ofwhichshehadbeenacollectorfromthefirsthourofhercommandingashilling——herwriting-desk，andherworksofcharityandingenuity，wereallwithinherreach；
orifindisposedforemployment，ifnothingbutmusingwoulddo，shecouldscarcelyseeanobjectinthatroomwhichhadnotaninterestingremembranceconnectedwithit。
Everythingwasafriend，orboreherthoughtstoafriend；
andthoughtherehadbeensometimesmuchofsufferingtoher；thoughhermotiveshadoftenbeenmisunderstood，herfeelingsdisregarded，andhercomprehensionundervalued；
thoughshehadknownthepainsoftyranny，ofridicule，andneglect，yetalmosteveryrecurrenceofeitherhadledtosomethingconsolatory：herauntBertramhadspokenforher，orMissLeehadbeenencouraging，or，whatwasyetmorefrequentormoredear，Edmundhadbeenherchampionandherfriend：hehadsupportedhercauseorexplainedhermeaning，hehadtoldhernottocry，orhadgivenhersomeproofofaffectionwhichmadehertearsdelightful；
andthewholewasnowsoblendedtogether，soharmonisedbydistance，thateveryformerafflictionhaditscharm。
Theroomwasmostdeartoher，andshewouldnothavechangeditsfurnitureforthehandsomestinthehouse，thoughwhathadbeenoriginallyplainhadsufferedalltheill-usageofchildren；anditsgreatesteleganciesandornamentswereafadedfootstoolofJulia’swork，tooilldoneforthedrawing-room，threetransparencies，madeinaragefortransparencies，forthethreelowerpanesofonewindow，whereTinternAbbeyhelditsstationbetweenacaveinItalyandamoonlightlakeinCumberland，acollectionoffamilyprofiles，thoughtunworthyofbeinganywhereelse，overthemantelpiece，andbytheirside，andpinnedagainstthewall，asmallsketchofashipsentfouryearsagofromtheMediterraneanbyWilliam，withH。M。S。Antwerpatthebottom，inlettersastallasthemainmast。
TothisnestofcomfortsFannynowwalkeddowntotryitsinfluenceonanagitated，doubtingspirit，toseeifbylookingatEdmund’sprofileshecouldcatchanyofhiscounsel，orbygivingairtohergeraniumsshemightinhaleabreezeofmentalstrengthherself。Butshehadmorethanfearsofherownperseverancetoremove：shehadbeguntofeelundecidedastowhatshe_ought__to__do_；
andasshewalkedroundtheroomherdoubtswereincreasing。
Wasshe_right_inrefusingwhatwassowarmlyasked，sostronglywishedfor——whatmightbesoessentialtoaschemeonwhichsomeofthosetowhomsheowedthegreatestcomplaisancehadsettheirhearts？Wasitnotill-nature，selfishness，andafearofexposingherself？
AndwouldEdmund’sjudgment，wouldhispersuasionofSirThomas’sdisapprobationofthewhole，beenoughtojustifyherinadetermineddenialinspiteofalltherest？
Itwouldbesohorribletohertoactthatshewasinclinedtosuspectthetruthandpurityofherownscruples；
andasshelookedaroundher，theclaimsofhercousinstobeingobligedwerestrengthenedbythesightofpresentuponpresentthatshehadreceivedfromthem。
Thetablebetweenthewindowswascoveredwithwork-boxesandnetting-boxeswhichhadbeengivenheratdifferenttimes，principallybyTom；andshegrewbewilderedastotheamountofthedebtwhichallthesekindremembrancesproduced。
Atapatthedoorrousedherinthemidstofthisattempttofindherwaytoherduty，andhergentle“Comein“
wasansweredbytheappearanceofone，beforewhomallherdoubtswerewonttobelaid。HereyesbrightenedatthesightofEdmund。
“CanIspeakwithyou，Fanny，forafewminutes？“
saidhe。
“Yes，certainly。“
“Iwanttoconsult。Iwantyouropinion。“
“Myopinion!“shecried，shrinkingfromsuchacompliment，highlyasitgratifiedher。
“Yes，youradviceandopinion。Idonotknowwhattodo。
Thisactingschemegetsworseandworse，yousee。
Theyhavechosenalmostasbadaplayastheycould，andnow，tocompletethebusiness，aregoingtoaskthehelpofayoungmanveryslightlyknowntoanyofus。
