Edmundmight，inthecommonphrase，dothedutyofThornton，thatis，hemightreadprayersandpreach，withoutgivingupMansfieldPark：hemightrideovereverySunday，toahousenominallyinhabited，andgothroughdivineservice；
hemightbetheclergymanofThorntonLaceyeveryseventhday，forthreeorfourhours，ifthatwouldcontenthim。
Butitwillnot。Heknowsthathumannatureneedsmorelessonsthanaweeklysermoncanconvey；andthatifhedoesnotliveamonghisparishioners，andprovehimself，byconstantattention，theirwell-wisherandfriend，hedoesverylittleeitherfortheirgoodorhisown。“
Mr。Crawfordbowedhisacquiescence。
“Irepeatagain，“addedSirThomas，“thatThorntonLaceyistheonlyhouseintheneighbourhoodinwhichIshould_not_behappytowaitonMr。Crawfordasoccupier。“
Mr。Crawfordbowedhisthanks。
“SirThomas，“saidEdmund，“undoubtedlyunderstandsthedutyofaparishpriest。Wemusthopehissonmayprovethat_he_knowsittoo。“
WhatevereffectSirThomas’slittleharanguemightreallyproduceonMr。Crawford，itraisedsomeawkwardsensationsintwooftheothers，twoofhismostattentivelisteners——
MissCrawfordandFanny。Oneofwhom，havingneverbeforeunderstoodthatThorntonwassosoonandsocompletelytobehishome，wasponderingwithdowncasteyesonwhatitwouldbe_not_toseeEdmundeveryday；andtheother，startledfromtheagreeablefanciesshehadbeenpreviouslyindulgingonthestrengthofherbrother’sdescription，nolongerable，inthepictureshehadbeenformingofafutureThornton，toshutoutthechurch，sinktheclergyman，andseeonlytherespectable，elegant，modernised，andoccasionalresidenceofamanofindependentfortune，wasconsideringSirThomas，withdecidedill-will，asthedestroyerofallthis，andsufferingthemorefromthatinvoluntaryforbearancewhichhischaracterandmannercommanded，andfromnotdaringtorelieveherselfbyasingleattemptatthrowingridiculeonhiscause。
Alltheagreeableof_her_speculationwasoverforthathour。
Itwastimetohavedonewithcards，ifsermonsprevailed；
andshewasgladtofinditnecessarytocometoaconclusion，andbeabletorefreshherspiritsbyachangeofplaceandneighbour。
Thechiefofthepartywerenowcollectedirregularlyroundthefire，andwaitingthefinalbreak-up。WilliamandFannywerethemostdetached。Theyremainedtogetherattheotherwisedesertedcard-table，talkingverycomfortably，andnotthinkingoftherest，tillsomeoftherestbegantothinkofthem。HenryCrawford’schairwasthefirsttobegivenadirectiontowardsthem，andhesatsilentlyobservingthemforafewminutes；
himself，inthemeanwhile，observedbySirThomas，whowasstandinginchatwithDr。Grant。
“Thisistheassemblynight，“saidWilliam。“IfIwereatPortsmouthIshouldbeatit，perhaps。“
“ButyoudonotwishyourselfatPortsmouth，William？“
“No，Fanny，thatIdonot。IshallhaveenoughofPortsmouthandofdancingtoo，whenIcannothaveyou。AndIdonotknowthattherewouldbeanygoodingoingtotheassembly，forImightnotgetapartner。ThePortsmouthgirlsturnuptheirnosesatanybodywhohasnotacommission。
Onemightaswellbenothingasamidshipman。
One_is_nothing，indeed。YouremembertheGregorys；
theyaregrownupamazingfinegirls，buttheywillhardlyspeakto_me_，becauseLucyiscourtedbyalieutenant。“
“Oh!shame，shame!Butnevermindit，William“herowncheeksinaglowofindignationasshespoke。“Itisnotworthminding。Itisnoreflectionon_you_；itisnomorethanwhatthegreatestadmiralshaveallexperienced，moreorless，intheirtime。Youmustthinkofthat，youmusttrytomakeupyourmindtoitasoneofthehardshipswhichfalltoeverysailor’sshare，likebadweatherandhardliving，onlywiththisadvantage，thattherewillbeanendtoit，thattherewillcomeatimewhenyouwillhavenothingofthatsorttoendure。
Whenyouarealieutenant!onlythink，William，whenyouarealieutenant，howlittleyouwillcareforanynonsenseofthiskind。“
“IbegintothinkIshallneverbealieutenant，Fanny。
Everybodygetsmadebutme。“
“Oh!mydearWilliam，donottalkso；donotbesodesponding。
Myunclesaysnothing，butIamsurehewilldoeverythinginhispowertogetyoumade。Heknows，aswellasyoudo，ofwhatconsequenceitis。“
Shewascheckedbythesightofherunclemuchnearertothemthanshehadanysuspicionof，andeachfounditnecessarytotalkofsomethingelse。
