Austen Said:

Patterns of Diction in Jane Austen's Major Novels

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From situation, Mrs Clay was,
a very unequal, and in her character
a very dangerous companion; and a removal that would leave Mrs Clay behind, and bring a choice of more suitable intimates within Miss Elliot's reach, was therefore an object of first-rate importance.
Admiral Croft was a native of Somersetshire, who having acquired a very handsome fortune, was wishing to settle in his own country, and had come down to Taunton in order to look at some advertised places in that immediate neighbourhood, which, however, had not suited him; that accidentally hearing
--(it was just as he had foretold,
Sir Walter's concerns could not be kept a secret,)
-- accidentally hearing of the possibility of Kellynch Hall being to let, and understanding his (Mr Shepherd's) connection with the owner, he had introduced himself to him in order to make particular inquiries, and had, in the course of a pretty long conference, expressed as strong an inclination for the place as a man who knew it only by description could feel; and given Mr Shepherd, in his explicit account of himself, every proof of his being a most responsible, eligible tenant.
his being of a gentleman's family,
Admiral Croft was a very hale, hearty, well-looking man, a little weather-beaten, to be sure, but not much, and quite the gentleman in all his notions and behaviour; not likely to make the smallest difficulty about terms, only wanted a comfortable home, and to get into it as soon as possible; knew he must pay for his convenience; knew what rent a ready-furnished house of that consequence might fetch; should not have been surprised if Sir Walter had asked more; had inquired about the manor; would be glad of the deputation, certainly, but made no great point of it; said he sometimes took out a gun, but never killed; quite the gentleman.
all the circumstances of the Admiral's family, which made him peculiarly desirable as a tenant.
He was a married man, and without children; the very state to be wished for. A house was never taken good care of,
without a lady: he did not know, whether furniture might not be in danger of suffering as much where there was no lady, as where there were many children. A lady, without a family, was the very best preserver of furniture in the world. He had seen Mrs Croft, too; she was at Taunton with the admiral, and had been present almost all the time they were talking the matter over.
a more unobjectionable tenant, in all essentials, than Admiral Croft bid fair to be, could hardly offer.
"I have let my house to Admiral Croft," would sound extremely well; very much better than to any mere Mr -- a Mr (save, perhaps, some half dozen in the nation,) always needs a note of explanation. An admiral speaks his own consequence, and, at the same time, can never make a baronet look small. In all their dealings and intercourse, Sir Walter Elliot must ever have the precedence.
a very degrading alliance;
as a most unfortunate one.
Anne Elliot, with all her claims of birth, beauty, and mind, to throw herself away at nineteen; involve herself at nineteen in an engagement with a young man, who had nothing but himself to recommend him, and no hopes of attaining affluence, but in the chances of a most uncertain profession, and no connexions to secure even his farther rise in the profession, would be, indeed, a throwing away, which she grieved to think of! Anne Elliot, so young; known to so few, to be snatched off by a stranger without alliance or fortune; or rather sunk by him into a state of most wearing, anxious, youth-killing dependence! It must not be, if by any fair interference of friendship, any representations from one who had almost a mother's love, and mother's rights, it would be prevented.
he should soon have a ship, and soon be on a station that would lead to everything he wanted. He had always been lucky; he knew he should be so still.
the engagement a wrong thing: indiscreet, improper, hardly capable of success, and not deserving it.
to see her at twenty-two so respectably removed from the partialities and injustice of her father's house, and settled so permanently near herself.
She did not blame Lady Russell, she did not blame herself for having been guided by her;
were any young person, in similar circumstances, to apply to her for counsel, they would never receive any of such certain immediate wretchedness, such uncertain future good.
under every disadvantage of disapprobation at home, and every anxiety attending his profession, all their probable fears, delays, and disappointments, she should yet have been a happier woman in maintaining the engagement, than she had been in the sacrifice of it;
this,
had the usual share, had even more than the usual share of all such solicitudes and suspense been theirs,
it was folly,
of the past being known to those three only among her connexions, by whom no syllable,
would ever be whispered, and in the trust that among his, the brother only with whom he had been residing, had received any information of their short-lived engagement.
she hoped that the acquaintance between herself and the Crofts,
need not involve any particular awkwardness.
to be sorry that she had missed the opportunity of seeing them.
of his being known, by report, to the Admiral, as a model of good breeding.
the Admiral to be the best-looking sailor he had ever met with,
if his own man might have had the arranging of his hair, he should not be ashamed of being seen with him any where;
Anne would not be allowed to be of any use, or any importance, in the choice of the house which they were going to secure,
everything considered, she wished to remain.
It would be most right, and most wise, and, therefore must involve least suffering to go with the others.
she should not have a day's health all the autumn,
as a most important and valuable assistant to the latter in all the business before her.
such a measure should have been resorted to at all,
and the affront it contained to Anne, in Mrs Clay's being of so much use, while Anne could be of none,
results the most serious to his family from the intimacy were more than possible.
her father had at present an idea of the kind. Mrs Clay had freckles, and a projecting tooth, and a clumsy wrist, which he was continually making severe remarks upon, in her absence; but she was young, and certainly altogether well-looking, and possessed, in an acute mind and assiduous pleasing manners, infinitely more dangerous attractions than any merely personal might have been.
but Elizabeth, who in the event of such a reverse would be so much more to be pitied than herself, should never,
have reason to reproach her for giving no warning.
how such an absurd suspicion should occur to her,
this break-up of the family exceedingly. Their respectability was as dear to her as her own, and a daily intercourse had become precious by habit. It was painful to look upon their deserted grounds, and still worse to anticipate the new hands they were to fall into; and to escape the solitariness and the melancholy of so altered a village, and be out of the way when Admiral and Mrs Croft first arrived,
make her own absence from home begin when she must give up Anne.
she might be able to leave it by dinner-time.
though there were on each side continual subjects of offence, neither family could now do without it.