“Mydaughters，“repliedSirThomas，gravelyinterposing，“havetheirpleasuresatBrighton，andIhopeareveryhappy；
butthedancewhichIthinkofgivingatMansfieldwillbefortheircousins。Couldwebeallassembled，oursatisfactionwouldundoubtedlybemorecomplete，buttheabsenceofsomeisnottodebartheothersofamusement。“
Mrs。Norrishadnotanotherwordtosay。Shesawdecisioninhislooks，andhersurpriseandvexationrequiredsomeminutes’silencetobesettledintocomposure。
Aballatsuchatime!Hisdaughtersabsentandherselfnotconsulted!Therewascomfort，however，soonathand。
_She_mustbethedoerofeverything：LadyBertramwouldofcoursebesparedallthoughtandexertion，anditwouldallfallupon_her_。Sheshouldhavetodothehonoursoftheevening；andthisreflectionquicklyrestoredsomuchofhergood-humourasenabledhertojoininwiththeothers，beforetheirhappinessandthankswereallexpressed。
Edmund，William，andFannydid，intheirdifferentways，lookandspeakasmuchgratefulpleasureinthepromisedballasSirThomascoulddesire。Edmund’sfeelingswerefortheothertwo。Hisfatherhadneverconferredafavourorshewnakindnessmoretohissatisfaction。
LadyBertramwasperfectlyquiescentandcontented，andhadnoobjectionstomake。SirThomasengagedforitsgivingherverylittletrouble；andsheassuredhim“thatshewasnotatallafraidofthetrouble；
indeed，shecouldnotimaginetherewouldbeany。“
Mrs。Norriswasreadywithhersuggestionsastotheroomshewouldthinkfittesttobeused，butfounditallprearranged；
andwhenshewouldhaveconjecturedandhintedabouttheday，itappearedthatthedaywassettledtoo。
SirThomashadbeenamusinghimselfwithshapingaverycompleteoutlineofthebusiness；andassoonasshewouldlistenquietly，couldreadhislistofthefamiliestobeinvited，fromwhomhecalculated，withallnecessaryallowancefortheshortnessofthenotice，tocollectyoungpeopleenoughtoformtwelveorfourteencouple：
andcoulddetailtheconsiderationswhichhadinducedhimtofixonthe22ndasthemosteligibleday。
WilliamwasrequiredtobeatPortsmouthonthe24th；
the22ndwouldthereforebethelastdayofhisvisit；
butwherethedaysweresofewitwouldbeunwisetofixonanyearlier。Mrs。Norriswasobligedtobesatisfiedwiththinkingjustthesame，andwithhavingbeenonthepointofproposingthe22ndherself，asbyfarthebestdayforthepurpose。
Theballwasnowasettledthing，andbeforetheeveningaproclaimedthingtoallwhomitconcerned。Invitationsweresentwithdespatch，andmanyayoungladywenttobedthatnightwithherheadfullofhappycaresaswellasFanny。
Toherthecaresweresometimesalmostbeyondthehappiness；
foryoungandinexperienced，withsmallmeansofchoiceandnoconfidenceinherowntaste，the“howsheshouldbedressed“wasapointofpainfulsolicitude；
andthealmostsolitaryornamentinherpossession，averyprettyambercrosswhichWilliamhadbroughtherfromSicily，wasthegreatestdistressofall，forshehadnothingbutabitofribbontofastenitto；
andthoughshehadwornitinthatmanneronce，woulditbeallowableatsuchatimeinthemidstofalltherichornamentswhichshesupposedalltheotheryoungladieswouldappearin？Andyetnottowearit!Williamhadwantedtobuyheragoldchaintoo，butthepurchasehadbeenbeyondhismeans，andthereforenottowearthecrossmightbemortifyinghim。Thesewereanxiousconsiderations；
enoughtosoberherspiritsevenundertheprospectofaballgivenprincipallyforhergratification。
Thepreparationsmeanwhilewenton，andLadyBertramcontinuedtositonhersofawithoutanyinconveniencefromthem。
Shehadsomeextravisitsfromthehousekeeper，andhermaidwasratherhurriedinmakingupanewdressforher：
SirThomasgaveorders，andMrs。Norrisranabout；
butallthisgave_her_notrouble，andasshehadforeseen，“therewas，infact，notroubleinthebusiness。“
Edmundwasatthistimeparticularlyfullofcares：
hismindbeingdeeplyoccupiedintheconsiderationoftwoimportanteventsnowathand，whichweretofixhisfateinlife——ordinationandmatrimony——eventsofsuchaseriouscharacterastomaketheball，whichwouldbeveryquicklyfollowedbyoneofthem，appearoflessmomentinhiseyesthaninthoseofanyotherpersoninthehouse。
Onthe23rdhewasgoingtoafriendnearPeterborough，inthesamesituationashimself，andtheyweretoreceiveordinationinthecourseoftheChristmasweek。
Halfhisdestinywouldthenbedetermined，buttheotherhalfmightnotbesoverysmoothlywooed。Hisdutieswouldbeestablished，butthewifewhowastoshare，andanimate，andrewardthoseduties，mightyetbeunattainable。