“Areyoufondofdancing，Fanny？“
“Yes，very；onlyIamsoontired。“
“Ishouldliketogotoaballwithyouandseeyoudance。HaveyouneveranyballsatNorthampton？
Ishouldliketoseeyoudance，andI’ddancewithyouifyou_would_，fornobodywouldknowwhoIwashere，andIshouldliketobeyourpartneroncemore。
Weusedtojumpabouttogethermanyatime，didnotwe？
whenthehand-organwasinthestreet？Iamaprettygooddancerinmyway，butIdaresayyouareabetter。“
Andturningtohisuncle，whowasnowclosetothem，“IsnotFannyaverygooddancer，sir？“
Fanny，indismayatsuchanunprecedentedquestion，didnotknowwhichwaytolook，orhowtobepreparedfortheanswer。Someverygravereproof，oratleastthecoldestexpressionofindifference，mustbecomingtodistressherbrother，andsinkhertotheground。
But，onthecontrary，itwasnoworsethan，“IamsorrytosaythatIamunabletoansweryourquestion。
IhaveneverseenFannydancesinceshewasalittlegirl；
butItrustweshallboththinksheacquitsherselflikeagentlewomanwhenwedoseeher，which，perhaps，wemayhaveanopportunityofdoingerelong。“
“Ihavehadthepleasureofseeingyoursisterdance，Mr。Price，“saidHenryCrawford，leaningforward，“andwillengagetoanswereveryinquirywhichyoucanmakeonthesubject，toyourentiresatisfaction。
ButIbelieve“seeingFannylookeddistressed“itmustbeatsomeothertime。Thereis_one_personincompanywhodoesnotliketohaveMissPricespokenof。“
Trueenough，hehadonceseenFannydance；anditwasequallytruethathewouldnowhaveansweredforherglidingaboutwithquiet，lightelegance，andinadmirabletime；
but，infact，hecouldnotforthelifeofhimrecallwhatherdancinghadbeen，andrathertookitforgrantedthatshehadbeenpresentthanrememberedanythingabouther。
Hepassed，however，foranadmirerofherdancing；
andSirThomas，bynomeansdispleased，prolongedtheconversationondancingingeneral，andwassowellengagedindescribingtheballsofAntigua，andlisteningtowhathisnephewcouldrelateofthedifferentmodesofdancingwhichhadfallenwithinhisobservation，thathehadnotheardhiscarriageannounced，andwasfirstcalledtotheknowledgeofitbythebustleofMrs。Norris。
“Come，Fanny，Fanny，whatareyouabout？Wearegoing。
Donotyouseeyourauntisgoing？Quick，quick!IcannotbeartokeepgoodoldWilcoxwaiting。Youshouldalwaysrememberthecoachmanandhorses。MydearSirThomas，wehavesettleditthatthecarriageshouldcomebackforyou，andEdmundandWilliam。“
SirThomascouldnotdissent，asithadbeenhisownarrangement，previouslycommunicatedtohiswifeandsister；but_that_seemedforgottenbyMrs。Norris，whomustfancythatshesettleditallherself。
Fanny’slastfeelinginthevisitwasdisappointment：
fortheshawlwhichEdmundwasquietlytakingfromtheservanttobringandputroundhershoulderswasseizedbyMr。Crawford’squickerhand，andshewasobligedtobeindebtedtohismoreprominentattention。
William’sdesireofseeingFannydancemademorethanamomentaryimpressiononhisuncle。Thehopeofanopportunity，whichSirThomashadthengiven，wasnotgiventobethoughtofnomore。Heremainedsteadilyinclinedtogratifysoamiableafeeling；togratifyanybodyelsewhomightwishtoseeFannydance，andtogivepleasuretotheyoungpeopleingeneral；andhavingthoughtthematterover，andtakenhisresolutioninquietindependence，theresultofitappearedthenextmorningatbreakfast，when，afterrecallingandcommendingwhathisnephewhadsaid，headded，“Idonotlike，William，thatyoushouldleaveNorthamptonshirewithoutthisindulgence。
Itwouldgivemepleasuretoseeyoubothdance。
YouspokeoftheballsatNorthampton。Yourcousinshaveoccasionallyattendedthem；buttheywouldnotaltogethersuitusnow。Thefatiguewouldbetoomuchforyouraunt。
IbelievewemustnotthinkofaNorthamptonball。
Adanceathomewouldbemoreeligible；andif——“
“Ah，mydearSirThomas!“interruptedMrs。Norris，“Iknewwhatwascoming。Iknewwhatyouweregoingtosay。IfdearJuliawereathome，ordearestMrs。RushworthatSotherton，toaffordareason，anoccasionforsuchathing，youwouldbetemptedtogivetheyoungpeopleadanceatMansfield。
Iknowyouwould。If_they_wereathometogracetheball，aballyouwouldhavethisveryChristmas。
Thankyouruncle，William，thankyouruncle!“