“No, no, not at all, not at all. She will be very happy to see you. Mind -- I will not swear that she has not something particular to say to you -- but that will all come out in the right place. I give no hints. -- Why, Miss Elliot, we begin to hear strange things of you" -- (smiling in her face) -- "But you have not much the Look of it -- as Grave as a little Judge." -- Anne blushed. -- "Aye, aye, that will do. Now, it is right. I thought we were not mistaken." She was left to guess at the direction of his Suspicions; -- the first wild idea had been of some disclosure from his Br in law -- but she was ashamed the next moment -- & felt how far more probably that he should be meaning Mr. E.” & “The door was opened -- & the Man evidently beginning to deny his Mistress, when the sight of his Master stopped him. The Adml enjoyed the joke exceedingly. Anne thought his triumph over Stephen rather too long. At least however, he was able to invite her upstairs, & stepping before her said -- "I will just go up with you myself & shew you in.” (Cancelled Chapter 10)

Oh yes I agree that the Admiral is still a straight forward, aboveboard man with no clue as to emotional undercurrents but the way he insists that Anne come in and then insists FW ask Anne about the lease of Kellynch is not very much like how he acts in previous chapters. I am pretty sure he has not ever “hinted” at anything before either. He acts like he is in the know, of course he has been misinformed but I miss his usual slightly distracted hearty manner and he does not say “but what are you waiting for!” :) I am glad the scene with that visible servant “Stephen” was removed because the Admiral’s triumph seemed kind of harsh or Anne would not have commented on it and it just does not fit with his actions in previous chapters.