9 Persuasion Read By Stephanie Poppins

In 1813, 54-year-old widower Sir Walter Elliot of Kellynch Hall, Somerset reviews his entry in the list of nobles in order to take his mind off his troubles. He has overspent his income and is deep in debt.

In this episode, we learn that as a naval officer with a fortune, rank, and charms, Captain Wentworth has become a very eligible and desirable bachelor. The world of women has opened to him. Unfortunately, the number of suitors appears to have dwindled for Anne.

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 Chapter Eight Continued The party at the Musgroves ended with dancing.

On its being proposed,

Anne offered her services as usual.

And though her eyes would sometimes fill with tears,

As she sat at the instrument,

She was extremely glad to be employed and desired nothing in return but to be unobserved.

It was a merry,

Joyous party and no one seemed in higher spirits than Captain Wentworth.

She felt that he had everything to elevate him,

Which general attention and deference and especially the attention of all the young women,

Could do.

The Miss Haters,

The females of the family of cousins already mentioned,

Were apparently admitted to the honour of being in love with him.

And as for Henry,

Etta and Louisa,

They both seemed so entirely occupied by him that nothing but the continued appearance for the most perfect goodwill between them but the continued appearance for the most perfect goodwill between themselves could have made it credible that they were not decided rivals.

If he were a little spoiled by such universal,

Such eager admiration,

Who could wonder?

These were some of the thoughts which occupied Anne while her fingers were mechanically at work,

Proceeding for half an hour together,

Equally without error and without consciousness.

Once she felt that he was looking at herself,

Observing her altered features perhaps,

Trying to trace in them the ruins of the face which had once charmed him.

And once she knew that he must have spoken of her,

She was hardly aware of it till she heard the answer,

But then she was sure of his having asked his partner whether Miss Elliot ever danced.

The answer was,

Oh no,

Never,

She has quite given up dancing,

She had rather play,

She is never tired of playing.

Once too he spoke to her,

She had left the instrument on the dancing being over,

And he had sat down to try and make out an air which he wished to give the Miss Musgroves an idea of.

Unintentionally she returned to that part of the room,

He saw her and instantly rising said,

With studied politeness,

I beg your pardon madam,

This is your seat.

And though Anne immediately drew back with a decided negative,

He was not to be induced again to sit down.

Anne did not wish for more of such looks and speeches,

His cold politeness,

His ceremonious grace,

Were worse than anything.

Captain Wentworth was come to Kellynch as to a home,

To stay as long as he liked,

Being as thoroughly the object of the Admiral's fraternal kindness as of his wife's.

He had intended on first arriving to proceed very soon to Shropshire,

And visit the brother settled in that country,

But the attractions of Uppercross induced him to put this off.

There was so much of friendliness and of flattery,

And of everything most bewitching in his reception there,

The old was so hospitable,

The young so agreeable,

That he could not but resolve to remain where he was,

And take all the charms and perfections of Edward's wife,

Upon credit,

A little longer.

It was soon Uppercross with him almost every day,

The Musgroves could hardly be more ready to invite than he to come,

Particularly in the morning,

When he had no companion at home,

For the Admiral and Mrs Croft were generally out of doors together,

Interesting themselves in their new possessions,

Their grass,

Their sheep,

And dawdling about in a way not endurable to a third person,

Or driving out in a gig,

Lately added to their establishment.

Hitherto there had been but one opinion of Captain Wentworth among the Musgroves and their dependencies.

It was unvarying warm admiration everywhere,

But this intimate footing was not more than established,

When a certain Charles Hayter returned among them,

To be a good deal disturbed by it,

And to think Captain Wentworth very much in the way.

Charles Hayter was the eldest of all the cousins,

And a very amiable,

Pleasing young man,

Between whom and Henrietta there had been a considerable appearance of attachment,

Previous to Captain Wentworth's introduction.

He was in orders,

And having a curacy in the neighbourhood,

Where residence was not required,

Lived at his father's house,

Only two miles from Uppercross.

A short absence from home had left his fair one unguarded by his attentions at this critical period,

And when he came back he had the pain of finding very altered manners,

And of seeing Captain Wentworth.

Mrs.

Musgrove and Mrs.

Hayter were sisters.

They had each had money,

But their marriages had made a material difference in their degree of consequence.

Mr.

Hayter had some property of his own,

But it was insignificant compared with Mr.

Musgrove's,

And while the Musgroves were in the first class of society in the country,

The young Hayters would,

From their parents' inferior,

Retired and unpolished way of living,

And their own defective education,

Have been hardly in any class at all,

But for their connection with Uppercross,

This eldest son of course expected,

Who had chosen to be a scholar and a gentleman,

And who was very superior in cultivation and manners to all the rest.

The two families had always been on excellent terms.

There being no pride on one side and no envy on the other,

And only such a consciousness of superiority in the Miss Musgroves has made them pleased to improve their cousins.

