andIamnotatallafraidforher，aftersuchaproofasshehasgiventhatherfeelingsarenotstrong。“
Fannysupposedshemusthavebeenmistaken，andmeanttothinkdifferentlyinfuture；butwithallthatsubmissiontoEdmundcoulddo，andallthehelpofthecoincidinglooksandhintswhichsheoccasionallynoticedinsomeoftheothers，andwhichseemedtosaythatJuliawasMr。Crawford’schoice，sheknewnotalwayswhattothink。
Shewasprivy，oneevening，tothehopesofherauntNorrisonthesubject，aswellastoherfeelings，andthefeelingsofMrs。Rushworth，onapointofsomesimilarity，andcouldnothelpwonderingasshelistened；
andgladwouldshehavebeennottobeobligedtolisten，foritwaswhilealltheotheryoungpeopleweredancing，andshesitting，mostunwillingly，amongthechaperonsatthefire，longingforthere-entranceofhereldercousin，onwhomallherownhopesofapartnerthendepended。
ItwasFanny’sfirstball，thoughwithoutthepreparationorsplendourofmanyayounglady’sfirstball，beingthethoughtonlyoftheafternoon，builtonthelateacquisitionofaviolinplayerintheservants’hall，andthepossibilityofraisingfivecouplewiththehelpofMrs。GrantandanewintimatefriendofMr。Bertram’sjustarrivedonavisit。
Ithad，however，beenaveryhappyonetoFannythroughfourdances，andshewasquitegrievedtobelosingevenaquarterofanhour。Whilewaitingandwishing，lookingnowatthedancersandnowatthedoor，thisdialoguebetweenthetwoabove-mentionedladieswasforcedonher——
“Ithink，ma’am，“saidMrs。Norris，hereyesdirectedtowardsMr。RushworthandMaria，whowerepartnersforthesecondtime，“weshallseesomehappyfacesagainnow。“
“Yes，ma’am，indeed，“repliedtheother，withastatelysimper，“therewillbesomesatisfactioninlookingon_now_，andIthinkitwasratherapitytheyshouldhavebeenobligedtopart。Youngfolksintheirsituationshouldbeexcusedcomplyingwiththecommonforms。
Iwondermysondidnotproposeit。“
“Idaresayhedid，ma’am。Mr。Rushworthisneverremiss。
ButdearMariahassuchastrictsenseofpropriety，somuchofthattruedelicacywhichoneseldommeetswithnowadays，Mrs。Rushworth——thatwishofavoidingparticularity!
Dearma’am，onlylookatherfaceatthismoment；
howdifferentfromwhatitwasthetwolastdances!“
MissBertramdidindeedlookhappy，hereyesweresparklingwithpleasure，andshewasspeakingwithgreatanimation，forJuliaandherpartner，Mr。Crawford，wereclosetoher；theywereallinaclustertogether。
Howshehadlookedbefore，Fannycouldnotrecollect，forshehadbeendancingwithEdmundherself，andhadnotthoughtabouther。
Mrs。Norriscontinued，“Itisquitedelightful，ma’am，toseeyoungpeoplesoproperlyhappy，sowellsuited，andsomuchthething!IcannotbutthinkofdearSirThomas’sdelight。Andwhatdoyousay，ma’am，tothechanceofanothermatch？Mr。Rushworthhassetagoodexample，andsuchthingsareverycatching。“
Mrs。Rushworth，whosawnothingbutherson，wasquiteataloss。
“Thecoupleabove，ma’am。Doyouseenosymptomsthere？“
“Ohdear!MissJuliaandMr。Crawford。Yes，indeed，averyprettymatch。Whatishisproperty？“
“Fourthousandayear。“
“Verywell。Thosewhohavenotmoremustbesatisfiedwithwhattheyhave。Fourthousandayearisaprettyestate，andheseemsaverygenteel，steadyyoungman，soIhopeMissJuliawillbeveryhappy。“
“Itisnotasettledthing，ma’am，yet。Weonlyspeakofitamongfriends。ButIhaveverylittledoubtit_will_be。
Heisgrowingextremelyparticularinhisattentions。“
Fannycouldlistennofarther。Listeningandwonderingwereallsuspendedforatime，forMr。Bertramwasintheroomagain；
andthoughfeelingitwouldbeagreathonourtobeaskedbyhim，shethoughtitmusthappen。Hecametowardstheirlittlecircle；butinsteadofaskinghertodance，drewachairnearher，andgaveheranaccountofthepresentstateofasickhorse，andtheopinionofthegroom，fromwhomhehadjustparted。Fannyfoundthatitwasnottobe，andinthemodestyofhernatureimmediatelyfeltthatshehadbeenunreasonableinexpectingit。
Whenhehadtoldofhishorse，hetookanewspaperfromthetable，andlookingoverit，saidinalanguidway，“Ifyouwanttodance，Fanny，Iwillstandupwithyou。“
Withmorethanequalcivilitytheofferwasdeclined；
shedidnotwishtodance。“Iamgladofit，“saidhe，inamuchbriskertone，andthrowingdownthenewspaperagain，“forIamtiredtodeath。Ionlywonderhowthegoodpeoplecankeepitupsolong。Theyhadneedbe_all_inlove，tofindanyamusementinsuchfolly；
