andwhilethisbranchofthesubjectwasunderdiscussion，Maria，whowantedneitherpridenorresolution，waspreparingtoencounterhershareofitwithtolerablecalmness。
Toherhesoonturned，repeatingmuchofwhathehadalreadysaid，withonlyasoftenedairandstrongerexpressionsofregret。Butwhatavailedhisexpressionsorhisair？Hewasgoing，and，ifnotvoluntarilygoing，voluntarilyintendingtostayaway；for，exceptingwhatmightbeduetohisuncle，hisengagementswereallself-imposed。
Hemighttalkofnecessity，butsheknewhisindependence。
Thehandwhichhadsopressedherstohisheart!thehandandtheheartwerealikemotionlessandpassivenow!
Herspiritsupportedher，buttheagonyofhermindwassevere。
Shehadnotlongtoendurewhatarosefromlisteningtolanguagewhichhisactionscontradicted，ortoburythetumultofherfeelingsundertherestraintofsociety；
forgeneralcivilitiessooncalledhisnoticefromher，andthefarewellvisit，asitthenbecameopenlyacknowledged，wasaveryshortone。Hewasgone——hehadtouchedherhandforthelasttime，hehadmadehispartingbow，andshemightseekdirectlyallthatsolitudecoulddoforher。HenryCrawfordwasgone，gonefromthehouse，andwithintwohoursafterwardsfromtheparish；
andsoendedallthehopeshisselfishvanityhadraisedinMariaandJuliaBertram。
Juliacouldrejoicethathewasgone。Hispresencewasbeginningtobeodioustoher；andifMariagainedhimnot，shewasnowcoolenoughtodispensewithanyotherrevenge。
Shedidnotwantexposuretobeaddedtodesertion。
HenryCrawfordgone，shecouldevenpityhersister。
WithapurerspiritdidFannyrejoiceintheintelligence。
Shehearditatdinner，andfeltitablessing。
Byalltheothersitwasmentionedwithregret；
andhismeritshonouredwithduegradationoffeeling——
fromthesincerityofEdmund’stoopartialregard，totheunconcernofhismotherspeakingentirelybyrote。
Mrs。Norrisbegantolookabouther，andwonderthathisfallinginlovewithJuliahadcometonothing；
andcouldalmostfearthatshehadbeenremissherselfinforwardingit；butwithsomanytocarefor，howwasitpossibleforeven_her_activitytokeeppacewithherwishes？
Anotherdayortwo，andMr。Yateswasgonelikewise。
In_his_departureSirThomasfeltthechiefinterest：
wantingtobealonewithhisfamily，thepresenceofastrangersuperiortoMr。Yatesmusthavebeenirksome；
butofhim，triflingandconfident，idleandexpensive，itwaseverywayvexatious。Inhimselfhewaswearisome，butasthefriendofTomandtheadmirerofJuliahebecameoffensive。SirThomashadbeenquiteindifferenttoMr。Crawford’sgoingorstaying：buthisgoodwishesforMr。Yates’shavingapleasantjourney，ashewalkedwithhimtothehall-door，weregivenwithgenuinesatisfaction。Mr。YateshadstaidtoseethedestructionofeverytheatricalpreparationatMansfield，theremovalofeverythingappertainingtotheplay：
heleftthehouseinallthesobernessofitsgeneralcharacter；andSirThomashoped，inseeinghimoutofit，toberidoftheworstobjectconnectedwiththescheme，andthelastthatmustbeinevitablyremindinghimofitsexistence。
Mrs。Norriscontrivedtoremoveonearticlefromhissightthatmighthavedistressedhim。Thecurtain，overwhichshehadpresidedwithsuchtalentandsuchsuccess，wentoffwithhertohercottage，whereshehappenedtobeparticularlyinwantofgreenbaize。
Chapter21CHAPTERXXI
SirThomas’sreturnmadeastrikingchangeinthewaysofthefamily，independentofLovers’Vows。Underhisgovernment，Mansfieldwasanalteredplace。Somemembersoftheirsocietysentaway，andthespiritsofmanyotherssaddened——
itwasallsamenessandgloomcomparedwiththepast——
asombrefamilypartyrarelyenlivened。TherewaslittleintercoursewiththeParsonage。SirThomas，drawingbackfromintimaciesingeneral，wasparticularlydisinclined，atthistime，foranyengagementsbutinonequarter。
