“MissBertramthoughtyouwouldfollowher。“
“Ishouldnothavehadtofollowherifshehadstaid。“
Thiscouldnotbedenied，andFannywassilenced。
Afteranotherpause，hewenton——“Pray，MissPrice，areyousuchagreatadmirerofthisMr。Crawfordassomepeopleare？Formypart，Icanseenothinginhim。“
“Idonotthinkhimatallhandsome。“
“Handsome!Nobodycancallsuchanundersizedmanhandsome。
Heisnotfivefootnine。Ishouldnotwonderifheisnotmorethanfivefooteight。Ithinkheisanill-lookingfellow。
Inmyopinion，theseCrawfordsarenoadditionatall。
Wedidverywellwithoutthem。“
AsmallsighescapedFannyhere，andshedidnotknowhowtocontradicthim。
“IfIhadmadeanydifficultyaboutfetchingthekey，theremighthavebeensomeexcuse，butIwenttheverymomentshesaidshewantedit。“
“Nothingcouldbemoreobligingthanyourmanner，Iamsure，andIdaresayyouwalkedasfastasyoucould；butstillitissomedistance，youknow，fromthisspottothehouse，quiteintothehouse；andwhenpeoplearewaiting，theyarebadjudgesoftime，andeveryhalfminuteseemslikefive。“
Hegotupandwalkedtothegateagain，and“wishedhehadhadthekeyabouthimatthetime。“Fannythoughtshediscernedinhisstandingthereanindicationofrelenting，whichencouragedhertoanotherattempt，andshesaid，therefore，“Itisapityyoushouldnotjointhem。
Theyexpectedtohaveabetterviewofthehousefromthatpartofthepark，andwillbethinkinghowitmaybeimproved；andnothingofthatsort，youknow，canbesettledwithoutyou。“
Shefoundherselfmoresuccessfulinsendingawaythaninretainingacompanion。Mr。Rushworthwasworkedon。
“Well，“saidhe，“ifyoureallythinkIhadbettergo：
itwouldbefoolishtobringthekeyfornothing。“
Andlettinghimselfout，hewalkedoffwithoutfartherceremony。
Fanny’sthoughtswerenowallengrossedbythetwowhohadlefthersolongago，andgettingquiteimpatient，sheresolvedtogoinsearchofthem。Shefollowedtheirstepsalongthebottomwalk，andhadjustturnedupintoanother，whenthevoiceandthelaughofMissCrawfordoncemorecaughtherear；thesoundapproached，andafewmorewindingsbroughtthembeforeher。
Theywerejustreturnedintothewildernessfromthepark，towhichasidegate，notfastened，hadtemptedthemverysoonaftertheirleavingher，andtheyhadbeenacrossaportionoftheparkintotheveryavenuewhichFannyhadbeenhopingthewholemorningtoreachatlast，andhadbeensittingdownunderoneofthetrees。
Thiswastheirhistory。Itwasevidentthattheyhadbeenspendingtheirtimepleasantly，andwerenotawareofthelengthoftheirabsence。Fanny’sbestconsolationwasinbeingassuredthatEdmundhadwishedforherverymuch，andthatheshouldcertainlyhavecomebackforher，hadshenotbeentiredalready；butthiswasnotquitesufficienttodoawaywiththepainofhavingbeenleftawholehour，whenhehadtalkedofonlyafewminutes，nortobanishthesortofcuriosityshefelttoknowwhattheyhadbeenconversingaboutallthattime；
andtheresultofthewholewastoherdisappointmentanddepression，astheypreparedbygeneralagreementtoreturntothehouse。
Onreachingthebottomofthestepstotheterrace，Mrs。RushworthandMrs。Norrispresentedthemselvesatthetop，justreadyforthewilderness，attheendofanhourandahalffromtheirleavingthehouse。
Mrs。Norrishadbeentoowellemployedtomovefaster。
Whatevercross-accidentshadoccurredtointerceptthepleasuresofhernieces，shehadfoundamorningofcompleteenjoyment；
forthehousekeeper，afteragreatmanycourtesiesonthesubjectofpheasants，hadtakenhertothedairy，toldherallabouttheircows，andgivenherthereceiptforafamouscreamcheese；andsinceJulia’sleavingthemtheyhadbeenmetbythegardener，withwhomshehadmadeamostsatisfactoryacquaintance，forshehadsethimrightastohisgrandson’sillness，convincedhimthatitwasanague，andpromisedhimacharmforit；andhe，inreturn，hadshewnherallhischoicestnurseryofplants，andactuallypresentedherwithaverycuriousspecimenofheath。
