would told him well it would serve to core him of ta absurd practice of never asking a question at an inn he had adopted when quite a young man on the principle of its being veiy to be curious the notions of a young man of one or two and twenty said he as to what is necessary in manners to make quite the thing are more absurd i believe than those of other set of beings in the world the folly of the means often employ is only to be equalled by the of what they have in view but he must not be addressing bis reflections to anne alone he knew it he was soon diffused again among the others and it was only at intervals that he could return to his inquiries however produced at length an account of the scene she had been engaged in there soon after his leaving the place having alluded to an accident he must hear the whole when he questioned sir walter and began to question also but the difference in their manner of doing it could not be she could only compare mr to lady in the wish of really what had passed and in the degree of concern for what she must have suffered in witnessing it he staid an hour with them the elegant little dock on the mantel piece had struck eleven with its silver sounds and the was beginning to be heard at a distance telling the same tale before mr or any of them seemed feel that he had been there long persuasion anne could not have supposed it possible that her first in place could have passed so well chapter xvi was one point which anne on returning to her family would have been more thankful to ascertain even than mr s being in love with elizabeth which was her father s not being in love with mrs clay and she was very far from easy about it when she had been at home a few hours on going down to breakfast the next morning she found there had just been a decent pretence on the lady s side of meaning to leave them she could imagine mrs clay to have said that now miss anne was come she could not suppose herself at all wanted for elizabeth was replying in a sort of whisper that must not be any reason indeed assure you i feel it none she is nothing to me compared with you and she was in full time to hear her father say my dear madam this must not be as yet you have seen nothing of bath you have been here only to be useful yon must not run away from us now you must stay to be acquainted with mrs the beautiful mrs to fine mind i well know the sight of beauty is a real gratification he spoke and looked so much in earnest that anne was not surprised to see mrs clay stealing a glance at elizabeth and herself her perhaps might express some but the praise of the fine mind did not appear to excite a thought in her sister the lady could not but yield to such joint entreaties and promise to stay in the course of the same morning anne and her father to be alone together he began to compliment her on her improved looks he thought her ess thin in her person in her cheeks her skin her complexion greatly improved clearer had she been using anything in particular no nothing merely he supposed no nothing at all ha he was surprised at ua i n that and added you cannot do better than as you are a cannot be better than well or i recommend the constant use of the spring months mrs clay has been using it at my n and you see what it has done for her see how it has carried away her if elizabeth could but have heard such praise might have struck her especially as it did not appear to anne the were at all lessened but must take its chance the evil of the marriage would be much diminished if elizabeth were also to marry ii for herself she might always a home with lady lady s composed mind and polite manners were put to some trial on this point in her intercourse in place the sight of mrs clay in such favour and of anne so overlooked was a perpetual provocation to her there and vexed her as much when she was away as a person in bath who drinks the water gets all the new and his a very large acquaintance has time to be vexed as mr became known to her she grew more charitable or more indifferent towards the others his manners were an immediate recommendation and on conversing with him ihe found the solid so fully supporting the superficial that she was at first as she told ready to exclaim can this be mr and could not seriously picture to herself a more agreeable or man everything united in him good understanding oo opinions knowledge of the world and a warm heart he had strong feelings of family attachment and honour without pride or weakness he lived with the of a man of fortune without display he judged for himself in everything essential without opinion in any point of worldly decorum he was steady observant moderate candid never run away with by or by selfishness which fancied itself strong feeling and yet with a to what was amiable and lovely and a persuasion for all the of domestic life which characters of fancied enthusiasm and violent agitation seldom really possess she was sure that he had not been happy in marriage colonel said it and lady saw it but it had been no to sour his mind nor she began pretty soon to suspect to prevent his 