Page 232 - persuasion

‘No, that was what I dreaded. It would have been very un-
pleasant 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 un-
derstand. 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 defi-
cient.
‘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 con-
cert 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 in-
terests you at this present time more than all the rest of the
world put together.’
A blush overspread Anne’s cheeks. She could say noth-
ing.
‘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

232 Persuasion