Ithinkthehouseandpremisesmaybemadecomfortable，andgiventheairofagentleman’sresidence，withoutanyveryheavyexpense，andthatmustsufficeme；and，Ihope，maysufficeallwhocareaboutme。“
MissCrawford，alittlesuspiciousandresentfulofacertaintoneofvoice，andacertainhalf-lookattendingthelastexpressionofhishope，madeahastyfinishofherdealingswithWilliamPrice；andsecuringhisknaveatanexorbitantrate，exclaimed，“There，Iwillstakemylastlikeawomanofspirit。Nocoldprudenceforme。
Iamnotborntositstillanddonothing。IfIlosethegame，itshallnotbefromnotstrivingforit。“
Thegamewashers，andonlydidnotpayherforwhatshehadgiventosecureit。Anotherdealproceeded，andCrawfordbeganagainaboutThorntonLacey。
“Myplanmaynotbethebestpossible：Ihadnotmanyminutestoformitin；butyoumustdoagooddeal。
Theplacedeservesit，andyouwillfindyourselfnotsatisfiedwithmuchlessthanitiscapableof。Excuseme，yourladyshipmustnotseeyourcards。There，letthemliejustbeforeyou。Theplacedeservesit，Bertram。
Youtalkofgivingittheairofagentleman’sresidence。
_That_willbedonebytheremovalofthefarmyard；
for，independentofthatterriblenuisance，Ineversawahouseofthekindwhichhadinitselfsomuchtheairofagentleman’sresidence，somuchthelookofasomethingaboveamereparsonage-house——abovetheexpenditureofafewhundredsayear。Itisnotascramblingcollectionoflowsinglerooms，withasmanyroofsaswindows；itisnotcrampedintothevulgarcompactnessofasquarefarmhouse：
itisasolid，roomy，mansion-likelookinghouse，suchasonemightsupposearespectableoldcountryfamilyhadlivedinfromgenerationtogeneration，throughtwocenturiesatleast，andwerenowspendingfromtwotothreethousandayearin。“MissCrawfordlistened，andEdmundagreedtothis。“Theairofagentleman’sresidence，therefore，youcannotbutgiveit，ifyoudoanything。Butitiscapableofmuchmore。Letmesee，Mary；LadyBertrambidsadozenforthatqueen；no，no，adozenismorethanitisworth。LadyBertramdoesnotbidadozen。
Shewillhavenothingtosaytoit。Goon，goon。
BysomesuchimprovementsasIhavesuggestedIdonotreallyrequireyoutoproceeduponmyplan，though，bythebye，Idoubtanybody’sstrikingoutabetteryoumaygiveitahighercharacter。Youmayraiseitintoa_place_。
Frombeingthemeregentleman’sresidence，itbecomes，byjudiciousimprovement，theresidenceofamanofeducation，taste，modernmanners，goodconnexions。
Allthismaybestampedonit；andthathousereceivesuchanairastomakeitsownerbesetdownasthegreatlandholderoftheparishbyeverycreaturetravellingtheroad；especiallyasthereisnorealsquire’shousetodisputethepoint——acircumstance，betweenourselves，toenhancethevalueofsuchasituationinpointofprivilegeandindependencebeyondallcalculation。
_You_thinkwithme，Ihope“turningwithasoftenedvoicetoFanny。“Haveyoueverseentheplace？“
Fannygaveaquicknegative，andtriedtohideherinterestinthesubjectbyaneagerattentiontoherbrother，whowasdrivingashardabargain，andimposingonherasmuchashecould；butCrawfordpursuedwith“No，no，youmustnotpartwiththequeen。Youhaveboughthertoodearly，andyourbrotherdoesnotofferhalfhervalue。No，no，sir，handsoff，handsoff。Yoursisterdoesnotpartwiththequeen。Sheisquitedetermined。
Thegamewillbeyours，“turningtoheragain；“itwillcertainlybeyours。“
“AndFannyhadmuchratheritwereWilliam’s，“saidEdmund，smilingather。“PoorFanny!notallowedtocheatherselfasshewishes!“
“Mr。Bertram，“saidMissCrawford，afewminutesafterwards，“youknowHenrytobesuchacapitalimprover，thatyoucannotpossiblyengageinanythingofthesortatThorntonLaceywithoutacceptinghishelp。OnlythinkhowusefulhewasatSotherton!OnlythinkwhatgrandthingswereproducedtherebyourallgoingwithhimonehotdayinAugusttodriveaboutthegrounds，andseehisgeniustakefire。Therewewent，andtherewecamehomeagain；
andwhatwasdonethereisnottobetold!“
Fanny’seyeswereturnedonCrawfordforamomentwithanexpressionmorethangrave——evenreproachful；
butoncatchinghis，wereinstantlywithdrawn。
Withsomethingofconsciousnessheshookhisheadathissister，andlaughinglyreplied，“IcannotsaytherewasmuchdoneatSotherton；butitwasahotday，andwewereallwalkingaftereachother，andbewildered。“
Assoonasageneralbuzzgavehimshelter，headded，inalowvoice，directedsolelyatFanny，“Ishouldbesorrytohavemypowersof_planning_judgedofbythedayatSotherton。Iseethingsverydifferentlynow。
DonotthinkofmeasIappearedthen。“
