AfterashortinterruptionMr。Rushworthbeganagain。
“Smith’splaceistheadmirationofallthecountry；
anditwasamerenothingbeforeReptontookitinhand。
IthinkIshallhaveRepton。“
“Mr。Rushworth，“saidLadyBertram，“ifIwereyou，Iwouldhaveaveryprettyshrubbery。Onelikestogetoutintoashrubberyinfineweather。“
Mr。Rushworthwaseagertoassureherladyshipofhisacquiescence，andtriedtomakeoutsomethingcomplimentary；
but，betweenhissubmissionto_her_taste，andhishavingalwaysintendedthesamehimself，withthesuperaddedobjectsofprofessingattentiontothecomfortofladiesingeneral，andofinsinuatingthattherewasoneonlywhomhewasanxioustoplease，hegrewpuzzled，andEdmundwasgladtoputanendtohisspeechbyaproposalofwine。
Mr。Rushworth，however，thoughnotusuallyagreattalker，hadstillmoretosayonthesubjectnexthisheart。
“Smithhasnotmuchaboveahundredacresaltogetherinhisgrounds，whichislittleenough，andmakesitmoresurprisingthattheplacecanhavebeensoimproved。
Now，atSothertonwehaveagoodsevenhundred，withoutreckoningthewatermeadows；sothatIthink，ifsomuchcouldbedoneatCompton，weneednotdespair。
Therehavebeentwoorthreefineoldtreescutdown，thatgrewtoonearthehouse，anditopenstheprospectamazingly，whichmakesmethinkthatRepton，oranybodyofthatsort，wouldcertainlyhavetheavenueatSothertondown：theavenuethatleadsfromthewestfronttothetopofthehill，youknow，“turningtoMissBertramparticularlyashespoke。
ButMissBertramthoughtitmostbecomingtoreply——
“Theavenue!Oh!Idonotrecollectit。IreallyknowverylittleofSotherton。“
Fanny，whowassittingontheothersideofEdmund，exactlyoppositeMissCrawford，andwhohadbeenattentivelylistening，nowlookedathim，andsaidinalowvoice——
“Cutdownanavenue!Whatapity!DoesitnotmakeyouthinkofCowper？’Yefallenavenues，oncemoreImournyourfateunmerited。’“
Hesmiledasheanswered，“Iamafraidtheavenuestandsabadchance，Fanny。“
“IshouldliketoseeSothertonbeforeitiscutdown，toseetheplaceasitisnow，initsoldstate；butIdonotsupposeIshall。“
“Haveyouneverbeenthere？No，younevercan；
and，unluckily，itisoutofdistanceforaride。
Iwishwecouldcontriveit。“
“Oh!itdoesnotsignify。WheneverIdoseeit，youwilltellmehowithasbeenaltered。“
“Icollect，“saidMissCrawford，“thatSothertonisanoldplace，andaplaceofsomegrandeur。
Inanyparticularstyleofbuilding？“
“ThehousewasbuiltinElizabeth’stime，andisalarge，regular，brickbuilding；heavy，butrespectablelooking，andhasmanygoodrooms。Itisillplaced。Itstandsinoneofthelowestspotsofthepark；inthatrespect，unfavourableforimprovement。Butthewoodsarefine，andthereisastream，which，Idaresay，mightbemadeagooddealof。Mr。Rushworthisquiteright，Ithink，inmeaningtogiveitamoderndress，andIhavenodoubtthatitwillbealldoneextremelywell。“
MissCrawfordlistenedwithsubmission，andsaidtoherself，“Heisawell-bredman；hemakesthebestofit。“
“IdonotwishtoinfluenceMr。Rushworth，“hecontinued；
“but，hadIaplacetonewfashion，Ishouldnotputmyselfintothehandsofanimprover。Iwouldratherhaveaninferiordegreeofbeauty，ofmyownchoice，andacquiredprogressively。Iwouldratherabidebymyownblundersthanbyhis。“
“_You_wouldknowwhatyouwereabout，ofcourse；
butthatwouldnotsuit_me_。Ihavenoeyeoringenuityforsuchmatters，butastheyarebeforeme；
andhadIaplaceofmyowninthecountry，IshouldbemostthankfultoanyMr。Reptonwhowouldundertakeit，andgivemeasmuchbeautyashecouldformymoney；
andIshouldneverlookatittillitwascomplete。“
“Itwouldbedelightfulto_me_toseetheprogressofitall，“saidFanny。
