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1Mr Shepherd, a civil, cautious lawyer, who, whatever might be his hold or his views on Sir Walter, would rather have the
2disagreeable prompted by anybody else, excused himself from offering the slightest hint, and only begged leave to
3recommend an implicit reference to the excellent judgement of Lady Russell, from whose known good sense he fully
4expected to have just such resolute measures advised as he meant to see finally adopted. Lady Russell was most anxiously
5zealous on the subject, and gave it much serious consideration. She was a woman rather of sound than of quick abilities,
6whose difficulties in coming to any decision in this instance were great, from the opposition of two leading principles.
7She was of strict integrity herself, with a delicate sense of honour; but she was as desirous of saving Sir Walter's
8feelings, as solicitous for the credit of the family, as aristocratic in her ideas of what was due to them, as anybody
9of sense and honesty could well be. She was a benevolent, charitable, good woman, and capable of strong attachments,
10most correct in her conduct, strict in her notions of decorum, and with manners that were held a standard of
11good-breeding. She had a cultivated mind, and was, generally speaking, rational and consistent--but she had prejudices
12on the side of ancestry; she had a value for rank and consequence, which blinded her a little to the faults of those who
13possessed them. Herself the widow of only a knight, she gave the dignity of a baronet all its due; and Sir Walter,
14independent of his claims as an old acquaintance, an attentive neighbour, an obliging landlord, the husband of her very
15dear friend, the father of Anne and her sisters, was, as being Sir Walter, in her apprehension, entitled to a great deal
16of compassion and consideration under his present difficulties. They must retrench; that did not admit of a doubt. But
17she was very anxious to have it done with the least possible pain to him and Elizabeth. She drew up plans of economy,
18she made exact calculations, and she did what nobody else thought of doing: she consulted Anne, who never seemed
19considered by the others as having any interest in the question. She consulted, and in a degree was influenced by her in
20marking out the scheme of retrenchment which was at last submitted to Sir Walter. Every emendation of Anne's had been on
21the side of honesty against importance. She wanted more vigorous measures, a more complete reformation, a quicker
22release from debt, a much higher tone of indifference for everything but justice and equity. "If we can persuade your
23father to all this," said Lady Russell, looking over her paper, "much may be done. If he will adopt these regulations,
24in seven years he will be clear; and I hope we may be able to convince him and Elizabeth, that Kellynch Hall has a
25respectability in itself which cannot be affected by these reductions; and that the true dignity of Sir Walter Elliot
26will be very far from lessened in the eyes of sensible people, by acting like a man of principle. What will he be doing,
27in fact, but what very many of our first families have done, or ought to do? There will be nothing singular in his case;
28and it is singularity which often makes the worst part of our suffering, as it always does of our conduct. I have great
29hope of prevailing. We must be serious and decided; for after all, the person who has contracted debts must pay them;
30and though a great deal is due to the feelings of the gentleman, and the head of a house, like your father, there is
31still more due to the character of an honest man." This was the principle on which Anne wanted her father to be
32proceeding, his friends to be urging him. She considered it as an act of indispensable duty to clear away the claims of
33creditors with all the expedition which the most comprehensive retrenchments could secure, and saw no dignity in
34anything short of it. She wanted it to be prescribed, and felt as a duty. She rated Lady Russell's influence highly; and
35as to the severe degree of self-denial which her own conscience prompted, she believed there might be little more
36difficulty in persuading them to a complete, than to half a reformation. Her knowledge of her father and Elizabeth
37inclined her to think that the sacrifice of one pair of horses would be hardly less painful than of both, and so on,
38through the whole list of Lady Russell's too gentle reductions. How Anne's more rigid requisitions might have been taken
39is of little consequence. Lady Russell's had no success at all: could not be put up with, were not to be borne. "What!
40every comfort of life knocked off! Journeys, London, servants, horses, table--contractions and restrictions every where!
41To live no longer with the decencies even of a private gentleman! No, he would sooner quit Kellynch Hall at once, than
42remain in it on such disgraceful terms." "Quit Kellynch Hall." The hint was immediately taken up by Mr Shepherd, whose
43interest was involved in the reality of Sir Walter's retrenching, and who was perfectly persuaded that nothing would be
44done without a change of abode. "Since the idea had been started in the very quarter which ought to dictate, he had no
45scruple," he said, "in confessing his judgement to be entirely on that side. It did not appear to him that Sir Walter
46could materially alter his style of living in a house which had such a character of hospitality and ancient dignity to
47support. In any other place Sir Walter might judge for himself; and would be looked up to, as regulating the modes of
48life in whatever way he might choose to model his household." Sir Walter would quit Kellynch Hall; and after a very few
49days more of doubt and indecision, the great question of whither he should go was settled, and the first outline of this
50important change made out. There had been three alternatives, London, Bath, or another house in the country. All Anne's
51wishes had been for the latter. A small house in their own neighbourhood, where they might still have Lady Russell's
52society, still be near Mary, and still have the pleasure of sometimes seeing the lawns and groves of Kellynch, was the
53object of her ambition. But the usual fate of Anne attended her, in having something very opposite from her inclination
54fixed on. She disliked Bath, and did not think it agreed with her; and Bath was to be her home. Sir Walter had at first
55thought more of London; but Mr Shepherd felt that he could not be trusted in London, and had been skilful enough to
56dissuade him from it, and make Bath preferred. It was a much safer place for a gentleman in his predicament: he might
57there be important at comparatively little expense. Two material advantages of Bath over London had of course been given
58all their weight: its more convenient distance from Kellynch, only fifty miles, and Lady Russell's spending some part of
59every winter there; and to the very great satisfaction of Lady Russell, whose first views on the projected change had
60been for Bath, Sir Walter and Elizabeth were induced to believe that they should lose neither consequence nor enjoyment
61by settling there. Lady Russell felt obliged to oppose her dear Anne's known wishes. It would be too much to expect Sir
62Walter to descend into a small house in his own neighbourhood. Anne herself would have found the mortifications of it
63more than she foresaw, and to Sir Walter's feelings they must have been dreadful. And with regard to Anne's dislike of
64Bath, she considered it as a prejudice and mistake arising, first, from the circumstance of her having been three years
65at school there, after her mother's death; and secondly, from her happening to be not in perfectly good spirits the only
66winter which she had afterwards spent there with herself. Lady Russell was fond of Bath, in short, and disposed to think
67it must suit them all; and as to her young friend's health, by passing all the warm months with her at Kellynch Lodge,
68every danger would be avoided; and it was in fact, a change which must do both health and spirits good. Anne had been
69too little from home, too little seen. Her spirits were not high. A larger society would improve them. She wanted her to
70be more known.
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