is half-hour, so it must be over soon.'

'Her mantua-maker! Then I am sure my calling now would be most
inconvenient. Indeed you must allow me to leave my card and be so good
as to explain it afterwards to Mrs. Croft.'

'No, no, not at all--not at all--she will be very happy to see you. Mind,
I will not swear that she has not something particular to say to you, but
that will all come out in the right place. I give no hints. Why, Miss
Elliot, we begin to hear strange things of you (smiling in her face). But
you have not much the look of it, as grave as a little judge!'

Anne blushed.

'Aye, aye, that will do now, it is all right. I thought we were not
mistaken.'

She was left to guess at the direction of his suspicions; the first wild
idea had been of some disclosure from his brother-in-law, but she was
ashamed the next moment, and felt how far more probable it was that he
should be meaning Mr. Elliot. The door was opened, and the man evidently
beginning to _deny_ his mistress, when the sight of his master stopped
him. The Admiral enjoyed the joke exceedingly. Anne thought his triumph
over Stephen rather too long. At last, however, he was able to invite
her up stairs, and stepping before her said, 'I will just go up with you
myself and show you in. I cannot stay, because I must go to the Post-
Office, but if you will only sit down for five minutes I am sure Sophy
will come, and you will find nobody to disturb you--there is nobody but
Frederick here,' opening the door as he spoke. Such a person to be
passed over as nobody to _her_! After being allowed to feel quite
secure, indifferent, at her ease, to have it burst on her that she was to
be the next moment in the same room with him! No time for recollection!
for planning behaviour or regulating manners! There was time only to
turn pale before she had passed through the door, and met the astonished
eyes of Captain Wentworth, who was sitting by the fire, pretending to
read, and prepared for no greater surprise than the Admiral's hasty
return.

Equally unexpected was the meeting on each side. There was nothing to be
done, however, but to stifle feelings, and to be quietly polite, and the
Admiral was too much on the alert to leave any troublesome pause. He
repeated again what he had said before about his wife and everybody,
insisted on Anne's sitting down and being perfectly comfortable--was
sorry he must leave her himself, but was sure Mrs. Croft woul