Доводы рассудка

           ThatLadyRussell,ofsteadyageandcharacter,andextremelywellprovidedfor,shouldhavenothoughtofasecondmarriage,needsnoapologytothepublic,whichisratherapttobeunreasonablydiscontentedwhenawomandoesmarryagain,thanwhenshedoesnot;butSirWalter’scontinuinginsinglenessrequiresexplanation.Beitknownthen,thatSirWalter,likeagoodfather,(havingmetwithoneortwoprivatedisappointmentsinveryunreasonableapplications),pridedhimselfonremainingsingleforhisdeardaughters’sake.Foronedaughter,hiseldest,hewouldreallyhavegivenupanything,whichhehadnotbeenverymuchtemptedtodo.Elizabethhadsucceeded,atsixteen,toallthatwaspossible,ofhermother’srightsandconsequence;andbeingveryhandsome,andverylikehimself,herinfluencehadalwaysbeengreat,andtheyhadgoneontogethermosthappily.Histwootherchildrenwereofveryinferiorvalue.Maryhadacquiredalittleartificialimportance,bybecomingMrsCharlesMusgrove;butAnne,withaneleganceofmindandsweetnessofcharacter,whichmusthaveplacedherhighwithanypeopleofrealunderstanding,wasnobodywitheitherfatherorsister;herwordhadnoweight,herconveniencewasalwaystogiveway—shewasonlyAnne.

           ToLadyRussell,indeed,shewasamostdearandhighlyvaluedgod-daughter,favourite,andfriend.LadyRusselllovedthemall;butitwasonlyinAnnethatshecouldfancythemothertoreviveagain.