SothertonwasawordtocatchMrs。Norris，andbeingjusttheninthehappyleisurewhichfollowedsecuringtheoddtrickbySirThomas’scapitalplayandherownagainstDr。andMrs。Grant’sgreathands，shecalledout，inhighgood-humour，“Sotherton!Yes，thatisaplace，indeed，andwehadacharmingdaythere。William，youarequiteoutofluck；butthenexttimeyoucome，IhopedearMr。andMrs。Rushworthwillbeathome，andIamsureIcananswerforyourbeingkindlyreceivedbyboth。
Yourcousinsarenotofasorttoforgettheirrelations，andMr。Rushworthisamostamiableman。TheyareatBrightonnow，youknow；inoneofthebesthousesthere，asMr。Rushworth’sfinefortunegivesthemarighttobe。
Idonotexactlyknowthedistance，butwhenyougetbacktoPortsmouth，ifitisnotveryfaroff，yououghttogooverandpayyourrespectstothem；andIcouldsendalittleparcelbyyouthatIwanttogetconveyedtoyourcousins。“
“Ishouldbeveryhappy，aunt；butBrightonisalmostbyBeacheyHead；andifIcouldgetsofar，Icouldnotexpecttobewelcomeinsuchasmartplaceasthat——
poorscrubbymidshipmanasIam。“
Mrs。Norriswasbeginninganeagerassuranceoftheaffabilityhemightdependon，whenshewasstoppedbySirThomas’ssayingwithauthority，“IdonotadviseyourgoingtoBrighton，William，asItrustyoumaysoonhavemoreconvenientopportunitiesofmeeting；butmydaughterswouldbehappytoseetheircousinsanywhere；
andyouwillfindMr。Rushworthmostsincerelydisposedtoregardalltheconnexionsofourfamilyashisown。“
“IwouldratherfindhimprivatesecretarytotheFirstLordthananythingelse，“wasWilliam’sonlyanswer，inanundervoice，notmeanttoreachfar，andthesubjectdropped。
AsyetSirThomashadseennothingtoremarkinMr。Crawford’sbehaviour；butwhenthewhist-tablebrokeupattheendofthesecondrubber，andleavingDr。GrantandMrs。Norristodisputeovertheirlastplay，hebecamealooker-onattheother，hefoundhisniecetheobjectofattentions，orratherofprofessions，ofasomewhatpointedcharacter。
HenryCrawfordwasinthefirstglowofanotherschemeaboutThorntonLacey；andnotbeingabletocatchEdmund’sear，wasdetailingittohisfairneighbourwithalookofconsiderableearnestness。Hisschemewastorentthehousehimselfthefollowingwinter，thathemighthaveahomeofhisowninthatneighbourhood；
anditwasnotmerelyfortheuseofitinthehunting-seasonashewasthentellingher，though_that_considerationhadcertainlysomeweight，feelingashedidthat，inspiteofallDr。Grant’sverygreatkindness，itwasimpossibleforhimandhishorsestobeaccommodatedwheretheynowwerewithoutmaterialinconvenience；
buthisattachmenttothatneighbourhooddidnotdependupononeamusementoroneseasonoftheyear：hehadsethisheartuponhavingasomethingtherethathecouldcometoatanytime，alittlehomestallathiscommand，wherealltheholidaysofhisyearmightbespent，andhemightfindhimselfcontinuing，improving，and_perfecting_
thatfriendshipandintimacywiththeMansfieldParkfamilywhichwasincreasinginvaluetohimeveryday。
SirThomasheardandwasnotoffended。Therewasnowantofrespectintheyoungman’saddress；andFanny’sreceptionofitwassoproperandmodest，socalmanduninviting，thathehadnothingtocensureinher。Shesaidlittle，assentedonlyhereandthere，andbetrayednoinclinationeitherofappropriatinganypartofthecomplimenttoherself，orofstrengtheninghisviewsinfavourofNorthamptonshire。
Findingbywhomhewasobserved，HenryCrawfordaddressedhimselfonthesamesubjecttoSirThomas，inamoreeverydaytone，butstillwithfeeling。
“Iwanttobeyourneighbour，SirThomas，asyouhave，perhaps，heardmetellingMissPrice。MayIhopeforyouracquiescence，andforyournotinfluencingyoursonagainstsuchatenant？“
SirThomas，politelybowing，replied，“Itistheonlyway，sir，inwhichIcould_not_wishyouestablishedasapermanentneighbour；butIhope，andbelieve，thatEdmundwilloccupyhisownhouseatThorntonLacey。Edmund，amIsayingtoomuch？“
Edmund，onthisappeal，hadfirsttohearwhatwasgoingon；
but，onunderstandingthequestion，wasatnolossforananswer。
“Certainly，sir，Ihavenoideabutofresidence。
But，Crawford，thoughIrefuseyouasatenant，cometomeasafriend。Considerthehouseashalfyourowneverywinter，andwewilladdtothestablesonyourownimprovedplan，andwithalltheimprovementsofyourimprovedplanthatmayoccurtoyouthisspring。“
“Weshallbethelosers，“continuedSirThomas。
“Hisgoing，thoughonlyeightmiles，willbeanunwelcomecontractionofourfamilycircle；butIshouldhavebeendeeplymortifiedifanysonofminecouldreconcilehimselftodoingless。Itisperfectlynaturalthatyoushouldnothavethoughtmuchonthesubject，Mr。Crawford。
Butaparishhaswantsandclaimswhichcanbeknownonlybyaclergymanconstantlyresident，andwhichnoproxycanbecapableofsatisfyingtothesameextent。