Onthis_rencontre_theyallreturnedtothehousetogether，theretoloungeawaythetimeastheycouldwithsofas，andchit-chat，andQuarterlyReviews，tillthereturnoftheothers，andthearrivalofdinner。ItwaslatebeforetheMissBertramsandthetwogentlemencamein，andtheirrambledidnotappeartohavebeenmorethanpartiallyagreeable，oratallproductiveofanythingusefulwithregardtotheobjectoftheday。Bytheirownaccountstheyhadbeenallwalkingaftereachother，andthejunctionwhichhadtakenplaceatlastseemed，toFanny’sobservation，tohavebeenasmuchtoolateforre-establishingharmony，asitconfessedlyhadbeenfordeterminingonanyalteration。Shefelt，asshelookedatJuliaandMr。Rushworth，thatherswasnottheonlydissatisfiedbosomamongstthem：
therewasgloomonthefaceofeach。Mr。CrawfordandMissBertramweremuchmoregay，andshethoughtthathewastakingparticularpains，duringdinner，todoawayanylittleresentmentoftheothertwo，andrestoregeneralgood-humour。
Dinnerwassoonfollowedbyteaandcoffee，atenmiles’
drivehomeallowednowasteofhours；andfromthetimeoftheirsittingdowntotable，itwasaquicksuccessionofbusynothingstillthecarriagecametothedoor，andMrs。Norris，havingfidgetedabout，andobtainedafewpheasants’eggsandacreamcheesefromthehousekeeper，andmadeabundanceofcivilspeechestoMrs。Rushworth，wasreadytoleadtheway。AtthesamemomentMr。Crawford，approachingJulia，said，“IhopeIamnottolosemycompanion，unlesssheisafraidoftheeveningairinsoexposedaseat。“Therequesthadnotbeenforeseen，butwasverygraciouslyreceived，andJulia’sdaywaslikelytoendalmostaswellasitbegan。MissBertramhadmadeuphermindtosomethingdifferent，andwasalittledisappointed；butherconvictionofbeingreallytheonepreferredcomfortedherunderit，andenabledhertoreceiveMr。Rushworth’spartingattentionsassheought。
Hewascertainlybetterpleasedtohandherintothebarouchethantoassistherinascendingthebox，andhiscomplacencyseemedconfirmedbythearrangement。
“Well，Fanny，thishasbeenafinedayforyou，uponmyword，“
saidMrs。Norris，astheydrovethroughthepark。
“Nothingbutpleasurefrombeginningtoend!IamsureyououghttobeverymuchobligedtoyourauntBertramandmeforcontrivingtoletyougo。Aprettygoodday’samusementyouhavehad!“
Mariawasjustdiscontentedenoughtosaydirectly，“Ithink_you_havedoneprettywellyourself，ma’am。Yourlapseemsfullofgoodthings，andhereisabasketofsomethingbetweenuswhichhasbeenknockingmyelbowunmercifully。“
“Mydear，itisonlyabeautifullittleheath，whichthatniceoldgardenerwouldmakemetake；butifitisinyourway，Iwillhaveitinmylapdirectly。
There，Fanny，youshallcarrythatparcelforme；
takegreatcareofit：donotletitfall；itisacreamcheese，justliketheexcellentonewehadatdinner。
NothingwouldsatisfythatgoodoldMrs。Whitaker，butmytakingoneofthecheeses。IstoodoutaslongasIcould，tillthetearsalmostcameintohereyes，andIknewitwasjustthesortthatmysisterwouldbedelightedwith。ThatMrs。Whitakerisatreasure!
ShewasquiteshockedwhenIaskedherwhetherwinewasallowedatthesecondtable，andshehasturnedawaytwohousemaidsforwearingwhitegowns。Takecareofthecheese，Fanny。
NowIcanmanagetheotherparcelandthebasketverywell。“
“Whatelsehaveyoubeenspunging？“saidMaria，half-pleasedthatSothertonshouldbesocomplimented。
“Spunging，mydear!Itisnothingbutfourofthosebeautifulpheasants’eggs，whichMrs。Whitakerwouldquiteforceuponme：shewouldnottakeadenial。
Shesaiditmustbesuchanamusementtome，assheunderstoodIlivedquitealone，tohaveafewlivingcreaturesofthatsort；andsotobesureitwill。
Ishallgetthedairymaidtosetthemunderthefirstsparehen，andiftheycometogoodIcanhavethemmovedtomyownhouseandborrowacoop；anditwillbeagreatdelighttomeinmylonelyhourstoattendtothem。
AndifIhavegoodluck，yourmothershallhavesome。“
Itwasabeautifulevening，mildandstill，andthedrivewasaspleasantastheserenityofNaturecouldmakeit；butwhenMrs。Norrisceasedspeaking，itwasaltogetherasilentdrivetothosewithin。
Theirspiritswereingeneralexhausted；andtodeterminewhetherthedayhadaffordedmostpleasureorpain，mightoccupythemeditationsofalmostall。