“Ifanyonefacultyofournaturemaybecalled_more_
wonderfulthantherest，Idothinkitismemory。
Thereseemssomethingmorespeakinglyincomprehensibleinthepowers，thefailures，theinequalitiesofmemory，thaninanyotherofourintelligences。
Thememoryissometimessoretentive，soserviceable，soobedient；atothers，sobewilderedandsoweak；
andatothersagain，sotyrannic，sobeyondcontrol!
Weare，tobesure，amiracleeveryway；butourpowersofrecollectingandofforgettingdoseempeculiarlypastfindingout。“
MissCrawford，untouchedandinattentive，hadnothingtosay；andFanny，perceivingit，broughtbackherownmindtowhatshethoughtmustinterest。
“Itmayseemimpertinentin_me_topraise，butImustadmirethetasteMrs。Granthasshewninallthis。
Thereissuchaquietsimplicityintheplanofthewalk!
Nottoomuchattempted!“
“Yes，“repliedMissCrawfordcarelessly，“itdoesverywellforaplaceofthissort。Onedoesnotthinkofextent_here_；andbetweenourselves，tillIcametoMansfield，Ihadnotimaginedacountryparsoneveraspiredtoashrubbery，oranythingofthekind。“
“Iamsogladtoseetheevergreensthrive!“saidFanny，inreply。“Myuncle’sgardeneralwayssaysthesoilhereisbetterthanhisown，andsoitappearsfromthegrowthofthelaurelsandevergreensingeneral。Theevergreen!
Howbeautiful，howwelcome，howwonderfultheevergreen!
Whenonethinksofit，howastonishingavarietyofnature!
Insomecountriesweknowthetreethatshedsitsleafisthevariety，butthatdoesnotmakeitlessamazingthatthesamesoilandthesamesunshouldnurtureplantsdifferinginthefirstruleandlawoftheirexistence。
Youwillthinkmerhapsodising；butwhenIamoutofdoors，especiallywhenIamsittingoutofdoors，Iamveryapttogetintothissortofwonderingstrain。Onecannotfixone’seyesonthecommonestnaturalproductionwithoutfindingfoodforaramblingfancy。“
“Tosaythetruth，“repliedMissCrawford，“IamsomethinglikethefamousDogeatthecourtofLewisXIV。；
andmaydeclarethatIseenowonderinthisshrubberyequaltoseeingmyselfinit。Ifanybodyhadtoldmeayearagothatthisplacewouldbemyhome，thatIshouldbespendingmonthaftermonthhere，asI
havedone，Icertainlyshouldnothavebelievedthem。
Ihavenowbeenherenearlyfivemonths；and，moreover，thequietestfivemonthsIeverpassed。“
“_Too_quietforyou，Ibelieve。“
“Ishouldhavethoughtso_theoretically_myself，but，“
andhereyesbrightenedasshespoke，“takeitallandall，Ineverspentsohappyasummer。Butthen，“
withamorethoughtfulairandloweredvoice，“thereisnosayingwhatitmayleadto。“
Fanny’sheartbeatquick，andshefeltquiteunequaltosurmisingorsolicitinganythingmore。MissCrawford，however，withrenewedanimation，soonwenton——
“IamconsciousofbeingfarbetterreconciledtoacountryresidencethanIhadeverexpectedtobe。Icanevensupposeitpleasanttospend_half_theyearinthecountry，undercertaincircumstances，verypleasant。Anelegant，moderate-sizedhouseinthecentreoffamilyconnexions；
continualengagementsamongthem；commandingthefirstsocietyintheneighbourhood；lookedupto，perhaps，asleadingitevenmorethanthoseoflargerfortune，andturningfromthecheerfulroundofsuchamusementstonothingworsethana_tete-a-tete_withthepersononefeelsmostagreeableintheworld。Thereisnothingfrightfulinsuchapicture，isthere，MissPrice？OneneednotenvythenewMrs。Rushworthwithsuchahomeas_that_。“
“EnvyMrs。Rushworth!“wasallthatFannyattemptedtosay。
“Come，come，itwouldbeveryun-handsomeinustobesevereonMrs。Rushworth，forIlookforwardtoourowingheragreatmanygay，brilliant，happyhours。IexpectweshallbeallverymuchatSothertonanotheryear。
SuchamatchasMissBertramhasmadeisapublicblessing；
forthefirstpleasuresofMr。Rushworth’swifemustbetofillherhouse，andgivethebestballsinthecountry。“
Fannywassilent，andMissCrawfordrelapsedintothoughtfulness，tillsuddenlylookingupattheendofafewminutes，sheexclaimed，“Ah!hereheis。“
ItwasnotMr。Rushworth，however，butEdmund，whothenappearedwalkingtowardsthemwithMrs。Grant。
“MysisterandMr。Bertram。Iamsogladyoureldestcousinisgone，thathemaybeMr。Bertramagain。ThereissomethinginthesoundofMr。_Edmund_Bertramsoformal，sopitiful，soyounger-brother-like，thatIdetestit。“