Charles's attentions to Henrietta had been observed by her father and mother without any disapprobation.

It would not be a great match for her,

But if Henrietta liked him,

And Henrietta did seem to like him.

Henrietta fully thought so herself before Captain Wentworth came,

But from that time,

Cousin Charles had been very much forgotten.

Which of the two sisters were preferred by Captain Wentworth was as yet quite doubtful,

As far as Anne's observation reached.

Henrietta was perhaps the prettiest.

Louisa had the highest spirits,

And she knew not now whether the more gentle or the more lively character were most likely to attract him.

Mr.

And Mrs.

Musgrove,

Either from seeing little,

Or from an entire confidence in the discretion of both their daughters,

And of all the young men who came near them,

Seemed to leave everything to take its chance.

There was not the smallest appearance of solicitude or remark about them in the mansion house,

But it was different at the cottage.

The young couple there were more disposed to speculate and wonder,

And Captain Wentworth had not been above four or five times in the Miss Musgrove's company,

And Charles Hayter had but just reappeared,

When Anne had to listen to the opinions of her brother and sister as to which was the one liked best.

Charles gave it for Louisa,

Mary for Henrietta,

But quite agreeing that to have him marry either could be extremely delightful.

Charles had never seen a pleasanter man in his life,

And from what he had once heard Captain Wentworth say,

He was very sure he had not made less than £20,

000 by the war.

He was a fortunate once,

Besides which there would be the chance of what might be done in any future war,

And he was sure Captain Wentworth was as likely a man to distinguish himself as any officer in the Navy.

Oh,

It would be a capital match for either of his sisters.

Upon my word,

It would,

Replied Mary,

Dear me,

If he should rise to any very great honour.

If he should rise to any very great honours.

If he should ever be made Baronet.

Lady Wentworth sounds very well.

That would be a noble thing indeed for Henrietta.

She would take place of me then,

And Henrietta would not dislike that.

Sir Frederick and Lady Wentworth.

It would be but a new creation,

However,

And I never much think of your new creations.

It suited Mary best to think Henrietta the one preferred on the very account of Charles Hayter,

Whose pretensions she wished to see put an end to.

She looked down very decidedly upon the Hayters,

And thought it would be quite a misfortune to have the existing connection between the families renewed.

Very sad for herself and her children.

You know,

Said she,

I cannot think him at all a fit much for Henryetta.

Considering the alliances which the Musgroves have made,

She's no right to throw herself away.

I do not think any young woman has a right to make a choice that may be disagreeable and inconvenient to the principal part of her family,

And be giving bad connections to those who have not been used to them.

And pray,

Who is Charles Hayter?

Nothing but a country curate,

A most improper match for Miss Musgrove of Uppercross.

Her husband,

However,

Would not agree with her here.

But besides having a regard for his cousin,

Charles Hayter was an eldest son,

And he saw things as an eldest son himself.

Now you're talking nonsense,

Mary,

Was therefore his answer.

It would not be a great match for Henrietta,

But Charles has a very fair chance through the spices of getting something from the bishop in the court of law.

And you will please to remember,

He is the eldest son.

Whenever my uncle dies,

He steps into a very pretty property.

The estate at Winthrop is not less than 250 acres,

Besides the farm near Taunton,

Which is some of the best land in the country.

I grant you that any of them but Charles will be a very shocking match for Henrietta.

And indeed,

It could not be.

He is the only one who has a good relationship He is the only one that could be possible.

But he is a very good-natured,

Good sort of fellow.

And whenever Winthrop comes into his hands,

He will make a different sort of place of it and live in a very different sort of way.

And with that property,

He will never be a contemptible man.

It's a good freehold property.

No,

No,

Henrietta might do worse than marry Charles Hayter.

And if she has him and Louisa can get Captain Wentworth,

I shall be very well satisfied.

Charles may say what he pleases,

Cried Mary to Anne as soon as he was out of the room.

But it would be shocking to have Henrietta marry Charles Hayter,

A very bad thing for her and still worse for me.

And therefore,

It's very much to be wished that Captain Wentworth may soon put him quite out of her head.

And I have very little doubt that he has.

She hardly took any notice of Charles yesterday.

I wish she had been there to see her behaviour.

And as to Captain Wentworth liking Louisa as well as Henrietta,

It is nonsense to say so,

For he certainly does like Henrietta a great deal the best.

But Charles is so positive.

I wish you'd been with us yesterday,

But then you might have decided between us that I'm sure you would have thought as I did,

Unless you'd been determined to give it against me.

A dinner at Mr.

Musgrove's had been the occasion when all these things should have been seen by Anne.

But she had stayed at home under the mixed plea of a headache of her own and some return of indisposition in little Charles.

She had thought only of avoiding Captain Wentworth,

But an escape from being appealed to as umpire was now added to the advantages of a quiet evening.

