d be down
very soon, and would go upstairs and give her notice directly. Anne
_was_ sitting down, but now she arose, again to entreat him not to
interrupt Mrs. Croft and re-urge the wish of going away and calling
another time. But the Admiral would not hear of it; and if she did not
return to the charge with unconquerable perseverance, or did not with a
more passive determination walk quietly out of the room (as certainly she
might have done), may she not be pardoned? If she _had_ no horror of a
few minutes' tete-a-tete with Captain Wentworth, may she not be pardoned
for not wishing to give him the idea that she had? She reseated herself,
and the Admiral took leave, but on reaching the door, said--

'Frederick, a word with _you_ if you please.'

Captain Wentworth went to him, and instantly, before they were well out
of the room, the Admiral continued--

'As I am going to leave you together, it is but fair I should give you
something to talk of; and so, if you please--'

Here the door was very firmly closed, she could guess by which of the
two--and she lost entirely what immediately followed, but it was
impossible for her not to distinguish parts of the rest, for the Admiral,
on the strength of the door's being shut, was speaking without any
management of voice, though she could hear his companion trying to check
him. She could not doubt their being speaking of her. She heard her own
name and Kellynch repeatedly. She was very much disturbed. She knew not
what to do, or what to expect, and among other agonies felt the
possibility of Captain Wentworth's not returning into the room at all,
which, after her consenting to stay, would have been--too bad for
language. They seemed to be talking of the Admiral's lease of Kellynch.
She heard him say something of the lease being signed--or not
signed--_that_ was not likely to be a very agitating subject, but then
followed--

'I hate to be at an uncertainty. I must know at once. Sophy thinks the
same.'

Then in a lower tone Captain Wentworth seemed remonstrating, wanting to
be excused, wanting to put something off.

'Phoo, phoo,' answered the Admiral, 'now is the time; if you will not
speak, I will stop and speak myself.'

'Very well, sir, very well, sir,' followed with some impatience from his
companion, opening the door as he spoke--

'You will then, you promise you will?' replied the Admiral in all the
power of his natural voice, unbroken even by one thin do