Доводы рассудка

           Mostearnestlydidshewishthathemightnotbetoonice,ortooobservantifElizabethwerehisobject;andthatElizabethwasdisposedtobelieveherselfso,andthatherfriendMrsClaywasencouragingtheidea,seemedapparentbyaglanceortwobetweenthem,whileMrElliot’sfrequentvisitsweretalkedof.

           AnnementionedtheglimpsesshehadhadofhimatLyme,butwithoutbeingmuchattendedto.“Oh!yes,perhaps,ithadbeenMrElliot.Theydidnotknow.Itmightbehim,perhaps.”Theycouldnotlistentoherdescriptionofhim.Theyweredescribinghimthemselves;SirWalterespecially.Hedidjusticetohisverygentlemanlikeappearance,hisairofeleganceandfashion,hisgoodshapedface,hissensibleeye;but,atthesametime,“mustlamenthisbeingverymuchunder-hung,adefectwhichtimeseemedtohaveincreased;norcouldhepretendtosaythattenyearshadnotalteredalmosteveryfeaturefortheworse.MrElliotappearedtothinkthathe(SirWalter)waslookingexactlyashehaddonewhentheylastparted;”butSirWalterhad“notbeenabletoreturnthecomplimententirely,whichhadembarrassedhim.Hedidnotmeantocomplain,however.MrElliotwasbettertolookatthanmostmen,andhehadnoobjectiontobeingseenwithhimanywhere.”

           MrElliot,andhisfriendsinMarlboroughBuildings,weretalkedofthewholeevening.