20 Cont. Persuasion Read 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: At the concert, Captain Wentworth greets Anne, and the two speak. To Anne’s gratification, Sir Walter and Elizabeth acknowledge their acquaintance. Captain Wentworth and Anne meet again at the theatre, and Anne delights in what transpires.
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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.

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 8 The delightful emotions were a little subdued when on stepping back from the group to be joined again by Captain Wentworth,

Anne saw that he was gone.

She was just in time to see him turn into the concert room.

He was gone.

He had disappeared.

She felt a moment's regret.

But they should meet again.

He would look for her.

He would find her out before the evening wore over.

And at present perhaps it was just as well to be asunder.

She was in need of a little interval for recollection.

Upon Lady Russell's appearance soon afterwards the whole party was collected and all that remained was to marshal themselves and proceed into the concert room and be of all the consequence in their power,

Draw as many eyes,

Excite as many whispers and disturb as many people.

As they could.

Very,

Very happy were both Elizabeth and Anne Elliott as they walked in.

Elizabeth was arm in arm with Miss Catteret and looking on the broad back of the dowager Viscountess Dalrymple before her had nothing to wish for which did not seem within her reach.

And Anne,

But it would be an to the nature of Anne's felicity to draw any comparison between it and her sister's,

The origin of one all selfish vanity of the other all generous attachment.

Anne saw nothing,

Thought nothing of the brilliancy of the room.

Her happiness was all from within.

Her eyes were bright and her cheeks glowed,

But she knew nothing about it.

She was thinking only of the last half hour.

And as they passed to their seats,

Her mind took a hasty range over it.

Captain Wentworth's choice of subjects,

His expressions and still more his manner and look had been such as she could see in only one light.

His opinion of Louise and Musgrove's inferiority,

An opinion which he'd seen solicitors to give,

His wonder at Captain Benwick,

His feelings as to a first strong attachment,

Sentences begun which he could not finish.

His half-averted eyes and more than half-expressive glance all declared he had a heart returning to Anne at least.

That anger,

Resentment,

Avoidance were no more,

And they were succeeded not merely by friendship and regard,

But by the tenderness of the past.

Yet some share of the tenderness of the past she could not contemplate the changes implying less.

He must love her.

These were thoughts with their attendant visions which occupied and flurried Anne too much to leave her any power of observation,

And she passed along the room without having a glimpse of him,

Without even trying to discern him.

When their places were determined on,

And they were all properly arranged,

Anne looked around to see if he should happen to be in the same part of the room,

But he was not.

Her eye could not reach him,

And the concert beginning,

She must consent for time to be happy in a humbler way.

The party was divided and disposed of on two contiguous benches.

Anne was among those on the foremost,

And Mr Elliot had manoeuvred so well with the assistance of his friend Colonel Wallace as to have a seat by her.

Miss Elliot,

Surrounded by her cousins and the principal object of Colonel Wallace's gallantry,

Was quite contented.

Anne's mind was in a most favourable state for the entertainment of the evening.

It was just occupation enough.

She had feelings for the tender,

Spirits for the gay,

Attention for the scientific,

And patience for the wearisome,

And had never liked a concert better,

At least during the first act.

Towards the close of it,

In the interval succeeding an Italian song,

She explained the words of the song to Mr Elliot.

They had a concert bill between them.

This,

Said she,

Is nearly the sense,

Or rather the meaning of the words,

For certainly the sense of an Italian love song must not be talked of.

But it is as nearly the meaning as I can give,

For I do not pretend to understand the language.

I am a very poor Italian scholar.

Yes,

I see you are.

I see you know nothing of the matter.

You have only knowledge enough of the language to translate at sight these inverted,

Transposed,

Curtailed Italian lines into clear,

Comprehensible,

Elegant English.

You need not say anything more of your ignorance.

Here is complete proof.

I will not oppose such kind politeness,

But I should be sorry to be examined by a real proficient.

I have not the pleasure of visiting in Camden Place so long,

Replied he,

Without knowing something of Miss Anne Elliot,

And I do regard her as one who is too modest for the world in general to be aware of half of her accomplishments,

And too highly accomplished for modesty to be natural in any other woman.

For shame,

For shame,

Said Anne.

This is too much flattery.

I forget what we are to have next.

Perhaps,

Said Mr Elliot,

Speaking low,

I have a longer acquaintance with your character than you are aware of.

Indeed,

Said she,

How so?

You can have been acquainted with it only since I came to Bath,

Excepting,

As you might hear me previously spoken of,

In my own family.

I knew you by report long before you came to Bath,

He said.

I had heard you described by those who knew you intimately.

I have been acquainted with you by character many years.

Your person,

Your disposition,

Accomplishments,

Your manner,

They were all present to me.

Mr Elliot was not disappointed in the interest he hoped to raise.

No one can withstand the charm of such a mystery.

To have been described long ago to a recent acquaintance by nameless people is irresistible,

And Anne was all curiosity.

She wondered and questioned him eagerly,

But in vain.

He delighted in being asked,

But he would not tell.

No,

No,

Sometime or another perhaps,

But not now,

He said.

He would mention no names now,

But such,

He could assure her,

Had been the fact.

He had many years ago received such a description of Miss Anne Elliot,

As had inspired him with the highest idea of her merit,

And excited the warmest curiosity to know her.

Anne could think of no one so likely to have spoken with partiality of her many years ago,

As the Mr Wentworth of Monkford,

Captain Wentworth's brother.

