asIshalldo——nottoloseaword；oronlylookingoffjusttonotedownanysentencepreeminentlybeautiful？
Wewillprovideourselveswithtabletsandapencil。
Whenwillitbe？YoumustpreachatMansfield，youknow，thatSirThomasandLadyBertrammayhearyou。“
“Ishallkeepclearofyou，Crawford，aslongasIcan，“
saidEdmund；“foryouwouldbemorelikelytodisconcertme，andIshouldbemoresorrytoseeyoutryingatitthanalmostanyotherman。“
“Willhenotfeelthis？“thoughtFanny。“No，hecanfeelnothingasheought。“
Thepartybeingnowallunited，andthechieftalkersattractingeachother，sheremainedintranquillity；
andasawhist-tablewasformedaftertea——formedreallyfortheamusementofDr。Grant，byhisattentivewife，thoughitwasnottobesupposedso——andMissCrawfordtookherharp，shehadnothingtodobuttolisten；
andhertranquillityremainedundisturbedtherestoftheevening，exceptwhenMr。Crawfordnowandthenaddressedtoheraquestionorobservation，whichshecouldnotavoidanswering。MissCrawfordwastoomuchvexedbywhathadpassedtobeinahumourforanythingbutmusic。Withthatshesoothedherselfandamusedherfriend。
TheassuranceofEdmund’sbeingsosoontotakeorders，cominguponherlikeablowthathadbeensuspended，andstillhopeduncertainandatadistance，wasfeltwithresentmentandmortification。Shewasveryangrywithhim。Shehadthoughtherinfluencemore。
She_had_beguntothinkofhim；shefeltthatshehad，withgreatregard，withalmostdecidedintentions；
butshewouldnowmeethimwithhisowncoolfeelings。
Itwasplainthathecouldhavenoseriousviews，notrueattachment，byfixinghimselfinasituationwhichhemustknowshewouldneverstoopto。Shewouldlearntomatchhiminhisindifference。Shewouldhenceforthadmithisattentionswithoutanyideabeyondimmediateamusement。
If_he_couldsocommandhisaffections，_hers_shoulddohernoharm。
Chapter24CHAPTERXXIV
HenryCrawfordhadquitemadeuphismindbythenextmorningtogiveanotherfortnighttoMansfield，andhavingsentforhishunters，andwrittenafewlinesofexplanationtotheAdmiral，helookedroundathissisterashesealedandthrewtheletterfromhim，andseeingthecoastclearoftherestofthefamily，said，withasmile，“AndhowdoyouthinkImeantoamusemyself，Mary，onthedaysthatIdonothunt？
Iamgrowntoooldtogooutmorethanthreetimesaweek；
butIhaveaplanfortheintermediatedays，andwhatdoyouthinkitis？“
“Towalkandridewithme，tobesure。“
“Notexactly，thoughIshallbehappytodoboth，but_that_
wouldbeexerciseonlytomybody，andImusttakecareofmymind。Besides，_that_wouldbeallrecreationandindulgence，withoutthewholesomealloyoflabour，andIdonotliketoeatthebreadofidleness。No，myplanistomakeFannyPriceinlovewithme。“
“FannyPrice!Nonsense!No，no。Yououghttobesatisfiedwithhertwocousins。“
“ButIcannotbesatisfiedwithoutFannyPrice，withoutmakingasmallholeinFannyPrice’sheart。
Youdonotseemproperlyawareofherclaimstonotice。
Whenwetalkedofherlastnight，younoneofyouseemedsensibleofthewonderfulimprovementthathastakenplaceinherlookswithinthelastsixweeks。
Youseehereveryday，andthereforedonotnoticeit；
butIassureyousheisquiteadifferentcreaturefromwhatshewasintheautumn。Shewasthenmerelyaquiet，modest，notplain-lookinggirl，butsheisnowabsolutelypretty。Iusedtothinkshehadneithercomplexionnorcountenance；butinthatsoftskinofhers，sofrequentlytingedwithablushasitwasyesterday，thereisdecidedbeauty；andfromwhatIobservedofhereyesandmouth，Idonotdespairoftheirbeingcapableofexpressionenoughwhenshehasanythingtoexpress。
Andthen，herair，hermanner，her_tout__ensemble_，issoindescribablyimproved!Shemustbegrowntwoinches，atleast，sinceOctober。“
“Phoo!phoo!Thisisonlybecausetherewerenotallwomentocompareherwith，andbecauseshehasgotanewgown，andyouneversawhersowelldressedbefore。SheisjustwhatshewasinOctober，believeme。Thetruthis，thatshewastheonlygirlincompanyforyoutonotice，andyoumusthaveasomebody。Ihavealwaysthoughtherpretty——notstrikinglypretty——but’prettyenough，’
aspeoplesay；asortofbeautythatgrowsonone。
Hereyesshouldbedarker，butshehasasweetsmile；
butasforthiswonderfuldegreeofimprovement，Iamsureitmayallberesolvedintoabetterstyleofdress，andyourhavingnobodyelsetolookat；andtherefore，ifyoudosetaboutaflirtationwithher，youneverwillpersuademethatitisincomplimenttoherbeauty，orthatitproceedsfromanythingbutyourownidlenessandfolly。“
Herbrothergaveonlyasmiletothisaccusation，andsoonafterwardssaid，“IdonotquiteknowwhattomakeofMissFanny。Idonotunderstandher。Icouldnottellwhatshewouldbeatyesterday。Whatishercharacter？
Isshesolemn？Isshequeer？Issheprudish？Whydidshedrawbackandlooksograveatme？Icouldhardlygethertospeak。Ineverwassolongincompanywithagirlinmylife，tryingtoentertainher，andsucceedsoill!