“Howdifferentlywefeel!“criedFanny。“Tome，thesoundof_Mr。_Bertramissocoldandnothing-meaning，soentirelywithoutwarmthorcharacter!Itjuststandsforagentleman，andthat’sall。ButthereisnoblenessinthenameofEdmund。Itisanameofheroismandrenown；
ofkings，princes，andknights；andseemstobreathethespiritofchivalryandwarmaffections。“
“Igrantyouthenameisgoodinitself，and_Lord_Edmundor_Sir_Edmundsounddelightfully；butsinkitunderthechill，theannihilationofaMr。，andMr。EdmundisnomorethanMr。JohnorMr。Thomas。Well，shallwejoinanddisappointthemofhalftheirlectureuponsittingdownoutofdoorsatthistimeofyear，bybeingupbeforetheycanbegin？“
Edmundmetthemwithparticularpleasure。Itwasthefirsttimeofhisseeingthemtogethersincethebeginningofthatbetteracquaintancewhichhehadbeenhearingofwithgreatsatisfaction。Afriendshipbetweentwosoverydeartohimwasexactlywhathecouldhavewished：
andtothecreditofthelover’sunderstanding，beitstated，thathedidnotbyanymeansconsiderFannyastheonly，orevenasthegreatergainerbysuchafriendship。
“Well，“saidMissCrawford，“anddoyounotscoldusforourimprudence？Whatdoyouthinkwehavebeensittingdownforbuttobetalkedtoaboutit，andentreatedandsupplicatednevertodosoagain？“
“PerhapsImighthavescolded，“saidEdmund，“ifeitherofyouhadbeensittingdownalone；butwhileyoudowrongtogether，Icanoverlookagreatdeal。“
“Theycannothavebeensittinglong，“criedMrs。Grant，“forwhenIwentupformyshawlIsawthemfromthestaircasewindow，andthentheywerewalking。“
“Andreally，“addedEdmund，“thedayissomild，thatyoursittingdownforafewminutescanbehardlythoughtimprudent。Ourweathermustnotalwaysbejudgedbythecalendar。WemaysometimestakegreaterlibertiesinNovemberthaninMay。“
“Uponmyword，“criedMissCrawford，“youaretwoofthemostdisappointingandunfeelingkindfriendsIevermetwith!
Thereisnogivingyouamoment’suneasiness。Youdonotknowhowmuchwehavebeensuffering，norwhatchillswehavefelt!ButIhavelongthoughtMr。Bertramoneoftheworstsubjectstoworkon，inanylittlemanoeuvreagainstcommonsense，thatawomancouldbeplaguedwith。
Ihadverylittlehopeof_him_fromthefirst；butyou，Mrs。Grant，mysister，myownsister，IthinkIhadarighttoalarmyoualittle。“
“Donotflatteryourself，mydearestMary。Youhavenotthesmallestchanceofmovingme。Ihavemyalarms，buttheyarequiteinadifferentquarter；andifIcouldhavealteredtheweather，youwouldhavehadagoodsharpeastwindblowingonyouthewholetime——forherearesomeofmyplantswhichRobert_will_leaveoutbecausethenightsaresomild，andIknowtheendofitwillbe，thatweshallhaveasuddenchangeofweather，ahardfrostsettinginallatonce，takingeverybodyatleastRobert
bysurprise，andIshallloseeveryone；andwhatisworse，cookhasjustbeentellingmethattheturkey，whichI
particularlywishednottobedressedtillSunday，becauseIknowhowmuchmoreDr。GrantwouldenjoyitonSundayafterthefatiguesoftheday，willnotkeepbeyondto-morrow。Thesearesomethinglikegrievances，andmakemethinktheweathermostunseasonablyclose。“
“Thesweetsofhousekeepinginacountryvillage!“
saidMissCrawfordarchly。“Commendmetothenurserymanandthepoulterer。“
“Mydearchild，commendDr。GranttothedeaneryofWestminsterorSt。Paul’s，andIshouldbeasgladofyournurserymanandpoultererasyoucouldbe。ButwehavenosuchpeopleinMansfield。Whatwouldyouhavemedo？“
“Oh!youcandonothingbutwhatyoudoalready：
beplaguedveryoften，andneverloseyourtemper。“
“Thankyou；butthereisnoescapingtheselittlevexations，Mary，livewherewemay；andwhenyouaresettledintownandIcometoseeyou，IdaresayIshallfindyouwithyours，inspiteofthenurserymanandthepoulterer，perhapsontheirveryaccount。Theirremotenessandunpunctuality，ortheirexorbitantchargesandfrauds，willbedrawingforthbitterlamentations。“
“Imeantobetoorichtolamentortofeelanythingofthesort。AlargeincomeisthebestrecipeforhappinessIeverheardof。Itcertainlymaysecureallthemyrtleandturkeypartofit。“