Page:Austen Sanditon and other miscellanea.djvu/100

 72 never deviate from the strict Medicinal page. The corner house of the Terrace was the one in which Miss Diana Parker had the pleasure of settling her new friends, and considering that it commanded in front the favourite Lounge of all the Visitors at Sanditon, and on one side, whatever might be going on at the Hotel, there could not have been a more favourable spot for the seclusions of the Miss Beauforts. And accordingly, long before they had suited themselves with an Instrument, or with Drawing paper, they had, by the frequency of their appearance at the low Windows upstairs, in order to close the blinds, or open the Blinds, to arrange a flower pot on the Balcony, or look at nothing through a Telescope, attracted many an eye upwards, and made many a Gazer gaze again. A little Novelty has a great effect in so small a place; the Miss Beauforts, who would have been nothing at Brighton, could not move here without notice; and even Mr. Arthur Parker, though little disposed for supernumerary exertion, always quitted the Terrace, in his way to his Brother’s by this corner House, for the sake of a glimpse of the Miss Beauforts, though it was half a quarter of a mile round about, and added two steps to the ascent of the Hill.

 

had been ten days at Sanditon without seeing Sanditon House, every attempt at calling on Lady Denham having been defeated by meeting with her beforehand. But now it was to be more resolutely undertaken, at a more early hour, that nothing might be neglected of attention to Lady Denham or amusement to Charlotte. ‘And if you should find a favourable opening, my Love,’ said Mr. Parker (who did not mean to go with them), ‘I think you had better mention