andtheservicewasimpressivelyreadbyDr。Grant。
Nothingcouldbeobjectedtowhenitcameunderthediscussionoftheneighbourhood，exceptthatthecarriagewhichconveyedthebrideandbridegroomandJuliafromthechurch-doortoSothertonwasthesamechaisewhichMr。Rushworthhadusedforatwelvemonthbefore。
Ineverythingelsetheetiquetteofthedaymightstandthestrictestinvestigation。
Itwasdone，andtheyweregone。SirThomasfeltasananxiousfathermustfeel，andwasindeedexperiencingmuchoftheagitationwhichhiswifehadbeenapprehensiveofforherself，buthadfortunatelyescaped。Mrs。Norris，mosthappytoassistinthedutiesoftheday，byspendingitattheParktosupporthersister’sspirits，anddrinkingthehealthofMr。andMrs。Rushworthinasupernumeraryglassortwo，wasalljoyousdelight；
forshehadmadethematch；shehaddoneeverything；
andnoonewouldhavesupposed，fromherconfidenttriumph，thatshehadeverheardofconjugalinfelicityinherlife，orcouldhavethesmallestinsightintothedispositionoftheniecewhohadbeenbroughtupunderhereye。
Theplanoftheyoungcouplewastoproceed，afterafewdays，toBrighton，andtakeahousethereforsomeweeks。EverypublicplacewasnewtoMaria，andBrightonisalmostasgayinwinterasinsummer。
Whenthenoveltyofamusementtherewasover，itwouldbetimeforthewiderrangeofLondon。
JuliawastogowiththemtoBrighton。Sincerivalrybetweenthesistershadceased，theyhadbeengraduallyrecoveringmuchoftheirformergoodunderstanding；
andwereatleastsufficientlyfriendstomakeeachofthemexceedinglygladtobewiththeotheratsuchatime。
SomeothercompanionthanMr。Rushworthwasofthefirstconsequencetohislady；andJuliawasquiteaseagerfornoveltyandpleasureasMaria，thoughshemightnothavestruggledthroughsomuchtoobtainthem，andcouldbetterbearasubordinatesituation。
TheirdeparturemadeanothermaterialchangeatMansfield，achasmwhichrequiredsometimetofillup。Thefamilycirclebecamegreatlycontracted；andthoughtheMissBertramshadlatterlyaddedlittletoitsgaiety，theycouldnotbutbemissed。Eventheirmothermissedthem；
andhowmuchmoretheirtenderheartedcousin，whowanderedaboutthehouse，andthoughtofthem，andfeltforthem，withadegreeofaffectionateregretwhichtheyhadneverdonemuchtodeserve!
Fanny’sconsequenceincreasedonthedepartureofhercousins。Becoming，asshethendid，theonlyyoungwomaninthedrawing-room，theonlyoccupierofthatinterestingdivisionofafamilyinwhichshehadhithertoheldsohumbleathird，itwasimpossibleforhernottobemorelookedat，morethoughtofandattendedto，thanshehadeverbeenbefore；and“WhereisFanny？“
becamenouncommonquestion，evenwithoutherbeingwantedforanyone’sconvenience。
Notonlyathomedidhervalueincrease，butattheParsonagetoo。Inthathouse，whichshehadhardlyenteredtwiceayearsinceMr。Norris’sdeath，shebecameawelcome，aninvitedguest，andinthegloomanddirtofaNovemberday，mostacceptabletoMaryCrawford。
Hervisitsthere，beginningbychance，werecontinuedbysolicitation。Mrs。Grant，reallyeagertogetanychangeforhersister，could，bytheeasiestself-deceit，persuadeherselfthatshewasdoingthekindestthingbyFanny，andgivingherthemostimportantopportunitiesofimprovementinpressingherfrequentcalls。
Fanny，havingbeensentintothevillageonsomeerrandbyherauntNorris，wasovertakenbyaheavyshowerclosetotheParsonage；andbeingdescriedfromoneofthewindowsendeavouringtofindshelterunderthebranchesandlingeringleavesofanoakjustbeyondtheirpremises，wasforced，thoughnotwithoutsomemodestreluctanceonherpart，tocomein。Acivilservantshehadwithstood；
butwhenDr。Granthimselfwentoutwithanumbrella，therewasnothingtobedonebuttobeverymuchashamed，andtogetintothehouseasfastaspossible；andtopoorMissCrawford，whohadjustbeencontemplatingthedismalraininaverydespondingstateofmind，sighingovertheruinofallherplanofexerciseforthatmorning，andofeverychanceofseeingasinglecreaturebeyondthemselvesforthenexttwenty-fourhours，thesoundofalittlebustleatthefrontdoor，andthesightofMissPricedrippingwithwetinthevestibule，wasdelightful。
Thevalueofaneventonawetdayinthecountrywasmostforciblybroughtbeforeher。Shewasallaliveagaindirectly，andamongthemostactiveinbeingusefultoFanny，indetectinghertobewetterthanshewouldatfirstallow，andprovidingherwithdryclothes；andFanny，afterbeingobligedtosubmittoallthisattention，andtobeingassistedandwaitedonbymistressesandmaids，beingalsoobliged，onreturningdownstairs，tobefixedintheirdrawing-roomforanhourwhiletheraincontinued，theblessingofsomethingfreshtoseeandthinkofwasthusextendedtoMissCrawford，andmightcarryonherspiritstotheperiodofdressinganddinner。
