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 Volume 2,
Chapter 1 The remainder of Anne's time at Uppercross,
Comprehending only two days,
Was spent entirely at the mansion house and she had the satisfaction of knowing herself extremely useful there,
Both as an immediate companion and as assisting in all those arrangements for the future,
Which in Mr and Mrs Musgrove's distressed state of spirits would have been difficulties.
They had an early account from Lyme the next morning.
Louisa was much the same.
No symptoms worse than before had appeared.
Charles came a few hours afterwards to bring a later and more particular account.
He was tolerably cheerful.
A speedy cure must not be hoped,
But everything was going on as well as the nature of the case admitted.
In speaking of the Harvilles,
He seemed unable to satisfy his own sense of their kindness,
Especially of Mrs Harville's exertions as a nurse.
She really left nothing for Mary to do.
He and Mary had been persuaded to go early to their inn last night.
Mary had been hysterical again this morning.
When he came away,
She was going to walk out with Captain Benwick,
Which,
When he came away,
She was going to walk out with Captain Benwick,
Which he hoped would do her good.
He almost wished she had been prevailed upon to come home the day before,
But the truth was that Mrs Harville left nothing for anybody to do.
Charles was to return to Lyme the same afternoon,
And his father had at first half a mind to go with him,
But he could not consent.
It would be going only to multiply trouble to the others and increase his own distress,
And a much better scheme followed and was acted upon.
The chaise was sent for,
And Charles conveyed back a far more useful person in the old nursery maid of the family,
One who,
Having brought up all the children and seen the very last,
The lingering and long-petted Master Harry,
Sent to school after his brothers,
Was now living in her deserted nursery to mend stockings and dress all the blains and bruises she could get near her,
And who,
Consequently,
Was only too happy in being allowed to go and help nurse dear Miss Louisa.
Vague wishes of getting Sarah Thither had occurred before to Mrs Musgrove and Henrietta,
But without Anne it would hardly have been resolved on and found practicable so soon.
They were indebted the next day to Charles Hayter for all the minute knowledge of Louisa,
Which it was so essential to obtain every twenty-four hours.
He made it his business to go to Lyme,
And his account was still encouraging.
The intervals of sense and consciousness were believed to be stronger.
Every report agreed in Captain Wentworth's appearing fixed in Lyme.
Anne was to leave them on the morrow,
An event which they all dreaded.
What should they do without her?
They were wretched comforters for one another.
And so much was said in this way that Anne thought she could not do better than impart among them the general inclination to which she was privy,
And persuaded them all to go to Lyme at once.
She had little difficulty.
It was soon determined they would go.
It was soon determined they would go.
Go to-morrow,
Fix themselves at the inn,
Or get into lodgings as it suited,
And there remain till dear Louisa could be moved.
They must be taking off some trouble from the good people she was with.
They might at least relieve Mrs Harville from the care of her own children.
And in short,
They were so happy in the decision that Anne was delighted with what she had done,
And felt she could not spend her last morning at Uppercross better than in assisting their preparations and sending them off at an early hour,
Though her being left to the solitary range of the house was the consequence.
She was the last,
Excepting the little boys at the cottage,
She was the very last,
The only remaining one of all that had filled and animated both houses,
Of all that had given Uppercross its cheerful character.
A few days had made a change indeed.
If Louisa recovered,
It would all be well again.
More than former happiness would be restored.
There could not be a doubt to her mind there was none of what would follow her recovery.
A few months hence,
And the room now so deserted,
Occupied but by her silent,
Pensive self,
Might be filled again with all that was happy and gay,
And all that was glowing and bright and prosperous love,
All that was most unlike Anne Elliot.
An hour's complete leisure for such reflections as these on a dark November day,
A small thick rain almost blotting out the very few objects ever to be discerned from the windows,
Was enough to make the sound of Lady Russell's carriage exceedingly welcome.
And yet,
Though desirous to be gone,
She could not quit the mansion house or look an adieu to the cottage with its black dripping and comfortless veranda,
Without a saddened heart.
Scenes had passed in Uppercross which made it precious.
It stood the record of many sensations of pain,
Once severe,
But now softened,
And of some instances of relenting feeling,
Some breathings of friendship and reconciliation,
Which could never be looked for again,
And which could never cease to be dear.
Anne had never entered Kellynch since her quitting Lady Russell.
It had not been necessary,
And the few occasions of it being possible for her to go to the hall,
She had contrived to evade and escape from.
Her first return was to resume her place to the modern and elegant apartments of the lodge,
And to gladden the eyes of its mistress.
There was some anxiety mixed with Lady Russell's joy in meeting her.
She knew who had been frequenting Uppercross.
She knew who had been frequenting Uppercross.
But happily,
Either Anne was improved in plumpness and looks,
Or Lady Russell fancied her so,
And Anne,
In receiving her compliments on the occasion,
Had the amusement of connecting them with the silent admiration of her cousin.
When they came to converse,
She was soon sensible of some mental change.
The subjects of which her heart had been full on leaving Kellynch,
And which she had felt slighted,
And been compelled to smother amongst the Musgroves,
Had now become but of secondary interest.
She had lately lost sight even of her father and sister in Bath.
Their concerns had been sunk under those of Uppercross.
And when Lady Russell reverted to their former hopes and fears,
And spoke her satisfaction in the house in Camden Place,
Which had been taken,
And her regret that Mrs.
