Thedivisionofgratifyingsensationsoughtnot，instrictjustice，tohavebeenequal；forSirThomaswasfullyresolvedtobetherealandconsistentpatronoftheselectedchild，andMrs。Norrishadnottheleastintentionofbeingatanyexpensewhateverinhermaintenance。
Asfaraswalking，talking，andcontrivingreached，shewasthoroughlybenevolent，andnobodyknewbetterhowtodictateliberalitytoothers；butherloveofmoneywasequaltoherloveofdirecting，andsheknewquiteaswellhowtosaveherownastospendthatofherfriends。
Havingmarriedonanarrowerincomethanshehadbeenusedtolookforwardto，shehad，fromthefirst，fanciedaverystrictlineofeconomynecessary；
andwhatwasbegunasamatterofprudence，soongrewintoamatterofchoice，asanobjectofthatneedfulsolicitudewhichtherewerenochildrentosupply。
Hadtherebeenafamilytoprovidefor，Mrs。Norrismightneverhavesavedhermoney；buthavingnocareofthatkind，therewasnothingtoimpedeherfrugality，orlessenthecomfortofmakingayearlyadditiontoanincomewhichtheyhadneverlivedupto。Underthisinfatuatingprinciple，counteractedbynorealaffectionforhersister，itwasimpossibleforhertoaimatmorethanthecreditofprojectingandarrangingsoexpensiveacharity；
thoughperhapsshemightsolittleknowherselfastowalkhometotheParsonage，afterthisconversation，inthehappybeliefofbeingthemostliberal-mindedsisterandauntintheworld。
Whenthesubjectwasbroughtforwardagain，herviewsweremorefullyexplained；and，inreplytoLadyBertram’scalminquiryof“Whereshallthechildcometofirst，sister，toyouortous？“SirThomasheardwithsomesurprisethatitwouldbetotallyoutofMrs。Norris’spowertotakeanyshareinthepersonalchargeofher。
HehadbeenconsideringherasaparticularlywelcomeadditionattheParsonage，asadesirablecompaniontoanauntwhohadnochildrenofherown；buthefoundhimselfwhollymistaken。Mrs。Norriswassorrytosaythatthelittlegirl’sstayingwiththem，atleastasthingsthenwere，wasquiteoutofthequestion。
PoorMr。Norris’sindifferentstateofhealthmadeitanimpossibility：hecouldnomorebearthenoiseofachildthanhecouldfly；if，indeed，heshouldevergetwellofhisgoutycomplaints，itwouldbeadifferentmatter：
sheshouldthenbegladtotakeherturn，andthinknothingoftheinconvenience；butjustnow，poorMr。Norristookupeverymomentofhertime，andtheverymentionofsuchathingshewassurewoulddistracthim。
“Thenshehadbettercometous，“saidLadyBertram，withtheutmostcomposure。AfterashortpauseSirThomasaddedwithdignity，“Yes，letherhomebeinthishouse。
Wewillendeavourtodoourdutybyher，andshewill，atleast，havetheadvantageofcompanionsofherownage，andofaregularinstructress。“
“Verytrue，“criedMrs。Norris，“whicharebothveryimportantconsiderations；anditwillbejustthesametoMissLeewhethershehasthreegirlstoteach，oronlytwo——therecanbenodifference。IonlywishI
couldbemoreuseful；butyouseeIdoallinmypower。
Iamnotoneofthosethatsparetheirowntrouble；
andNannyshallfetchher，howeveritmayputmetoinconveniencetohavemychiefcounsellorawayforthreedays。Isuppose，sister，youwillputthechildinthelittlewhiteattic，neartheoldnurseries。
Itwillbemuchthebestplaceforher，sonearMissLee，andnotfarfromthegirls，andclosebythehousemaids，whocouldeitherofthemhelptodressher，youknow，andtakecareofherclothes，forIsupposeyouwouldnotthinkitfairtoexpectEllistowaitonheraswellastheothers。Indeed，Idonotseethatyoucouldpossiblyplaceheranywhereelse。“
LadyBertrammadenoopposition。
“Ihopeshewillproveawell-disposedgirl，“
continuedMrs。Norris，“andbesensibleofheruncommongoodfortuneinhavingsuchfriends。“
“Shouldherdispositionbereallybad，“saidSirThomas，“wemustnot，forourownchildren’ssake，continueherinthefamily；butthereisnoreasontoexpectsogreatanevil。Weshallprobablyseemuchtowishalteredinher，andmustprepareourselvesforgrossignorance，somemeannessofopinions，andverydistressingvulgarityofmanner；butthesearenotincurablefaults；nor，Itrust，cantheybedangerousforherassociates。Hadmydaughtersbeen_younger_thanherself，Ishouldhaveconsideredtheintroductionofsuchacompanionasamatterofveryseriousmoment；but，asitis，Ihopetherecanbenothingtofearfor_them_，andeverythingtohopefor_her_，fromtheassociation。“
“ThatisexactlywhatIthink，“criedMrs。Norris，“andwhatIwassayingtomyhusbandthismorning。
Itwillbeaneducationforthechild，saidI，onlybeingwithhercousins；ifMissLeetaughthernothing，shewouldlearntobegoodandcleverfrom_them_。“
“Ihopeshewillnotteasemypoorpug，“saidLadyBertram；
“IhavebutjustgotJuliatoleaveitalone。“
“Therewillbesomedifficultyinourway，Mrs。Norris，“
observedSirThomas，“astothedistinctionpropertobemadebetweenthegirlsastheygrowup：howtopreserveinthemindsofmy_daughters_theconsciousnessofwhattheyare，withoutmakingthemthinktoolowlyoftheircousin；
