“Well，“saidSirThomas，asifwaitingmoretoaccomplishthesurprise。
“Edmundwantshertogo。ButhowcanIspareher？“
“Shewillbelate，“saidSirThomas，takingouthiswatch；
“butwhatisyourdifficulty？“
Edmundfoundhimselfobligedtospeakandfilluptheblanksinhismother’sstory。Hetoldthewhole；
andshehadonlytoadd，“Sostrange!forMrs。Grantneverusedtoaskher。“
“Butisitnotverynatural，“observedEdmund，“thatMrs。Grantshouldwishtoprocuresoagreeableavisitorforhersister？“
“Nothingcanbemorenatural，“saidSirThomas，afterashortdeliberation；“nor，weretherenosisterinthecase，couldanything，inmyopinion，bemorenatural。
Mrs。Grant’sshewingcivilitytoMissPrice，toLadyBertram’sniece，couldneverwantexplanation。TheonlysurpriseIcanfeelis，thatthisshouldbethe_first_
timeofitsbeingpaid。Fannywasperfectlyrightingivingonlyaconditionalanswer。Sheappearstofeelassheought。ButasIconcludethatshemustwishtogo，sinceallyoungpeopleliketobetogether，Icanseenoreasonwhysheshouldbedeniedtheindulgence。“
“ButcanIdowithouther，SirThomas？“
“IndeedIthinkyoumay。“
“Shealwaysmakestea，youknow，whenmysisterisnothere。“
“Yoursister，perhaps，maybeprevailedontospendthedaywithus，andIshallcertainlybeathome。“
“Verywell，then，Fannymaygo，Edmund。“
Thegoodnewssoonfollowedher。Edmundknockedatherdoorinhiswaytohisown。
“Well，Fanny，itisallhappilysettled，andwithoutthesmallesthesitationonyouruncle’sside。
Hehadbutoneopinion。Youaretogo。“
“Thankyou，Iam_so_glad，“wasFanny’sinstinctivereply；
thoughwhenshehadturnedfromhimandshutthedoor，shecouldnothelpfeeling，“AndyetwhyshouldIbeglad？
foramInotcertainofseeingorhearingsomethingtheretopainme？“
Inspiteofthisconviction，however，shewasglad。
Simpleassuchanengagementmightappearinothereyes，ithadnoveltyandimportanceinhers，forexceptingthedayatSotherton，shehadscarcelyeverdinedoutbefore；
andthoughnowgoingonlyhalfamile，andonlytothreepeople，stillitwasdiningout，andallthelittleinterestsofpreparationwereenjoymentsinthemselves。
Shehadneithersympathynorassistancefromthosewhooughttohaveenteredintoherfeelingsanddirectedhertaste；
forLadyBertramneverthoughtofbeingusefultoanybody，andMrs。Norris，whenshecameonthemorrow，inconsequenceofanearlycallandinvitationfromSirThomas，wasinaveryillhumour，andseemedintentonlyonlesseningherniece’spleasure，bothpresentandfuture，asmuchaspossible。
“Uponmyword，Fanny，youareinhighlucktomeetwithsuchattentionandindulgence!YououghttobeverymuchobligedtoMrs。Grantforthinkingofyou，andtoyourauntforlettingyougo，andyououghttolookuponitassomethingextraordinary；forIhopeyouareawarethatthereisnorealoccasionforyourgoingintocompanyinthissortofway，oreverdiningoutatall；
anditiswhatyoumustnotdependuponeverbeingrepeated。
Normustyoubefancyingthattheinvitationismeantasanyparticularcomplimentto_you_；thecomplimentisintendedtoyouruncleandauntandme。Mrs。Grantthinksitacivilitydueto_us_totakealittlenoticeofyou，orelseitwouldneverhavecomeintoherhead，andyoumaybeverycertainthat，ifyourcousinJuliahadbeenathome，youwouldnothavebeenaskedatall。“
Mrs。NorrishadnowsoingeniouslydoneawayallMrs。Grant’spartofthefavour，thatFanny，whofoundherselfexpectedtospeak，couldonlysaythatshewasverymuchobligedtoherauntBertramforsparingher，andthatshewasendeavouringtoputheraunt’seveningworkinsuchastateastopreventherbeingmissed。
“Oh!dependuponit，yourauntcandoverywellwithoutyou，oryouwouldnotbeallowedtogo。_I_shallbehere，soyoumaybequiteeasyaboutyouraunt。AndIhopeyouwillhaveavery_agreeable_day，andfinditallmighty_delightful_。
ButImustobservethatfiveistheveryawkwardestofallpossiblenumberstositdowntotable；andIcannotbutbesurprisedthatsuchan_elegant_ladyasMrs。Grantshouldnotcontrivebetter!Androundtheirenormousgreatwidetable，too，whichfillsuptheroomsodreadfully!