Clay should still be with them,
Anne would have been ashamed to have it known how much more she was thinking of Lyme and Louisa Musgrove,
And all her acquaintance there.
How much more interesting to her was the home and friendship of the Harvilles and Captain Benwick than her own father's house in Camden Place,
Or her own sister's intimacy with Mrs.
Clay.
She was actually forced to exert herself to meet Lady Russell with anything like the appearance of equal solicitude on topics which had,
By nature,
The first claim on her.
There was a little awkwardness at first in their discourse on another subject.
They must speak of the accident at Lyme.
Lady Russell had not been arrived five minutes the day before,
When a full account of the whole had been burst upon her.
And Captain Wentworth's name must be mentioned by both.
Anne was conscious of not doing so well as Lady Russell.
She could not speak the name and look straight forward to Lady Russell's eye,
Until she had adopted the expedient of telling her briefly what she thought of the attachment between him and Louisa.
When this was told,
His name distressed her no longer.
Lady Russell had only to listen composedly and wish them happy.
But internally,
Her heart reveled in angry pleasure,
In pleased contempt,
That the man who at twenty-three had seemed to understand somewhat of the value of an Anne Elliot,
Should eight years afterwards be charmed by a Louisa Musgrove.
The first three or four days passed most quietly,
With no circumstance to mark them,
Excepting the receipt of a note or two from Lyme,
Which found their way to Anne.
Lady Russell's politeness could repose no longer at the end of that period,
And the fainter self-threatenings of the past became in a decided tone.
I must call on Mrs Croft.
I really must call upon her soon,
Anne.
Have you courage to go with me and pay a visit in that house?
It will be some trial to us both.
Anne did not shrink from going to Kellynch.
On the contrary,
She truly felt,
As she said in observing,
I think you are very likely to suffer the most of the two.
Your feelings are less reconciled to the change than mine.
By remaining in the neighbourhood,
I am quite inured to it.
She could have said more on the subject,
For she had in her fact so high an opinion of the Crofts,
And considered her father so very fortunate in his tenants,
That she could not but in conscience feel they were gone and deserved not to stay,
And that Kellynch had passed into better hands.
Mrs Croft always met Anne with a kindness which gave her the pleasure of fancying herself a favourite,
And on the present occasion receiving her in that house,
There was particular attention.
The sad accident at Lyme was soon the prevailing topic,
And on comparing their latest accounts of the invalid,
It appeared each lady dated her intelligence from the same hour of yestermorn.
That Captain Wentworth had been in Kellynch yesterday had brought Anne the last note,
Which she had not been able to trace the exact steps of,
Had stayed a few hours,
Then returned again to Lyme,
And without any present intention of quitting it any more.
He had enquired after her,
She found,
Particularly.
He had expressed his hope of Miss Elliot's not being the worst for her exertions,
And had spoken of those exertions as great.
This was handsome to Anne,
And gave her more pleasure than almost anything else could have done.
Admiral Croft's manners were not quite of the tone to suit Lady Russell,
But they delighted Anne.
His goodness of heart and simplicity of character were irresistible.
Now,
This must be very bad for you,
Said he,
Suddenly rousing from a little reverie,
To be coming and finding us here.
I had not recollected it before,
I declare,
But it must be very bad.
But now,
Do not stand upon the ceremony,
Anne.
Get up and go over to all the rooms in the house,
If you like it.
Another time,
Sir,
I thank you,
Not now,
Anne replied.
Well,
Whenever it suits you,
You can slip in from the shrubbery at any time,
And there you will find we keep our umbrellas hanging by that door.
A good place,
Is it not?
But,
Checking himself,
You will not think it a good place for yours,
Always kept in the butler's room.
Aye,
So it always is,
I believe.
One man's ways may be as good as another's,
But we all like our own best.
And so you must judge for yourself whether it would be better for you to go about the house or not.
Anne,
Finding she might decline it,
Did so very gratefully.
We have made very few changes,
Either,
Continued the admiral,
Very few.
We told you about the laundry door at Uppercross.
There's been a very great improvement.
The wonder was how any family upon earth could bear with the inconvenience of its opening as it did so long.
You will tell Sir Walter what we have done,
And that Mr.
Shepherd thinks it's the greatest improvement the house has ever had.
Indeed,
I must do ourselves the justice to say the few alterations we've made have all been very much for the better.
My wife should have the credit of them,
However.
I've done very little besides sending away some of the large-looking glasses from my dressing room,
Which was your father's.
A very good man,
And very much the gentleman,
I'm sure.
Anne,
Amused in spite of herself,
Was rather distressed for an answer,
And the admiral,
Fearing he might not have been civil enough,
Took up the subject again to say,
The next time you write to your good father,
Miss Elliot,
Pray give him my compliments and Mrs.
Croft's,
And say we are settled here quite to our liking,
And have no fault at all to find with the place.
Lady Russell and Mrs.
Croft were very well pleased with each other,
But the acquaintance which this visit began was fated not to proceed far at present.
For when it was returned,
The Crofts announced themselves to be going away for a few weeks,
To visit their connections in the north of the county,
And probably might not be at home again before Lady Russell would be removing to Bath.
So ended all danger to Anne of meeting Captain Wentworth at Kellynch Hall,
Or of seeing him in company with her friend.
Everything was safe enough,
And she smiled over the many anxious feelings she had wasted,
On this subject.
