Mrs。Norriswasalittleconfoundedandasnearlybeingsilencedasevershehadbeeninherlife；forshewasashamedtoconfesshavingneverseenanyoftheimproprietywhichwassoglaringtoSirThomas，andwouldnothaveadmittedthatherinfluencewasinsufficient——
thatshemighthavetalkedinvain。Heronlyresourcewastogetoutofthesubjectasfastaspossible，andturnthecurrentofSirThomas’sideasintoahappierchannel。
Shehadagreatdealtoinsinuateinherownpraiseasto_general_attentiontotheinterestandcomfortofhisfamily，muchexertionandmanysacrificestoglanceatintheformofhurriedwalksandsuddenremovalsfromherownfireside，andmanyexcellenthintsofdistrustandeconomytoLadyBertramandEdmundtodetail，wherebyamostconsiderablesavinghadalwaysarisen，andmorethanonebadservantbeendetected。ButherchiefstrengthlayinSotherton。HergreatestsupportandglorywasinhavingformedtheconnexionwiththeRushworths。
_There_shewasimpregnable。ShetooktoherselfallthecreditofbringingMr。Rushworth’sadmirationofMariatoanyeffect。“IfIhadnotbeenactive，“saidshe，“andmadeapointofbeingintroducedtohismother，andthenprevailedonmysistertopaythefirstvisit，IamascertainasIsitherethatnothingwouldhavecomeofit；forMr。Rushworthisthesortofamiablemodestyoungmanwhowantsagreatdealofencouragement，andthereweregirlsenoughonthecatchforhimifwehadbeenidle。ButIleftnostoneunturned。Iwasreadytomoveheavenandearthtopersuademysister，andatlastIdidpersuadeher。YouknowthedistancetoSotherton；itwasinthemiddleofwinter，andtheroadsalmostimpassable，butIdidpersuadeher。“
“Iknowhowgreat，howjustlygreat，yourinfluenceiswithLadyBertramandherchildren，andamthemoreconcernedthatitshouldnothavebeen。“
“MydearSirThomas，ifyouhadseenthestateoftheroads_that_day!Ithoughtweshouldneverhavegotthroughthem，thoughwehadthefourhorsesofcourse；
andpooroldcoachmanwouldattendus，outofhisgreatloveandkindness，thoughhewashardlyabletosittheboxonaccountoftherheumatismwhichIhadbeendoctoringhimforeversinceMichaelmas。Icuredhimatlast；
buthewasverybadallthewinter——andthiswassuchaday，Icouldnothelpgoingtohimupinhisroombeforewesetofftoadvisehimnottoventure：hewasputtingonhiswig；
soIsaid，’Coachman，youhadmuchbetternotgo；yourLadyandIshallbeverysafe；youknowhowsteadyStephenis，andCharleshasbeenupontheleaderssooftennow，thatIamsurethereisnofear。’But，however，Isoonfounditwouldnotdo；hewasbentupongoing，andasI
hatetobeworryingandofficious，Isaidnomore；butmyheartquiteachedforhimateveryjolt，andwhenwegotintotheroughlanesaboutStoke，where，whatwithfrostandsnowuponbedsofstones，itwasworsethananythingyoucanimagine，Iwasquiteinanagonyabouthim。
Andthenthepoorhorsestoo!Toseethemstrainingaway!
YouknowhowIalwaysfeelforthehorses。AndwhenwegottothebottomofSandcroftHill，whatdoyouthinkIdid？
Youwilllaughatme；butIgotoutandwalkedup。
Ididindeed。Itmightnotbesavingthemmuch，butitwassomething，andIcouldnotbeartositatmyeaseandbedraggedupattheexpenseofthosenobleanimals。
Icaughtadreadfulcold，but_that_Ididnotregard。
Myobjectwasaccomplishedinthevisit。“
“Ihopeweshallalwaysthinktheacquaintanceworthanytroublethatmightbetakentoestablishit。
ThereisnothingverystrikinginMr。Rushworth’smanners，butIwaspleasedlastnightwithwhatappearedtobehisopinionononesubject：hisdecidedpreferenceofaquietfamilypartytothebustleandconfusionofacting。
Heseemedtofeelexactlyasonecouldwish。“
“Yes，indeed，andthemoreyouknowofhimthebetteryouwilllikehim。Heisnotashiningcharacter，buthehasathousandgoodqualities；andissodisposedtolookuptoyou，thatIamquitelaughedataboutit，foreverybodyconsidersitasmydoing。’Uponmyword，Mrs。Norris，’saidMrs。Granttheotherday，’ifMr。Rushworthwereasonofyourown，hecouldnotholdSirThomasingreaterrespect。’“
SirThomasgaveupthepoint，foiledbyherevasions，disarmedbyherflattery；andwasobligedtorestsatisfiedwiththeconvictionthatwherethepresentpleasureofthoseshelovedwasatstake，herkindnessdidsometimesoverpowerherjudgment。
Itwasabusymorningwithhim。Conversationwithanyofthemoccupiedbutasmallpartofit。HehadtoreinstatehimselfinallthewontedconcernsofhisMansfieldlife：toseehisstewardandhisbailiff；
toexamineandcompute，and，intheintervalsofbusiness，towalkintohisstablesandhisgardens，andnearestplantations；butactiveandmethodical，hehadnotonlydoneallthisbeforeheresumedhisseatasmasterofthehouseatdinner，hehadalsosetthecarpentertoworkinpullingdownwhathadbeensolatelyputupinthebilliard-room，andgiventhescene-painterhisdismissallongenoughtojustifythepleasingbeliefofhisbeingthenatleastasfaroffasNorthampton。
