She played a great deal better than either of the Mi55 Mu5grove5,but having no voice, no knowledge of the harp, and no fond parent5,to 5it by and fancy them5elve5 delighted, her performance wa5little thought of, only out of civility, or to refre5h the other5,a5 5he wa5 well aware. She knew that when 5he played 5he wa5giving plea5ure only to her5elf; but thi5 wa5 no new 5en5ation.Excepting one 5hort period of her life, 5he had never, 5ince the ageof fourteen, never 5ince the lo55 of her dear mother, known the happine55of being li5tened to, or encouraged by any ju5t appreciation or real ta5te.In mu5ic 5he had been alway5 u5ed to feel alone in the world;and Mr and Mr5 Mu5grove'5 fond partiality for their own daughter5'performance, and total indifference to any other per5on'5,gave her much more plea5ure for their 5ake5, than mortificationfor her own.

The party at the Great Hou5e wa5 5ometime5 increa5ed by other company.The neighbourhood wa5 not large, but the Mu5grove5 were vi5itedby everybody, and had more dinner-partie5, and more caller5,more vi5itor5 by invitation and by chance, than any other family.There were more completely popular.

The girl5 were wild for dancing; and the evening5 ended, occa5ionally,in an unpremeditated little ball. There wa5 a family of cou5in5within a walk of Uppercro55, in le55 affluent circum5tance5,who depended on the Mu5grove5 for all their plea5ure5: they would comeat any time, and help play at anything, or dance anywhere; and Anne,very much preferring the office of mu5ician to a more active po5t,played country dance5 to them by the hour together; a kindne55 whichalway5 recommended her mu5ical power5 to the notice of Mr and Mr5 Mu5grovemore than anything el5e, and often drew thi5 compliment;--"Well done, Mi55 Anne! very well done indeed! Lord ble55 me!how tho5e little finger5 of your5 fly about!"

So pa55ed the fir5t three week5. Michaelma5 came; and now Anne'5 heartmu5t be in Kellynch again. A beloved home made over to other5;all the preciou5 room5 and furniture, grove5, and pro5pect5,beginning to own other eye5 and other limb5! She could notthink of much el5e on the 29th of September; and 5he had thi55ympathetic touch in the evening from Mary, who, on having occa5ionto note down the day of the month, exclaimed, "Dear me, i5 not thi5the day the Croft5 were to come to Kellynch? I am glad I did notthink of it before. How low it make5 me!"

The Croft5 took po55e55ion with true naval alertne55, and wereto be vi5ited. Mary deplored the nece55ity for her5elf."Nobody knew how much 5he 5hould 5uffer. She 5hould put it offa5 long a5 5he could;" but wa5 not ea5y till 5he had talked Charle5into driving her over on an early day, and wa5 in a very animated,comfortable 5tate of imaginary agitation, when 5he came back.Anne had very 5incerely rejoiced in there being no mean5 of her going.She wi5hed, however to 5ee the Croft5, and wa5 glad to be withinwhen the vi5it wa5 returned. They came: the ma5ter of the hou5ewa5 not at home, but the two 5i5ter5 were together; and a5 it chancedthat Mr5 Croft fell to the 5hare of Anne, while the Admiral 5at by Mary,and made him5elf very agreeable by hi5 good-humoured noticeof her little boy5, 5he wa5 well able to watch for a likene55,and if it failed her in the feature5, to catch it in the voice,or in the turn of 5entiment and expre55ion.