improprietyinmakingthempublic。“
“Donotyouthink，“saidFanny，afteralittleconsideration，“thatthisimproprietyisareflectionitselfuponMrs。Crawford，asherniecehasbeenentirelybroughtupbyher？ShecannothavegivenherrightnotionsofwhatwasduetotheAdmiral。“
“Thatisafairremark。Yes，wemustsupposethefaultsoftheniecetohavebeenthoseoftheaunt；anditmakesonemoresensibleofthedisadvantagesshehasbeenunder。
ButIthinkherpresenthomemustdohergood。
Mrs。Grant’smannersarejustwhattheyoughttobe。
Shespeaksofherbrotherwithaverypleasingaffection。“
“Yes，exceptastohiswritinghersuchshortletters。
Shemademealmostlaugh；butIcannotratesoveryhighlytheloveorgood-natureofabrotherwhowillnotgivehimselfthetroubleofwritinganythingworthreadingtohissisters，whentheyareseparated。IamsureWilliamwouldneverhaveused_me_so，underanycircumstances。
Andwhatrighthadshetosupposethat_you_wouldnotwritelongletterswhenyouwereabsent？“
“Therightofalivelymind，Fanny，seizingwhatevermaycontributetoitsownamusementorthatofothers；
perfectlyallowable，whenuntincturedbyill-humourorroughness；andthereisnotashadowofeitherinthecountenanceormannerofMissCrawford：nothingsharp，orloud，orcoarse。Sheisperfectlyfeminine，exceptmtheinstanceswehavebeenspeakingof。Thereshecannotbejustified。IamgladyousawitallasIdid。“
Havingformedhermindandgainedheraffections，hehadagoodchanceofherthinkinglikehim；thoughatthisperiod，andonthissubject，therebegannowtobesomedangerofdissimilarity，forhewasinalineofadmirationofMissCrawford，whichmightleadhimwhereFannycouldnotfollow。MissCrawford’sattractionsdidnotlessen。
Theharparrived，andratheraddedtoherbeauty，wit，andgood-humour；forsheplayedwiththegreatestobligingness，withanexpressionandtastewhichwerepeculiarlybecoming，andtherewassomethingclevertobesaidatthecloseofeveryair。EdmundwasattheParsonageeveryday，tobeindulgedwithhisfavouriteinstrument：
onemorningsecuredaninvitationforthenext；
fortheladycouldnotbeunwillingtohavealistener，andeverythingwassooninafairtrain。
Ayoungwoman，pretty，lively，withaharpaselegantasherself，andbothplacednearawindow，cutdowntotheground，andopeningonalittlelawn，surroundedbyshrubsintherichfoliageofsummer，wasenoughtocatchanyman’sheart。Theseason，thescene，theair，wereallfavourabletotendernessandsentiment。
Mrs。Grantandhertambourframewerenotwithouttheiruse：
itwasallinharmony；andaseverythingwillturntoaccountwhenloveisoncesetgoing，eventhesandwichtray，andDr。Grantdoingthehonoursofit，wereworthlookingat。
Withoutstudyingthebusiness，however，orknowingwhathewasabout，Edmundwasbeginning，attheendofaweekofsuchintercourse，tobeagooddealinlove；
andtothecreditoftheladyitmaybeaddedthat，withouthisbeingamanoftheworldoranelderbrother，withoutanyoftheartsofflatteryorthegaietiesofsmalltalk，hebegantobeagreeabletoher。Shefeltittobeso，thoughshehadnotforeseen，andcouldhardlyunderstandit；forhewasnotpleasantbyanycommonrule：
hetalkednononsense；hepaidnocompliments；hisopinionswereunbending，hisattentionstranquilandsimple。
Therewasacharm，perhaps，inhissincerity，hissteadiness，hisintegrity，whichMissCrawfordmightbeequaltofeel，thoughnotequaltodiscusswithherself。
Shedidnotthinkverymuchaboutit，however：hepleasedherforthepresent；shelikedtohavehimnearher；
itwasenough。
FannycouldnotwonderthatEdmundwasattheParsonageeverymorning；shewouldgladlyhavebeentheretoo，mightshehavegoneinuninvitedandunnoticed，toheartheharp；neithercouldshewonderthat，whentheeveningstrollwasover，andthetwofamiliespartedagain，heshouldthinkitrighttoattendMrs。Grantandhersistertotheirhome，whileMr。CrawfordwasdevotedtotheladiesofthePark；butshethoughtitaverybadexchange；andifEdmundwerenottheretomixthewineandwaterforher，wouldrathergowithoutitthannot。
ShewasalittlesurprisedthathecouldspendsomanyhourswithMissCrawford，andnotseemoreofthesortoffaultwhichhehadalreadyobserved，andofwhich_she_
