20 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 make small talk for a while, before discussing Louisa and Captain Benwick. He expresses his doubts as to the goodness of the match; though they have good principles and tempers, there is too great a disparity in manners and mind.

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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 As soon as Anne and Mr.

Elliot were out of sight,

The ladies of Captain Wentworth's party began talking of them.

Mr.

Elliot does not dislike his cousin,

I fancy.

Oh no,

That's clear enough.

One can guess what will happen there.

He's always with them.

Half lives in the family,

I believe.

What a very good looking man.

Yes,

And Miss Atkinson,

Who dined with him once at the Wallaces,

Said he's the most agreeable man she was ever in company with.

She is pretty,

I think,

Anne Elliot.

Very pretty when one comes to look at her.

It's not the fashion to say so,

But I confess I admire her more than her sister.

Oh,

So do I.

And so do I.

No comparison,

But the men are all wild after Miss Elliot.

Anne is too delicate for them.

Anne would have been particularly obliged to her cousin if he would have walked by her side all the way to Camden Place without saying a word.

She had never found it so difficult to listen to him,

Though nothing could exceed his solicitude and care,

And though his subjects were principally such as were wont to be always interesting.

Praise,

Warm,

Just and discriminating of Lady Russell,

And insinuations highly rational against Mrs.

Clay.

But just now,

Anne could think only of Captain Wentworth.

She could not understand his present feelings,

Whether he were really suffering much disappointment or not.

Until that point was settled,

She could not be quite herself.

She hoped to be wise and reasonable in time,

But alas,

She must confess to herself she was not wise yet.

Another circumstance very essential for her to know was how long he meant to be in Bath.

He had not mentioned it,

Or could she recollect it?

He might only just be passing through,

But it was more probable he should come to stay.

In that case,

So liable as everybody was to meet everybody in Bath,

Lady Russell would in all likelihood see him somewhere.

But would she recollect him?

How would it all be?

Anne had already been obliged to tell Lady Russell that Louisa Musgrove was to marry Captain Benwick.

It had cost her something to encounter Lady Russell's surprise,

And now if she were by chance to be thrown into company with Captain Wentworth,

Her imperfect knowledge of the matter might add another shade of prejudice against him.

The following morning,

Anne was out with her friend,

And for the first hour,

In an incessant and fearful sort of watch for him in vain,

But at last in returning down Pulteney Street,

She distinguished him on the right-hand pavement at such a distance as to have him in view the greater part of the street.

There were many other men about him,

Many groups walking the same way,

But there was no mistaking Captain Wentworth.

She looked instinctively at Lady Russell,

But not from any mad idea of her recognising him as soon as she did herself.

No,

It was not to be supposed Lady Russell would perceive him until they were nearly opposite.

She looked at her,

However,

From time to time anxiously,

And when the moment approached,

Which must point him out,

Though not daring to look again,

Anne was perfectly conscious of Lady Russell's eyes being turned exactly in the direction for him,

Of her being,

In short,

Intently observing him.

She could thoroughly comprehend the sort of fascination he must possess over Lady Russell's mind.

The difficulty it must be for her to withdraw her eyes,

The astonishment she must be feeling that eight or nine years should have passed over him,

And in foreign climes and active service too without robbing him of one personal grace.

At last Lady Russell drew back her head.

Now how would she speak of him?

You will wonder,

Said she,

What has been fixing my eye so long that I was looking after some window curtains which Lady Alicia and Mrs.

Franklin were telling me of last night.

They described the drawing-room window curtains of one of the houses this side of the way,

This part of the street as being the handsomest and best hung of any in Bath,

But could not recollect the exact number that I had been trying to find out which it could be.

But I confess I can see no curtains hereabouts that answer their description.

Anne sighed and blushed and smiled in pity and disdain either at her friend or herself.

The part which provoked her most was that in all this waste of foresight and caution she should have lost the right moment for seeing whether he saw them.

A day or two passed without producing anything.

The theatre or the rooms where he was most likely to be were not fashionable enough for the Elliotts whose evening amusements were solely in the elegant stupidity of private parties in which they were getting more and more engaged.

And Anne,

Wearied of such a state of stagnation,

Sick of knowing nothing and fancying herself stronger because her strength was not tried,

Was quite impatient for the concert evening.

It was a concert for the benefit of a person patronised by Lady Dalwimple.

Of course they must attend.

It was really expected to be a good one and Captain Wentworth was very fond of music.

If she could only have a few minutes' conversation with him again,

She fancied she should be satisfied.

And as to the power of addressing him,

She felt all over courage if the opportunity occurred.

Elizabeth had turned from him.

Lady Russell overlooked him.

Her nerves were strengthened by these circumstances and Anne felt she owed him attention.

Sir Walter,

His two daughters and Mrs Clay were the earliest of their party at the rooms in the evening.

And as Lady Dalwimple must be waited for,

They took their station by one of the fires in the octagon room.

But hardly they were so settled when the door opened again and Captain Wentworth walked in alone.

Anne was the nearest to him and making yet a little advance,

She instantly spoke.

He was preparing only to bow and pass on but her gentle,

How do you do,

Brought him out of the straight line to stand near her and make enquiries in her return in spite of the formidable father and sister in the background.

Their being in the background was a support to Anne.

