Hereyewaseagerlytakingineverythingwithinherreach；
andafterbeingatsomepainstogetaviewofthehouse，andobservingthat“itwasasortofbuildingwhichshecouldnotlookatbutwithrespect，“sheadded，“Now，whereistheavenue？Thehousefrontstheeast，Iperceive。
Theavenue，therefore，mustbeatthebackofit。
Mr。Rushworthtalkedofthewestfront。“
“Yes，itisexactlybehindthehouse；beginsatalittledistance，andascendsforhalfamiletotheextremityofthegrounds。Youmayseesomethingofithere——
somethingofthemoredistanttrees。Itisoakentirely。“
MissBertramcouldnowspeakwithdecidedinformationofwhatshehadknownnothingaboutwhenMr。Rushworthhadaskedheropinion；andherspiritswereinashappyaflutterasvanityandpridecouldfurnish，whentheydroveuptothespaciousstonestepsbeforetheprincipalentrance。
Mr。Rushworthwasatthedoortoreceivehisfairlady；
andthewholepartywerewelcomedbyhimwithdueattention。
Inthedrawing-roomtheyweremetwithequalcordialitybythemother，andMissBertramhadallthedistinctionwitheachthatshecouldwish。Afterthebusinessofarrivingwasover，itwasfirstnecessarytoeat，andthedoorswerethrownopentoadmitthemthroughoneortwointermediateroomsintotheappointeddining-parlour，whereacollationwaspreparedwithabundanceandelegance。
Muchwassaid，andmuchwasate，andallwentwell。
Theparticularobjectofthedaywasthenconsidered。
HowwouldMr。Crawfordlike，inwhatmannerwouldhechuse，totakeasurveyofthegrounds？Mr。Rushworthmentionedhiscurricle。Mr。Crawfordsuggestedthegreaterdesirablenessofsomecarriagewhichmightconveymorethantwo。
“Tobedeprivingthemselvesoftheadvantageofothereyesandotherjudgments，mightbeanevilevenbeyondthelossofpresentpleasure。“
Mrs。Rushworthproposedthatthechaiseshouldbetakenalso；
butthiswasscarcelyreceivedasanamendment：theyoungladiesneithersmilednorspoke。Hernextproposition，ofshewingthehousetosuchofthemashadnotbeentherebefore，wasmoreacceptable，forMissBertramwaspleasedtohaveitssizedisplayed，andallweregladtobedoingsomething。
Thewholepartyroseaccordingly，andunderMrs。Rushworth’sguidancewereshewnthroughanumberofrooms，alllofty，andmanylarge，andamplyfurnishedinthetasteoffiftyyearsback，withshiningfloors，solidmahogany，richdamask，marble，gilding，andcarving，eachhandsomeinitsway。
Ofpicturestherewereabundance，andsomefewgood，butthelargerpartwerefamilyportraits，nolongeranythingtoanybodybutMrs。Rushworth，whohadbeenatgreatpainstolearnallthatthehousekeepercouldteach，andwasnowalmostequallywellqualifiedtoshewthehouse。
OnthepresentoccasionsheaddressedherselfchieflytoMissCrawfordandFanny，buttherewasnocomparisoninthewillingnessoftheirattention；forMissCrawford，whohadseenscoresofgreathouses，andcaredfornoneofthem，hadonlytheappearanceofcivillylistening，whileFanny，towhomeverythingwasalmostasinterestingasitwasnew，attendedwithunaffectedearnestnesstoallthatMrs。Rushworthcouldrelateofthefamilyinformertimes，itsriseandgrandeur，regalvisitsandloyalefforts，delightedtoconnectanythingwithhistoryalreadyknown，orwarmherimaginationwithscenesofthepast。
Thesituationofthehouseexcludedthepossibilityofmuchprospectfromanyoftherooms；andwhileFannyandsomeoftheotherswereattendingMrs。Rushworth，HenryCrawfordwaslookinggraveandshakinghisheadatthewindows。Everyroomonthewestfrontlookedacrossalawntothebeginningoftheavenueimmediatelybeyondtallironpalisadesandgates。
Havingvisitedmanymoreroomsthancouldbesupposedtobeofanyotherusethantocontributetothewindow-tax，andfindemploymentforhousemaids，“Now，“saidMrs。Rushworth，“wearecomingtothechapel，whichproperlyweoughttoenterfromabove，andlookdownupon；butaswearequiteamongfriends，Iwilltakeyouinthisway，ifyouwillexcuseme。“
