“Ishallwalkdownimmediatelyafterbreakfast，“saidhe，“andamsureofgivingpleasurethere。Andnow，dearFanny，Iwillnotinterruptyouanylonger。Youwanttobereading。
ButIcouldnotbeeasytillIhadspokentoyou，andcometoadecision。Sleepingorwaking，myheadhasbeenfullofthismatterallnight。Itisanevil，butIamcertainlymakingitlessthanitmightbe。
IfTomisup，Ishallgotohimdirectlyandgetitover，andwhenwemeetatbreakfastweshallbeallinhighgood-humourattheprospectofactingthefooltogetherwithsuchunanimity。_You_，inthemeanwhile，willbetakingatripintoChina，Isuppose。HowdoesLordMacartneygoon？“——openingavolumeonthetableandthentakingupsomeothers。“AndhereareCrabbe’sTales，andtheIdler，athandtorelieveyou，ifyoutireofyourgreatbook。
Iadmireyourlittleestablishmentexceedingly；andassoonasIamgone，youwillemptyyourheadofallthisnonsenseofacting，andsitcomfortablydowntoyourtable。
Butdonotstayheretobecold。“
Hewent；buttherewasnoreading，noChina，nocomposureforFanny。Hehadtoldherthemostextraordinary，themostinconceivable，themostunwelcomenews；
andshecouldthinkofnothingelse。Tobeacting!
Afterallhisobjections——objectionssojustandsopublic!
Afterallthatshehadheardhimsay，andseenhimlook，andknownhimtobefeeling。Coulditbepossible？
Edmundsoinconsistent!Washenotdeceivinghimself？
Washenotwrong？Alas!itwasallMissCrawford’sdoing。
Shehadseenherinfluenceineveryspeech，andwasmiserable。
Thedoubtsandalarmsastoherownconduct，whichhadpreviouslydistressedher，andwhichhadallsleptwhileshelistenedtohim，werebecomeoflittleconsequencenow。Thisdeeperanxietyswallowedthemup。Thingsshouldtaketheircourse；
shecarednothowitended。Hercousinsmightattack，butcouldhardlyteaseher。Shewasbeyondtheirreach；
andifatlastobligedtoyield——nomatter——itwasallmiserynow。
Itwas，indeed，atriumphantdaytoMr。BertramandMaria。
SuchavictoryoverEdmund’sdiscretionhadbeenbeyondtheirhopes，andwasmostdelightful。Therewasnolongeranythingtodisturbthemintheirdarlingproject，andtheycongratulatedeachotherinprivateonthejealousweaknesstowhichtheyattributedthechange，withallthegleeoffeelingsgratifiedineveryway。
Edmundmightstilllookgrave，andsayhedidnotliketheschemeingeneral，andmustdisapprovetheplayinparticular；
theirpointwasgained：hewastoact，andhewasdriventoitbytheforceofselfishinclinationsonly。
Edmundhaddescendedfromthatmoralelevationwhichhehadmaintainedbefore，andtheywerebothasmuchthebetterasthehappierforthedescent。
Theybehavedverywell，however，to_him_ontheoccasion，betrayingnoexultationbeyondthelinesaboutthecornersofthemouth，andseemedtothinkitasgreatanescapetobequitoftheintrusionofCharlesMaddox，asiftheyhadbeenforcedintoadmittinghimagainsttheirinclination。
“Tohaveitquiteintheirownfamilycirclewaswhattheyhadparticularlywished。Astrangeramongthemwouldhavebeenthedestructionofalltheircomfort“；
andwhenEdmund，pursuingthatidea，gaveahintofhishopeastothelimitationoftheaudience，theywereready，inthecomplaisanceofthemoment，topromiseanything。
Itwasallgood-humourandencouragement。Mrs。Norrisofferedtocontrivehisdress，Mr。YatesassuredhimthatAnhalt’slastscenewiththeBaronadmittedagooddealofactionandemphasis，andMr。Rushworthundertooktocounthisspeeches。
“Perhaps，“saidTom，“Fannymaybemoredisposedtoobligeusnow。Perhapsyoumaypersuade_her_。“
“No，sheisquitedetermined。Shecertainlywillnotact。“
“Oh!verywell。“Andnotanotherwordwassaid；butFannyfeltherselfagainindanger，andherindifferencetothedangerwasbeginningtofailheralready。
TherewerenotfewersmilesattheParsonagethanattheParkonthischangeinEdmund；MissCrawfordlookedverylovelyinhers，andenteredwithsuchaninstantaneousrenewalofcheerfulnessintothewholeaffairascouldhavebutoneeffectonhim。“Hewascertainlyrightinrespectingsuchfeelings；hewasgladhehaddeterminedonit。“
