Shehad，moreover，tocontendwithonedisagreeableemotionentirelynewtoher——jealousy。HisfriendMr。Owenhadsisters；
hemightfindthemattractive。But，atanyrate，hisstayingawayatatimewhen，accordingtoallprecedingplans，shewastoremovetoLondon，meantsomethingthatshecouldnotbear。HadHenryreturned，ashetalkedofdoing，attheendofthreeorfourdays，sheshouldnowhavebeenleavingMansfield。ItbecameabsolutelynecessaryforhertogettoFannyandtrytolearnsomethingmore。
Shecouldnotliveanylongerinsuchsolitarywretchedness；
andshemadeherwaytothePark，throughdifficultiesofwalkingwhichshehaddeemedunconquerableaweekbefore，forthechanceofhearingalittleinaddition，forthesakeofatleasthearinghisname。
Thefirsthalf-hourwaslost，forFannyandLadyBertramweretogether，andunlessshehadFannytoherselfshecouldhopefornothing。ButatlastLadyBertramlefttheroom，andthenalmostimmediatelyMissCrawfordthusbegan，withavoiceaswellregulatedasshecould——“Andhowdo_you_likeyourcousinEdmund’sstayingawaysolong？
Beingtheonlyyoungpersonathome，Iconsider_you_
asthegreatestsufferer。Youmustmisshim。Doeshisstayinglongersurpriseyou？“
“Idonotknow，“saidFannyhesitatingly。“Yes；Ihadnotparticularlyexpectedit。“
“Perhapshewillalwaysstaylongerthanhetalksof。
Itisthegeneralwayallyoungmendo。“
“Hedidnot，theonlytimehewenttoseeMr。Owenbefore。“
“Hefindsthehousemoreagreeable_now_。Heisavery——
averypleasingyoungmanhimself，andIcannothelpbeingratherconcernedatnotseeinghimagainbeforeI
gotoLondon，aswillnowundoubtedlybethecase。
IamlookingforHenryeveryday，andassoonashecomestherewillbenothingtodetainmeatMansfield。
Ishouldliketohaveseenhimoncemore，Iconfess。
Butyoumustgivemycomplimentstohim。Yes；Ithinkitmustbecompliments。Isnotthereasomethingwanted，MissPrice，inourlanguage——asomethingbetweencomplimentsand——
andlove——tosuitthesortoffriendlyacquaintancewehavehadtogether？Somanymonths’acquaintance!Butcomplimentsmaybesufficienthere。Washisletteralongone？
Doeshegiveyoumuchaccountofwhatheisdoing？
IsitChristmasgaietiesthatheisstayingfor？“
“Ionlyheardapartoftheletter；itwastomyuncle；
butIbelieveitwasveryshort；indeedIamsureitwasbutafewlines。AllthatIheardwasthathisfriendhadpressedhimtostaylonger，andthathehadagreedtodoso。A_few_dayslonger，or_some_dayslonger；
Iamnotquitesurewhich。“
“Oh!ifhewrotetohisfather；butIthoughtitmighthavebeentoLadyBertramoryou。Butifhewrotetohisfather，nowonderhewasconcise。WhocouldwritechattoSirThomas？Ifhehadwrittentoyou，therewouldhavebeenmoreparticulars。Youwouldhaveheardofballsandparties。Hewouldhavesentyouadescriptionofeverythingandeverybody。HowmanyMissOwensarethere？“
“Threegrownup。“
“Aretheymusical？“
“Idonotatallknow。Ineverheard。“
“Thatisthefirstquestion，youknow，“saidMissCrawford，tryingtoappeargayandunconcerned，“whicheverywomanwhoplaysherselfissuretoaskaboutanother。
Butitisveryfoolishtoaskquestionsaboutanyyoungladies——aboutanythreesistersjustgrownup；
foroneknows，withoutbeingtold，exactlywhattheyare：
allveryaccomplishedandpleasing，andoneverypretty。
Thereisabeautyineveryfamily；itisaregularthing。
Twoplayonthepianoforte，andoneontheharp；
andallsing，orwouldsingiftheyweretaught，orsingallthebetterfornotbeingtaught；orsomethinglikeit。“
“IknownothingoftheMissOwens，“saidFannycalmly。
“Youknownothingandyoucareless，aspeoplesay。
