“Awomancanneverbetoofinewhilesheisallinwhite。No，I
seenofineryaboutyou；nothingbutwhatisperfectlyproper。
Yourgownseemsverypretty。Iliketheseglossyspots。
HasnotMissCrawfordagownsomethingthesame？“
InapproachingtheParsonagetheypassedclosebythestable-yardandcoach-house。
“Heyday!“saidEdmund，“here’scompany，here’sacarriage!
whohavetheygottomeetus？“Andlettingdowntheside-glasstodistinguish，“’TisCrawford’s，Crawford’sbarouche，Iprotest!Therearehisowntwomenpushingitbackintoitsoldquarters。Heishere，ofcourse。Thisisquiteasurprise，Fanny。Ishallbeverygladtoseehim。“
Therewasnooccasion，therewasnotimeforFannytosayhowverydifferentlyshefelt；buttheideaofhavingsuchanothertoobserveherwasagreatincreaseofthetrepidationwithwhichsheperformedtheveryawfulceremonyofwalkingintothedrawing-room。
Inthedrawing-roomMr。Crawfordcertainlywas，havingbeenjustlongenougharrivedtobereadyfordinner；andthesmilesandpleasedlooksofthethreeothersstandingroundhim，shewedhowwelcomewashissuddenresolutionofcomingtothemforafewdaysonleavingBath。
AverycordialmeetingpassedbetweenhimandEdmund；
andwiththeexceptionofFanny，thepleasurewasgeneral；
andevento_her_theremightbesomeadvantageinhispresence，sinceeveryadditiontothepartymustratherforwardherfavouriteindulgenceofbeingsufferedtositsilentandunattendedto。Shewassoonawareofthisherself；forthoughshemustsubmit，asherownproprietyofminddirected，inspiteofherauntNorris’sopinion，tobeingtheprincipalladyincompany，andtoallthelittledistinctionsconsequentthereon，shefound，whiletheywereattable，suchahappyflowofconversationprevailing，inwhichshewasnotrequiredtotakeanypart——therewassomuchtobesaidbetweenthebrotherandsisteraboutBath，somuchbetweenthetwoyoungmenabouthunting，somuchofpoliticsbetweenMr。CrawfordandDr。Grant，andofeverythingandalltogetherbetweenMr。CrawfordandMrs。Grant，astoleaveherthefairestprospectofhavingonlytolisteninquiet，andofpassingaveryagreeableday。
Shecouldnotcomplimentthenewlyarrivedgentleman，however，withanyappearanceofinterest，inaschemeforextendinghisstayatMansfield，andsendingforhishuntersfromNorfolk，which，suggestedbyDr。Grant，advisedbyEdmund，andwarmlyurgedbythetwosisters，wassooninpossessionofhismind，andwhichheseemedtowanttobeencouragedevenbyhertoresolveon。
Heropinionwassoughtastotheprobablecontinuanceoftheopenweather，butheranswerswereasshortandindifferentascivilityallowed。Shecouldnotwishhimtostay，andwouldmuchrathernothavehimspeaktoher。
Hertwoabsentcousins，especiallyMaria，weremuchinherthoughtsonseeinghim；butnoembarrassingremembranceaffected_his_spirits。Herehewasagainonthesamegroundwhereallhadpassedbefore，andapparentlyaswillingtostayandbehappywithouttheMissBertrams，asifhehadneverknownMansfieldinanyotherstate。
Sheheardthemspokenofbyhimonlyinageneralway，tilltheywereallre-assembledinthedrawing-room，whenEdmund，beingengagedapartinsomematterofbusinesswithDr。Grant，whichseemedentirelytoengrossthem，andMrs。Grantoccupiedatthetea-table，hebegantalkingofthemwithmoreparticularitytohisothersister。
Withasignificantsmile，whichmadeFannyquitehatehim，hesaid，“So!RushworthandhisfairbrideareatBrighton，Iunderstand；happyman!“
“Yes，theyhavebeenthereaboutafortnight，MissPrice，havetheynot？AndJuliaiswiththem。“
“AndMr。Yates，Ipresume，isnotfaroff。“
“Mr。Yates!Oh!wehearnothingofMr。Yates。IdonotimaginehefiguresmuchintheletterstoMansfieldPark；
doyou，MissPrice？IthinkmyfriendJuliaknowsbetterthantoentertainherfatherwithMr。Yates。“
“PoorRushworthandhistwo-and-fortyspeeches!“
continuedCrawford。“Nobodycaneverforgetthem。
Poorfellow!Iseehimnow——histoilandhisdespair。
Well，IammuchmistakenifhislovelyMariawilleverwanthimtomaketwo-and-fortyspeechestoher“；adding，withamomentaryseriousness，“Sheistoogoodforhim——
muchtoogood。“Andthenchanginghistoneagaintooneofgentlegallantry，andaddressingFanny，hesaid，“YouwereMr。Rushworth’sbestfriend。Yourkindnessandpatiencecanneverbeforgotten，yourindefatigablepatienceintryingtomakeitpossibleforhimtolearnhispart——
intryingtogivehimabrainwhichnaturehaddenied——
tomixupanunderstandingforhimoutofthesuperfluityofyourown!_He_mightnothavesenseenoughhimselftoestimateyourkindness，butImayventuretosaythatithadhonourfromalltherestoftheparty。“
Fannycoloured，andsaidnothing。
“Itisasadream，apleasantdream!“heexclaimed，breakingforthagain，afterafewminutes’musing。“Ishallalwayslookbackonourtheatricalswithexquisitepleasure。
Therewassuchaninterest，suchananimation，suchaspiritdiffused。Everybodyfeltit。Wewereallalive。
Therewasemployment，hope，solicitude，bustle，foreveryhouroftheday。Alwayssomelittleobjection，somelittledoubt，somelittleanxietytobegotover。
Ineverwashappier。“
WithsilentindignationFannyrepeatedtoherself，“Neverhappier!——neverhappierthanwhendoingwhatyoumustknowwasnotjustifiable!——neverhappierthanwhenbehavingsodishonourablyandunfeelingly!
