15 Persuasion By Stephanie Poppins

The story concerns Anne Elliot, an Englishwoman of 27 years, whose family moves to lower their expenses and reduce their debt by renting their home to an admiral and his wife.
In this episode: Mr Elliot arrives at Bath visits Anne's father's house, where she is staying.

Transcript

Hello.

Welcome to Sleep Stories with Steph,

Your go-to romantic podcast that guarantees you a calm and entertaining transition into a great night's sleep.

Come with me as we immerse ourselves in a romantic journey to a time long since forgotten.

But before we begin,

Let's take a moment to focus on where we are now.

Take a deep breath in through your nose and let it out with a long sigh.

That's it.

Now close your eyes and feel yourself sink deeper into the support beneath you.

It is time to relax and fully let go.

There is nothing you need to be doing now and nowhere you need to go.

Happy listening.

Persuasion by Jane Austen Volume 2,

Chapter 3 Sir Walter had taken a very good house in Camden Place,

Sir Walter had taken a very good house in Camden Place,

A lofty,

Dignified situation such as becomes a man of consequence,

And both he and Elizabeth were settled there much to their satisfaction.

Anne entered it with a sinking heart,

Anticipating an imprisonment of many months,

And anxiously saying to herself,

Oh,

When shall I leave you again?

A degree of unexpected cordiality,

However,

In the welcome she received,

Did her good.

Her father and sister were glad to see her,

For the sake of showing her the house and the furniture,

And met her with kindness.

Her making a forth when they sat down to dinner was noticed as an advantage.

Mrs Clay was very pleasant and very smiling,

But her curtsies and smiles were more a matter of course.

Anne had always felt she would pretend what was proper on her arrival,

But the complacence of the others was unlooked for.

They were evidently in excellent spirits,

And she was soon to listen to the causes.

They had no inclination to listen to her.

After laying out for some compliments of being deeply regretted in their old neighbourhood,

Which Anne could not pay,

They had only a few faint enquiries to make before the talk must all be their own.

Uppercross excited no interest,

Kellynch very little.

It was all Bath.

They had the pleasure of assuring Anne that Bath was more than answering their expectations in every respect.

Their house was undoubtedly the best in Camden Place.

Their drawing rooms had many decided advantages over all the others which they had seen or heard of,

And their superiority was not less in the style of the fitting up or the taste of the furniture.

Their acquaintance was exceedingly sought after.

Everybody was wanting to visit them.

They had drawn back from many introductions and were still perpetually having cards left by people of whom they knew nothing.

Here were funds of enjoyment.

Could Anne wonder that her father and sister were happy?

She might not wonder,

But she must sigh that her father could feel no degradation in his change,

Could see nothing to regret in the duties and dignity of the resident landholder,

Should find so much to be vain of the littleness of a town.

And she must sigh and smile and wonder too,

As Elizabeth threw open the folding doors and walked with exultation from one drawing room to the other,

Boasting of their space.

At the possibility of that woman,

Who had been mistress of Kellynch Hall,

Finding extent to be proud of between two walls,

Perhaps 30 feet asunder.

But this was not all which they had to make them happy.

They had Mr Elliot too.

Anne had a great deal to hear of Mr Elliot.

He was not only pardoned,

They were delighted with him.

He had been in Bath about a fortnight,

And his first object on arriving had been to leave his card in Camden Place.

They had not a fault to find in him.

He had explained away all the appearance of neglect on his own side.

It had originated in misapprehension entirely.

He had never had an idea of throwing himself off.

He had feared that he was thrown off,

But knew not why,

And delicacy had kept him silent.

Upon the hint of having spoken disrespectfully or carelessly of the family and the family honours,

He was quite indignant.

He,

Who had never boasted of being an Elliot,

And whose feelings as of connection were only too strict to suit the unfeudal tone of the present day,

He was astonished indeed,

But his character and general conduct must refute it.