Thetwosistersweresokindtoher，andsopleasant，thatFannymighthaveenjoyedhervisitcouldshehavebelievedherselfnotintheway，andcouldshehaveforeseenthattheweatherwouldcertainlyclearattheendofthehour，andsaveherfromtheshameofhavingDr。Grant’scarriageandhorsesouttotakeherhome，withwhichshewasthreatened。Astoanxietyforanyalarmthatherabsenceinsuchweathermightoccasionathome，shehadnothingtosufferonthatscore；forasherbeingoutwasknownonlytohertwoaunts，shewasperfectlyawarethatnonewouldbefelt，andthatinwhatevercottageauntNorrismightchusetoestablishherduringtherain，herbeinginsuchcottagewouldbeindubitabletoauntBertram。
Itwasbeginningtolookbrighter，whenFanny，observingaharpintheroom，askedsomequestionsaboutit，whichsoonledtoanacknowledgmentofherwishingverymuchtohearit，andaconfession，whichcouldhardlybebelieved，ofherhavingneveryethearditsinceitsbeinginMansfield。ToFannyherselfitappearedaverysimpleandnaturalcircumstance。ShehadscarcelyeverbeenattheParsonagesincetheinstrument’sarrival，therehadbeennoreasonthatsheshould；butMissCrawford，callingtomindanearlyexpressedwishonthesubject，wasconcernedatherownneglect；and“ShallIplaytoyounow？“and“Whatwillyouhave？“werequestionsimmediatelyfollowingwiththereadiestgood-humour。
Sheplayedaccordingly；happytohaveanewlistener，andalistenerwhoseemedsomuchobliged，sofullofwonderattheperformance，andwhoshewedherselfnotwantingintaste。SheplayedtillFanny’seyes，strayingtothewindowontheweather’sbeingevidentlyfair，spokewhatshefeltmustbedone。
“Anotherquarterofanhour，“saidMissCrawford，“andweshallseehowitwillbe。Donotrunawaythefirstmomentofitsholdingup。Thosecloudslookalarming。“
“Buttheyarepassedover，“saidFanny。“Ihavebeenwatchingthem。Thisweatherisallfromthesouth。“
“Southornorth，IknowablackcloudwhenIseeit；
andyoumustnotsetforwardwhileitissothreatening。
Andbesides，Iwanttoplaysomethingmoretoyou——averyprettypiece——andyourcousinEdmund’sprimefavourite。
Youmuststayandhearyourcousin’sfavourite。“
Fannyfeltthatshemust；andthoughshehadnotwaitedforthatsentencetobethinkingofEdmund，suchamementomadeherparticularlyawaketohisidea，andshefanciedhimsittinginthatroomagainandagain，perhapsintheveryspotwhereshesatnow，listeningwithconstantdelighttothefavouriteair，played，asitappearedtoher，withsuperiortoneandexpression；
andthoughpleasedwithitherself，andgladtolikewhateverwaslikedbyhim，shewasmoresincerelyimpatienttogoawayattheconclusionofitthanshehadbeenbefore；
andonthisbeingevident，shewassokindlyaskedtocallagain，totaketheminherwalkwhenevershecould，tocomeandhearmoreoftheharp，thatshefeltitnecessarytobedone，ifnoobjectionaroseathome。
SuchwastheoriginofthesortofintimacywhichtookplacebetweenthemwithinthefirstfortnightaftertheMissBertrams’goingaway——anintimacyresultingprincipallyfromMissCrawford’sdesireofsomethingnew，andwhichhadlittlerealityinFanny’sfeelings。
Fannywenttohereverytwoorthreedays：itseemedakindoffascination：shecouldnotbeeasywithoutgoing，andyetitwaswithoutlovingher，withouteverthinkinglikeher，withoutanysenseofobligationforbeingsoughtafternowwhennobodyelsewastobehad；
andderivingnohigherpleasurefromherconversationthanoccasionalamusement，and_that_oftenattheexpenseofherjudgment，whenitwasraisedbypleasantryonpeopleorsubjectswhichshewishedtoberespected。
Shewent，however，andtheysaunteredabouttogethermanyanhalf-hourinMrs。Grant’sshrubbery，theweatherbeingunusuallymildforthetimeofyear，andventuringsometimeseventositdownononeofthebenchesnowcomparativelyunsheltered，remainingthereperhapstill，inthemidstofsometenderejaculationofFanny’sonthesweetsofsoprotractedanautumn，theywereforced，bythesuddenswellofacoldgustshakingdownthelastfewyellowleavesaboutthem，tojumpupandwalkforwarmth。
“Thisispretty，verypretty，“saidFanny，lookingaroundherastheywerethussittingtogetheroneday；“everytimeIcomeintothisshrubberyIammorestruckwithitsgrowthandbeauty。Threeyearsago，thiswasnothingbutaroughhedgerowalongtheuppersideofthefield，neverthoughtofasanything，orcapableofbecominganything；
andnowitisconvertedintoawalk，anditwouldbedifficulttosaywhethermostvaluableasaconvenienceoranornament；andperhaps，inanotherthreeyears，wemaybeforgetting——almostforgettingwhatitwasbefore。
Howwonderful，howverywonderfultheoperationsoftime，andthechangesofthehumanmind!“Andfollowingthelattertrainofthought，shesoonafterwardsadded：