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Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch Hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Baronetage; there he found occupation for an idle hour, and consolation in a distressed one; there his faculties were roused into admiration and respect, by contemplating the limited remnant of the earliest patents.

内容简介

(Book Jacket Status: Jacketed) Of all Jane Austen's great and delightful novels, "Persuasion" is widely regarded as the most moving. It is the story of a second chance. Anne Elliot, daughter of the snobbish, spendthrift Sir Walter Elliot, is a woman of quiet charm and deep feelings. When she was nineteen, she fell in love with-and was engaged to-a naval officer, the fearless and headstrong Captain Wentworth. But the young man had no fortune, and Anne allowed herself to be persuaded, against her profoundest instinct, to give him up.Now, at twenty-seven, and believing that she has lost her bloom, Anne is startled to learn that Captain Wentworth has returned to the neighborhood, a rich man and still unwed. Her never-diminished love is muffled by her pride. He seems cold and unforgiving. Even worse, he appears to be infatuated by the flighty and pretty Louisa Musgrove. What happens as Anne and Wentworth are thrown together in the social world of Bath-and as an eager new suitor appears for Anne-is touchingly and wittily told in a masterpiece that is also one of the most entrancing novels in the English language.

作者简介

Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775 at Steventon near Basingstoke, the seventh child of the rector of the parish. She lived with her family at Steventon until they moved to Bath when her father retired in 1801. After his death in 1805, she moved around with her mother; in 1809, they settled in Chawton, near Alton, Hampshire. Here she remained, except for a few visits to London, until in May 1817 she moved to Winchester to be near her doctor. There she died on 18 July 1817. As a girl Jane Austen wrote stories, including burlesques of popular romances. Her works were only published after much revision, four novels being published in her lifetime. These are Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816). Two other novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, were published posthumously in 1818 with a biographical notice by her brother, Henry Austen, the first formal announcement of her authorship. Persuasion was written in a race against failing health in 1815-16. She also left two earlier compositions, a short epistolary novel, Lady Susan, and an unfinished novel, The Watsons. At the time of her death, she was working on a new novel, Sanditon, a fragmentary draft of which survives

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Chapter One

Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch-hall, in Somersetshire (1), was aman who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but theBaronetage (2); there he found occupation for an idle hour, andconsolation in a distressed one; there his faculties were rousedinto admiration and respect, by contemplating the limited remnantof the earliest patents; there any unwelcome sensations, arisingfrom domestic affairs, changed naturally into pity and contempt, ashe turned over the almost endless creations of the last century(3)—and there, if every other leaf were powerless, he could readhis own history with an interest which never failed—this was thepage at which the favourite volume always opened:

"ELLIOT OF KELLYNCH-HALL.

"Walter Elliot, born March 1, 1760, married, July 15, 1784,Elizabeth, daughter of James Stevenson, Esq. (4) of South Park, inthe county of Gloucester (5); by which lady (who died 1800) he hasissue Elizabeth, born June 1, 1785; Anne, born August 9, 1787; astill-born son (6), Nov. 5, 1789; Mary, born Nov. 20, 1791."(7)

Precisely such had the paragraph originally stood from theprinter's hands; but Sir Walter had improved it by adding, for theinformation of himself and his family, these words, after the dateof Mary's birth—"married, Dec. 16, 1810, Charles, son and heir ofCharles Musgrove, Esq. of Uppercross, in the county ofSomerset,"—and by inserting most accurately the day of the month onwhich he had lost his wife.

Chapter One 
  
Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch-hall, in Somersetshire (1), was a
man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the
Baronetage (2); there he found occupation for an idle hour, and
consolation in a distressed one; there his faculties were roused
into admiration and respect, by contemplating the limited remnant
of the earliest patents; there any unwelcome sensations, arising
from domestic affairs, changed naturally into pity and contempt, as
he turned over the almost endless creations of the last century
(3)—and there, if every other leaf were powerless, he could read
his own history with an interest which never failed—this was the
page at which the favourite volume always opened: 
  
"ELLIOT OF KELLYNCH-HALL. 
  
