Jane Austen: Persuasion

1 PersuasionJane AustenThis file is free for individual use only. It must not be altered or wishing to use it must first obtain a cost licenses are available. Contact us through our web site The Electric Book Co 1998 The Electric Book Company Ltd20 Cambridge Drive, London SE12 8AJ, UK+44 (0)181 488 3872 CLASSICSebc0046. Jane Austen: PersuasionJane Austen: PersuasionClassics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook3 PersuasionVolume IChapter I. The Elliots and their money problems 5 Chapter II. Elliots to leave Kellynch Hall 14 Chapter III. Kellynch let to Admiral Croft 21 Chapter IV. Anne Elliot s former attachment to CaptainWentworth, brother-in-law to Admiral Croft 31 Chapter V. Elliots to Bath; Anne remains behind 38 Chapter VI. Anne at Uppercross Cottage; Crofts atKellynch Hall 49 Chapter VII.

2 Captain Wentworth arrives at Kellynch,meets Anne 62 Chapter VIII. Anne and Wentworth dine with theMusgraves at Uppercross House 73 Chapter IX. Charles Hayter returns to Uppercross 84 Chapter X. A walk to the Hayters at Winthrop 94 Chapter XI. A trip to Lyme107 Chapter XII. Louisa Musgrave s accident at Lyme118 Volume IIChapter I. Anne visits Kellynch Hall136 Chapter II. Anne and Lady Russell to Bath145 Chapter III. Anne s cousin Mr Elliot comes to call154 Chapter IV. Mr Elliot s intentions discussed164 Chapter V. Anne visits her schoolfriend, Mrs Smith172 Jane Austen: PersuasionClassics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook4 Chapter VI. Anne learns that Louisa is to marryCaptain Benwick184 Chapter VII. Captain Wentworth arrives in Bath198 Chapter VIII. Anne speaks to Wentworth at a concert206 Chapter IX.

3 Mrs Smith reveals Mr Elliot s character to Anne 218 Chapter X. The Musgraves arrive in Bath241 Chapter XI. Wentworth writes to Anne, they are reunited260 Chapter XII. Anne marries Wentworth; he helps Mrs Smith 282 Appendix. The Original Ending of Persuasion288 Jane Austen: PersuasionClassics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook5 PERSUASIONVOLUME ICHAPTER Iir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, was aman who, for his own amusement, never took up any bookbut the Baronetage; there he found occupation for an idlehour, and consolation in a distressed one; there his faculties wereroused into admiration and respect, by contemplating the limitedremnant of the earliest patents; there any unwelcome sensations,arising from domestic affairs changed naturally into pity andcontempt as he turned over the almost endless creations of the lastcentury.

4 And there, if every other leaf were powerless, he couldread his own history with an interest which never failed. This wasthe page at which the favourite volume always opened: ELLIOT OF KELLYNCH HALL. Walter Elliot, born March 1, 1760, married, July 15, 1784,Elizabeth, daughter of James Stevenson, Esq. of South Park, inthe county of Gloucester, by which lady (who died 1800) he hasissue Elizabeth, born June 1, 1785; Anne, born August 9, 1787; astill-born son, November 5, 1789; Mary, born November 20, 1791. SJane Austen: PersuasionClassics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook6 Precisely such had the paragraph originally stood from theprinter s hands; but Sir Walter had improved it by adding, for theinformation of himself and his family, these words, after the dateof Mary s birth Married, December 16, 1810, Charles, son andheir of Charles Musgrove, Esq.

5 Of Uppercross, in the county ofSomerset, and by inserting most accurately the day of the monthon which he had lost his followed the history and rise of the ancient andrespectable family, in the usual terms; how it had been first settledin Cheshire; how mentioned in Dugdale, serving the office of highsheriff, representing a borough in three successive parliaments,exertions of loyalty, and dignity of baronet, in the first year ofCharles II, with all the Marys and Elizabeths they had married;forming altogether two handsome duodecimo pages, andconcluding with the arms and motto: Principal seat, KellynchHall, in the county of Somerset, and Sir Walter s handwritingagain in this finale: Heir presumptive, William Walter Elliot, Esq., great grandsonof the second Sir Walter.

