Persuasion

The Elliot family, Mrs. Clay, and Lady Russell attend a concert. Before it begins, they socialize with the other attendees. Anne sees Captain Wentworth and strikes up a conversation with him. As they talk, Anne notices her father return Wentworth’s bow and even Elizabeth acknowledge him, which gives Anne more courage. Anne and Wentworth discuss Louisa and Benwick’s surprise engagement. Wentworth confesses his confusion about how different they are, and his surprise at Benwick moving on so quickly after his fiancée's death: “A man does not recover from such a devotion of the heart to such a woman!” (173). Anne expresses her desire to return to Lyme despite the poor way her last visit ended. Their conversation is cut short as the Dalrymples arrive and the concert begins. Anne pays little attention to the concert or Mr. Elliot, who sits next to her. Her thoughts revolve around a new feeling of hope that Wentworth may still love her, after all. Mr. Elliot attempts to claim Anne’s attention through flattery and mentioning that he first heard about her attractive character many years ago, although he does not reveal how he heard about her.

During intermission, Anne manipulates the seating arrangements so that she is easily accessible to Wentworth. She is determined to speak with him regardless of her family’s or Lady Russell’s opinion. When Wentworth does stop by her bench to chat, Anne notices a change in his behavior; he has become colder, “grave” and “irresolute”. Mr. Elliot interrupts their conversation to ask Anne’s help in translating the songs. When she finishes, Wentworth abruptly says he must go.

Anne realizes that Wentworth must be jealous of Mr. Elliot and worries about how to correct his assumption of an attachment between them. Anne’s feelings toward Mr. Elliot become decidedly unsympathetic.

Anne plans to spend the morning with Mrs. Smith, which allows her to avoid Mr. Elliot’s inevitable visit at Camden-place. On the drive over, Anne thinks of Wentworth and Mr. Elliot in relation to each other, priding herself on her constancy of feeling and happiness at Wentworth’s recent attention.

Mrs. Smith asks for the gossip from the concert and implies that she knows Anne will soon be engaged to Mr. Elliot, as it has been talked about in Bath’s gossip circles as a certainty. Anne struggles to persuade her that she has no intention of marrying Mr. Elliot and implies that there is someone else. This frees Mrs. Smith to talk openly about her personal history with Mr. Elliot without giving offense. She describes Mr. Elliot as conniving, manipulative, and mercenary. Mr. Elliot was once friends with Mrs. Smith’s late husband and encouraged Mr. Smith to live far outside their means in order to keep up a gentlemanly appearance. Mr. Elliot married his late wife solely for wealth. After Mr. Smith’s death, Mr. Elliot was appointed the executor of the will, but has never acted on Mrs. Smith’s behalf. If he would, then Mrs. Smith could regain property and income.

Mrs. Smith also describes Mr. Elliot’s harsh criticism of the Elliots, claiming that his current amiableness toward them is motivated by his fear that Sir Walter will marry Mrs. Clay and thereby replace Mr. Elliot in the inheritance. Anne is appalled by all that she hears and asks Mrs. Smith’s permission to share all this with Lady Russell, which Mrs. Smith agrees to. Anne is relieved that she so nearly escaped marrying Mr. Elliot with Captain Wentworth’s arrival in Bath: “It was just possible that she might have been persuaded by Lady Russell!” (198).