or.

'Yes, sir, yes.' And the Admiral was hastily left, the door was closed,
and the moment arrived in which Anne was alone with Captain Wentworth.

She could not attempt to see how he looked, but he walked immediately to
a window as if irresolute and embarrassed, and for about the space of
five seconds she repented what she had done--censured it as unwise,
blushed over it as indelicate. She longed to be able to speak of the
weather or the concert, but could only compass the relief of taking a
newspaper in her hand. The distressing pause was over, however; he
turned round in half a minute, and coming towards the table where she
sat, said in a voice of effort and constraint--

'You must have heard too much already, Madam, to be in any doubt of my
having promised Admiral Croft to speak to you on a particular subject,
and this conviction determines me to do so, however repugnant to my--to
all my sense of propriety to be taking so great a liberty! You will
acquit me of impertinence I trust, by considering me as speaking only for
another, and speaking by necessity; and the Admiral is a man who can
never be thought impertinent by one who knows him as you do. His
intentions are always the kindest and the best, and you will perceive he
is actuated by none other in the application which I am now, with--with
very peculiar feelings--obliged to make.' He stopped, but merely to
recover breath, not seeming to expect any answer. Anne listened as if
her life depended on the issue of his speech. He proceeded with a forced
alacrity:--

'The Admiral, Madam, was this morning confidently informed that you
were--upon my soul, I am quite at a loss, ashamed (breathing and speaking
quickly)--the awkwardness of _giving_ information of this kind to one of
the parties--you can be at no loss to understand me. It was very
confidently said that Mr. Elliot--that everything was settled in the
family for a union between Mr. Elliot and yourself. It was added that
you were to live at Kellynch--that Kellynch was to be given up. This the
Admiral knew could not be correct. But it occurred to him that it might
be the _wish_ of the parties. And my commission from him, Madam, is to
say, that if the family wish is such, his lease of Kellynch shall be
cancelled, and he and my sister will provide themselves with another
home, without imagining themselves to be doing anything which under
similar circumstances would not be done for _them_. This is a