He could refer so alter to all who knew him,

And certainly the pains he had been taking on this,

The first opportunity of reconciliation,

To be restored to the footing of a relation and air presumptive,

Was a strong proof of his opinions on the subject.

The circumstances of his arrival The circumstances of his marriage too were found to admit much extenuation.

This was an article not to be entered on by himself,

But a very intimate friend of his,

A Colonel Wallace,

A highly respectable man,

Perfectly the gentleman,

And not an ill-looking man,

So Walter added,

Who was living in very good style in Marlborough buildings,

And had at his own particular request been admitted to their acquaintance through Mr Elliot,

Had mentioned one or two things relative to the marriage,

Which made a material difference in the discredit of it.

Colonel Wallace had known Mr Elliot long,

Had been well acquainted also with his wife,

Had perfectly understood the whole story.

She was certainly not a woman of family,

But well-educated,

Accomplished,

Rich,

And excessively in love with his friend.

There had been the charm.

She had sought him.

Without that attraction,

Not all her money would have tempted Elliot,

And Sir Walter was moreover assured of her having been a very fine woman.

Here was a great deal to soften the business,

A very fine woman with a large fortune in love with him.

Sir Walter seemed to admit it,

As complete apology,

And though Elizabeth could not see the circumstance in quite so favourable a light,

She allowed it to be a great extenuation.

Mr Elliot had called repeatedly.

He had dined with them once,

Evidently delighted by the distinction of being asked,

For they gave no dinners in general.

Delighted in short by every proof of cousinly notice,

And placing his whole happiness in being on intimate terms in Camden Place.

Anne listened,

But without quite understanding it.

Allowances,

Large allowances she knew must be made for the ideas of those who spoke.

She heard it all under embellishment.

All that sounded extravagant or irrational in the progress of the reconciliation might have no origin but in the language of the relators.

Still however,

She had the sensation of there being something more than immediately appeared in Mr Elliot's wishing,

After an interval of so many years,

To be well received by them.

In a worldly view,

He had nothing to gain by being on terms with Sir Walter,

Nothing to risk by state of variance.

In all probability,

He was already the richer of the two,

And the Kellynch estate would surely be his,

Hereafter as the title.

A sensible man,

And he had looked like a very sensible man,

Why should it be an object to him?

She could only offer one solution,

It was perhaps for Elizabeth's sake.

There might really have been a liking formerly,

Though convenience and accident had drawn him in a different way,

And now he could afford to please himself,

He might mean to pay his addresses to her.

Elizabeth was certainly very handsome,

With well-bred elegant manners,

And her character might never have been penetrated by Mr Elliot,

Knowing her but in public,

And when very young himself.

How her temper and understanding might bear the investigation of his present keener time of life,

Was another concern,

And rather a fearful one.

Most earnestly did she wish he might not be too nice,

Or too observant if Elizabeth were his object,

And that Elizabeth was disposed to believe herself so,

And that her friend Mrs Clay was encouraging the idea,

Seemed apparent by a glance or two between them,

While Mr Elliot's frequent visits were talked of.

Anne mentioned the glimpses she had had of him at Lyme,

But without being much attentive.

She did not intend it to.

Oh yes,

Perhaps it had been Mr Elliot,

They did not know it might be him perhaps.

They could not listen to her description of him,

They were describing him themselves,

Sir Walter especially.

He did justice to his very gentleman-like appearance,

His air of elegance and fashion,

His good-shaped face,

His sensible eye,

But at the same time must lament his being very much underhung,

A defect which time seemed to have increased,

Nor could he pretend to say that ten years had not altered almost every feature for the worst.

Mr Elliot appeared to think that he,

Sir Walter,

Was looking exactly as he had done when they last parted,

But Sir Walter had not been able to return the compliment entirely,

Which had embarrassed him.

He did not mean to complain,

However,

Mr Elliot was better to look at than most men,

And he had no objection to being seen with him anywhere.

Mr Elliot and his friends in Marlborough Buildings were talked of the whole evening.

