Aquarterofanhour，twentyminutes，passedaway，andFannywasstillthinkingofEdmund，MissCrawford，andherself，withoutinterruptionfromanyone。Shebegantobesurprisedatbeingleftsolong，andtolistenwithananxiousdesireofhearingtheirstepsandtheirvoicesagain。Shelistened，andatlengthsheheard；
sheheardvoicesandfeetapproaching；butshehadjustsatisfiedherselfthatitwasnotthoseshewanted，whenMissBertram，Mr。Rushworth，andMr。Crawfordissuedfromthesamepathwhichshehadtrodherself，andwerebeforeher。
“MissPriceallalone“and“MydearFanny，howcomesthis？“
werethefirstsalutations。Shetoldherstory。
“PoordearFanny，“criedhercousin，“howillyouhavebeenusedbythem!Youhadbetterhavestaidwithus。“
Thenseatingherselfwithagentlemanoneachside，sheresumedtheconversationwhichhadengagedthembefore，anddiscussedthepossibilityofimprovementswithmuchanimation。Nothingwasfixedon；butHenryCrawfordwasfullofideasandprojects，and，generallyspeaking，whateverheproposedwasimmediatelyapproved，firstbyher，andthenbyMr。Rushworth，whoseprincipalbusinessseemedtobetoheartheothers，andwhoscarcelyriskedanoriginalthoughtofhisownbeyondawishthattheyhadseenhisfriendSmith’splace。
Aftersomeminutesspentinthisway，MissBertram，observingtheirongate，expressedawishofpassingthroughitintothepark，thattheirviewsandtheirplansmightbemorecomprehensive。Itwastheverythingofallotherstobewished，itwasthebest，itwastheonlywayofproceedingwithanyadvantage，inHenryCrawford’sopinion；andhedirectlysawaknollnothalfamileoff，whichwouldgivethemexactlytherequisitecommandofthehouse。Gothereforetheymusttothatknoll，andthroughthatgate；butthegatewaslocked。
Mr。Rushworthwishedhehadbroughtthekey；hehadbeenverynearthinkingwhetherheshouldnotbringthekey；
hewasdeterminedhewouldnevercomewithoutthekeyagain；
butstillthisdidnotremovethepresentevil。Theycouldnotgetthrough；andasMissBertram’sinclinationforsodoingdidbynomeanslessen，itendedinMr。Rushworth’sdeclaringoutrightthathewouldgoandfetchthekey。
Hesetoffaccordingly。
“Itisundoubtedlythebestthingwecandonow，aswearesofarfromthehousealready，“saidMr。Crawford，whenhewasgone。
“Yes，thereisnothingelsetobedone。Butnow，sincerely，donotyoufindtheplacealtogetherworsethanyouexpected？“
“No，indeed，farotherwise。Ifinditbetter，grander，morecompleteinitsstyle，thoughthatstylemaynotbethebest。
Andtotellyouthetruth，“speakingratherlower，“Idonotthinkthat_I_shalleverseeSothertonagainwithsomuchpleasureasIdonow。Anothersummerwillhardlyimproveittome。“
Afteramoment’sembarrassmenttheladyreplied，“Youaretoomuchamanoftheworldnottoseewiththeeyesoftheworld。IfotherpeoplethinkSothertonimproved，Ihavenodoubtthatyouwill。“
“IamafraidIamnotquitesomuchthemanoftheworldasmightbegoodformeinsomepoints。Myfeelingsarenotquitesoevanescent，normymemoryofthepastundersucheasydominionasonefindstobethecasewithmenoftheworld。“
Thiswasfollowedbyashortsilence。MissBertrambeganagain。“Youseemedtoenjoyyourdrivehereverymuchthismorning。Iwasgladtoseeyousowellentertained。
YouandJuliawerelaughingthewholeway。“
“Werewe？Yes，Ibelievewewere；butIhavenottheleastrecollectionatwhat。Oh!IbelieveIwasrelatingtohersomeridiculousstoriesofanoldIrishgroomofmyuncle’s。Yoursisterlovestolaugh。“
“Youthinkhermorelight-heartedthanIam？“
“Moreeasilyamused，“hereplied；“consequently，youknow，“
smiling，“bettercompany。IcouldnothavehopedtoentertainyouwithIrishanecdotesduringatenmiles’drive。“
“Naturally，Ibelieve，IamaslivelyasJulia，butI
havemoretothinkofnow。“
“Youhave，undoubtedly；andtherearesituationsinwhichveryhighspiritswoulddenoteinsensibility。
Yourprospects，however，aretoofairtojustifywantofspirits。Youhaveaverysmilingscenebeforeyou。“
“Doyoumeanliterallyorfiguratively？Literally，Iconclude。Yes，certainly，thesunshines，andtheparklooksverycheerful。Butunluckilythatirongate，thatha-ha，givemeafeelingofrestraintandhardship。
“Icannotgetout，asthestarlingsaid。“Asshespoke，anditwaswithexpression，shewalkedtothegate：
hefollowedher。“Mr。Rushworthissolongfetchingthiskey!“