Hadthedoctorbeencontentedtotakemydining-tablewhenI
cameaway，asanybodyintheirsenseswouldhavedone，insteadofhavingthatabsurdnewoneofhisown，whichiswider，literallywiderthanthedinner-tablehere，howinfinitelybetteritwouldhavebeen!andhowmuchmorehewouldhavebeenrespected!forpeopleareneverrespectedwhentheystepoutoftheirpropersphere。
Rememberthat，Fanny。Five——onlyfivetobesittingroundthattable。However，youwillhavedinnerenoughonitforten，Idaresay。“
Mrs。Norrisfetchedbreath，andwentonagain。
“Thenonsenseandfollyofpeople’ssteppingoutoftheirrankandtryingtoappearabovethemselves，makesmethinkitrighttogive_you_ahint，Fanny，nowthatyouaregoingintocompanywithoutanyofus；andIdobeseechandentreatyounottobeputtingyourselfforward，andtalkingandgivingyouropinionasifyouwereoneofyourcousins——asifyouweredearMrs。RushworthorJulia。
_That_willneverdo，believeme。Remember，whereveryouare，youmustbethelowestandlast；andthoughMissCrawfordisinamannerathomeattheParsonage，youarenottobetakingplaceofher。Andastocomingawayatnight，youaretostayjustaslongasEdmundchuses。
Leavehimtosettle_that_。“
“Yes，ma’am，Ishouldnotthinkofanythingelse。“
“Andifitshouldrain，whichIthinkexceedinglylikely，forIneversawitmorethreateningforaweteveninginmylife，youmustmanageaswellasyoucan，andnotbeexpectingthecarriagetobesentforyou。Icertainlydonotgohometo-night，and，therefore，thecarriagewillnotbeoutonmyaccount；soyoumustmakeupyourmindtowhatmayhappen，andtakeyourthingsaccordingly。“
Herniecethoughtitperfectlyreasonable。SheratedherownclaimstocomfortaslowevenasMrs。Norriscould；
andwhenSirThomassoonafterwards，justopeningthedoor，said，“Fanny，atwhattimewouldyouhavethecarriagecomeround？“shefeltadegreeofastonishmentwhichmadeitimpossibleforhertospeak。
“MydearSirThomas!“criedMrs。Norris，redwithanger，“Fannycanwalk。“
“Walk!“repeatedSirThomas，inatoneofmostunanswerabledignity，andcomingfartherintotheroom。“Myniecewalktoadinnerengagementatthistimeoftheyear!
Willtwentyminutesafterfoursuityou？“
“Yes，sir，“wasFanny’shumbleanswer，givenwiththefeelingsalmostofacriminaltowardsMrs。Norris；
andnotbearingtoremainwithherinwhatmightseemastateoftriumph，shefollowedheruncleoutoftheroom，havingstaidbehindhimonlylongenoughtohearthesewordsspokeninangryagitation——
“Quiteunnecessary!agreatdealtookind!
ButEdmundgoes；true，itisuponEdmund’saccount。
IobservedhewashoarseonThursdaynight。“
ButthiscouldnotimposeonFanny。Shefeltthatthecarriagewasforherself，andherselfalone：
andheruncle’sconsiderationofher，comingimmediatelyaftersuchrepresentationsfromheraunt，costhersometearsofgratitudewhenshewasalone。
Thecoachmandroveroundtoaminute；anotherminutebroughtdownthegentleman；andastheladyhad，withamostscrupulousfearofbeinglate，beenmanyminutesseatedinthedrawing-room，SirThomassawthemoffinasgoodtimeashisowncorrectlypunctualhabitsrequired。
“NowImustlookatyou，Fanny，“saidEdmund，withthekindsmileofanaffectionatebrother，“andtellyouhowIlikeyou；andaswellasIcanjudgebythislight，youlookverynicelyindeed。Whathaveyougoton？“
“Thenewdressthatmyunclewassogoodastogivemeonmycousin’smarriage。Ihopeitisnottoofine；butI
thoughtIoughttowearitassoonasIcould，andthatI
mightnothavesuchanotheropportunityallthewinter。
Ihopeyoudonotthinkmetoofine。“