Oh!whatacorruptedmind!“
“Wewereunlucky，MissPrice，“hecontinued，inalowertone，toavoidthepossibilityofbeingheardbyEdmund，andnotatallawareofherfeelings，“wecertainlywereveryunlucky。Anotherweek，onlyoneotherweek，wouldhavebeenenoughforus。Ithinkifwehadhadthedisposalofevents——ifMansfieldParkhadhadthegovernmentofthewindsjustforaweekortwo，abouttheequinox，therewouldhavebeenadifference。Notthatwewouldhaveendangeredhissafetybyanytremendousweather——
butonlybyasteadycontrarywind，oracalm。Ithink，MissPrice，wewouldhaveindulgedourselveswithaweek’scalmintheAtlanticatthatseason。“
Heseemeddeterminedtobeanswered；andFanny，avertingherface，said，withafirmertonethanusual，“Asfaras_I_amconcerned，sir，Iwouldnothavedelayedhisreturnforaday。Myuncledisapproveditallsoentirelywhenhedidarrive，thatinmyopinioneverythinghadgonequitefarenough。“
Shehadneverspokensomuchatoncetohiminherlifebefore，andneversoangrilytoanyone；andwhenherspeechwasover，shetrembledandblushedatherowndaring。Hewassurprised；
butafterafewmoments’silentconsiderationofher，repliedinacalmer，gravertone，andasifthecandidresultofconviction，“Ibelieveyouareright。Itwasmorepleasantthanprudent。Weweregettingtoonoisy。“
Andthenturningtheconversation，hewouldhaveengagedheronsomeothersubject，butheranswersweresoshyandreluctantthathecouldnotadvanceinany。
MissCrawford，whohadbeenrepeatedlyeyeingDr。GrantandEdmund，nowobserved，“Thosegentlemenmusthavesomeveryinterestingpointtodiscuss。“
“Themostinterestingintheworld，“repliedherbrother——
“howtomakemoney；howtoturnagoodincomeintoabetter。
Dr。GrantisgivingBertraminstructionsaboutthelivingheistostepintososoon。Ifindhetakesordersinafewweeks。Theywereatitinthedining-parlour。
IamgladtohearBertramwillbesowelloff。Hewillhaveaveryprettyincometomakeducksanddrakeswith，andearnedwithoutmuchtrouble。Iapprehendhewillnothavelessthansevenhundredayear。Sevenhundredayearisafinethingforayoungerbrother；andasofcoursehewillstillliveathome，itwillbeallforhis_menus__plaisirs_；andasermonatChristmasandEaster，Isuppose，willbethesumtotalofsacrifice。“
Hissistertriedtolaughoffherfeelingsbysaying，“Nothingamusesmemorethantheeasymannerwithwhicheverybodysettlestheabundanceofthosewhohaveagreatdeallessthanthemselves。Youwouldlookratherblank，Henry，ifyour_menus__plaisirs_weretobelimitedtosevenhundredayear。“
“PerhapsImight；butall_that_youknowisentirelycomparative。Birthrightandhabitmustsettlethebusiness。Bertramiscertainlywelloffforacadetofevenabaronet’sfamily。Bythetimeheisfourorfiveandtwentyhewillhavesevenhundredayear，andnothingtodoforit。“
MissCrawford_could_havesaidthattherewouldbeasomethingtodoandtosufferforit，whichshecouldnotthinklightlyof；butshecheckedherselfandletitpass；andtriedtolookcalmandunconcernedwhenthetwogentlemenshortlyafterwardsjoinedthem。
“Bertram，“saidHenryCrawford，“IshallmakeapointofcomingtoMansfieldtohearyoupreachyourfirstsermon。
Ishallcomeonpurposetoencourageayoungbeginner。
Whenisittobe？MissPrice，willnotyoujoinmeinencouragingyourcousin？Willnotyouengagetoattendwithyoureyessteadilyfixedonhimthewholetime