andsotheyare，Ifancy。Ifyoulookatthemyoumayseetheyaresomanycoupleoflovers——allbutYatesandMrs。Grant——and，betweenourselves，she，poorwoman，mustwantaloverasmuchasanyoneofthem。Adesperatedulllifehersmustbewiththedoctor，“makingaslyfaceashespoketowardsthechairofthelatter，whoproving，however，tobecloseathiselbow，madesoinstantaneousachangeofexpressionandsubjectnecessary，asFanny，inspiteofeverything，couldhardlyhelplaughingat。
“AstrangebusinessthisinAmerica，Dr。Grant!Whatisyouropinion？IalwayscometoyoutoknowwhatIamtothinkofpublicmatters。“
“MydearTom，“criedhisauntsoonafterwards，“asyouarenotdancing，Idaresayyouwillhavenoobjectiontojoinusinarubber；shallyou？“Thenleavingherseat，andcomingtohimtoenforcetheproposal，addedinawhisper，“WewanttomakeatableforMrs。Rushworth，youknow。Yourmotherisquiteanxiousaboutit，butcannotverywellsparetimetositdownherself，becauseofherfringe。Now，youandIandDr。Grantwilljustdo；andthough_we_playbuthalf-crowns，youknow，youmaybethalf-guineaswith_him_。“
“Ishouldbemosthappy，“repliedhealoud，andjumpingupwithalacrity，“itwouldgivemethegreatestpleasure；
butthatIamthismomentgoingtodance。“Come，Fanny，takingherhand，“donotbedawdlinganylonger，orthedancewillbeover。“
Fannywasledoffverywillingly，thoughitwasimpossibleforhertofeelmuchgratitudetowardshercousin，ordistinguish，ashecertainlydid，betweentheselfishnessofanotherpersonandhisown。
“Aprettymodestrequestuponmyword，“heindignantlyexclaimedastheywalkedaway。“Towanttonailmetoacard-tableforthenexttwohourswithherselfandDr。Grant，whoarealwaysquarrelling，andthatpokingoldwoman，whoknowsnomoreofwhistthanofalgebra。
Iwishmygoodauntwouldbealittlelessbusy!Andtoaskmeinsuchawaytoo!withoutceremony，beforethemall，soastoleavemenopossibilityofrefusing。_That_iswhatIdislikemostparticularly。Itraisesmyspleenmorethananything，tohavethepretenceofbeingasked，ofbeinggivenachoice，andatthesametimeaddressedinsuchawayastoobligeonetodotheverything，whateveritbe!IfIhadnotluckilythoughtofstandingupwithyouIcouldnothavegotoutofit。Itisagreatdealtoobad。Butwhenmyaunthasgotafancyinherhead，nothingcanstopher。“
TheHonourableJohnYates，thisnewfriend，hadnotmuchtorecommendhimbeyondhabitsoffashionandexpense，andbeingtheyoungersonofalordwithatolerableindependence；andSirThomaswouldprobablyhavethoughthisintroductionatMansfieldbynomeansdesirable。
Mr。Bertram’sacquaintancewithhimhadbegunatWeymouth，wheretheyhadspenttendaystogetherinthesamesociety，andthefriendship，iffriendshipitmightbecalled，hadbeenprovedandperfectedbyMr。Yates’sbeinginvitedtotakeMansfieldinhisway，wheneverhecould，andbyhispromisingtocome；andhedidcomeratherearlierthanhadbeenexpected，inconsequenceofthesuddenbreaking-upofalargepartyassembledforgaietyatthehouseofanotherfriend，whichhehadleftWeymouthtojoin。
Hecameonthewingsofdisappointment，andwithhisheadfullofacting，forithadbeenatheatricalparty；
andtheplayinwhichhehadborneapartwaswithintwodaysofrepresentation，whenthesuddendeathofoneofthenearestconnexionsofthefamilyhaddestroyedtheschemeanddispersedtheperformers。
Tobesonearhappiness，sonearfame，sonearthelongparagraphinpraiseoftheprivatetheatricalsatEcclesford，theseatoftheRightHon。LordRavenshaw，inCornwall，whichwouldofcoursehaveimmortalisedthewholepartyforatleastatwelvemonth!andbeingsonear，toloseitall，wasaninjurytobekeenlyfelt，andMr。Yatescouldtalkofnothingelse。Ecclesfordanditstheatre，withitsarrangementsanddresses，rehearsalsandjokes，washisnever-failingsubject，andtoboastofthepasthisonlyconsolation。
Happilyforhim，aloveofthetheatreissogeneral，anitchforactingsostrongamongyoungpeople，thathecouldhardlyout-talktheinterestofhishearers。
Fromthefirstcastingofthepartstotheepilogueitwasallbewitching，andtherewerefewwhodidnotwishtohavebeenapartyconcerned，orwouldhavehesitatedtotrytheirskill。TheplayhadbeenLovers’
Vows，andMr。YateswastohavebeenCountCassel。
“Atriflingpart，“saidhe，“andnotatalltomytaste，andsuchaoneasIcertainlywouldnotacceptagain；
butIwasdeterminedtomakenodifficulties。
LordRavenshawandthedukehadappropriatedtheonlytwocharactersworthplayingbeforeIreachedEcclesford；