Thisistheendofalltheprivacyandproprietywhichwastalkedaboutatfirst。IknownoharmofCharlesMaddox；
buttheexcessiveintimacywhichmustspringfromhisbeingadmittedamongusinthismannerishighlyobjectionable，the_more_thanintimacy——thefamiliarity。Icannotthinkofitwithanypatience；anditdoesappeartomeanevilofsuchmagnitudeasmust，_if__possible_，beprevented。
Donotyouseeitinthesamelight？“
“Yes；butwhatcanbedone？Yourbrotherissodetermined。“
“Thereisbut_one_thingtobedone，Fanny。ImusttakeAnhaltmyself。IamwellawarethatnothingelsewillquietTom。“
Fannycouldnotanswerhim。
“ItisnotatallwhatIlike，“hecontinued。“Nomancanlikebeingdrivenintothe_appearance_ofsuchinconsistency。
Afterbeingknowntoopposetheschemefromthebeginning，thereisabsurdityinthefaceofmyjoiningthem_now_，whentheyareexceedingtheirfirstplanineveryrespect；
butIcanthinkofnootheralternative。Canyou，Fanny？“
“No，“saidFannyslowly，“notimmediately，but——
“Butwhat？Iseeyourjudgmentisnotwithme。Thinkitalittleover。PerhapsyouarenotsomuchawareasIamofthemischiefthat_may_，oftheunpleasantnessthat_must_
arisefromayoungman’sbeingreceivedinthismanner：
domesticatedamongus；authorisedtocomeatallhours，andplacedsuddenlyonafootingwhichmustdoawayallrestraints。Tothinkonlyofthelicencewhicheveryrehearsalmusttendtocreate。Itisallverybad!
PutyourselfinMissCrawford’splace，Fanny。
ConsiderwhatitwouldbetoactAmeliawithastranger。
Shehasarighttobefeltfor，becausesheevidentlyfeelsforherself。Iheardenoughofwhatshesaidtoyoulastnighttounderstandherunwillingnesstobeactingwithastranger；andassheprobablyengagedinthepartwithdifferentexpectations——perhapswithoutconsideringthesubjectenoughtoknowwhatwaslikelytobe——
itwouldbeungenerous，itwouldbereallywrongtoexposehertoit。Herfeelingsoughttoberespected。
Doesitnotstrikeyouso，Fanny？Youhesitate。“
“IamsorryforMissCrawford；butIammoresorrytoseeyoudrawnintodowhatyouhadresolvedagainst，andwhatyouareknowntothinkwillbedisagreeabletomyuncle。
Itwillbesuchatriumphtotheothers!“
“TheywillnothavemuchcauseoftriumphwhentheyseehowinfamouslyIact。But，however，triumphtherecertainlywillbe，andImustbraveit。ButifIcanbethemeansofrestrainingthepublicityofthebusiness，oflimitingtheexhibition，ofconcentratingourfolly，Ishallbewellrepaid。AsIamnow，Ihavenoinfluence，Icandonothing：Ihaveoffendedthem，andtheywillnothearme；butwhenIhaveputthemingood-humourbythisconcession，Iamnotwithouthopesofpersuadingthemtoconfinetherepresentationwithinamuchsmallercirclethantheyarenowinthehighroadfor。
Thiswillbeamaterialgain。MyobjectistoconfineittoMrs。RushworthandtheGrants。Willnotthisbeworthgaining？“
“Yes，itwillbeagreatpoint。“
“Butstillithasnotyourapprobation。CanyoumentionanyothermeasurebywhichIhaveachanceofdoingequalgood？“
“No，Icannotthinkofanythingelse。“
“Givemeyourapprobation，then，Fanny。Iamnotcomfortablewithoutit。“
“Oh，cousin!“
“Ifyouareagainstme，Ioughttodistrustmyself，andyet——ButitisabsolutelyimpossibletoletTomgooninthisway，ridingaboutthecountryinquestofanybodywhocanbepersuadedtoact——nomatterwhom：
thelookofagentlemanistobeenough。Ithought_you_
wouldhaveenteredmoreintoMissCrawford’sfeelings。“
“Nodoubtshewillbeveryglad。Itmustbeagreatrelieftoher，“saidFanny，tryingforgreaterwarmthofmanner。
“Sheneverappearedmoreamiablethaninherbehaviourtoyoulastnight。Itgaveheraverystrongclaimonmygoodwill。“
“She_was_verykind，indeed，andIamgladtohaveherspared“……
Shecouldnotfinishthegenerouseffusion。Herconsciencestoptherinthemiddle，butEdmundwassatisfied。