“Ay，youhavebeenbroughtuptoit。Itwasnopartofmyeducation；andtheonlydoseIeverhad，beingadministeredbynotthefirstfavouriteintheworld，hasmademeconsiderimprovements_in__hand_asthegreatestofnuisances。
ThreeyearsagotheAdmiral，myhonoureduncle，boughtacottageatTwickenhamforusalltospendoursummersin；
andmyauntandIwentdowntoitquiteinraptures；
butitbeingexcessivelypretty，itwassoonfoundnecessarytobeimproved，andforthreemonthswewerealldirtandconfusion，withoutagravelwalktostepon，orabenchfitforuse。Iwouldhaveeverythingascompleteaspossibleinthecountry，shrubberiesandflower-gardens，andrusticseatsinnumerable：butitmustallbedonewithoutmycare。Henryisdifferent；helovestobedoing。“
EdmundwassorrytohearMissCrawford，whomhewasmuchdisposedtoadmire，speaksofreelyofheruncle。
Itdidnotsuithissenseofpropriety，andhewassilenced，tillinducedbyfurthersmilesandlivelinesstoputthematterbyforthepresent。
“Mr。Bertram，“saidshe，“Ihavetidingsofmyharpatlast。
IamassuredthatitissafeatNorthampton；andthereithasprobablybeenthesetendays，inspiteofthesolemnassuranceswehavesooftenreceivedtothecontrary。“
Edmundexpressedhispleasureandsurprise。“Thetruthis，thatourinquiriesweretoodirect；wesentaservant，wewentourselves：thiswillnotdoseventymilesfromLondon；
butthismorningweheardofitintherightway。
Itwasseenbysomefarmer，andhetoldthemiller，andthemillertoldthebutcher，andthebutcher’sson-in-lawleftwordattheshop。“
“Iamverygladthatyouhaveheardofit，bywhatevermeans，andhopetherewillbenofurtherdelay。“
“Iamtohaveitto-morrow；buthowdoyouthinkitistobeconveyed？Notbyawagonorcart：ohno!
nothingofthatkindcouldbehiredinthevillage。
Imightaswellhaveaskedforportersandahandbarrow。“
“Youwouldfinditdifficult，Idaresay，justnow，inthemiddleofaverylatehayharvest，tohireahorseandcart？“
“Iwasastonishedtofindwhatapieceofworkwasmadeofit!
Towantahorseandcartinthecountryseemedimpossible，soItoldmymaidtospeakforonedirectly；andasIcannotlookoutofmydressing-closetwithoutseeingonefarmyard，norwalkintheshrubberywithoutpassinganother，Ithoughtitwouldbeonlyaskandhave，andwasrathergrievedthatIcouldnotgivetheadvantagetoall。
Guessmysurprise，whenIfoundthatIhadbeenaskingthemostunreasonable，mostimpossiblethingintheworld；
hadoffendedallthefarmers，allthelabourers，allthehayintheparish!AsforDr。Grant’sbailiff，IbelieveIhadbetterkeepoutof_his_way；andmybrother-in-lawhimself，whoisallkindnessingeneral，lookedratherblackuponmewhenhefoundwhatIhadbeenat。“
“Youcouldnotbeexpectedtohavethoughtonthesubjectbefore；
butwhenyou_do_thinkofit，youmustseetheimportanceofgettinginthegrass。Thehireofacartatanytimemightnotbesoeasyasyousuppose：ourfarmersarenotinthehabitoflettingthemout；but，inharvest，itmustbequiteoutoftheirpowertospareahorse。“
“Ishallunderstandallyourwaysintime；but，comingdownwiththetrueLondonmaxim，thateverythingistobegotwithmoney，Iwasalittleembarrassedatfirstbythesturdyindependenceofyourcountrycustoms。
However，Iamtohavemyharpfetchedto-morrow。Henry，whoisgood-natureitself，hasofferedtofetchitinhisbarouche。Willitnotbehonourablyconveyed？“
Edmundspokeoftheharpashisfavouriteinstrument，andhopedtobesoonallowedtohearher。Fannyhadneverheardtheharpatall，andwishedforitverymuch。
“Ishallbemosthappytoplaytoyouboth，“saidMissCrawford；“atleastaslongasyoucanliketolisten：
probablymuchlonger，forIdearlylovemusicmyself，andwherethenaturaltasteisequaltheplayermustalwaysbebestoff，forsheisgratifiedinmorewaysthanone。Now，Mr。Bertram，ifyouwritetoyourbrother，Ientreatyoutotellhimthatmyharpiscome：