6 Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot scharacter; vanity of person and of situation. He had beenremarkably handsome in his youth; and, at fifty-four, was still avery fine man. Few women could think more of their personalappearance than he did, nor could the valet of any new made lordbe more delighted with the place he held in society. He consideredthe blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing of abaronetcy; and the Sir Walter Elliot, who united these gifts, wasthe constant object of his warmest respect and good looks and his rank had one fair claim on hisJane Austen: PersuasionClassics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook7attachment; since to them he must have owed a wife of verysuperior character to any thing deserved by his own.

7 Lady Elliothad been an excellent woman, sensible and amiable; whosejudgment and conduct, if they might be pardoned the youthfulinfatuation which made her Lady Elliot, had never requiredindulgence afterwards. She had humoured, or softened, orconcealed his failings, and promoted his real respectability forseventeen years; and though not the very happiest being in theworld herself, had found enough in her duties, her friends, and herchildren, to attach her to life, and make it no matter of indifferenceto her when she was called on to quit them. Three girls, the twoeldest sixteen and fourteen, was an awful legacy for a mother tobequeath, an awful charge rather, to confide to the authority andguidance of a conceited, silly father. She had, however, one veryintimate friend, a sensible, deserving woman, who had beenbrought, by strong attachment to herself, to settle close by her, inthe village of Kellynch; and on her kindness and advice, LadyElliot mainly relied for the best help and maintenance of the goodprinciples and instruction which she had been anxiously givingher friend, and Sir Walter, did not marry, whatever might havebeen anticipated on that head by their acquaintance.

8 Thirteenyears had passed away since Lady Elliot s death, and they werestill near neighbours and intimate friends, and one remained awidower, the other a Lady Russell, of steady age and character, and extremelywell provided for, should have no thought of a second marriage,needs no apology to the public, which is rather apt to beunreasonably discontented when a woman does marry again, thanJane Austen: PersuasionClassics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook8when she does not; but Sir Walter s continuing in singlenessrequires explanation. Be it known then, that Sir Walter, like agood father, (having met with one or two private disappointmentsin very unreasonable applications) prided himself on remainingsingle for his dear daughters sake.

9 For one daughter, his eldest,he would really have given up any thing, which he had not beenvery much tempted to do. Elizabeth had succeeded, at sixteen, toall that was possible, of her mother s rights and consequence; andbeing very handsome, and very like himself, her influence hadalways been great, and they had gone on together most two other children were of very inferior value. Mary hadacquired a little artificial importance, by becoming Mrs. CharlesMusgrove; but Anne, with an elegance of mind and sweetness ofcharacter, which must have placed her high with any people ofreal understanding, was nobody with either father or sister; herword had no weight, her convenience was always to give way she was only Lady Russell, indeed, she was a most dear and highly valuedgod-daughter, favourite, and friend.

10 Lady Russell loved them all;but it was only in Anne that she could fancy the mother to few years before, Anne Elliot had been a very pretty girl, buther bloom had vanished early; and as even in its height, her fatherhad found little to admire in her, (so totally different were herdelicate features and mild dark eyes from his own); there could benothing in them, now that she was faded and thin, to excite hisesteem. He had never indulged much hope, he had now none, ofever reading her name in any other page of his favourite work. Allequality of alliance must rest with Elizabeth, for Mary had merelyJane Austen: PersuasionClassics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook9connected herself with an old country family of respectability andlarge fortune, and had therefore given all the honour and receivednone: Elizabeth would, one day or other, marry sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer at twenty-nine than she was ten years before; and, generally speaking, ifthere has been neither ill health nor anxiety, it is a time of life atwhich scarcely any charm is lost.