Thescene-painterwasgone，havingspoiltonlythefloorofoneroom，ruinedallthecoachman’ssponges，andmadefiveoftheunder-servantsidleanddissatisfied；
andSirThomaswasinhopesthatanotherdayortwowouldsufficetowipeawayeveryoutwardmementoofwhathadbeen，eventothedestructionofeveryunboundcopyofLovers’
Vowsinthehouse，forhewasburningallthatmethiseyeMr。YateswasbeginningnowtounderstandSirThomas’sintentions，thoughasfaraseverfromunderstandingtheirsource。
Heandhisfriendhadbeenoutwiththeirgunsthechiefofthemorning，andTomhadtakentheopportunityofexplaining，withproperapologiesforhisfather’sparticularity，whatwastobeexpected。Mr。Yatesfeltitasacutelyasmightbesupposed。Tobeasecondtimedisappointedinthesamewaywasaninstanceofverysevereill-luck；
andhisindignationwassuch，thathaditnotbeenfordelicacytowardshisfriend，andhisfriend’syoungestsister，hebelievedheshouldcertainlyattackthebaronetontheabsurdityofhisproceedings，andarguehimintoalittlemorerationality。HebelievedthisverystoutlywhilehewasinMansfieldWood，andallthewayhome；
buttherewasasomethinginSirThomas，whentheysatroundthesametable，whichmadeMr。Yatesthinkitwisertolethimpursuehisownway，andfeelthefollyofitwithoutopposition。Hehadknownmanydisagreeablefathersbefore，andoftenbeenstruckwiththeinconveniencestheyoccasioned，butnever，inthewholecourseofhislife，hadheseenoneofthatclasssounintelligiblymoral，soinfamouslytyrannicalasSirThomas。Hewasnotamantobeenduredbutforhischildren’ssake，andhemightbethankfultohisfairdaughterJuliathatMr。Yatesdidyetmeantostayafewdayslongerunderhisroof。
Theeveningpassedwithexternalsmoothness，thoughalmosteverymindwasruffled；andthemusicwhichSirThomascalledforfromhisdaughtershelpedtoconcealthewantofrealharmony。Mariawasinagooddealofagitation。
ItwasoftheutmostconsequencetoherthatCrawfordshouldnowlosenotimeindeclaringhimself，andshewasdisturbedthatevenadayshouldbegonebywithoutseemingtoadvancethatpoint。Shehadbeenexpectingtoseehimthewholemorning，andalltheevening，too，wasstillexpectinghim。Mr。RushworthhadsetoffearlywiththegreatnewsforSotherton；andshehadfondlyhopedforsuchanimmediate_eclaircissement_asmightsavehimthetroubleofevercomingbackagain。ButtheyhadseennoonefromtheParsonage，notacreature，andhadheardnotidingsbeyondafriendlynoteofcongratulationandinquiryfromMrs。GranttoLadyBertram。Itwasthefirstdayformany，manyweeks，inwhichthefamilieshadbeenwhollydivided。Four-and-twentyhourshadneverpassedbefore，sinceAugustbegan，withoutbringingthemtogetherinsomewayorother。Itwasasad，anxiousday；
andthemorrow，thoughdifferinginthesortofevil，didbynomeansbringless。Afewmomentsoffeverishenjoymentwerefollowedbyhoursofacutesuffering。
HenryCrawfordwasagaininthehouse：hewalkedupwithDr。Grant，whowasanxioustopayhisrespectstoSirThomas，andatratheranearlyhourtheywereusheredintothebreakfast-room，whereweremostofthefamily。
SirThomassoonappeared，andMariasawwithdelightandagitationtheintroductionofthemanshelovedtoherfather。Hersensationswereindefinable，andsoweretheyafewminutesafterwardsuponhearingHenryCrawford，whohadachairbetweenherselfandTom，askthelatterinanundervoicewhethertherewereanyplansforresumingtheplayafterthepresenthappyinterruptionwithacourteousglanceatSirThomas，because，inthatcase，heshouldmakeapointofreturningtoMansfieldatanytimerequiredbytheparty：hewasgoingawayimmediately，beingtomeethisuncleatBathwithoutdelay；butiftherewereanyprospectofarenewalofLovers’Vows，heshouldholdhimselfpositivelyengaged，heshouldbreakthrougheveryotherclaim，heshouldabsolutelyconditionwithhisuncleforattendingthemwheneverhemightbewanted。
Theplayshouldnotbelostby_his_absence。
“FromBath，Norfolk，London，York，whereverImaybe，“
saidhe；“IwillattendyoufromanyplaceinEngland，atanhour’snotice。“
ItwaswellatthatmomentthatTomhadtospeak，andnothissister。Hecouldimmediatelysaywitheasyfluency，“Iamsorryyouaregoing；butastoourplay，_that_isallover——entirelyatanend“lookingsignificantlyathisfather。“Thepainterwassentoffyesterday，andverylittlewillremainofthetheatreto-morrow。Iknewhow_that_wouldbefromthefirst。ItisearlyforBath。
Youwillfindnobodythere。“
“Itisaboutmyuncle’susualtime。“
“Whendoyouthinkofgoing？“
“Imay，perhaps，getasfarasBanburyto-day。“
“WhosestablesdoyouuseatBath？“wasthenextquestion；