She knew nothing of their looks and felt equal to everything which she believed right to be done.

While they were speaking,

A whispering between her father and Elizabeth caught her ear.

She could not distinguish but she must guess the subject and on Captain Wentworth making a distinctive bow,

She comprehended her father had judged so well as to give him that simple acknowledgement of acquaintance and she was just in time by a side glance to see a slight curtsy from Elizabeth herself.

This though late and reluctant and ungracious was better than nothing and Anne's spirits improved.

After talking however of the weather and bath and the concert,

Their conversation began to flag and so little was said at last that she was expecting Wentworth to go every moment but he did not.

He seemed in no hurry to leave her and presently with renewed spirit and a little smile and a little glow,

He said,

I've hardly seen you since our day at Lyme.

I'm afraid you must have suffered from the shock and the more of it from not overpowering you at the time.

She assured him she had not.

It was a frightful hour,

Said he,

A frightful day and he passed his hand across his eyes as if the remembrance was still too painful but in a moment half smiling again he added,

The day has produced some effects however has had some consequences which must be considered as the very reverse of frightful.

When you had the presence of mind to suggest Benwick would be the properest person to fetch a surgeon you could have little idea of his being eventually one of those more concerned in her recovery.

Certainly I could have none,

Said Anne,

But it appears I should hope it would be a very happy match.

There are on both sides good principles I think and good temper.

Yes,

Said he,

Not looking exactly forward but there I think ends the resemblance.

With all my soul I wish them happy and rejoice over every circumstance they favour of it.

They have no difficulties to contend with at home,

No opposition,

No caprice,

No delays.

The Musgroves are behaving like themselves most honourably and kindly only anxious with true parental hearts to promote their daughter's comfort.

All this is much,

Very much in favour of their happiness more than perhaps.

He stopped.

A sudden recollection seemed to occur and to give him some taste of that emotion which was reddening Anne's cheeks and fixing her eyes on the ground.

After clearing his throat,

However,

He proceeded thus.

I confess I do think there is a disparity to greater disparity and in a point no less essential than mine.

I regard Louisa Musgrove as very amiable and a sweet-tempered girl and not deficient in understanding but Benwick is something more.

He's a clever man,

A reading man and I confess I do consider his attaching himself to her with some surprise.

Had it been the effect of gratitude that he learned to love her because he believed her to be preferring him it would have been another thing but I have no reason to suppose it so.

It seems on the contrary to have been a perfectly spontaneous untaught feeling on his side and that surprises me.

A man like him in this situation with a heart pierced,

Wounded,

Almost broken.

Fanny Harville was a very superior creature and his attachment to her was indeed attachment.

A man does not recover from such a devotion to the heart as such a woman.

He ought not.

He does not.

Either from the consciousness however that his friend had recovered or from other consciousness he went no further and Anne who in spite of the agitated voice in which the latter part had been uttered and in spite of all the various noises of the room the almost ceaseless buzz of the door and the ceaseless buzz of persons walking through had distinguished every word.

She was struck,

Gratified,

Confused and beginning to breathe very quickly.

She was feeling a hundred things in a moment.

It was impossible for her to enter on such a subject and yet after a pause feeling the necessity of speaking and having not the smallest wish for a total change she only deviated so far as to say you were a good while at Lyme I think.

About a fortnight I could not leave till Louise's doing well was quite ascertained.

I'd been too deeply concerned in the mischief to be soon at peace.

It had been my doing.

Solely mine.

She would not have been obstinate if I'd not been weak.

The country round Lyme is very fine.

I walked and rode it a great deal and the more I saw the more I found to admire.

I should very much like to see Lyme again said Anne.

Indeed.

I should not have supposed that you could have found anything in Lyme to inspire such a feeling.

The horror and distress you were involved in the stretch of mind and the wear of spirits.

I should have thought your last impressions of Lyme might be strong disgust.

The last few hours were certainly very painful she replied.

But when pain is over the remembrance of it often becomes a pleasure.

One does not love a place the less for having suffered in it unless it has been all suffering.

Nothing but suffering.

Which was by no means the case at Lyme.

We were only in anxiety and distress during the last two hours and previously there had been a great deal of enjoyment.

Altogether my impressions of the place are very agreeable.

As Anne ceased the entrance door opened again and the very party appeared for whom they were waiting.

Lady Dalrymple was the rejoicing sound and with all the eagerness compatible with anxious elegance Sir Walter and his two ladies stepped forward to meet her.

The others joined them and it was a group in which Anne found herself necessarily included.

She was now divided from Captain Wentworth.

Their interesting almost too interesting conversation must be broke up for a time but slight was the penance compared with the happiness which brought it on.

She had learned in the last 10 minutes more of his feelings towards Louisa more of all his feelings than she dared to think of and she gave herself up to the demands of the party to the needful civilities of the moment with exquisite though agitated sensations.

She was in good humour with all.

She had received ideas which disposed her to be courteous and kind to all and to pity everyone as being less happy than herself.

Reviews

Oh, will have to listen again as I fell asleep during Anne and Captain Wentworth's conversation. 🙃
Your story telling is truly soporific. 🧡

Finally! Subtle but clear acknowledgement from the Captain. great reading— thank you Steph!❤️🙏🏼