TheRushworthsweretheonlyadditiontohisowndomesticcirclewhichhecouldsolicit。
Edmunddidnotwonderthatsuchshouldbehisfather’sfeelings，norcouldheregretanythingbuttheexclusionoftheGrants。
“Butthey，“heobservedtoFanny，“haveaclaim。Theyseemtobelongtous；theyseemtobepartofourselves。
Icouldwishmyfatherweremoresensibleoftheirverygreatattentiontomymotherandsisterswhilehewasaway。
Iamafraidtheymayfeelthemselvesneglected。
Butthetruthis，thatmyfatherhardlyknowsthem。
TheyhadnotbeenhereatwelvemonthwhenheleftEngland。
Ifheknewthembetter，hewouldvaluetheirsocietyasitdeserves；fortheyareinfactexactlythesortofpeoplehewouldlike。Wearesometimesalittleinwantofanimationamongourselves：mysistersseemoutofspirits，andTomiscertainlynotathisease。
Dr。andMrs。Grantwouldenlivenus，andmakeoureveningspassawaywithmoreenjoymenteventomyfather。“
“Doyouthinkso？“saidFanny：“inmyopinion，myunclewouldnotlike_any_addition。Ithinkhevaluestheveryquietnessyouspeakof，andthatthereposeofhisownfamilycircleisallhewants。
Anditdoesnotappeartomethatwearemoreseriousthanweusedtobe——Imeanbeforemyunclewentabroad。
AswellasIcanrecollect，itwasalwaysmuchthesame。
Therewasnevermuchlaughinginhispresence；or，ifthereisanydifference，itisnotmore，Ithink，thansuchanabsencehasatendencytoproduceatfirst。
Theremustbeasortofshyness；butIcannotrecollectthatoureveningsformerlywereevermerry，exceptwhenmyunclewasintown。Noyoungpeople’sare，Isuppose，whenthosetheylookuptoareathome“。
“Ibelieveyouareright，Fanny，“washisreply，afterashortconsideration。“Ibelieveoureveningsareratherreturnedtowhattheywere，thanassuminganewcharacter。
Thenoveltywasintheirbeinglively。Yet，howstrongtheimpressionthatonlyafewweekswillgive!
Ihavebeenfeelingasifwehadneverlivedsobefore。“
“IsupposeIamgraverthanotherpeople，“saidFanny。
“Theeveningsdonotappearlongtome。IlovetohearmyuncletalkoftheWestIndies。Icouldlistentohimforanhourtogether。Itentertains_me_morethanmanyotherthingshavedone；butthenIamunlikeotherpeople，Idaresay。“
“Whyshouldyoudaresay_that_？“smiling。“Doyouwanttobetoldthatyouareonlyunlikeotherpeopleinbeingmorewiseanddiscreet？Butwhendidyou，oranybody，evergetacomplimentfromme，Fanny？
Gotomyfatherifyouwanttobecomplimented。
Hewillsatisfyyou。Askyourunclewhathethinks，andyouwillhearcomplimentsenough：andthoughtheymaybechieflyonyourperson，youmustputupwithit，andtrusttohisseeingasmuchbeautyofmindintime。“
SuchlanguagewassonewtoFannythatitquiteembarrassedher。
“Yourunclethinksyouverypretty，dearFanny——
andthatisthelongandtheshortofthematter。
Anybodybutmyselfwouldhavemadesomethingmoreofit，andanybodybutyouwouldresentthatyouhadnotbeenthoughtveryprettybefore；butthetruthis，thatyouruncleneverdidadmireyoutillnow——andnowhedoes。
Yourcomplexionissoimproved!——andyouhavegainedsomuchcountenance!——andyourfigure——nay，Fanny，donotturnawayaboutit——itisbutanuncle。Ifyoucannotbearanuncle’sadmiration，whatistobecomeofyou？
Youmustreallybegintohardenyourselftotheideaofbeingworthlookingat。Youmusttrynottomindgrowingupintoaprettywoman。“
“Oh!don’ttalkso，don’ttalkso，“criedFanny，distressedbymorefeelingsthanhewasawareof；butseeingthatshewasdistressed，hehaddonewiththesubject，andonlyaddedmoreseriously——
“Youruncleisdisposedtobepleasedwithyouineveryrespect；andIonlywishyouwouldtalktohimmore。
Youareoneofthosewhoaretoosilentintheeveningcircle。“
“ButIdotalktohimmorethanIused。IamsureIdo。
Didnotyouhearmeaskhimabouttheslave-tradelastnight？“
“Idid——andwasinhopesthequestionwouldbefollowedupbyothers。Itwouldhavepleasedyouruncletobeinquiredoffarther。“