And as to Captain Wentworth's views,

She deemed it of more consequence that he should know his own mind early enough not to be endangering the happiness of either sister or impeaching his own honour than that he should prefer Henrietta to Louisa or Louisa to Henrietta.

Either of them would,

In all probability,

Make him an affectionate,

Good-humoured wife.

With regard to Charles Hayter,

She had delicacy which must be pained by any likeness of conduct in a well-meaning young woman and a heart to sympathise in any of the sufferings it occasioned.

But if Henrietta found herself mistaken in the nature of her feelings,

The alteration could not be understood too soon.

One morning,

Very soon after the dinner at the Musgroves,

At which Anne had not been present,

Captain Wentworth walked into the drawing room at the cottage where were only herself and the little invalid Charles who was lying on the sofa.

The surprise of finding himself almost alone with Anne Elliot deprived his manners of their usual composure.

He started and could only say,

I thought the Miss Musgroves had been here.

Mrs Musgroves told me I should find them here.

Before he walked to the window to recollect himself and feel how he ought to behave.

They are upstairs with my sister.

They will be down in a few moments,

I dare say,

Had been Anne's reply in all the confusion that was natural.

And if the child had not called her to come and do something for him,

She would have been out of the room the next moment and released Captain Wentworth as well as herself.

He continued at the window and after calmly and politely saying,

I hope the little boy is better,

Was silent.

Anne was obliged to kneel down by the sofa and remain there to satisfy her patient.

And thus they continued a few minutes when to her very great satisfaction,

She heard some other person crossing the little vestibule.

She hoped on turning her head to see the master of the house,

But it proved to me one much less calculated for making matters easy.

Charles Hayter,

Probably not at all better pleased by the sight of Captain Wentworth than Captain Wentworth had been by the sight of Anne.

She only attempted to say,

How do you do?

Will you not sit down?

Captain Wentworth,

However,

Came from his window,

Apparently not ill-disposed for conversation,

But Charles Hayter soon put an end to his attempts by seating himself near the table and taking up the newspaper.

Captain Wentworth returned to his window.

Another person,

Who was not at all pleased by the sight of Captain Wentworth,

Returned to his window.

Another minute brought another addition.

The younger boy,

A remarkable stout forward child of two years old,

Having got the door open for him by someone without,

Made his determined appearance among them and went straight to the sofa to see what was going on,

Putting in his claim to anything good that might be giving away.

There being nothing to eat,

He could only have some play and as his aunt would not let him tease his sick brother,

He began to fasten himself upon Anne as she knelt in such a way that,

Busy she was about Charles,

She could not shake him off.

She spoke to him,

Ordered,

Entreated and insisted in vain.

Once she did contrive to push him away,

But the boy had the greater pleasure in getting on her back again directly.

Walter,

Said she,

Get down this moment,

You're extremely troublesome,

I'm very angry with you.

Walter,

Cried Charles Hayter,

Why do you not do as you are bid?

Do you not hear your aunt speak?

Come to me,

Come to cousin Charles.

But not a bit did Walter stir.

In another moment,

However,

Anne found herself in the state of being released from him.

Someone was taking him from her,

Though he had bent down her head so much,

That his little sturdy hands were unfastened from her neck and he was resolutely borne away before she knew that Captain Wentworth had done it.

Anne's sensations on the discovery made her perfectly speechless.

She could not even thank him.

She could only hang over little Charles with most disordered feelings.

His kindness in stepping forward to her relief,

The manner,

The silence in which it had passed,

The little particulars of the circumstance,

With a conviction soon forced on her by the noise he was studiously making with the child,

That he meant to avoid hearing her thanks and rather sought to testify that her conversation was the last of his wants,

Produced such a confusion of feelings of varying but painful agitation as Anne could not recover from till enabled by the entrance of Mary and the Miss Musgroves to make over her little patient to their cares and leave the room.

She could not stay.

It might have been an opportunity of watching the loves and jealousies of the four,

They were now all together,

But she could stay for none of it.

It was evident that Charles Hayter was not well inclined towards Captain Wentworth.

She had a strong impression of his having said in a vexed tone of voice after Captain Wentworth's interference.

You ought to have minded me,

Walter.

I told you not to tease your aunt and could comprehend his regretting that Captain Wentworth should do what he ought to have done himself.

But neither Charles Hayter's feelings nor anybody else's could interest Anne till she had a little better arranged her own.

She was ashamed of herself,

Quite ashamed of being so nervous,

So overcome by such a trifle.

But so it was,

And it required a long application of solitude and reflection to recover her.

Reviews

Ohhhh….it is starting to get so good! Thank you. 🙏

🤭Ann, needing time to recover as underneath it all she is still in love, hence speechless. Now this becomes more interesting. 😘🙏zzzz

Very interesting… I hope he doesn’t toy with her too much!
Thank you!❤️🙏🏼