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 Shropshire,
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 remain where he was, and take all
the charms and perfections of Edward's wife upon credit a little longer.

It was soon Uppercross with him almost every day. The Musgroves
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 endurable to a third person, or driving out in a gig,
lately added to their establishment.

Hitherto there had been but one opinion of Captain Wentworth
among the Musgroves and their dependencies. It was unvarying,
warm admiration everywhere; but this intimate footing was not more
than established, when a certain Charles Hayter returned among them,
to be a good deal disturbed by it, and to think Captain Wentworth
very much in the way.

Charles Hayter was the eldest of all the cousins, and a very amiable,