andthen，creepingslowlyuptheprincipalstaircase，pursuedbytheceaselesscountry-dance，feverishwithhopesandfears，soupandnegus，sore-footedandfatigued，restlessandagitated，yetfeeling，inspiteofeverything，thataballwasindeeddelightful。
Inthussendingheraway，SirThomasperhapsmightnotbethinkingmerelyofherhealth。ItmightoccurtohimthatMr。Crawfordhadbeensittingbyherlongenough，orhemightmeantorecommendherasawifebyshewingherpersuadableness。
Theballwasover，andthebreakfastwassoonovertoo；
thelastkisswasgiven，andWilliamwasgone。
Mr。Crawfordhad，asheforetold，beenverypunctual，andshortandpleasanthadbeenthemeal。
AfterseeingWilliamtothelastmoment，Fannywalkedbacktothebreakfast-roomwithaverysaddenedhearttogrieveoverthemelancholychange；andthereherunclekindlylefthertocryinpeace，conceiving，perhaps，thatthedesertedchairofeachyoungmanmightexercisehertenderenthusiasm，andthattheremainingcoldporkbonesandmustardinWilliam’splatemightbutdivideherfeelingswiththebrokenegg-shellsinMr。Crawford’s。
Shesatandcried_con__amore_asheruncleintended，butitwas_con__amore_fraternalandnoother。
Williamwasgone，andshenowfeltasifshehadwastedhalfhisvisitinidlecaresandselfishsolicitudesunconnectedwithhim。
Fanny’sdispositionwassuchthatshecouldnevereventhinkofherauntNorrisinthemeagrenessandcheerlessnessofherownsmallhouse，withoutreproachingherselfforsomelittlewantofattentiontoherwhentheyhadbeenlasttogether；muchlesscouldherfeelingsacquitherofhavingdoneandsaidandthoughteverythingbyWilliamthatwasduetohimforawholefortnight。
Itwasaheavy，melancholyday。Soonafterthesecondbreakfast，Edmundbadethemgood-byeforaweek，andmountedhishorseforPeterborough，andthenallweregone。
Nothingremainedoflastnightbutremembrances，whichshehadnobodytosharein。ShetalkedtoherauntBertram——
shemusttalktosomebodyoftheball；butheraunthadseensolittleofwhathadpassed，andhadsolittlecuriosity，thatitwasheavywork。LadyBertramwasnotcertainofanybody’sdressoranybody’splaceatsupperbutherown。
“ShecouldnotrecollectwhatitwasthatshehadheardaboutoneoftheMissMaddoxes，orwhatitwasthatLadyPrescotthadnoticedinFanny：shewasnotsurewhetherColonelHarrisonhadbeentalkingofMr。CrawfordorofWilliamwhenhesaidhewasthefinestyoungmanintheroom——
somebodyhadwhisperedsomethingtoher；shehadforgottoaskSirThomaswhatitcouldbe。“Andthesewereherlongestspeechesandclearestcommunications：therestwasonlyalanguid“Yes，yes；verywell；didyou？didhe？
Ididnotsee_that_；Ishouldnotknowonefromtheother。“
Thiswasverybad。ItwasonlybetterthanMrs。Norris’ssharpanswerswouldhavebeen；butshebeinggonehomewithallthesupernumeraryjelliestonurseasickmaid，therewaspeaceandgood-humourintheirlittleparty，thoughitcouldnotboastmuchbeside。
Theeveningwasheavyliketheday。“Icannotthinkwhatisthematterwithme，“saidLadyBertram，whenthetea-thingswereremoved。“Ifeelquitestupid。
Itmustbesittingupsolatelastnight。Fanny，youmustdosomethingtokeepmeawake。Icannotwork。
Fetchthecards；Ifeelsoverystupid。“
Thecardswerebrought，andFannyplayedatcribbagewithheraunttillbedtime；andasSirThomaswasreadingtohimself，nosoundswereheardintheroomforthenexttwohoursbeyondthereckoningsofthegame——“And_that_
makesthirty-one；fourinhandandeightincrib。
Youaretodeal，ma’am；shallIdealforyou？“Fannythoughtandthoughtagainofthedifferencewhichtwenty-fourhourshadmadeinthatroom，andallthatpartofthehouse。
Lastnightithadbeenhopeandsmiles，bustleandmotion，noiseandbrilliancy，inthedrawing-room，andoutofthedrawing-room，andeverywhere。Nowitwaslanguor，andallbutsolitude。
Agoodnight’srestimprovedherspirits。ShecouldthinkofWilliamthenextdaymorecheerfully；andasthemorningaffordedheranopportunityoftalkingoverThursdaynightwithMrs。GrantandMissCrawford，inaveryhandsomestyle，withalltheheighteningsofimagination，andallthelaughsofplayfulnesswhicharesoessentialtotheshadeofadepartedball，shecouldafterwardsbringhermindwithoutmucheffortintoitseverydaystate，andeasilyconformtothetranquillityofthepresentquietweek。
Theywereindeedasmallerpartythanshehadeverknownthereforawholedaytogether，and_he_wasgoneonwhomthecomfortandcheerfulnessofeveryfamilymeetingandeverymealchieflydepended。Butthismustbelearnedtobeendured。Hewouldsoonbealwaysgone；
andshewasthankfulthatshecouldnowsitinthesameroomwithheruncle，hearhisvoice，receivehisquestions，andevenanswerthem，withoutsuchwretchedfeelingsasshehadformerlyknown。
