22 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: Anne listens to her sister and father whilst trying to appear ignorant of the knowledge she now has.

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 10 Anne went home to think over all she had heard.

In one point her feelings were relieved by this knowledge of Mr Elliot.

There was no longer anything of tenderness due to him.

He stood as opposed to Captain Wentworth in all his own unwelcome obtrusiveness and the evil of his attentions last night,

The irremediable mischief he might have done,

Was considered with sensations unqualified,

Unperplexed.

Pity for him was all over,

But this was the only point of relief.

In every other respect,

In looking around her or penetrating forward,

Anne saw more to distrust than to apprehend.

She was concerned for the disappointment and pain Lady Russell would be feeling,

For the mortifications which must be hanging over her father and sister,

And had all the distress of foreseeing many evils without knowing how to avert any of them.

She was most thankful for her own knowledge of him.

She had never considered herself as entitled to reward for not slighting an old friend like Mrs Smith,

But here was a reward indeed springing from it.

Mrs Smith had been able to tell her what no one else could have done.

Could the knowledge have been extended through her family?

But this was a vain idea.

She must talk to Lady Russell,

Tell her,

Consult with her,

And having done her best,

Wait the event with as much composure as possible.

And after all,

Her greatest want of composure would be in that quarter of the mind which could not be open to Lady Russell.

In that flow of anxieties and fears which must be all to herself.

She found on reaching home that she had,

As she intended,

Escaped seeing Mr Elliot.

That he had called and paid them a long morning visit,

But hardly had she congratulated herself and felt safe when she heard he was coming again in the evening.

I had not the smallest intention of asking him,

Said Elizabeth,

With affected carelessness,

But he gave so many hints.

So Mrs Clay says,

At least.

Indeed,

I do say it.

I never saw anybody in my life spell harder for an invitation.

Poor man,

I was really in pain for him.

For your hard-hearted sister,

Miss Anne,

Seems bent on cruelty.

Oh,

Cried Elizabeth,

I have been rather too much used to the game to be soon overcome by a gentleman's hints.

However,

When I found how excessively he was regretting he should miss my father this morning,

I gave way immediately.

For I would never really admit an opportunity of bringing him and Sir Walter together.

They appear to so much advantage in company with each other,

Each behaving so pleasantly.

Mr Elliot looking up with so much respect.

Quite delightful,

Cried Mrs Clay,

Not daring,

However,

To turn her eyes towards Anne.

Exactly like father and son.

Dear Miss Elliot,

May I not say father and son?

Oh,

I lay no embargo on anybody's words,

Said Anne.

If you will have such ideas,

But upon my word,

I'm scarcely sensible of his attentions being beyond those of other men.

My dear Miss Elliot,

Exclaimed Mrs Clay,

Lifting her hands and eyes and sinking all the rest of her astonishment in a convenient silence.

Well,

My dear Penelope,

You need not be so alarmed about him.

I did invite him,

You know.

I sent him away with smiles when I felt he was really going to his friends at Thornberry Park for the whole day tomorrow.

I had compassion on him.

Anne admired the good acting of the friend in being able to show such pleasure as she did,

In the expectation and in the actual arrival of the very person whose presence must really be interfering with her prime object.

It was impossible,

But that Mrs Clay must hate the sight of Mr Elliot,

And yet she could assume a most obliging,

Placid look,

And appear quite satisfied with a curtailed license of devoting herself only half as much to Sir Walter as she would have done otherwise.

To Anne herself,

It was most distressing to see Mr Elliot enter a room and quite painful to have him approach and speak to her.

She had been used before to feel he could not always be quite sincere,

But now she saw insincerity in everything.

His attentive deference to her father,

Contrasted with his former language,

Was odious,

And when she thought of his cruel conduct towards Mrs Smith,

She could hardly bear the sight of his present smiles and mildness,

Or the sound of his artificial good sentiments.

She meant to avoid any such alteration of manners,

As might provoke a remonstrance on his side.

It was a great object to her to escape all inquiry,

But it was her intention to be as decidedly cool to him as might be compatible with their relationship,

And to retrace,

As quietly as she could,

The few steps of unnecessary intimacy she had been gradually led along.

She was accordingly more guarded and more cool than she had been the night before.

He wanted to animate her curiosity again as to how and where he could have heard her formally praised.

He wanted very much to be gratified by more solicitation,

But the charm was broken.

He found that the heat and animation of a public room was necessary to kindle his modest cousin's vanity.

He found at least that it was not to be done now by any of those attempts which he could hazard among the two commanding claims of the others.

He little surmised that it was a subject acting now exactly against his interest,

Bringing immediately to her thoughts all those parts of his conduct which were least excusable.

Anne had some satisfaction in finding that he was really going out of Bath the next morning,

Going early,

And that he would be gone the greater part of two days.

He was invited again to Camden Place the very evening of his return,

But from Thursday to Saturday evening his absence was certain.

It was bad enough that a Mrs Clay should always be before her,

But that a deeper hypocrite should be added to their party seemed the destruction of everything like peace and comfort.

It was so humiliating to reflect on the constant deception practised on her father and Elizabeth,

To consider the various sources of mortification preparing for them.

Mrs Clay's selfishness was not so complicated nor so revolting as his,

And Anne would have compounded for the marriage at once with all its evils,

To be clear of Mr Elliot's subtleties in endeavouring to prevent it.

On Friday morning she meant to go very early to Lady Russell and accomplish the necessary communication,

And she would have gone directly after breakfast,

But that Mrs Clay was also going out on some obliging purpose of saving her sister trouble,

Which determined her to wait till she might be safe from such a companion.

Anne saw Mrs Clay fairly off therefore,

Before she began to talk of spending the morning in Rivers Street.

"'Very well,

' said Elizabeth,

"'I have nothing to send but my love.

"'Oh,

You may as well take back that tiresome book she would lend me,

"'and I pretend to have read it through.

"'I really cannot be plaguing myself forever "'with all the new poems and states of the nation that come out.

"'Lady Russell quite bores one with her new publications.

"'You need not tell her so,

"'but I thought her dress hideous the other night.

"'I used to think she had some taste in dress,

"'but I was ashamed of her at the concert.

"'Something so formal and arrangé in her air,

"'and she sits so upright.

"'My best love,

Of course.

' "'And mine,

' added Sir Walter.

"'Kindest regards,

"'and you may say that I mean to call upon her soon.

"'Make a civil message,

But I shall only leave my card.

"'Morning visits are never fair by women at her time of life "'who make themselves up so little.

"'If she would only wear rude,

"'she would not be afraid of being seen.

"'But last time I called,

"'I observed the blinds were let down immediately.

' "'While her father spoke,

"'there was a knock at the door.

"'Who could it be?

"'Anne,

Remembering the pre-concerted visits,

"'at all hours of Mr Elliot would have expected him,

"'but for his known engagement seven miles off.

"'After the usual period of suspense,

"'the usual sounds of approach were heard,

"'and Mr and Mrs Charles Musgrove "'were ushered into the room.

'

Reviews

Eek, what a troll… anne will have to be masterful to disengage him… thank you, love!❤️🙏🏼

Hahaha, how to leave a listener hanging! Wicked, just as things are looking to clear for Anne.😄 Waiting patiently for more chapters....
🙏🕯☀️