Heknewhisownmind，buthewasnotalwaysperfectlyassuredofknowingMissCrawford’s。Therewerepointsonwhichtheydidnotquiteagree；thereweremomentsinwhichshedidnotseempropitious；andthoughtrustingaltogethertoheraffection，sofarastoberesolved——almostresolved——
onbringingittoadecisionwithinaveryshorttime，assoonasthevarietyofbusinessbeforehimwerearranged，andheknewwhathehadtoofferher，hehadmanyanxiousfeelings，manydoubtinghoursastotheresult。
Hisconvictionofherregardforhimwassometimesverystrong；
hecouldlookbackonalongcourseofencouragement，andshewasasperfectindisinterestedattachmentasineverythingelse。Butatothertimesdoubtandalarmintermingledwithhishopes；andwhenhethoughtofheracknowledgeddisinclinationforprivacyandretirement，herdecidedpreferenceofaLondonlife，whatcouldheexpectbutadeterminedrejection？unlessitwereanacceptanceevenmoretobedeprecated，demandingsuchsacrificesofsituationandemploymentonhissideasconsciencemustforbid。
Theissueofalldependedononequestion。Didshelovehimwellenoughtoforegowhathadusedtobeessentialpoints？Didshelovehimwellenoughtomakethemnolongeressential？Andthisquestion，whichhewascontinuallyrepeatingtohimself，thoughoftenestansweredwitha“Yes，“hadsometimesits“No。“
MissCrawfordwassoontoleaveMansfield，andonthiscircumstancethe“no“andthe“yes“hadbeenveryrecentlyinalternation。Hehadseenhereyessparkleasshespokeofthedearfriend’sletter，whichclaimedalongvisitfromherinLondon，andofthekindnessofHenry，inengagingtoremainwherehewastillJanuary，thathemightconveyherthither；hehadheardherspeakofthepleasureofsuchajourneywithananimationwhichhad“no“ineverytone。
Butthishadoccurredonthefirstdayofitsbeingsettled，withinthefirsthouroftheburstofsuchenjoyment，whennothingbutthefriendsshewastovisitwasbeforeher。
Hehadsinceheardherexpressherselfdifferently，withotherfeelings，morechequeredfeelings：hehadheardhertellMrs。Grantthatsheshouldleaveherwithregret；
thatshebegantobelieveneitherthefriendsnorthepleasuresshewasgoingtowereworththosesheleftbehind；andthatthoughshefeltshemustgo，andknewsheshouldenjoyherselfwhenonceaway，shewasalreadylookingforwardtobeingatMansfieldagain。
Wastherenota“yes“inallthis？
Withsuchmatterstoponderover，andarrange，andre-arrange，Edmundcouldnot，onhisownaccount，thinkverymuchoftheeveningwhichtherestofthefamilywerelookingforwardtowithamoreequaldegreeofstronginterest。
Independentofhistwocousins’enjoymentinit，theeveningwastohimofnohighervaluethananyotherappointedmeetingofthetwofamiliesmightbe。
IneverymeetingtherewasahopeofreceivingfartherconfirmationofMissCrawford’sattachment；butthewhirlofaballroom，perhaps，wasnotparticularlyfavourabletotheexcitementorexpressionofseriousfeelings。
Toengageherearlyforthetwofirstdanceswasallthecommandofindividualhappinesswhichhefeltinhispower，andtheonlypreparationfortheballwhichhecouldenterinto，inspiteofallthatwaspassingaroundhimonthesubject，frommorningtillnight。
Thursdaywasthedayoftheball；andonWednesdaymorningFanny，stillunabletosatisfyherselfastowhatsheoughttowear，determinedtoseekthecounselofthemoreenlightened，andapplytoMrs。Grantandhersister，whoseacknowledgedtastewouldcertainlybearherblameless；
andasEdmundandWilliamweregonetoNorthampton，andshehadreasontothinkMr。Crawfordlikewiseout，shewalkeddowntotheParsonagewithoutmuchfearofwantinganopportunityforprivatediscussion；andtheprivacyofsuchadiscussionwasamostimportantpartofittoFanny，beingmorethanhalf-ashamedofherownsolicitude。
ShemetMissCrawfordwithinafewyardsoftheParsonage，justsettingouttocallonher，andasitseemedtoherthatherfriend，thoughobligedtoinsistonturningback，wasunwillingtoloseherwalk，sheexplainedherbusinessatonce，andobserved，thatifshewouldbesokindastogiveheropinion，itmightbealltalkedoveraswellwithoutdoorsaswithin。MissCrawfordappearedgratifiedbytheapplication，andafteramoment’sthought，urgedFanny’sreturningwithherinamuchmorecordialmannerthanbefore，andproposedtheirgoingupintoherroom，wheretheymighthaveacomfortablecoze，withoutdisturbingDr。andMrs。Grant，whoweretogetherinthedrawing-room。ItwasjusttheplantosuitFanny；