andhow，withoutdepressingherspiritstoofar，tomakeherrememberthatsheisnota_MissBertram_。
Ishouldwishtoseethemverygoodfriends，andwould，onnoaccount，authoriseinmygirlsthesmallestdegreeofarrogancetowardstheirrelation；butstilltheycannotbeequals。Theirrank，fortune，rights，andexpectationswillalwaysbedifferent。Itisapointofgreatdelicacy，andyoumustassistusinourendeavourstochooseexactlytherightlineofconduct。“
Mrs。Norriswasquiteathisservice；andthoughsheperfectlyagreedwithhimastoitsbeingamostdifficultthing，encouragedhimtohopethatbetweenthemitwouldbeeasilymanaged。
ItwillbereadilybelievedthatMrs。Norrisdidnotwritetohersisterinvain。Mrs。Priceseemedrathersurprisedthatagirlshouldbefixedon，whenshehadsomanyfineboys，butacceptedtheoffermostthankfully，assuringthemofherdaughter’sbeingaverywell-disposed，good-humouredgirl，andtrustingtheywouldneverhavecausetothrowheroff。
Shespokeofherfartherassomewhatdelicateandpuny，butwassanguineinthehopeofherbeingmateriallybetterforchangeofair。Poorwoman!sheprobablythoughtchangeofairmightagreewithmanyofherchildren。
Thelittlegirlperformedherlongjourneyinsafety；
andatNorthamptonwasmetbyMrs。Norris，whothusregaledinthecreditofbeingforemosttowelcomeher，andintheimportanceofleadingherintotheothers，andrecommendinghertotheirkindness。
FannyPricewasatthistimejusttenyearsold，andthoughtheremightnotbemuchinherfirstappearancetocaptivate，therewas，atleast，nothingtodisgustherrelations。Shewassmallofherage，withnoglowofcomplexion，noranyotherstrikingbeauty；
exceedinglytimidandshy，andshrinkingfromnotice；
butherair，thoughawkward，wasnotvulgar，hervoicewassweet，andwhenshespokehercountenancewaspretty。
SirThomasandLadyBertramreceivedherverykindly；
andSirThomas，seeinghowmuchsheneededencouragement，triedtobeallthatwasconciliating：buthehadtoworkagainstamostuntowardgravityofdeportment；
andLadyBertram，withouttakinghalfsomuchtrouble，orspeakingonewordwherehespoketen，bythemereaidofagood-humouredsmile，becameimmediatelythelessawfulcharacterofthetwo。
Theyoungpeoplewereallathome，andsustainedtheirshareintheintroductionverywell，withmuchgoodhumour，andnoembarrassment，atleastonthepartofthesons，who，atseventeenandsixteen，andtalloftheirage，hadallthegrandeurofmenintheeyesoftheirlittlecousin。
Thetwogirlsweremoreatalossfrombeingyoungerandingreateraweoftheirfather，whoaddressedthemontheoccasionwithratheraninjudiciousparticularity。
Buttheyweretoomuchusedtocompanyandpraisetohaveanythinglikenaturalshyness；andtheirconfidenceincreasingfromtheircousin’stotalwantofit，theyweresoonabletotakeafullsurveyofherfaceandherfrockineasyindifference。
Theywerearemarkablyfinefamily，thesonsverywell-looking，thedaughtersdecidedlyhandsome，andallofthemwell-grownandforwardoftheirage，whichproducedasstrikingadifferencebetweenthecousinsinperson，aseducationhadgiventotheiraddress；andnoonewouldhavesupposedthegirlssonearlyofanageastheyreallywere。TherewereinfactbuttwoyearsbetweentheyoungestandFanny。
JuliaBertramwasonlytwelve，andMariabutayearolder。
Thelittlevisitormeanwhilewasasunhappyaspossible。
Afraidofeverybody，ashamedofherself，andlongingforthehomeshehadleft，sheknewnothowtolookup，andcouldscarcelyspeaktobeheard，orwithoutcrying。
Mrs。NorrishadbeentalkingtoherthewholewayfromNorthamptonofherwonderfulgoodfortune，andtheextraordinarydegreeofgratitudeandgoodbehaviourwhichitoughttoproduce，andherconsciousnessofmiserywasthereforeincreasedbytheideaofitsbeingawickedthingforhernottobehappy。Thefatigue，too，ofsolongajourney，becamesoonnotriflingevil。
Invainwerethewell-meantcondescensionsofSirThomas，andalltheofficiousprognosticationsofMrs。Norristhatshewouldbeagoodgirl；invaindidLadyBertramsmileandmakehersitonthesofawithherselfandpug，andvainwaseventhesightofagooseberrytarttowardsgivinghercomfort；shecouldscarcelyswallowtwomouthfulsbeforetearsinterruptedher，andsleepseemingtobeherlikeliestfriend，shewastakentofinishhersorrowsinbed。
“Thisisnotaverypromisingbeginning，“saidMrs。Norris，whenFannyhadlefttheroom。“AfterallthatIsaidtoheraswecamealong，Ithoughtshewouldhavebehavedbetter；
Itoldherhowmuchmightdependuponheracquittingherselfwellatfirst。Iwishtheremaynotbealittlesulkinessoftemper——herpoormotherhadagooddeal；
butwemustmakeallowancesforsuchachild——andI
donotknowthatherbeingsorrytoleaveherhomeisreallyagainsther，for，withallitsfaults，it_was_
herhome，andshecannotasyetunderstandhowmuchshehaschangedforthebetter；butthenthereismoderationinallthings。“