Page:A memoir of Jane Austen (Fourth Edition).pdf/190

 sitting down and being perfectly comfortable-was sorry he must leave her himself, but was sure Mrs. Croft would be down very soon, and would go upstairs and give her notice directly. Anne was sitting down, but now she arose, again to cntreat him not to interrupt Mrs. Croft and re-urge the wish of going away and calling another time. But the Admiral would not hear of it; and if she did not return to the charge with unconquerable perseverance, or did not with a more passive determination walk quietly out of the room (as certainly she might have done), may she not be pardoned? If she had no horror of a few minutes' tête-à-tête with Captain Wentworth, may she not be pardoned for not wishing to give him the idea that she had? She reseated herself, and the Admiral took leave, but on reaching the door, said-

'Frederick, a word with you if you please.'

Captain Wentworth went to him, and instantly, before they were well out of the room, the Admiral continued-

'As I am going to leave you together, it is but fair I should give you something to talk of; and so, if you please-'

Here the door was very firmly closed, she could guess by which of the two-and she lost entirely what immediately followed, but it was impossible for her not to distinguish parts of the rest, for the Admiral, on the strength of the door's being shut, was speaking without any management of voice, though she could hear his companion trying to check