"Walter Elliot, born March 1, 1760, married, July 15, 1784,
Elizabeth, daughter of James Stevenson, Esq. (4) of South Park, in
the county of Gloucester (5); by which lady (who died 1800) he has
issue Elizabeth, born June 1, 1785; Anne, born August 9, 1787; a
still-born son (6), Nov. 5, 1789; Mary, born Nov. 20, 1791."
(7) 
  
Precisely such had the paragraph originally stood from the
printer's hands; but Sir Walter had improved it by adding, for the
information of himself and his family, these words, after the date
of Mary's birth—"married, Dec. 16, 1810, Charles, son and heir of
Charles Musgrove, Esq. of Uppercross, in the county of
Somerset,"—and by inserting most accurately the day of the month on
which he had lost his wife. 
  
Then followed the history and rise of the ancient and respectable
family, in the usual terms: how it had been first settled in
Cheshire (8); how mentioned in Dugdale (9)—serving the office of
High Sheriff (10), representing a borough in three successive
parliaments (11), exertions of loyalty, and dignity of baronet, in
the first year of Charles II., (12) with all the Marys and
Elizabeths they had married (13); forming altogether two handsome
duodecimo (14) pages, and concluding with the arms and motto (15):
"Principal seat, Kellynch-hall, in the county of Somerset," and Sir
Walter's handwriting again in this finale: 
  
"Heir presumptive, William Walter Elliot, Esq., great grandson of
the second Sir Walter." (16) 
  
Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot's
character; vanity of person (17) and of situation. He had been
remarkably handsome in his youth; and, at fifty-four, was still a
very fine man. Few women could think more of their personal
appearance than he did; nor could the valet of any new made lord be
more delighted with the place he held in society (18). He
considered the blessing of beauty as inferior only to the blessing
of a baronetcy; and the Sir Walter Elliot, who united these gifts,
was the constant object of his warmest respect and devotion. 
  
His good looks and his rank had one fair claim on his attachment;
since to them he must have owed a wife of very superior character
to any thing deserved by his own. Lady Elliot (19) had been an
excellent woman, sensible and amiable (20); whose judgment and
conduct, if they might be pardoned the youthful infatuation which
made her Lady Elliot, had never required indulgence afterwards.—She
had humoured, or softened, or concealed his failings, and promoted
his real respectability for seventeen years; and though not the
very happiest being in the world herself, had found enough in her
duties (21), her friends, and her children, to attach her to life,
and make it no matter of indifference to her when she was called on
to quit them.—Three girls, the two eldest sixteen and fourteen, was
an awful (22) legacy for a mother to bequeath; an awful charge
rather, to confide to the authority and guidance of a conceited,
silly father. She had, however, one very intimate friend, a
sensible, deserving woman, who had been brought, by strong
attachment to herself, to settle close by her, in the village of
Kellynch; and on her kindness and advice, Lady Elliot mainly relied
for the best help and maintenance of the good principles and
instruction which she had been anxiously giving her daughters.
(23) 
  
This friend, and Sir Walter, did not marry, whatever might
have been anticipated on that head by their acquaintance.—Thirteen
years had passed away since Lady Elliot's death, and they were
still near neighbours and intimate friends; and one remained a
widower, the other a widow. 
  
That Lady Russell (24), of steady age and character, and extremely
well provided for, should have no thought of a second marriage,
needs no apology to the public, which is rather apt to be
unreasonably discontented when a woman does marry again,
than when she does not; (25) but Sir Walter's continuing in
singleness requires explanation.—Be it known then, that Sir Walter,
like a good father, (having met with one or two private
disappointments in very unreasonable applications) prided himself
on remaining single for his dear daughter's (26) sake. For one
daughter, his eldest, he would really have given up any thing,
which he had not been very much tempted to do. Elizabeth had
succeeded, at sixteen, to all that was possible, of her mother's
rights and consequence; and being very handsome, and very like
himself, her influence had always been great, and they had gone on
together most happily. His two other children were of very inferior
value. Mary had acquired a little artificial importance, by
becoming Mrs. Charles Musgrove; but Anne, with an elegance of mind
and sweetness of character, which must have placed her high with
any people of real understanding, was nobody with either father or
sister: her word had no weight; her convenience was always to give
way;—she was only Anne. 
  