Theyentered。Fanny’simaginationhadpreparedherforsomethinggranderthanamerespacious，oblongroom，fittedupforthepurposeofdevotion：withnothingmorestrikingormoresolemnthantheprofusionofmahogany，andthecrimsonvelvetcushionsappearingovertheledgeofthefamilygalleryabove。“Iamdisappointed，“
saidshe，inalowvoice，toEdmund。“Thisisnotmyideaofachapel。Thereisnothingawfulhere，nothingmelancholy，nothinggrand。Herearenoaisles，noarches，noinscriptions，nobanners。Nobanners，cousin，tobe’blownbythenightwindofheaven。’
Nosignsthata’Scottishmonarchsleepsbelow。’“
“Youforget，Fanny，howlatelyallthishasbeenbuilt，andforhowconfinedapurpose，comparedwiththeoldchapelsofcastlesandmonasteries。Itwasonlyfortheprivateuseofthefamily。Theyhavebeenburied，Isuppose，intheparishchurch。_There_youmustlookforthebannersandtheachievements。“
“Itwasfoolishofmenottothinkofallthat；butI
amdisappointed。“
Mrs。Rushworthbeganherrelation。“Thischapelwasfittedupasyouseeit，inJamestheSecond’stime。Beforethatperiod，asIunderstand，thepewswereonlywainscot；andthereissomereasontothinkthattheliningsandcushionsofthepulpitandfamilyseatwereonlypurplecloth；
butthisisnotquitecertain。Itisahandsomechapel，andwasformerlyinconstantusebothmorningandevening。
Prayerswerealwaysreadinitbythedomesticchaplain，withinthememoryofmany；butthelateMr。Rushworthleftitoff。“
“Everygenerationhasitsimprovements，“saidMissCrawford，withasmile，toEdmund。
Mrs。RushworthwasgonetorepeatherlessontoMr。Crawford；
andEdmund，Fanny，andMissCrawfordremainedinaclustertogether。
“Itisapity，“criedFanny，“thatthecustomshouldhavebeendiscontinued。Itwasavaluablepartofformertimes。
Thereissomethinginachapelandchaplainsomuchincharacterwithagreathouse，withone’sideasofwhatsuchahouseholdshouldbe!Awholefamilyassemblingregularlyforthepurposeofprayerisfine!“
“Veryfineindeed，“saidMissCrawford，laughing。“Itmustdotheheadsofthefamilyagreatdealofgoodtoforceallthepoorhousemaidsandfootmentoleavebusinessandpleasure，andsaytheirprayersheretwiceaday，whiletheyareinventingexcusesthemselvesforstayingaway。“
“_That_ishardlyFanny’sideaofafamilyassembling，“
saidEdmund。“Ifthemasterandmistressdo_not_
attendthemselves，theremustbemoreharmthangoodinthecustom。“
“Atanyrate，itissafertoleavepeopletotheirowndevicesonsuchsubjects。Everybodylikestogotheirownway——tochusetheirowntimeandmannerofdevotion。
Theobligationofattendance，theformality，therestraint，thelengthoftime——altogetheritisaformidablething，andwhatnobodylikes；andifthegoodpeoplewhousedtokneelandgapeinthatgallerycouldhaveforeseenthatthetimewouldevercomewhenmenandwomenmightlieanothertenminutesinbed，whentheywokewithaheadache，withoutdangerofreprobation，becausechapelwasmissed，theywouldhavejumpedwithjoyandenvy。CannotyouimaginewithwhatunwillingfeelingstheformerbellesofthehouseofRushworthdidmanyatimerepairtothischapel？TheyoungMrs。EleanorsandMrs。Bridgets——
starchedupintoseemingpiety，butwithheadsfullofsomethingverydifferent——especiallyifthepoorchaplainwerenotworthlookingat——and，inthosedays，Ifancyparsonswereveryinferioreventowhattheyarenow。“
Forafewmomentsshewasunanswered。FannycolouredandlookedatEdmund，butfelttooangryforspeech；
andheneededalittlerecollectionbeforehecouldsay，“Yourlivelymindcanhardlybeseriousevenonserioussubjects。
Youhavegivenusanamusingsketch，andhumannaturecannotsayitwasnotso。Wemustallfeel_at__times_
thedifficultyoffixingourthoughtsaswecouldwish；
butifyouaresupposingitafrequentthing，thatistosay，aweaknessgrownintoahabitfromneglect，whatcouldbeexpectedfromthe_private_devotionsofsuchpersons？
Doyouthinkthemindswhicharesuffered，whichareindulgedinwanderingsinachapel，wouldbemorecollectedinacloset？“
“Yes，verylikely。Theywouldhavetwochancesatleastintheirfavour。Therewouldbelesstodistracttheattentionfromwithout，anditwouldnotbetriedsolong。“