wasalmostalwaysremindedbyasomethingofthesamenaturewhenevershewasinhercompany；butsoitwas。
EdmundwasfondofspeakingtoherofMissCrawford，butheseemedtothinkitenoughthattheAdmiralhadsincebeenspared；andshescrupledtopointoutherownremarkstohim，lestitshouldappearlikeill-nature。
ThefirstactualpainwhichMissCrawfordoccasionedherwastheconsequenceofaninclinationtolearntoride，whichtheformercaught，soonafterherbeingsettledatMansfield，fromtheexampleoftheyoungladiesatthePark，andwhich，whenEdmund’sacquaintancewithherincreased，ledtohisencouragingthewish，andtheofferofhisownquietmareforthepurposeofherfirstattempts，asthebestfittedforabeginnerthateitherstablecouldfurnish。
Nopain，noinjury，however，wasdesignedbyhimtohiscousininthisoffer：_she_wasnottoloseaday’sexercisebyit。ThemarewasonlytobetakendowntotheParsonagehalfanhourbeforeherrideweretobegin；andFanny，onitsbeingfirstproposed，sofarfromfeelingslighted，wasalmostover-poweredwithgratitudethatheshouldbeaskingherleaveforit。
MissCrawfordmadeherfirstessaywithgreatcredittoherself，andnoinconveniencetoFanny。Edmund，whohadtakendownthemareandpresidedatthewhole，returnedwithitinexcellenttime，beforeeitherFannyorthesteadyoldcoachman，whoalwaysattendedherwhensherodewithouthercousins，werereadytosetforward。
Thesecondday’strialwasnotsoguiltless。MissCrawford’senjoymentofridingwassuchthatshedidnotknowhowtoleaveoff。Activeandfearless，andthoughrathersmall，stronglymade，sheseemedformedforahorsewoman；andtothepuregenuinepleasureoftheexercise，somethingwasprobablyaddedinEdmund’sattendanceandinstructions，andsomethingmoreintheconvictionofverymuchsurpassinghersexingeneralbyherearlyprogress，tomakeherunwillingtodismount。Fannywasreadyandwaiting，andMrs。Norriswasbeginningtoscoldherfornotbeinggone，andstillnohorsewasannounced，noEdmundappeared。
Toavoidheraunt，andlookforhim，shewentout。
Thehouses，thoughscarcelyhalfamileapart，werenotwithinsightofeachother；but，bywalkingfiftyyardsfromthehalldoor，shecouldlookdownthepark，andcommandaviewoftheParsonageandallitsdemesnes，gentlyrisingbeyondthevillageroad；andinDr。Grant’smeadowsheimmediatelysawthegroup——EdmundandMissCrawfordbothonhorse-back，ridingsidebyside，Dr。andMrs。Grant，andMr。Crawford，withtwoorthreegrooms，standingaboutandlookingon。Ahappypartyitappearedtoher，allinterestedinoneobject：cheerfulbeyondadoubt，forthesoundofmerrimentascendedeventoher。
Itwasasoundwhichdidnotmake_her_cheerful；
shewonderedthatEdmundshouldforgether，andfeltapang。Shecouldnotturnhereyesfromthemeadow；
shecouldnothelpwatchingallthatpassed。AtfirstMissCrawfordandhercompanionmadethecircuitofthefield，whichwasnotsmall，atafoot’space；then，at_her_
apparentsuggestion，theyroseintoacanter；andtoFanny’stimidnatureitwasmostastonishingtoseehowwellshesat。Afterafewminutestheystoppedentirely。
Edmundwasclosetoher；hewasspeakingtoher；
hewasevidentlydirectinghermanagementofthebridle；
hehadholdofherhand；shesawit，ortheimaginationsuppliedwhattheeyecouldnotreach。Shemustnotwonderatallthis；whatcouldbemorenaturalthanthatEdmundshouldbemakinghimselfuseful，andprovinghisgood-naturebyanyone？Shecouldnotbutthink，indeed，thatMr。Crawfordmightaswellhavesavedhimthetrouble；thatitwouldhavebeenparticularlyproperandbecominginabrothertohavedoneithimself；
butMr。Crawford，withallhisboastedgood-nature，andallhiscoachmanship，probablyknewnothingofthematter，andhadnoactivekindnessincomparisonofEdmund。
Shebegantothinkitratherharduponthemaretohavesuchdoubleduty；ifshewereforgotten，thepoormareshouldberemembered。
Herfeelingsforoneandtheotherweresoonalittletranquillisedbyseeingthepartyinthemeadowdisperse，andMissCrawfordstillonhorseback，butattendedbyEdmundonfoot，passthroughagateintothelane，andsointothepark，andmaketowardsthespotwhereshestood。
Shebeganthentobeafraidofappearingrudeandimpatient；
andwalkedtomeetthemwithagreatanxietytoavoidthesuspicion。