“Any acquaintance of Anne’s will always be welcome to me,” was Lady Russell’s kind answer.

“Oh! as to being Anne’s acquaintance,” said Mary, “I think he is rather my acquaintance, for I have been seeing him every day this last fortnight.”

“Well, as your joint acquaintance, then, I shall be very happy to see Captain Benwick.”

“You will not find anything very agreeable in him, I assure you, ma’am.  He is one of the dullest young men that ever lived.  He has walked with me, sometimes, from one end of the sands to the other, without saying a word.  He is not at all a well-bred young man.  I am sure you will not like him.”

“There we differ, Mary,” said Anne.  “I think Lady Russell would like him.  I think she would be so much pleased with his mind, that she would very soon see no deficiency in his manner.”

“So do I, Anne,” said Charles.  “I am sure Lady Russell would like him.  He is just Lady Russell’s sort.  Give him a book, and he will read all day long.”

“Yes, that he will!” exclaimed Mary, tauntingly.  “He will sit poring over his book, and not know when a person speaks to him, or when one drop’s one’s scissors, or anything that happens.  Do you think Lady Russell would like that?”

Lady Russell could not help laughing.  “Upon my word,” said she, “I should not have supposed that my opinion of any one could have admitted of such difference of conjecture, steady and matter of fact as I may call myself.  I have really a curiosity to see the person who can give occasion to such directly opposite notions.  I wish he may be induced to call here.  And when he does, Mary, you may depend upon hearing my opinion; but I am determined not to judge him beforehand.”

“You will not like him, I will answer for it.”

Lady Russell began talking of something else.  Mary spoke with animation of their meeting with, or rather missing, Mr Elliot so extraordinarily.

“He is a man,” said Lady Russell, “whom I have no wish to see.  His declining to be on cordial terms with the head of his family, has left a very strong impression in his disfavour with me.”

This decision checked Mary’s eagerness, and stopped her short in the midst of the Elliot countenance.

With regard to Captain Wentworth, though Anne hazarded no enquiries, there was voluntary communication sufficient.  His spirits had been greatly recovering lately as might be expected.  As Louisa improved, he had improved, and he was now quite a different creature from what he had been the first week.  He had not seen Louisa; and was so extremely fearful of any ill consequence to her from an interview, that he did not press for it at all; and, on the contrary, seemed to have a plan of going away for a week or ten days, till her head was stronger.  He had talked of going down to Plymouth for a week, and wanted to persuade Captain Benwick to go with him; but, as Charles maintained to the last, Captain Benwick seemed much more disposed to ride over to Kellynch.