Nevermetwithagirlwholookedsograveonme!
Imusttrytogetthebetterofthis。Herlookssay，’Iwillnotlikeyou，Iamdeterminednottolikeyou’；
andIsaysheshall。“
“Foolishfellow!Andsothisisherattractionafterall!
Thisitis，hernotcaringaboutyou，whichgiveshersuchasoftskin，andmakeshersomuchtaller，andproducesallthesecharmsandgraces!Idodesirethatyouwillnotbemakingherreallyunhappy；
a_little_love，perhaps，mayanimateanddohergood，butIwillnothaveyouplungeherdeep，forsheisasgoodalittlecreatureaseverlived，andhasagreatdealoffeeling。“
“Itcanbebutforafortnight，“saidHenry；“andifafortnightcankillher，shemusthaveaconstitutionwhichnothingcouldsave。No，Iwillnotdoheranyharm，dearlittlesoul!onlywanthertolookkindlyonme，togivemesmilesaswellasblushes，tokeepachairformebyherselfwhereverweare，andbeallanimationwhenItakeitandtalktoher；tothinkasIthink，beinterestedinallmypossessionsandpleasures，trytokeepmelongeratMansfield，andfeelwhenI
goawaythatsheshallbeneverhappyagain。Iwantnothingmore。“
“Moderationitself!“saidMary。“Icanhavenoscruplesnow。
Well，youwillhaveopportunitiesenoughofendeavouringtorecommendyourself，forweareagreatdealtogether。“
Andwithoutattemptinganyfartherremonstrance，sheleftFannytoherfate，afatewhich，hadnotFanny’sheartbeenguardedinawayunsuspectedbyMissCrawford，mighthavebeenalittleharderthanshedeserved；
foralthoughtheredoubtlessaresuchunconquerableyoungladiesofeighteenoroneshouldnotreadaboutthem
asarenevertobepersuadedintoloveagainsttheirjudgmentbyallthattalent，manner，attention，andflatterycando，IhavenoinclinationtobelieveFannyoneofthem，ortothinkthatwithsomuchtendernessofdisposition，andsomuchtasteasbelongedtoher，shecouldhaveescapedheart-wholefromthecourtshipthoughthecourtshiponlyofafortnightofsuchamanasCrawford，inspiteoftherebeingsomepreviousillopinionofhimtobeovercome，hadnotheraffectionbeenengagedelsewhere。
Withallthesecuritywhichloveofanotheranddisesteemofhimcouldgivetothepeaceofmindhewasattacking，hiscontinuedattentions——continued，butnotobtrusive，andadaptingthemselvesmoreandmoretothegentlenessanddelicacyofhercharacter——obligedherverysoontodislikehimlessthanformerly。Shehadbynomeansforgottenthepast，andshethoughtasillofhimasever；
butshefelthispowers：hewasentertaining；andhismannersweresoimproved，sopolite，soseriouslyandblamelesslypolite，thatitwasimpossiblenottobeciviltohiminreturn。
Averyfewdayswereenoughtoeffectthis；andattheendofthosefewdays，circumstancesarosewhichhadatendencyrathertoforwardhisviewsofpleasingher，inasmuchastheygaveheradegreeofhappinesswhichmustdisposehertobepleasedwitheverybody。William，herbrother，thesolongabsentanddearlylovedbrother，wasinEnglandagain。Shehadaletterfromhimherself，afewhurriedhappylines，writtenastheshipcameupChannel，andsentintoPortsmouthwiththefirstboatthatlefttheAntwerpatanchorinSpithead；andwhenCrawfordwalkedupwiththenewspaperinhishand，whichhehadhopedwouldbringthefirsttidings，hefoundhertremblingwithjoyoverthisletter，andlisteningwithaglowing，gratefulcountenancetothekindinvitationwhichherunclewasmostcollectedlydictatinginreply。
ItwasbutthedaybeforethatCrawfordhadmadehimselfthoroughlymasterofthesubject，orhadinfactbecomeatallawareofherhavingsuchabrother，orhisbeinginsuchaship，buttheinterestthenexcitedhadbeenveryproperlylively，determininghimonhisreturntotowntoapplyforinformationastotheprobableperiodoftheAntwerp’sreturnfromtheMediterranean，etc。；