11 Cont. Persuasion By Stephanie Poppins

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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 11 continued.

It was of a secret gratification to Anne to have seen her cousin and know that the future To have seen her cousin and know that the future owner of Kellynch was undoubtedly a gentleman.

She would not upon any account mention her having met with him the second time.

But luckily Mary did not much attend to their having passed close by him in their earlier walk.

But she would have felt quite ill-used by Anne's having actually run against him in the passage and received his very polite excuses while she had never been near him at all.

That cousinly little interview must remain a perfect secret.

Of course,

Said Mary,

You will mention our seeing Mr Elliot the next time you write to Bath.

I think my father certainly ought to hear of it.

Anne avoided a direct reply.

But it was just the circumstance which she considers as not merely unnecessary to be communicated but as what ought to be suppressed.

The offence which had been given her father many years back she knew.

Elizabeth's particular share in it she suspected.

And that Mr Elliot's idea always produced irritation in both was beyond a doubt.

Mary never wrote to Bath herself as all the toil of keeping up a slow and unsatisfactory correspondent with Elizabeth fell on Anne.

Breakfast had not been long over when they were joined by Captain and Mrs Harville and Captain Benwick with whom they'd appointed to take their last walk about line.

They ought to be setting off for Uppercross by one and in the meanwhile were to be all together and out of doors as long as they could.

Anne found Captain Benwick getting near her as soon as they were all fairly in the street.

Their conversation the preceding evening did not disincline them to seek her again.

And they walked together some time,

Talking as before of Mr Scott and Lord Byron.

And still as unable before,

As unable as any two readers to think exactly alike of the merits of either,

Till something occasioned an almost general change among their party.

And instead of Captain Benwick,

She had Captain Harville by her side.

Miss Elliot,

Said he,

Speaking rather low.

You've done a good deed in making that poor fellow talk so much.

She could have such company oftener.

It's bad for him,

I know,

To be shut up as he is.

But what can we do?

No,

Indeed,

Said Anne.

I can easily believe it to be impossible.

But in time,

Perhaps we know what time does in every case of affliction.

Captain Harville agreed.

Then he spoke again.

After 15 minutes or so,

They parted from Captain and Mrs Harville at their own door.

And still accompanied by Captain Benwick,

Who seemed to cling to them to the last,

Proceeded to make the proper adieu to the cop.

There was too much wind to make the high part of the new cop pleasant for the ladies.

So they agreed to get down the steps to the lower and were all contented to pass quietly and carefully down the steep flight,

Excepting Louisa.

She must be jumped down them by Captain Wentworth.

In all their walks,

He had had to jump her down from the stiles.

The sensation was delightful to her.

The hardness of the pavement for her feet made him less willing upon the present occasion.

But he did it,

However.

She was safely down and instantly to show her enjoyment,

Ran up the steps to be jumped down again.

He advised her against it,

Thought the jar too great.

But no,

He reasoned and talked in vain,

And she smiled and said,

I'm determined I will.

He put out his hands.

But she was too precipitate by half a second and fell on the pavement on the lower cop and was taken up lifeless.

There was no wound,

No blood,

No visible bruise.

But her eyes were closed and she breathed not.

Her face was like death.

The horror of the moment to all who stood around her.

Captain Wentworth caught her up,

Knelt with her in his arms,

Looking on her with a face as pallid as her own in an agony of silence.

She's dead.

She's dead,

Screamed Mary,

Catching hold of her husband and contributing with his own horror to make him immovable.

In another moment,

Henrietta,

Sinking under the conviction,

Lost her senses,

Too,

And would have fallen on the steps,

But for Captain Benwick and Anne,

Who caught and supported her between them.

Is there no one to help me?

But the first words which burst from Captain Wentworth in a tone of despair and as if all his own strength were gone.

Go to him,

Go to him,

Cried Anne,

For heaven's sake,

Go to him.

I can support her myself.

Leave me and go to him.

Rub her hands,

Rub her temples.

Here are salts.

Take them,

Take them.

Captain Benwick obeyed,

And Charles at the same moment,

Disengaging himself from his wife,

Were both with him,

And Louise was raised up and supported more firmly between them,

And everything was done that Anne had prompted,

But in vain.

