“Dear Smith,—­I have received yours.  Your kindness almost overpowers me.  I wish nature had made such hearts as yours more common, but I have lived three-and-twenty years in the world, and have seen none like it.  At present, believe me, I have no need of your services, being in cash again.  Give me joy:  I have got rid of Sir Walter and Miss.  They are gone back to Kellynch, and almost made me swear to visit them this summer; but my first visit to Kellynch will be with a surveyor, to tell me how to bring it with best advantage to the hammer.  The baronet, nevertheless, is not unlikely to marry again; he is quite fool enough.  If he does, however, they will leave me in peace, which may be a decent equivalent for the reversion.  He is worse than last year.

“I wish I had any name but Elliot.  I am sick of it.  The name of Walter I can drop, thank God! and I desire you will never insult me with my second W. again, meaning, for the rest of my life, to be only yours truly,—­Wm. Elliot.”

Such a letter could not be read without putting Anne in a glow; and Mrs Smith, observing the high colour in her face, said—­

“The language, I know, is highly disrespectful.  Though I have forgot the exact terms, I have a perfect impression of the general meaning.  But it shows you the man.  Mark his professions to my poor husband.  Can any thing be stronger?”

Anne could not immediately get over the shock and mortification of finding such words applied to her father.  She was obliged to recollect that her seeing the letter was a violation of the laws of honour, that no one ought to be judged or to be known by such testimonies, that no private correspondence could bear the eye of others, before she could recover calmness enough to return the letter which she had been meditating over, and say—­

“Thank you.  This is full proof undoubtedly; proof of every thing you were saying.  But why be acquainted with us now?”

“I can explain this too,” cried Mrs Smith, smiling.

“Can you really?”

“Yes.  I have shewn you Mr Elliot as he was a dozen years ago, and I will shew him as he is now.  I cannot produce written proof again, but I can give as authentic oral testimony as you can desire, of what he is now wanting, and what he is now doing.  He is no hypocrite now.  He truly wants to marry you.  His present attentions to your family are very sincere:  quite from the heart.  I will give you my authority:  his friend Colonel Wallis.”

“Colonel Wallis! you are acquainted with him?”

“No.  It does not come to me in quite so direct a line as that; it takes a bend or two, but nothing of consequence.  The stream is as good as at first; the little rubbish it collects in the turnings is easily moved away.  Mr Elliot talks unreservedly to Colonel Wallis of his views on you, which said Colonel Wallis, I imagine to be, in himself, a sensible, careful, discerning sort of character;