Доводы рассудка

           Withtheexception,perhaps,ofAdmiralandMrsCroft,whoseemedparticularlyattachedandhappy,(Annecouldallownootherexceptionsevenamongthemarriedcouples),therecouldhavebeennotwoheartssoopen,notastessosimilar,nofeelingssoinunison,nocountenancessobeloved.Nowtheywereasstrangers;nay,worsethanstrangers,fortheycouldneverbecomeacquainted.Itwasaperpetualestrangement.

           Whenhetalked,sheheardthesamevoice,anddiscernedthesamemind.Therewasaverygeneralignoranceofallnavalmattersthroughouttheparty;andhewasverymuchquestioned,andespeciallybythetwoMissMusgroves,whoseemedhardlytohaveanyeyesbutforhim,astothemanneroflivingonboard,dailyregulations,food,hours,&c.,andtheirsurpriseathisaccounts,atlearningthedegreeofaccommodationandarrangementwhichwaspracticable,drewfromhimsomepleasantridicule,whichremindedAnneoftheearlydayswhenshetoohadbeenignorant,andshetoohadbeenaccusedofsupposingsailorstobelivingonboardwithoutanythingtoeat,oranycooktodressitiftherewere,oranyservanttowait,oranyknifeandforktouse.

           Fromthuslisteningandthinking,shewasrousedbyawhisperofMrsMusgrove’swho,overcomebyfondregrets,couldnothelpsaying—

           “Ah!MissAnne,ifithadpleasedHeaventosparemypoorson,Idaresayhewouldhavebeenjustsuchanotherbythistime.