“AndfortheworldyouwouldnotgetoutwithoutthekeyandwithoutMr。Rushworth’sauthorityandprotection，orIthinkyoumightwithlittledifficultypassroundtheedgeofthegate，here，withmyassistance；Ithinkitmightbedone，ifyoureallywishedtobemoreatlarge，andcouldallowyourselftothinkitnotprohibited。“
“Prohibited!nonsense!Icertainlycangetoutthatway，andIwill。Mr。Rushworthwillbehereinamoment，youknow；weshallnotbeoutofsight。“
“Orifweare，MissPricewillbesogoodastotellhimthathewillfindusnearthatknoll：thegroveofoakontheknoll。“
Fanny，feelingallthistobewrong，couldnothelpmakinganefforttopreventit。“Youwillhurtyourself，MissBertram，“shecried；“youwillcertainlyhurtyourselfagainstthosespikes；youwilltearyourgown；
youwillbeindangerofslippingintotheha-ha。Youhadbetternotgo。“
Hercousinwassafeontheothersidewhilethesewordswerespoken，and，smilingwithallthegood-humourofsuccess，shesaid，“Thankyou，mydearFanny，butIandmygownarealiveandwell，andsogood-bye。“
Fannywasagainlefttohersolitude，andwithnoincreaseofpleasantfeelings，forshewassorryforalmostallthatshehadseenandheard，astonishedatMissBertram，andangrywithMr。Crawford。Bytakingacircuitousroute，and，asitappearedtoher，veryunreasonabledirectiontotheknoll，theyweresoonbeyondhereye；
andforsomeminuteslongersheremainedwithoutsightorsoundofanycompanion。Sheseemedtohavethelittlewoodalltoherself。ShecouldalmosthavethoughtthatEdmundandMissCrawfordhadleftit，butthatitwasimpossibleforEdmundtoforgethersoentirely。
Shewasagainrousedfromdisagreeablemusingsbysuddenfootsteps：
somebodywascomingataquickpacedowntheprincipalwalk。
SheexpectedMr。Rushworth，butitwasJulia，who，hotandoutofbreath，andwithalookofdisappointment，criedoutonseeingher，“Heyday!Wherearetheothers？
IthoughtMariaandMr。Crawfordwerewithyou。“
Fannyexplained。
“Aprettytrick，uponmyword!Icannotseethemanywhere，“
lookingeagerlyintothepark。“Buttheycannotbeveryfaroff，andIthinkIamequaltoasmuchasMaria，evenwithouthelp。“
“But，Julia，Mr。Rushworthwillbehereinamomentwiththekey。DowaitforMr。Rushworth。“
“NotI，indeed。Ihavehadenoughofthefamilyforonemorning。Why，child，Ihavebutthismomentescapedfromhishorriblemother。SuchapenanceasIhavebeenenduring，whileyouweresittingheresocomposedandsohappy!
Itmighthavebeenaswell，perhaps，ifyouhadbeeninmyplace，butyoualwayscontrivetokeepoutofthesescrapes。“
Thiswasamostunjustreflection，butFannycouldallowforit，andletitpass：Juliawasvexed，andhertemperwashasty；butshefeltthatitwouldnotlast，andtherefore，takingnonotice，onlyaskedherifshehadnotseenMr。Rushworth。
“Yes，yes，wesawhim。Hewaspostingawayasifuponlifeanddeath，andcouldbutjustsparetimetotellushiserrand，andwhereyouallwere。“
“Itisapityheshouldhavesomuchtroublefornothing。“
“_That_isMissMaria’sconcern。Iamnotobligedtopunishmyselffor_her_sins。ThemotherIcouldnotavoid，aslongasmytiresomeauntwasdancingaboutwiththehousekeeper，butthesonI_can_getawayfrom。“
Andsheimmediatelyscrambledacrossthefence，andwalkedaway，notattendingtoFanny’slastquestionofwhethershehadseenanythingofMissCrawfordandEdmund。
ThesortofdreadinwhichFannynowsatofseeingMr。Rushworthpreventedherthinkingsomuchoftheircontinuedabsence，however，asshemighthavedone。
Shefeltthathehadbeenveryill-used，andwasquiteunhappyinhavingtocommunicatewhathadpassed。
HejoinedherwithinfiveminutesafterJulia’sexit；
andthoughshemadethebestofthestory，hewasevidentlymortifiedanddispleasedinnocommondegree。Atfirsthescarcelysaidanything；hislooksonlyexpressedhisextremesurpriseandvexation，andhewalkedtothegateandstoodthere，withoutseemingtoknowwhattodo。
“Theydesiredmetostay——mycousinMariachargedmetosaythatyouwouldfindthematthatknoll，orthereabouts。“
“IdonotbelieveIshallgoanyfarther，“saidhesullenly；
“Iseenothingofthem。BythetimeIgettotheknolltheymaybegonesomewhereelse。Ihavehadwalkingenough。“
AndhesatdownwithamostgloomycountenancebyFanny。
“Iamverysorry，“saidshe；“itisveryunlucky。“Andshelongedtobeabletosaysomethingmoretothepurpose。
Afteranintervalofsilence，“Ithinktheymightaswellhavestaidforme，“saidhe。