To Lady Russell, indeed, she was a most dear and highly valued
god-daughter, favourite, and friend. Lady Russell loved them all;
but it was only in Anne that she could fancy the mother to revive
again. 
  
A few years before, Anne Elliot had been a very pretty girl, but
her bloom (27) had vanished early; and as even in its height, her
father had found little to admire in her, (so totally different
were her delicate features and mild dark eyes from his own); there
could be nothing in them now that she was faded and thin, to excite
his esteem. He had never indulged much hope, he had now none, of
ever reading her name in any other page of his favourite work. All
equality of alliance (28) must rest with Elizabeth; for Mary had
merely connected herself with an old country family of
respectability and large fortune (29), and had therefore given all
the honour, and received none: Elizabeth would, one day or other,
marry suitably. 
  
It sometimes happens, that a woman is handsomer (30) at twenty-nine
than she was ten years before; and, generally speaking, if there
has been neither ill health nor anxiety, it is a time of life at
which scarcely any charm is lost. It was so with Elizabeth; still
the same handsome Miss Elliot that she had begun to be thirteen
years ago; and Sir Walter might be excused, therefore, in
forgetting her age, or, at least, be deemed only half a fool, for
thinking himself and Elizabeth as blooming as ever, amidst the
wreck of the good looks of every body else; for he could plainly
see how old all the rest of his family and acquaintance were
growing. Anne haggard, Mary coarse, every face in the neighbourhood
worsting; (31) and the rapid increase of the crow's foot about Lady
Russell's temples had long been a distress to him. 
 
Elizabeth did not quite equal her father in personal contentment.
Thirteen years had seen her mistress of Kellynch Hall, (32)
presiding and directing with a self-possession and decision (33)
which could never have given the idea of her being younger than she
was. For thirteen years had she been doing the honours, and laying
down the domestic law at home, and leading the way to the chaise
and four (34), and walking immediately after Lady Russell out of
all the drawing-rooms and dining-rooms in the country (35).
Thirteen winters' revolving frosts had seen her opening every ball
of credit which a scanty neighbourhood afforded (36); and thirteen
springs shewn their blossoms, as she travelled up to London with
her father (37), for a few weeks annual enjoyment of the great
world (38). She had the remembrance of all this; she had the
consciousness of being nine-and-twenty, to give her some regrets
and some apprehensions. She was fully satisfied of being still
quite as handsome as ever; but she felt her approach to the years
of danger (39), and would have rejoiced to be certain of being
properly solicited by baronet-blood within the next twelvemonth or
two. Then might she again take up the book of books with as much
enjoyment as in her early youth; but now she liked it not. Always
to be presented with the date of her own birth, and see no marriage
follow but that of a youngest sister (40), made the book an evil;
and more than once, when her father had left it open on the table
near her, had she closed it, with averted eyes, and pushed it
away. 
  
She had had a disappointment, moreover, which that book, and
especially the history of her own family, must ever present the
remembrance of. The heir presumptive, the very William Walter
Elliot, Esq. whose rights had been so generously supported by her
father, had disappointed her. 
  
She had, while a very young girl, as soon as she had known him to
be, in the event of her having no brother, the future baronet,
meant to marry him; and her father had always meant that she
should. He had not been known to them as a boy, but soon after Lady
Elliot's death Sir Walter had sought the acquaintance, and though
his overtures had not been met with any warmth, he had persevered
in seeking it, making allowance for the modest drawing back of
youth; and in one of their spring excursions to London, when
Elizabeth was in her first bloom, Mr. Elliot had been forced into
the introduction. 
  
He was at that time a very young man, just engaged in th...

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