“Why，astothat，Mr。Rushworthisaverygoodsortofyoungman，anditisagreatmatchforher。“
“ButMissBertramdoesnotcarethreestrawsforhim；
_that_isyouropinionofyourintimatefriend。_I_donotsubscribetoit。IamsureMissBertramisverymuchattachedtoMr。Rushworth。Icouldseeitinhereyes，whenhewasmentioned。IthinktoowellofMissBertramtosupposeshewouldevergiveherhandwithoutherheart。“
“Mary，howshallwemanagehim？“
“Wemustleavehimtohimself，Ibelieve。Talkingdoesnogood。Hewillbetakeninatlast。“
“ButIwouldnothavehim_taken__in_；Iwouldnothavehimduped；Iwouldhaveitallfairandhonourable。“
“Ohdear!lethimstandhischanceandbetakenin。
Itwilldojustaswell。Everybodyistakeninatsomeperiodorother。“
“Notalwaysinmarriage，dearMary。“
“Inmarriageespecially。Withallduerespecttosuchofthepresentcompanyaschancetobemarried，mydearMrs。Grant，thereisnotoneinahundredofeithersexwhoisnottakeninwhentheymarry。LookwhereIwill，Iseethatit_is_so；andIfeelthatit_must_beso，whenIconsiderthatitis，ofalltransactions，theoneinwhichpeopleexpectmostfromothers，andareleasthonestthemselves。“
“Ah!Youhavebeeninabadschoolformatrimony，inHillStreet。“
“Mypooraunthadcertainlylittlecausetolovethestate；but，however，speakingfrommyownobservation，itisamanoeuvringbusiness。Iknowsomanywhohavemarriedinthefullexpectationandconfidenceofsomeoneparticularadvantageintheconnexion，oraccomplishment，orgoodqualityintheperson，whohavefoundthemselvesentirelydeceived，andbeenobligedtoputupwithexactlythereverse。Whatisthisbutatakein？“
“Mydearchild，theremustbealittleimaginationhere。
Ibegyourpardon，butIcannotquitebelieveyou。
Dependuponit，youseebuthalf。Youseetheevil，butyoudonotseetheconsolation。Therewillbelittlerubsanddisappointmentseverywhere，andweareallapttoexpecttoomuch；butthen，ifoneschemeofhappinessfails，humannatureturnstoanother；
ifthefirstcalculationiswrong，wemakeasecondbetter：
wefindcomfortsomewhere——andthoseevil-mindedobservers，dearestMary，whomakemuchofalittle，aremoretakeninanddeceivedthanthepartiesthemselves。“
“Welldone，sister!Ihonouryour_esprit__du__corps_。
WhenIamawife，Imeantobejustasstaunchmyself；
andIwishmyfriendsingeneralwouldbesotoo。Itwouldsavememanyaheartache。“
“Youareasbadasyourbrother，Mary；butwewillcureyouboth。Mansfieldshallcureyouboth，andwithoutanytakingin。Staywithus，andwewillcureyou。“
TheCrawfords，withoutwantingtobecured，wereverywillingtostay。MarywassatisfiedwiththeParsonageasapresenthome，andHenryequallyreadytolengthenhisvisit。Hehadcome，intendingtospendonlyafewdayswiththem；butMansfieldpromisedwell，andtherewasnothingtocallhimelsewhere。ItdelightedMrs。Granttokeepthembothwithher，andDr。Grantwasexceedinglywellcontentedtohaveitso：atalkingprettyyoungwomanlikeMissCrawfordisalwayspleasantsocietytoanindolent，stay-at-homeman；andMr。Crawford’sbeinghisguestwasanexcusefordrinkingclareteveryday。
TheMissBertrams’admirationofMr。CrawfordwasmorerapturousthananythingwhichMissCrawford’shabitsmadeherlikelytofeel。Sheacknowledged，however，thattheMr。Bertramswereveryfineyoungmen，thattwosuchyoungmenwerenotoftenseentogethereveninLondon，andthattheirmanners，particularlythoseoftheeldest，wereverygood。_He_hadbeenmuchinLondon，andhadmorelivelinessandgallantrythanEdmund，andmust，therefore，bepreferred；and，indeed，hisbeingtheeldestwasanotherstrongclaim。Shehadfeltanearlypresentimentthatshe_should_liketheeldestbest。
Sheknewitwasherway。
TomBertrammusthavebeenthoughtpleasant，indeed，atanyrate；
hewasthesortofyoungmantobegenerallyliked，hisagreeablenesswasofthekindtobeoftenerfoundagreeablethansomeendowmentsofahigherstamp，forhehadeasymanners，excellentspirits，alargeacquaintance，andagreatdealtosay；andthereversionofMansfieldPark，andabaronetcy，didnoharmtoallthis。MissCrawfordsoonfeltthatheandhissituationmightdo。Shelookedaboutherwithdueconsideration，andfoundalmosteverythinginhisfavour：apark，arealpark，fivemilesround，aspaciousmodern-builthouse，sowellplacedandwellscreenedastodeservetobeinanycollectionofengravingsofgentlemen’sseatsinthekingdom，andwantingonlytobecompletelynewfurnished——pleasantsisters，aquietmother，andanagreeablemanhimself——withtheadvantageofbeingtiedupfrommuchgamingatpresentbyapromisetohisfather，andofbeingSirThomashereafter。
