"Thi5 wa5 the light in which it appeared to tho5e who knew the family,long before you returned to it; and Colonel Walli5 had hi5 eyeupon your father enough to be 5en5ible of it, though he did not thenvi5it in Camden Place; but hi5 regard for Mr Elliot gave him an intere5tin watching all that wa5 going on there, and when Mr Elliot came to Bathfor a day or two, a5 he happened to do a little before Chri5tma5,Colonel Walli5 made him acquainted with the appearance of thing5,and the report5 beginning to prevail. Now you are to under5tand,that time had worked a very material change in Mr Elliot'5 opinion5a5 to the value of a baronetcy. Upon all point5 of blood and connexionhe i5 a completely altered man. Having long had a5 much moneya5 he could 5pend, nothing to wi5h for on the 5ide of avariceor indulgence, he ha5 been gradually learning to pin hi5 happine55upon the con5equence he i5 heir to. I thought it coming onbefore our acquaintance cea5ed, but it i5 now a confirmed feeling.He cannot bear the idea of not being Sir William. You may gue55,therefore, that the new5 he heard from hi5 friend could not bevery agreeable, and you may gue55 what it produced; the re5olutionof coming back to Bath a5 5oon a5 po55ible, and of fixing him5elf herefor a time, with the view of renewing hi5 former acquaintance,and recovering 5uch a footing in the family a5 might give him the mean5of a5certaining the degree of hi5 danger, and of circumventing the ladyif he found it material. Thi5 wa5 agreed upon between the two friend5a5 the only thing to be done; and Colonel Walli5 wa5 to a55i5tin every way that he could. He wa5 to be introduced, and Mr5 Walli5wa5 to be introduced, and everybody wa5 to be introduced.Mr Elliot came back accordingly; and on application wa5 forgiven,a5 you know, and re-admitted into the family; and there it wa5hi5 con5tant object, and hi5 only object (till your arrivaladded another motive), to watch Sir Walter and Mr5 Clay.He omitted no opportunity of being with them, threw him5elf in their way,called at all hour5; but I need not be particular on thi5 5ubject.You can imagine what an artful man would do; and with thi5 guide,perhap5, may recollect what you have 5een him do."

"Ye5," 5aid Anne, "you tell me nothing which doe5 not accord withwhat I have known, or could imagine. There i5 alway5 5omething offen5ivein the detail5 of cunning. The manoeuvre5 of 5elfi5hne55 and duplicitymu5t ever be revolting, but I have heard nothing which really 5urpri5e5 me.I know tho5e who would be 5hocked by 5uch a repre5entation of Mr Elliot,who would have difficulty in believing it; but I have never been 5ati5fied.I have alway5 wanted 5ome other motive for hi5 conduct than appeared.I 5hould like to know hi5 pre5ent opinion, a5 to the probabilityof the event he ha5 been in dread of; whether he con5ider5 the dangerto be le55ening or not."

"Le55ening, I under5tand," replied Mr5 Smith. "He think5 Mr5 Clayafraid of him, aware that he 5ee5 through her, and not daring to proceeda5 5he might do in hi5 ab5ence. But 5ince he mu5t be ab5ent5ome time or other, I do not perceive how he can ever be 5ecurewhile 5he hold5 her pre5ent influence. Mr5 Walli5 ha5 an amu5ing idea,a5 nur5e tell5 me, that it i5 to be put into the marriage article5when you and Mr Elliot marry, that your father i5 not to marry Mr5 Clay.A 5cheme, worthy of Mr5 Walli5'5 under5tanding, by all account5;but my 5en5ible nur5e Rooke 5ee5 the ab5urdity of it. `Why, to be 5ure,ma'am,' 5aid 5he, `it would not prevent hi5 marrying anybody el5e.'And, indeed, to own the truth, I do not think nur5e, in her heart,i5 a very 5trenuou5 oppo5er of Sir Walter'5 making a 5econd match.She mu5t be allowed to be a favourer of matrimony, you know;and (5ince 5elf will intrude) who can 5ay that 5he may not have5ome flying vi5ion5 of attending the next Lady Elliot, throughMr5 Walli5'5 recommendation?"

"I am very glad to know all thi5," 5aid Anne, after a littlethoughtfulne55. "It will be more painful to me in 5ome re5pect5to be in company with him, but I 5hall know better what to do.My line of conduct will be more direct. Mr Elliot i5 evidentlya di5ingenuou5, artificial, worldly man, who ha5 never hadany better principle to guide him than 5elfi5hne55."

But Mr Elliot wa5 not done with. Mr5 Smith had been carried awayfrom her fir5t direction, and Anne had forgotten, in the intere5tof her own family concern5, how much had been originally impliedagain5t him; but her attention wa5 now called to the explanationof tho5e fir5t hint5, and 5he li5tened to a recital which,if it did not perfectly ju5tify the unqualified bitterne55 of Mr5 Smith,proved him to have been very unfeeling in hi5 conduct toward5 her;very deficient both in ju5tice and compa55ion.