andashemust，eitherinthenavyorarmy，havehadagreatmanymorepeopleunderhiscommandthanhehasnow，Ithinkmorewouldhavebeenmadeunhappybyhimasasailororsoldierthanasaclergyman。Besides，IcannotbutsupposethatwhatevertheremaybetowishotherwiseinDr。Grantwouldhavebeeninagreaterdangerofbecomingworseinamoreactiveandworldlyprofession，wherehewouldhavehadlesstimeandobligation——
wherehemighthaveescapedthatknowledgeofhimself，the_frequency_，atleast，ofthatknowledgewhichitisimpossibleheshouldescapeasheisnow。Aman——
asensiblemanlikeDr。Grant，cannotbeinthehabitofteachingotherstheirdutyeveryweek，cannotgotochurchtwiceeverySunday，andpreachsuchverygoodsermonsinsogoodamannerashedoes，withoutbeingthebetterforithimself。Itmustmakehimthink；
andIhavenodoubtthatheoftenerendeavourstorestrainhimselfthanhewouldifhehadbeenanythingbutaclergyman。“
“Wecannotprovetothecontrary，tobesure；butIwishyouabetterfate，MissPrice，thantobethewifeofamanwhoseamiablenessdependsuponhisownsermons；forthoughhemaypreachhimselfintoagood-humoureverySunday，itwillbebadenoughtohavehimquarrellingaboutgreengeesefromMondaymorningtillSaturdaynight。“
“IthinkthemanwhocouldoftenquarrelwithFanny，“
saidEdmundaffectionately，“mustbebeyondthereachofanysermons。“
Fannyturnedfartherintothewindow；andMissCrawfordhadonlytimetosay，inapleasantmanner，“IfancyMissPricehasbeenmoreusedtodeservepraisethantohearit“；when，beingearnestlyinvitedbytheMissBertramstojoininaglee，shetrippedofftotheinstrument，leavingEdmundlookingafterherinanecstasyofadmirationofallhermanyvirtues，fromherobligingmannersdowntoherlightandgracefultread。
“Theregoesgood-humour，Iamsure，“saidhepresently。
“Theregoesatemperwhichwouldnevergivepain!
Howwellshewalks!andhowreadilyshefallsinwiththeinclinationofothers!joiningthemthemomentsheisasked。
Whatapity，“headded，afteraninstant’sreflection，“thatsheshouldhavebeeninsuchhands!“
Fannyagreedtoit，andhadthepleasureofseeinghimcontinueatthewindowwithher，inspiteoftheexpectedglee；
andofhavinghiseyessoonturned，likehers，towardsthescenewithout，whereallthatwassolemn，andsoothing，andlovely，appearedinthebrilliancyofanuncloudednight，andthecontrastofthedeepshadeofthewoods。Fannyspokeherfeelings。“Here’sharmony!“saidshe；“here’srepose!
Here’swhatmayleaveallpaintingandallmusicbehind，andwhatpoetryonlycanattempttodescribe!Here’swhatmaytranquilliseeverycare，andliftthehearttorapture!
WhenIlookoutonsuchanightasthis，Ifeelasiftherecouldbeneitherwickednessnorsorrowintheworld；
andtherecertainlywouldbelessofbothifthesublimityofNatureweremoreattendedto，andpeoplewerecarriedmoreoutofthemselvesbycontemplatingsuchascene。“
“Iliketohearyourenthusiasm，Fanny。Itisalovelynight，andtheyaremuchtobepitiedwhohavenotbeentaughttofeel，insomedegree，asyoudo；whohavenot，atleast，beengivenatasteforNatureinearlylife。
Theyloseagreatdeal。“
“_You_taughtmetothinkandfeelonthesubject，cousin。“
“Ihadaveryaptscholar。There’sArcturuslookingverybright。“
“Yes，andtheBear。IwishIcouldseeCassiopeia。“
“Wemustgooutonthelawnforthat。Shouldyoubeafraid？“
“Notintheleast。Itisagreatwhilesincewehavehadanystar-gazing。
“Yes；Idonotknowhowithashappened。“Thegleebegan。
“Wewillstaytillthisisfinished，Fanny，“saidhe，turninghisbackonthewindow；andasitadvanced，shehadthemortificationofseeinghimadvancetoo，movingforwardbygentledegreestowardstheinstrument，andwhenitceased，hewasclosebythesingers，amongthemosturgentinrequestingtohearthegleeagain。
FannysighedaloneatthewindowtillscoldedawaybyMrs。Norris’sthreatsofcatchingcold。
SirThomaswastoreturninNovember，andhiseldestsonhaddutiestocallhimearlierhome。TheapproachofSeptemberbroughttidingsofMr。Bertram，firstinalettertothegamekeeperandtheninalettertoEdmund；
andbytheendofAugusthearrivedhimself，tobegay，agreeable，andgallantagainasoccasionserved，orMissCrawforddemanded；totellofracesandWeymouth，andpartiesandfriends，towhichshemighthavelistenedsixweeksbeforewithsomeinterest，andaltogethertogiveherthefullestconviction，bythepowerofactualcomparison，ofherpreferringhisyoungerbrother。