Neverdidtoneexpressindifferenceplainer。Indeed，howcanonecareforthoseonehasneverseen？Well，whenyourcousincomesback，hewillfindMansfieldveryquiet；
allthenoisyonesgone，yourbrotherandmineandmyselfIdonotliketheideaofleavingMrs。Grantnowthetimedrawsnear。Shedoesnotlikemygoing。“
Fannyfeltobligedtospeak。“’Youcannotdoubtyourbeingmissedbymany，“saidshe。“Youwillbeverymuchmissed。“
MissCrawfordturnedhereyeonher，asifwantingtohearorseemore，andthenlaughinglysaid，“Ohyes!missedaseverynoisyevilismissedwhenitistakenaway；
thatis，thereisagreatdifferencefelt。ButIamnotfishing；don’tcomplimentme。IfI_am_missed，itwillappear。Imaybediscoveredbythosewhowanttoseeme。Ishallnotbeinanydoubtful，ordistant，orunapproachableregion。“
NowFannycouldnotbringherselftospeak，andMissCrawfordwasdisappointed；forshehadhopedtohearsomepleasantassuranceofherpowerfromonewhoshethoughtmustknow，andherspiritswerecloudedagain。
“TheMissOwens，“saidshe，soonafterwards；“supposeyouweretohaveoneoftheMissOwenssettledatThorntonLacey；
howshouldyoulikeit？Strangerthingshavehappened。
Idaresaytheyaretryingforit。Andtheyarequiteinthelight，foritwouldbeaveryprettyestablishmentforthem。Idonotatallwonderorblamethem。Itiseverybody’sdutytodoaswellforthemselvesastheycan。
SirThomasBertram’ssonissomebody；andnowheisintheirownline。Theirfatherisaclergyman，andtheirbrotherisaclergyman，andtheyareallclergymentogether。
Heistheirlawfulproperty；hefairlybelongstothem。
Youdon’tspeak，Fanny；MissPrice，youdon’tspeak。
Buthonestlynow，donotyouratherexpectitthanotherwise？“
“No，“saidFannystoutly，“Idonotexpectitatall。“
“Notatall!“criedMissCrawfordwithalacrity。
“Iwonderatthat。ButIdaresayyouknowexactly——
Ialwaysimagineyouare——perhapsyoudonotthinkhimlikelytomarryatall——ornotatpresent。“
“No，Idonot，“saidFannysoftly，hopingshedidnoterreitherinthebeliefortheacknowledgmentofit。
Hercompanionlookedatherkeenly；andgatheringgreaterspiritfromtheblushsoonproducedfromsuchalook，onlysaid，“Heisbestoffasheis，“andturnedthesubject。
MissCrawford’suneasinesswasmuchlightenedbythisconversation，andshewalkedhomeagaininspiritswhichmighthavedefiedalmostanotherweekofthesamesmallpartyinthesamebadweather，hadtheybeenputtotheproof；butasthatveryeveningbroughtherbrotherdownfromLondonagaininquite，ormorethanquite，hisusualcheerfulness，shehadnothingfarthertotryherown。Hisstillrefusingtotellherwhathehadgoneforwasbutthepromotionofgaiety；adaybeforeitmighthaveirritated，butnowitwasapleasantjoke——
suspectedonlyofconcealingsomethingplannedasapleasantsurprisetoherself。Andthenextday_did_bringasurprisetoher。HenryhadsaidheshouldjustgoandasktheBertramshowtheydid，andbebackintenminutes，buthewasgoneaboveanhour；andwhenhissister，whohadbeenwaitingforhimtowalkwithherinthegarden，methimatlastmostimpatientlyinthesweep，andcriedout，“MydearHenry，wherecanyouhavebeenallthistime？“
hehadonlytosaythathehadbeensittingwithLadyBertramandFanny。
“Sittingwiththemanhourandahalf!“exclaimedMary。
Butthiswasonlythebeginningofhersurprise。
“Yes，Mary，“saidhe，drawingherarmwithinhis，andwalkingalongthesweepasifnotknowingwherehewas：
“Icouldnotgetawaysooner；Fannylookedsolovely!
Iamquitedetermined，Mary。Mymindisentirelymadeup。
Willitastonishyou？No：youmustbeawarethatIamquitedeterminedtomarryFannyPrice。“