time, cousin Charles had been very much forgotten. Which of the two sisters was preferred by Captain Wentworth was as yet quite doubtful as far as Anne's observation reached? Henrietta was perhaps the prettiest. Louisah had the higher spirits, and she knew not now whether the more gentle or the more lively character were most likely to attract him. Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove, either from seeing little, or from an entire confidence in the discretion of both their daughters, and of all the young men who came near them, seemed to leave everything to take its chance. There was not the smallest appearance of solicitude or remark about them in the mansion-house. But it was different at the cottage. The young couple were more exposed to speculate and wonder and Captain Wentworth had not been above four or five times in the Miss Musgrove's company. And Charles Hater had but just reappeared. When Anne had to listen to their opinions of her brother and sister, as to which was the one liked best. Charles gave it for Luisa, Mary for Henrietta, but quite agreeing that to have him Mary either could be extremely delightful. Charles had never seen a pleasant her man in his life, and from what he had once heard, Captain Wentworth himself say, was very sure that he had not made less than 20,000 pounds by the war. Here was a fortune at once. Besides which, there would be the chance of what might be done in any future war. And he was sure Captain Wentworth was as likely a man to distinguish himself as any officer in the Navy. Oh, it would be a capital match for either of his sisters. Upon my word, it would be, replied Mary, dear me, if he should rise to any very great honors, if he should ever be made a baronet, Lady Wentworth sounds very well. That would be a noble thing indeed for Henrietta. She would take place of me then, and Henrietta would not dislike that. Serve Frederick and Lady Wentworth. It would be but a new creation, however, and I'd never think much of your new creations. It suited Mary best to think Henrietta, the one preferred on the very account of Charles Hater, whose pretensions she wished to see put an end to. She looked down very decidedly upon the haters and thought it would be quite a misfortune to have the existing connection between the families renewed. Very sad for herself and her children. You know, said she, I cannot thank him at all a fit match for Henrietta, and considering the alliances which the musk roves have made, she is no right to throw herself away. I do not think any young woman has a right to make a choice that may be disagreeable and inconvenient to the principal part of her family, and be giving bad connections to those who have not been used to them and pray, who is Charles Hater? Nothing but a country curate, a most improper match for Miss Musgrove of Upper Cross. Her husband, however, would not agree with her here. For besides having a regard for his cousin, Charles Hater was an eldest son, and he saw things as an eldest son himself. Now you are talking nonsense, Mary. Was there for his answer? It would not be a great match for Henrietta, but Charles has a very fair chance through the Spicers of getting something from the bishop in the course of a year or two, and you will please to remember that he is the eldest son. Whenever her my uncle dies. he steps into very pretty property. The state at Winthrop is not less than 250 acres, besides the farm near Tontin, which is some of the best land in the country. I grant you that any of them but Charles would be a very shocking match for Henrietta, and indeed it could not be. He is the only one that could be possible. But he is a very good-natured, good sort of fellow, and whenever Winthrop comes into his hands. He will make a very different place of it, and live in a very different sort of way, and with that property he will never be a contemptible man. Good, free-hold property. No, no. Henrietta might do worse than Mary Charles Haider, and if she has him, and Louisa can get Captain Wentworth, I shall be very well satisfied." Charles may say what he pleases, cried Mary to Anne, as soon as he was out of the room, And it would be shocking to have Henrietta marry Charles Hater, a very bad thing for her, and still worse for me. And therefore it is very much to be wished that Captain Wentworth may soon put him quite out of her head. And I have very little doubt that he has. She took hardly any notice of Charles hate her yesterday. I wish you had been there to see her behavior. And as to Captain Wentworth's liking Luisa as well as Henrietta, it is nonsense to say so. For he certainly does like Henrietta a great deal the best.

But Charles is so positive. I wish you had been with us yesterday, for then you might have decided between us, and I am sure you would have thought as I did, unless you had been determined to give it against me. A dinner at Mr. Musgroves had been the occasion when all these things should have been seen by Anne, but she had stayed at home under the mixed plea of a headache of her own and some return of in disposition in little Charles. She had thought only of avoiding Captain Wentworth, but an escape from being appealed to as umpire was now added to the advantages of a quiet evening. As to Captain Wentworth's views, she deemed it of more consequence that he should know his own mind early enough not to be endangering the happiness of either sister, or impeaching his own honor, then that he should prefer Henrietta to Luisa or Luisa to Henrietta. Either of them would, in all probability, make him an affectionate, good, humored wife. With regard to Charles Hater, she had delicacy which must be pained by any lightness of conduct in a well-meaning young woman, and a heart to sympathize in any of the sufferings it occasioned. But if Henrietta found herself mistaken in the nature of her feelings, the alteration could not be understood too soon. Charles Hater had met with much to disquiet and mortify him in his cousin's behavior. She had too

old a regard for him to be so holy as estranged as might in two meetings extinguish every past hope and leave him nothing to do but to keep away from from upper cross.

But there was such a change as became very alarming

when such a man as Captain Wentworth was to be regarded as the probable cause. He had been absent only two Sundays and when they parted, had left her interested, even to the height of his wishes, in his prospect of soon quitting his present curacy, and obtaining that of uppercross instead. It had then seemed the object dearest his heart, that Dr. Shirley the the Rector, who for more than 40 years, had been zealously discharging all the duties of his office, but was now growing to infirm for many of them, should be quite fixed on engaging a curate, should make his curacy quite as good as he could afford, and should give Charles Haider the promise of it. The advantage of his having to come only to upper cross, instead of going six miles another way of his having in every respect, a better curiosity of his belonging to their dear Dr. Shirley, and of dear good Dr. Shirley's being relieved from the duty which he could no longer get through without most injurious fatigue had been a great deal even even to Louisa, but had been almost everything to Henrietta. When he came back, alas, the zeal of the business was gone by. Weza could not listen at all to his account of a conversation which she had just held with Dr. Shirley. She was at a window looking out for Captain Wentworth and even Henrietta had at best only a divided attention to give, and seemed to have forgotten all the former doubt and solicitude of the negotiation. Well, I am very glad indeed, but I always thought you would have it. I always thought you sure. did did not appear to me that, in short, you know, Dr. Shirley must have a curate and you had secured his promise. Is he coming, Louisa? One morning, very soon after the dinner at the musk roaves, at which Anne had not been present, Captain went worth walked into the dining room at the cottage, where were only herself and the little invalid Charles, who was lying on the sofa.

The surprise of finding himself almost alone with Anne Elliott deprived his manners of their usual composure. He started and could only say, I thought the Miss Musgroves had been here. Misses Musgro told me I should find them here. Before he walked to the window to recollect himself and fill how he ought to behave. They are upstairs with my sister. They will be down in a few moments, I dare say. had been Anne's reply in all the confusion that was natural. And if the child had not called her to come and do something for him, she would have been out of the room the next moment and released Captain Wentworth as well as herself. He continued at the window, and after calmly and politely saying, I hope the little boy is better, was silent. She was obliged to kneel down by the sofa and remained there to satisfy her patient, and thus they continued a few minutes when to her very great satisfaction she heard some other person crossing the little vestibule. She hoped, on turning her head, to see the master of the house. But it proved to be one much less calculated for making matters easy. Charles Hater, probably not at all better pleased by the sight of Captain Wentworth, then Captain Wentworth had been by the sight of Anne. She only attempted to say, how do you do? Will you not sit down? The others will be here presently.

Captain Wentworth, however, came from his window, apparently not ill-disposed for conversation. But Charles Hader soon put an end to his attempts by seating himself near the table

and taking up the newspaper and Captain Wentworth returned to his window. you