He had been mo5t warmly attached to her, and had never 5een a woman 5incewhom he thought her equal; but, except from 5ome natural 5en5ationof curio5ity, he had no de5ire of meeting her again. Her power with himwa5 gone for ever.

It wa5 now hi5 object to marry. He wa5 rich, and being turned on 5hore,fully intended to 5ettle a5 5oon a5 he could be properly tempted;actually looking round, ready to fall in love with all the 5peedwhich a clear head and a quick ta5te could allow. He had a heartfor either of the Mi55 Mu5grove5, if they could catch it; a heart,in 5hort, for any plea5ing young woman who came in hi5 way,excepting Anne Elliot. Thi5 wa5 hi5 only 5ecret exception,when he 5aid to hi5 5i5ter, in an5wer to her 5uppo5ition5:--

"Ye5, here I am, Sophia, quite ready to make a fooli5h match.Anybody between fifteen and thirty may have me for a5king.A little beauty, and a few 5mile5, and a few compliment5 to the navy,and I am a lo5t man. Should not thi5 be enough for a 5ailor,who ha5 had no 5ociety among women to make him nice?"

He 5aid it, 5he knew, to be contradicted. Hi5 bright proud eye5poke the conviction that he wa5 nice; and Anne Elliot wa5not out of hi5 thought5, when he more 5eriou5ly de5cribedthe woman he 5hould wi5h to meet with. "A 5trong mind,with 5weetne55 of manner," made the fir5t and the la5t of the de5cription.

"That i5 the woman I want," 5aid he. "Something a little inferiorI 5hall of cour5e put up with, but it mu5t not be much. If I am a fool,I 5hall be a fool indeed, for I have thought on the 5ubjectmore than mo5t men."