He might have been in Mr Elliot's company,

But she had not the courage to ask the question.

"'The name of Anne Elliot,

' he continued,

Has long had an interesting sound to me.

Very long has it possessed a charm over my fancy,

And if I dared,

I would breathe my wishes that the name might never change.

' Such,

Anne believed,

Were his words,

But scarcely had she received their sound than her attention was caught by other sounds immediately behind her,

Which rendered everything else trivial.

Her father and Lady Dalrymple were speaking.

"'A well-looking man,

' said Sir Walter,

A very well-looking man.

' "'A very fine young man indeed,

' said Lady Dalrymple,

More air than one often sees in Bath,

I wish I dare say.

"'No,

I just know his name,

A bowing acquaintance.

Wentworth,

Captain Wentworth of the Navy.

His sister married my tenant in Somersetshire,

The Croft who rents Kellynch.

' Before Sir Walter had reached this point,

Anne's eyes had caught the right direction and distinguished Captain Wentworth standing amongst a cluster of men at a little distance.

As her eyes fell upon him,

He seemed to be withdrawn from her.

It had that appearance.

It seemed as if she had been one moment too late,

And as long as she dared observe,

He did not look again.

But the performance was recommencing,

And she was forced to seem to restore her attention to the orchestra and look straight ahead.

When she could give another glance,

He had moved away.

He could not have come nearer to her if he would.

She was so surrounded and shut in,

But she would rather have caught his eye.

Mr Elliot's speech too distressed her.

She had no longer any inclination to talk to him.

She wished him not so near.

Then the first act was over.

She hoped for some beneficial change,

And after a period of nothing saying amongst the party,

Some of them did decide to go in quest for tea.

Anne was one of the few who did not choose to move.

She remained in her seat,

And so did Lady Russell.

But she had the pleasure of getting rid of Mr Elliot,

And she did not mean,

Whatever she might feel on Lady Russell's account,

To shrink from conversation with Captain Wentworth if he gave her the opportunity.

She was persuaded by Lady Russell's countenance that she'd seen him.

He did not come,

However.

Anne sometimes fancied she'd discerned him at a distance,

But he never came.

The anxious interval wore away unproductively.

The others returned.

The room filled again,

Benches were reclaimed and repossessed,

And another hour of pleasure,

Or penance,

Was to be sat out.

Another hour of music was to give delight in all the games,

As real or affected taste for it prevailed.

To Anne,

It chiefly wore the prospect of an hour of agitation.

She could not quit that room in peace without seeing Captain Wentworth once more,

Without the interchange of one friendly look.

In resettling themselves,

There were now many changes.

The result of which was favourable for her.

Colonel Wallace declined sitting down again,

And Mr.

Elliot was invited by Elizabeth and Miss Catterat,

In a manner not to be refused,

To sit between them,

And by some other removals and a little scheming of her own,

Anne was enabled to place herself much nearer the end of the bench than she had been before,

Much more within reach of a passerby.

Such was her situation,

With a vacant space at hand,

When Captain Wentworth was again in sight.

She saw him not far off,

And he saw her too.

Yet he looked grave and seemed irresolute,

And only by very slow degrees came at last near enough to speak to her.

Anne felt that something must be the matter.

The change was intubatable,

The difference between his present air,

And what it had been in the octagon room was strikingly great.

Why was it?

She thought of her father,

Of Lady Russell.

Could there have been any unpleasant glances?

He began by speaking of the concert gravely,

More like the Captain Wentworth of Uppercross,

Owned himself disappointed,

Had expected singing,

And in short must confess he should not be sorry when it was over.

Anne replied,

And spoke in defence of the performance so well,

And yet in allowance for his feelings so pleasantly,

That his countenance approved,

And he replied again with almost a smile.

They talked for a few minutes more.

The improvement held,

He even looked down towards the bench as if he saw a place on it well worth occupying,

When at that moment a touch on her shoulder obliged Anne to turn around.

It came from Mr Elliot.

He begged her pardon,

But she must be applied to,

To explain Italian again.

Miss Catteret was very anxious to have a general idea of what was next to be sung.

Anne could not refuse,

But never has she sacrificed to politeness with a more suffering spirit.

A few minutes,

Though as few as possible,

Were inevitably consumed,

And when her own mistress again,

When able to turn and look as she had done before,

She found herself accosted by Captain Wentworth in a reserved yet hurried sort of farewell.

He must wish her good night.

He was going.

He should get home as fast as he could.

Is this song not worth staying for?

Said Anne,

Suddenly struck by an idea which made her yet more anxious to be encouraging.

No,

He replied impressively.

There is nothing worth my staying for.

And he was gone directly.

Jealousy of Mr Elliot.

It was the only intelligible motive.

Captain Wentworth jealous of her affection.

Could she have believed it a week ago,

Three hours ago?

For a moment,

The gratification was exquisite.

But alas,

There were very different thoughts to succeed.

How was such jealousy to be quieted?

How was the truth to reach him?

How in all the peculiar disadvantages of their respective situations,

Would he ever learn of her real sentiments?

It was misery to think of Mr Elliot's attentions.

Their evil was incalculable.

You

Reviews

Hooray, more than one conversation and reactions between Anne and her hopeful friend Captain W. Ahhh, what an ending to this chapter, subtle and loud at the same time. 🤭💕thank you!