Itwasveryvexatious，andshewasheartilysorryforit；
butsoitwas；andsofarfromnowmeaningtomarrytheelder，shedidnotevenwanttoattracthimbeyondwhatthesimplestclaimsofconsciousbeautyrequired：
hislengthenedabsencefromMansfield，withoutanythingbutpleasureinview，andhisownwilltoconsult，madeitperfectlyclearthathedidnotcareabouther；andhisindifferencewassomuchmorethanequalledbyherown，thatwerehenowtostepforththeownerofMansfieldPark，theSirThomascomplete，whichhewastobeintime，shedidnotbelieveshecouldaccepthim。
TheseasonanddutieswhichbroughtMr。BertrambacktoMansfieldtookMr。CrawfordintoNorfolk。EveringhamcouldnotdowithouthiminthebeginningofSeptember。Hewentforafortnight——afortnightofsuchdullnesstotheMissBertramsasoughttohaveputthembothontheirguard，andmadeevenJuliaadmit，inherjealousyofhersister，theabsolutenecessityofdistrustinghisattentions，andwishinghimnottoreturn；andafortnightofsufficientleisure，intheintervalsofshootingandsleeping，tohaveconvincedthegentlemanthatheoughttokeeplongeraway，hadhebeenmoreinthehabitofexamininghisownmotives，andofreflectingtowhattheindulgenceofhisidlevanitywastending；but，thoughtlessandselfishfromprosperityandbadexample，hewouldnotlookbeyondthepresentmoment。
Thesisters，handsome，clever，andencouraging，wereanamusementtohissatedmind；andfindingnothinginNorfolktoequalthesocialpleasuresofMansfield，hegladlyreturnedtoitatthetimeappointed，andwaswelcomedthitherquiteasgladlybythosewhomhecametotriflewithfurther。
Maria，withonlyMr。Rushworthtoattendtoher，anddoomedtotherepeateddetailsofhisday’ssport，goodorbad，hisboastofhisdogs，hisjealousyofhisneighbours，hisdoubtsoftheirqualifications，andhiszealafterpoachers，subjectswhichwillnotfindtheirwaytofemalefeelingswithoutsometalentononesideorsomeattachmentontheother，hadmissedMr。Crawfordgrievously；andJulia，unengagedandunemployed，feltalltherightofmissinghimmuchmore。Eachsisterbelievedherselfthefavourite。
JuliamightbejustifiedinsodoingbythehintsofMrs。Grant，inclinedtocreditwhatshewished，andMariabythehintsofMr。Crawfordhimself。
Everythingreturnedintothesamechannelasbeforehisabsence；
hismannersbeingtoeachsoanimatedandagreeableastolosenogroundwitheither，andjuststoppingshortoftheconsistence，thesteadiness，thesolicitude，andthewarmthwhichmightexcitegeneralnotice。
Fannywastheonlyoneofthepartywhofoundanythingtodislike；butsincethedayatSotherton，shecouldneverseeMr。Crawfordwitheithersisterwithoutobservation，andseldomwithoutwonderorcensure；andhadherconfidenceinherownjudgmentbeenequaltoherexerciseofitineveryotherrespect，hadshebeensurethatshewasseeingclearly，andjudgingcandidly，shewouldprobablyhavemadesomeimportantcommunicationstoherusualconfidant。Asitwas，however，sheonlyhazardedahint，andthehintwaslost。“Iamrathersurprised，“
saidshe，“thatMr。Crawfordshouldcomebackagainsosoon，afterbeingheresolongbefore，fullsevenweeks；
forIhadunderstoodhewassoveryfondofchangeandmovingabout，thatIthoughtsomethingwouldcertainlyoccur，whenhewasoncegone，totakehimelsewhere。
HeisusedtomuchgayerplacesthanMansfield。“
“Itistohiscredit，“wasEdmund’sanswer；“andIdaresayitgiveshissisterpleasure。Shedoesnotlikehisunsettledhabits。“
“Whatafavouriteheiswithmycousins!“
“Yes，hismannerstowomenaresuchasmustplease。
Mrs。Grant，Ibelieve，suspectshimofapreferenceforJulia；
Ihaveneverseenmuchsymptomofit，butIwishitmaybeso。Hehasnofaultsbutwhataseriousattachmentwouldremove。“
“IfMissBertramwerenotengaged，“saidFannycautiously，“IcouldsometimesalmostthinkthatheadmiredhermorethanJulia。“
“Whichis，perhaps，moreinfavourofhislikingJuliabest，thanyou，Fanny，maybeaware；forIbelieveitoftenhappensthataman，beforehehasquitemadeuphisownmind，willdistinguishthesisterorintimatefriendofthewomanheisreallythinkingofmorethanthewomanherselfCrawfordhastoomuchsensetostayhereifhefoundhimselfinanydangerfromMaria；