'I should have thought,' said Anne, 'that my manner to yourself might
have spared you much or all of this.'

'No, no! Your manner might be only the ease which your engagement to
another man would give. I left you in this belief; and yet--I was
determined to see you again. My spirits rallied with the morning, and I
felt that I had still a motive for remaining here. The Admiral's news,
indeed, was a revulsion; since that moment I have been divided what to
do, and had it been confirmed, this would have been my last day in Bath.'

There was time for all this to pass, with such interruptions only as
enhanced the charm of the communication, and Bath could hardly contain
any other two beings at once so rationally and so rapturously happy as
during that evening occupied the sofa of Mrs. Croft's drawing-room in Gay
Street.

Captain Wentworth had taken care to meet the Admiral as he returned into
the house, to satisfy him as to Mr. Elliot and Kellynch; and the delicacy
of the Admiral's good-nature kept him from saying another word on the
subject to Anne. He was quite concerned lest he might have been giving
her pain by touching on a tender part--who could say? She might be
liking her cousin better than he liked her; and, upon recollection, if
they had been to marry at all, why should they have waited so long? When
the evening closed, it is probable that the Admiral received some new
ideas from his wife, whose particularly friendly manner in parting with
her gave Anne the gratifying persuasion of her seeing and approving. It
had been such a day to Anne; the hours which had passed since her leaving
Camden Place had done so much! She was almost bewildered--almost too
happy in looking back. It was necessary to sit up half the night, and