While Captain Wentworth,

Staggering against the wall for his support,

Exclaimed in the bitterest agony,

Oh,

God,

Her father and mother.

A surgeon,

Said Anne.

He caught the word.

It seemed to rouse him at once,

And saying only,

True,

A surgeon this instant,

Was darting away when Anne eagerly suggested,

Captain Benwick,

Would it not be better for Captain Benwick?

He knows where surgeons to be found.

Everyone capable of thinking felt the advantage of the idea,

And in a moment,

Captain Benwick had resigned the poor corpse-like figure entirely to the brother's care,

And was off for the town with the utmost rapidity.

As to the wretched party left behind,

It could scarcely be said which of the three,

Who were completely rational,

Were suffering the most.

Captain Wentworth,

Anne,

Or Charles,

Who,

Really a very affectionate brother,

Hung over Louisa with sobs of grief,

And could only turn his eyes from one sister to see the other in a state as insensible,

Or to witness the hysterical agitations of his wife,

Calling on him for help,

Which he could not give.

Anne,

Attending with all the strength and zeal and thought which instincts applied to Henrietta,

Still tried at intervals to suggest comfort to the others,

Tried to quiet Mary,

To animate Charles,

To assuage the feelings of Captain Wentworth.

Both seemed to look at her for directions.

Anne,

Cried Charles,

What is to be done next?

What in heaven's name is to be done next?

Captain Wentworth's eyes were also upon her.

Had she not better be carried to the inn,

Said Anne,

You would have been in a much worse state.

Yes,

I'm sure,

Carry her gently to the inn.

Yes,

Yes,

To the inn,

Repeated Captain Wentworth,

Comparatively collected and eager to be doing something.

I will carry her myself.

Marsgrove,

Take care of the others.

By this time,

The report of the accident had spread among the workmen and boatmen about the cop,

And many were collected near them,

To be useful if wanted,

At any rate,

To enjoy the sight of a dead young lady,

Nay,

Two dead young ladies,

For it proved twice as fine as the first report.

To some of the best looking of these two good people,

Henrietta was consigned,

For though partially revived,

She was quite helpless.

Anne,

Walking by her side,

And Charles attending to his wife,

They set forward,

Treading back with feelings unutterable,

The ground,

Which so lately,

And so light of heart,

They had passed along.

They were not off the cop before the Harvilles met them.

Captain Benwick had been seen flying by their house,

With a countenance which showed something to be wrong.

They had set off immediately,

Informed and directed as they passed towards the spot.

Shocked as Captain Harville was,

He brought senses and nerves that could be instantly useful,

And a look between him and his wife decided what was to be done.

She must be taken to their house,

All must go to their house,

And await the surgeon's arrival there.

They would not listen to scruples.

He was obeyed,

And they were all beneath his roof,

And while Louisa,

Under Mrs.

Harville's direction,

Was conveyed upstairs,

And given possession of her own bed,

Assistants,

Cordials,

Restoratives were supplied by her husband to all who needed them.

Louisa had once opened her eyes,

But soon closed them again,

Without apparent consciousness.

This had been a proof of life,

However,

Of service to her sister,

And Henrietta,

Though perfectly incapable of being in the same room with Louisa,

Was kept by the agitation of hope and fear from a return of her own insensibility.

Mary,

Too,

Was growing calmer.

The surgeon was with them almost before it seemed possible.

They were sick with horror while he examined,

But he was not hopeless.

The head had received a severe contusion,

But he'd seen greater injuries recovered from,

And was by no means hopeless.

That he did not regard it a desperate case,

That he did not say a few hours must end it,

Was at first felt beyond the hope of most,

And the ecstasy of such a reprieve,

The rejoicing deep and silent,

After a few fervent ejaculations of gratitude to heaven had been offered,

May be conceived.

The tone,

The look with which thank God was uttered by Captain Wentworth,

Anne was sure could never be forgotten by her,

Nor the sight of him afterwards,

As he sat near a table,

Leaning over it with folded arms,

And face concealed,

As if overpowered by the various feelings of his soul,

And trying by prayer and reflection to calm.

Louise's limbs had escaped,

There was no injury,

But to her head.