“Wemissourtwoyoungmen，“wasSirThomas’sobservationonboththefirstandsecondday，astheyformedtheirveryreducedcircleafterdinner；andinconsiderationofFanny’sswimmingeyes，nothingmorewassaidonthefirstdaythantodrinktheirgoodhealth；
butontheseconditledtosomethingfarther。
Williamwaskindlycommendedandhispromotionhopedfor。
“Andthereisnoreasontosuppose，“addedSirThomas，“butthathisvisitstousmaynowbetolerablyfrequent。
AstoEdmund，wemustlearntodowithouthim。
Thiswillbethelastwinterofhisbelongingtous，ashehasdone。“
“Yes，“saidLadyBertram，“butIwishhewasnotgoingaway。
Theyareallgoingaway，Ithink。Iwishtheywouldstayathome。“
ThiswishwaslevelledprincipallyatJulia，whohadjustappliedforpermissiontogototownwithMaria；
andasSirThomasthoughtitbestforeachdaughterthatthepermissionshouldbegranted，LadyBertram，thoughinherowngood-natureshewouldnothavepreventedit，waslamentingthechangeitmadeintheprospectofJulia’sreturn，whichwouldotherwisehavetakenplaceaboutthistime。
AgreatdealofgoodsensefollowedonSirThomas’sside，tendingtoreconcilehiswifetothearrangement。
Everythingthataconsiderateparent_ought_tofeelwasadvancedforheruse；andeverythingthatanaffectionatemother_must_feelinpromotingherchildren’senjoymentwasattributedtohernature。LadyBertramagreedtoitallwithacalm“Yes“；andattheendofaquarterofanhour’ssilentconsiderationspontaneouslyobserved，“SirThomas，Ihavebeenthinking——andIamverygladwetookFannyaswedid，fornowtheothersareawaywefeelthegoodofit。“
SirThomasimmediatelyimprovedthiscomplimentbyadding，“Verytrue。WeshewFannywhatagoodgirlwethinkherbypraisinghertoherface，sheisnowaveryvaluablecompanion。Ifwehavebeenkindto_her_，sheisnowquiteasnecessaryto_us_。“
“Yes，“saidLadyBertrampresently；“anditisacomforttothinkthatweshallalwayshave_her_。“
SirThomaspaused，halfsmiled，glancedathisniece，andthengravelyreplied，“Shewillneverleaveus，Ihope，tillinvitedtosomeotherhomethatmayreasonablypromisehergreaterhappinessthansheknowshere。“
“And_that_isnotverylikelytobe，SirThomas。
Whoshouldinviteher？MariamightbeverygladtoseeheratSothertonnowandthen，butshewouldnotthinkofaskinghertolivethere；andIamsuresheisbetteroffhere；
andbesides，Icannotdowithouther。“
TheweekwhichpassedsoquietlyandpeaceablyatthegreathouseinMansfieldhadaverydifferentcharacterattheParsonage。Totheyounglady，atleast，ineachfamily，itbroughtverydifferentfeelings。WhatwastranquillityandcomforttoFannywastediousnessandvexationtoMary。
Somethingarosefromdifferenceofdispositionandhabit：
onesoeasilysatisfied，theothersounusedtoendure；
butstillmoremightbeimputedtodifferenceofcircumstances。Insomepointsofinteresttheywereexactlyopposedtoeachother。ToFanny’smind，Edmund’sabsencewasreally，initscauseanditstendency，arelief。ToMaryitwaseverywaypainful。Shefeltthewantofhissocietyeveryday，almosteveryhour，andwastoomuchinwantofittoderiveanythingbutirritationfromconsideringtheobjectforwhichhewent。
Hecouldnothavedevisedanythingmorelikelytoraisehisconsequencethanthisweek’sabsence，occurringasitdidattheverytimeofherbrother’sgoingaway，ofWilliamPrice’sgoingtoo，andcompletingthesortofgeneralbreak-upofapartywhichhadbeensoanimated。
Shefeltitkeenly。Theywerenowamiserabletrio，confinedwithindoorsbyaseriesofrainandsnow，withnothingtodoandnovarietytohopefor。AngryasshewaswithEdmundforadheringtohisownnotions，andactingonthemindefianceofherandshehadbeensoangrythattheyhadhardlypartedfriendsattheball，shecouldnothelpthinkingofhimcontinuallywhenabsent，dwellingonhismeritandaffection，andlongingagainforthealmostdailymeetingstheylatelyhad。Hisabsencewasunnecessarilylong。Heshouldnothaveplannedsuchanabsence——heshouldnothavelefthomeforaweek，whenherowndeparturefromMansfieldwassonear。
Thenshebegantoblameherself。Shewishedshehadnotspokensowarmlyintheirlastconversation。Shewasafraidshehadusedsomestrong，somecontemptuousexpressionsinspeakingoftheclergy，andthatshouldnothavebeen。
Itwasill-bred；itwaswrong。Shewishedsuchwordsunsaidwithallherheart。
Hervexationdidnotendwiththeweek。Allthiswasbad，butshehadstillmoretofeelwhenFridaycameroundagainandbroughtnoEdmund；whenSaturdaycameandstillnoEdmund；andwhen，throughtheslightcommunicationwiththeotherfamilywhichSundayproduced，shelearnedthathehadactuallywrittenhometodeferhisreturn，havingpromisedtoremainsomedayslongerwithhisfriend。
Ifshehadfeltimpatienceandregretbefore——ifshehadbeensorryforwhatshesaid，andfeareditstoostrongeffectonhim——shenowfeltandfeareditalltenfoldmore。