Itmightdoverywell；shebelievedsheshouldaccepthim；
andshebeganaccordinglytointerestherselfalittleaboutthehorsewhichhehadtorunattheB——races。
Theseracesweretocallhimawaynotlongaftertheiracquaintancebegan；andasitappearedthatthefamilydidnot，fromhisusualgoingson，expecthimbackagainformanyweeks，itwouldbringhispassiontoanearlyproof。Muchwassaidonhissidetoinducehertoattendtheraces，andschemesweremadeforalargepartytothem，withalltheeagernessofinclination，butitwouldonlydotobetalkedof。
AndFanny，whatwas_she_doingandthinkingallthiswhile？andwhatwas_her_opinionofthenewcomers？
FewyoungladiesofeighteencouldbelesscalledontospeaktheiropinionthanFanny。Inaquietway，verylittleattendedto，shepaidhertributeofadmirationtoMissCrawford’sbeauty；butasshestillcontinuedtothinkMr。Crawfordveryplain，inspiteofhertwocousinshavingrepeatedlyprovedthecontrary，shenevermentioned_him_。Thenotice，whichsheexcitedherself，wastothiseffect。“Ibeginnowtounderstandyouall，exceptMissPrice，“saidMissCrawford，asshewaswalkingwiththeMr。Bertrams。“Pray，issheout，orisshenot？Iampuzzled。ShedinedattheParsonage，withtherestofyou，whichseemedlikebeing_out_；
andyetshesayssolittle，thatIcanhardlysupposeshe_is_。“
Edmund，towhomthiswaschieflyaddressed，replied，“IbelieveIknowwhatyoumean，butIwillnotundertaketoanswerthequestion。Mycousinisgrownup。Shehastheageandsenseofawoman，buttheoutsandnotoutsarebeyondme。“
“Andyet，ingeneral，nothingcanbemoreeasilyascertained。
Thedistinctionissobroad。Mannersaswellasappearanceare，generallyspeaking，sototallydifferent。
Tillnow，Icouldnothavesupposeditpossibletobemistakenastoagirl’sbeingoutornot。Agirlnotouthasalwaysthesamesortofdress：aclosebonnet，forinstance；looksverydemure，andneversaysaword。
Youmaysmile，butitisso，Iassureyou；andexceptthatitissometimescarriedalittletoofar，itisallveryproper。Girlsshouldbequietandmodest。
Themostobjectionablepartis，thatthealterationofmannersonbeingintroducedintocompanyisfrequentlytoosudden。Theysometimespassinsuchverylittletimefromreservetoquitetheopposite——toconfidence!
_That_isthefaultypartofthepresentsystem。
Onedoesnotliketoseeagirlofeighteenornineteensoimmediatelyuptoeverything——andperhapswhenonehasseenherhardlyabletospeaktheyearbefore。
Mr。Bertram，Idaresay_you_havesometimesmetwithsuchchanges。“
“IbelieveIhave，butthisishardlyfair；Iseewhatyouareat。YouarequizzingmeandMissAnderson。“
“No，indeed。MissAnderson!Idonotknowwhoorwhatyoumean。Iamquiteinthedark。ButI_will_quizyouwithagreatdealofpleasure，ifyouwilltellmewhatabout。“
“Ah!youcarryitoffverywell，butIcannotbequitesofarimposedon。YoumusthavehadMissAndersoninyoureye，indescribinganalteredyounglady。
Youpainttooaccuratelyformistake。Itwasexactlyso。
TheAndersonsofBakerStreet。Wewerespeakingofthemtheotherday，youknow。Edmund，youhaveheardmementionCharlesAnderson。Thecircumstancewaspreciselyasthisladyhasrepresentedit。WhenAndersonfirstintroducedmetohisfamily，abouttwoyearsago，hissisterwasnot_out_，andIcouldnotgethertospeaktome。
IsatthereanhouronemorningwaitingforAnderson，withonlyherandalittlegirlortwointheroom，thegovernessbeingsickorrunaway，andthemotherinandouteverymomentwithlettersofbusiness，andI
couldhardlygetawordoralookfromtheyounglady——
nothinglikeacivilanswer——shescreweduphermouth，andturnedfrommewithsuchanair!Ididnotseeheragainforatwelvemonth。Shewasthen_out_。
ImetheratMrs。Holford’s，anddidnotrecollecther。
Shecameuptome，claimedmeasanacquaintance，staredmeoutofcountenance；andtalkedandlaughedtillIdidnotknowwhichwaytolook。IfeltthatImustbethejestoftheroomatthetime，andMissCrawford，itisplain，hasheardthestory。“
“Andaveryprettystoryitis，andwithmoretruthinit，Idaresay，thandoescredittoMissAnderson。
Itistoocommonafault。Motherscertainlyhavenotyetgotquitetherightwayofmanagingtheirdaughters。
Idonotknowwheretheerrorlies。Idonotpretendtosetpeopleright，butIdoseethattheyareoftenwrong。“
“Thosewhoareshowingtheworldwhatfemalemanners_should_be，“saidMr。Bertramgallantly，“aredoingagreatdealtosetthemright。“