Доводи розуму
Chapter 22
“Well,mydearPenelope,youneednotbesoalarmedabouthim.Ididinvitehim,youknow.Isenthimawaywithsmiles.WhenIfoundhewasreallygoingtohisfriendsatThornberryParkforthewholedayto-morrow,Ihadcompassiononhim.”
Anneadmiredthegoodactingofthefriend,inbeingabletoshewsuchpleasureasshedid,intheexpectationandintheactualarrivaloftheverypersonwhosepresencemustreallybeinterferingwithherprimeobject.ItwasimpossiblebutthatMrsClaymusthatethesightofMrElliot;andyetshecouldassumeamostobliging,placidlook,andappearquitesatisfiedwiththecurtailedlicenseofdevotingherselfonlyhalfasmuchtoSirWalterasshewouldhavedoneotherwise.
ToAnneherselfitwasmostdistressingtoseeMrElliotentertheroom;andquitepainfultohavehimapproachandspeaktoher.Shehadbeenusedbeforetofeelthathecouldnotbealwaysquitesincere,butnowshesawinsincerityineverything.Hisattentivedeferencetoherfather,contrastedwithhisformerlanguage,wasodious;andwhenshethoughtofhiscruelconducttowardsMrsSmith,shecouldhardlybearthesightofhispresentsmilesandmildness,orthesoundofhisartificialgoodsentiments.
Shemeanttoavoidanysuchalterationofmannersasmightprovokearemonstranceonhisside.