Andthemorningworeawayinsatisfactionsverysweet，ifnotverysound。OneadvantageresultedfromittoFanny：attheearnestrequestofMissCrawford，Mrs。Granthad，withherusualgood-humour，agreedtoundertakethepartforwhichFannyhadbeenwanted；
andthiswasallthatoccurredtogladden_her_heartduringtheday；andeventhis，whenimpartedbyEdmund，broughtapangwithit，foritwasMissCrawfordtowhomshewasobliged——itwasMissCrawfordwhosekindexertionsweretoexcitehergratitude，andwhosemeritinmakingthemwasspokenofwithaglowofadmiration。
Shewassafe；butpeaceandsafetywereunconnectedhere。
Hermindhadbeenneverfartherfrompeace。Shecouldnotfeelthatshehaddonewrongherself，butshewasdisquietedineveryotherway。HerheartandherjudgmentwereequallyagainstEdmund’sdecision：shecouldnotacquithisunsteadiness，andhishappinessunderitmadeherwretched。Shewasfullofjealousyandagitation。
MissCrawfordcamewithlooksofgaietywhichseemedaninsult，withfriendlyexpressionstowardsherselfwhichshecouldhardlyanswercalmly。Everybodyaroundherwasgayandbusy，prosperousandimportant；eachhadtheirobjectofinterest，theirpart，theirdress，theirfavouritescene，theirfriendsandconfederates：
allwerefindingemploymentinconsultationsandcomparisons，ordiversionintheplayfulconceitstheysuggested。
Shealonewassadandinsignificant：shehadnoshareinanything；shemightgoorstay；shemightbeinthemidstoftheirnoise，orretreatfromittothesolitudeoftheEastroom，withoutbeingseenormissed。Shecouldalmostthinkanythingwouldhavebeenpreferabletothis。
Mrs。Grantwasofconsequence：_her_good-naturehadhonourablemention；hertasteandhertimewereconsidered；
herpresencewaswanted；shewassoughtfor，andattended，andpraised；andFannywasatfirstinsomedangerofenvyingherthecharactershehadaccepted。
Butreflectionbroughtbetterfeelings，andshewedherthatMrs。Grantwasentitledtorespect，whichcouldneverhavebelongedto_her_；andthat，hadshereceivedeventhegreatest，shecouldneverhavebeeneasyinjoiningaschemewhich，consideringonlyheruncle，shemustcondemnaltogether。
Fanny’sheartwasnotabsolutelytheonlysaddenedoneamongstthem，asshesoonbegantoacknowledgetoherself。
Juliawasasufferertoo，thoughnotquitesoblamelessly。
HenryCrawfordhadtrifledwithherfeelings；butshehadverylongallowedandevensoughthisattentions，withajealousyofhersistersoreasonableasoughttohavebeentheircure；andnowthattheconvictionofhispreferenceforMariahadbeenforcedonher，shesubmittedtoitwithoutanyalarmforMaria’ssituation，oranyendeavouratrationaltranquillityforherself。
Sheeithersatingloomysilence，wraptinsuchgravityasnothingcouldsubdue，nocuriositytouch，nowitamuse；
orallowingtheattentionsofMr。Yates，wastalkingwithforcedgaietytohimalone，andridiculingtheactingoftheothers。
Foradayortwoaftertheaffrontwasgiven，HenryCrawfordhadendeavouredtodoitawaybytheusualattackofgallantryandcompliment，buthehadnotcaredenoughaboutittopersevereagainstafewrepulses；
andbecomingsoontoobusywithhisplaytohavetimeformorethanoneflirtation，hegrewindifferenttothequarrel，orratherthoughtitaluckyoccurrence，asquietlyputtinganendtowhatmighterelonghaveraisedexpectationsinmorethanMrs。Grant。
ShewasnotpleasedtoseeJuliaexcludedfromtheplay，andsittingbydisregarded；butasitwasnotamatterwhichreallyinvolvedherhappiness，asHenrymustbethebestjudgeofhisown，andashedidassureher，withamostpersuasivesmile，thatneitherhenorJuliahadeverhadaseriousthoughtofeachother，shecouldonlyrenewherformercautionastotheeldersister，entreathimnottoriskhistranquillitybytoomuchadmirationthere，andthengladlytakehershareinanythingthatbroughtcheerfulnesstotheyoungpeopleingeneral，andthatdidsoparticularlypromotethepleasureofthetwosodeartoher。