Then Sir Walter asked,

How is Mary looking?

The last time I saw her she had a red nose,

But I hope that may not happen every day.

Oh no,

That must have been quite accidental,

Said Anne.

In general she's been in very good health and very good look since Micklemouth.

If I thought it would not tempt her to go out in sharp winds and grow coarse,

I'd send her a new hat and pleas,

He said.

Anne was considering whether she should venture to suggest that a gown or cap would not be liable to any such misuse when a knock at the door suspended everything.

A knock at the door,

And so late.

It was ten o'clock.

Could it be Mr Elliot?

They knew he was to dine in Lansdowne Crescent.

It was possible that he might stop in his way home to ask how they did.

They could think of no one else.

Mrs Clay decidedly thought it Mr Elliot's knock,

And she was right.

With all the state which a butler and footboy could give,

Mr Elliot was ushered into the room.

It was the same,

The very same man,

With no difference but of dress.

Anne drew a little back while the others received his compliments and her sister his apologies for calling it so unusual an hour,

But he could not be so near without wishing to know that neither she nor her friend had taken coal the day before,

Etc.

,

Etc.

,

Which was all as politely done and as politely taken as possible,

But her part must follow them.

Sir Walter talked of his youngest daughter.

Mr Elliot must give him leave to present him to his youngest daughter,

He said,

And Anne,

Smiling and blushing,

Very becomingly showed Mr Elliot the pretty features which he had by no means forgotten,

And instantly saw with amusement,

At his little starter surprise,

That he had not been at all aware of who she was.

He looked completely astonished,

But not more astonished than pleased.

His eyes brightened,

And with the most perfect alacrity he welcomed the relationship,

Alluded to the past,

And entreated to be received as an acquaintance already.

He was quite as good-looking as he had appeared at Lyme.

His countenance improved by speaking,

And his manners were so exactly what they ought to be,

So polished,

So easy,

So particularly agreeable,

That Anne could compare them in excellence to only one person's manners.

They were not the same,

But they were,

Perhaps,

Equally good.

He sat down with them,

And improved their conversation very much.

There could be no doubt of his being a sensible man.

Ten minutes were enough to certify that.

His tone,

His expressions,

His choice of subject,

His knowing where to stop,

It was all the operation of a sensible,

Discerning mind.

As soon as he could,

He began to speak to Anne of Lyme,

Wanting to compare a man to a woman.

His opinions respecting the place,

But especially wanting to speak of the circumstance of their happening to be guests in the same inn,

At the same time.

She gave him a short account of her party and business at Lyme.

His regret increased as he listened.

He had spent his whole solitary evening in the room adjoining theirs,

Had heard voices,

Murth continually,

Thought they must be a delightful set of people long to be with them,

But certainly without the smallest suspicion of his possessing the shadow of a right to introduce himself.

If he had but asked who the party were,

The name of Musgrove would have told him enough.

Well,

It would serve to cure him of an absurd practice of never asking a question at an inn,

Which he had adopted,

When quite a young man,

On the principle of his being very ungenteel to be curious.

But he must not be addressing his reflections to Anne alone,

He knew it.

He was soon diffused again amongst the others,

And it was only at intervals he could return to Lyme.

His enquiries,

However,

Produced at length an account of the scene she had been engaged in there soon after his leaving the place.

Having alluded to an accident,

He must hear the whole.

When he questioned,

Sir Walter and Elizabeth began to question also,

But the diffidence in their manner of doing it could not be unfelt.

Anne could only compare Mr Elliot to Lady Russell,

In the wish of really comprehending what had passed,

And in the degree of concern for what she must have suffered in witnessing it.

Mr Elliot stayed an hour with them.

The elegant little clock on the mantelpiece had struck eleven with its silver sounds,

And the watchman was beginning to be heard at a distance,

Telling the same tale,

Before he or any of them seemed to feel that he had been there long.

Anne could not have supposed it possible that her first evening at Camden Place could have passed so soon.

Could have passed so well.