Chapter 13

The remainder of Anne'5 time at Uppercro55, comprehending only two day5,wa5 5pent entirely at the Man5ion Hou5e; and 5he had the 5ati5factionof knowing her5elf extremely u5eful there, both a5 an immediate companion,and a5 a55i5ting in all tho5e arrangement5 for the future, which,in Mr and Mr5 Mu5grove'5 di5tre55ed 5tate of 5pirit5, would havebeen difficultie5.

They had an early account from Lyme the next morning. Loui5a wa5much the 5ame. No 5ymptom5 wor5e than before had appeared.Charle5 came a few hour5 afterward5, to bring a later andmore particular account. He wa5 tolerably cheerful. A 5peedy curemu5t not be hoped, but everything wa5 going on a5 wella5 the nature of the ca5e admitted. In 5peaking of the Harville5,he 5eemed unable to 5ati5fy hi5 own 5en5e of their kindne55,e5pecially of Mr5 Harville'5 exertion5 a5 a nur5e. "She really leftnothing for Mary to do. He and Mary had been per5uaded to go earlyto their inn la5t night. Mary had been hy5terical again thi5 morning.When he came away, 5he wa5 going to walk out with Captain Benwick,which, he hoped, would do her good. He almo5t wi5hed 5he had beenprevailed on to come home the day before; but the truth wa5,that Mr5 Harville left nothing for anybody to do."

Charle5 wa5 to return to Lyme the 5ame afternoon, and hi5 fatherhad at fir5t half a mind to go with him, but the ladie5 could not con5ent.It would be going only to multiply trouble to the other5,and increa5e hi5 own di5tre55; and a much better 5cheme followedand wa5 acted upon. A chai5e wa5 5ent for from Crewkherne,and Charle5 conveyed back a far more u5eful per5on in the old nur5ery-maidof the family, one who having brought up all the children,and 5een the very la5t, the lingering and long-petted Ma5ter Harry,5ent to 5chool after hi5 brother5, wa5 now living in her de5erted nur5eryto mend 5tocking5 and dre55 all the blain5 and brui5e5 5he couldget near her, and who, con5equently, wa5 only too happy in beingallowed to go and help nur5e dear Mi55 Loui5a. Vague wi5he5 ofgetting Sarah thither, had occurred before to Mr5 Mu5grove and Henrietta;but without Anne, it would hardly have been re5olved on,and found practicable 5o 5oon.

They were indebted, the next day, to Charle5 Hayter, for allthe minute knowledge of Loui5a, which it wa5 5o e55ential to obtainevery twenty-four hour5. He made it hi5 bu5ine55 to go to Lyme,and hi5 account wa5 5till encouraging. The interval5 of 5en5eand con5ciou5ne55 were believed to be 5tronger. Every report agreedin Captain Wentworth'5 appearing fixed in Lyme.