Thesurprisewasnowcomplete；for，inspiteofwhateverhisconsciousnessmightsuggest，asuspicionofhishavinganysuchviewshadneverenteredhissister’simagination；
andshelookedsotrulytheastonishmentshefelt，thathewasobligedtorepeatwhathehadsaid，andmorefullyandmoresolemnly。Theconvictionofhisdeterminationonceadmitted，itwasnotunwelcome。Therewasevenpleasurewiththesurprise。MarywasinastateofmindtorejoiceinaconnexionwiththeBertramfamily，andtobenotdispleasedwithherbrother’smarryingalittlebeneathhim。
“Yes，Mary，“wasHenry’sconcludingassurance。“Iamfairlycaught。YouknowwithwhatidledesignsIbegan；
butthisistheendofthem。Ihave，Iflattermyself，madenoinconsiderableprogressinheraffections；
butmyownareentirelyfixed。“
“Lucky，luckygirl!“criedMary，assoonasshecouldspeak；
“whatamatchforher!MydearestHenry，thismustbemy_first_feeling；butmy_second_，whichyoushallhaveassincerely，is，thatIapproveyourchoicefrommysoul，andforeseeyourhappinessasheartilyasI
wishanddesireit。Youwillhaveasweetlittlewife；
allgratitudeanddevotion。Exactlywhatyoudeserve。
Whatanamazingmatchforher!Mrs。Norrisoftentalksofherluck；whatwillshesaynow？Thedelightofallthefamily，indeed!Andshehassome_true_friendsinit!
How_they_willrejoice!Buttellmeallaboutit!
Talktomeforever。Whendidyoubegintothinkseriouslyabouther？“
Nothingcouldbemoreimpossiblethantoanswersuchaquestion，thoughnothingcouldbemoreagreeablethantohaveitasked。“Howthepleasingplaguehadstolenonhim“hecouldnotsay；andbeforehehadexpressedthesamesentimentwithalittlevariationofwordsthreetimesover，hissistereagerlyinterruptedhimwith，“Ah，mydearHenry，andthisiswhattookyoutoLondon!
Thiswasyourbusiness!YouchosetoconsulttheAdmiralbeforeyoumadeupyourmind。“
Butthishestoutlydenied。Heknewhisuncletoowelltoconsulthimonanymatrimonialscheme。TheAdmiralhatedmarriage，andthoughtitneverpardonableinayoungmanofindependentfortune。
“WhenFannyisknowntohim，“continuedHenry，“hewilldoatonher。SheisexactlythewomantodoawayeveryprejudiceofsuchamanastheAdmiral，forshehewoulddescribe，ifindeedhehasnowdelicacyoflanguageenoughtoembodyhisownideas。Buttillitisabsolutelysettled——
settledbeyondallinterference，heshallknownothingofthematter。No，Mary，youarequitemistaken。
Youhavenotdiscoveredmybusinessyet。“
“Well，well，Iamsatisfied。Iknownowtowhomitmustrelate，andaminnohurryfortherest。
FannyPrice!wonderful，quitewonderful!ThatMansfieldshouldhavedonesomuchfor——that_you_shouldhavefoundyourfateinMansfield!Butyouarequiteright；
youcouldnothavechosenbetter。Thereisnotabettergirlintheworld，andyoudonotwantforfortune；
andastoherconnexions，theyaremorethangood。
TheBertramsareundoubtedlysomeofthefirstpeopleinthiscountry。SheisniecetoSirThomasBertram；
thatwillbeenoughfortheworld。Butgoon，goon。
Tellmemore。Whatareyourplans？Doessheknowherownhappiness？“
“No。“
“Whatareyouwaitingfor？“
“For——forverylittlemorethanopportunity。Mary，sheisnotlikehercousins；butIthinkIshallnotaskinvain。“
“Ohno!youcannot。Wereyouevenlesspleasing——
supposinghernottoloveyoualreadyofwhich，however，Icanhavelittledoubt——youwouldbesafe。
Thegentlenessandgratitudeofherdispositionwouldsecureherallyourownimmediately。FrommysoulIdonotthinkshewouldmarryyou_without_love；thatis，ifthereisagirlintheworldcapableofbeinguninfluencedbyambition，Icansupposeither；butaskhertoloveyou，andshewillneverhavethehearttorefuse。“
Assoonashereagernesscouldrestinsilence，hewasashappytotellasshecouldbetolisten；
andaconversationfollowedalmostasdeeplyinterestingtoherastohimself，thoughhehadinfactnothingtorelatebuthisownsensations，nothingtodwellonbutFanny’scharms。Fanny’sbeautyoffaceandfigure，Fanny’sgracesofmannerandgoodnessofheart，weretheexhaustlesstheme。Thegentleness，modesty，andsweetnessofhercharacterwerewarmlyexpatiatedon；thatsweetnesswhichmakessoessentialapartofeverywoman’sworthinthejudgmentofman，thatthoughhesometimesloveswhereitisnot，hecanneverbelieveitabsent。
Hertemperhehadgoodreasontodependonandtopraise。
Hehadoftenseenittried。Wasthereoneofthefamily，exceptingEdmund，whohadnotinsomewayorothercontinuallyexercisedherpatienceandforbearance？
Heraffectionswereevidentlystrong。Toseeherwithherbrother!Whatcouldmoredelightfullyprovethatthewarmthofherheartwasequaltoitsgentleness？
Whatcouldbemoreencouragingtoamanwhohadherloveinview？Then，herunderstandingwasbeyondeverysuspicion，quickandclear；andhermannerswerethemirrorofherownmodestandelegantmind。Norwasthisall。
HenryCrawfordhadtoomuchsensenottofeeltheworthofgoodprinciplesinawife，thoughhewastoolittleaccustomedtoseriousreflectiontoknowthembytheirpropername；
butwhenhetalkedofherhavingsuchasteadinessandregularityofconduct，suchahighnotionofhonour，andsuchanobservanceofdecorumasmightwarrantanymaninthefullestdependenceonherfaithandintegrity，heexpressedwhatwasinspiredbytheknowledgeofherbeingwellprincipledandreligious。
“Icouldsowhollyandabsolutelyconfideinher，“saidhe；
“and_that_iswhatIwant。“
Wellmighthissister，believingasshereallydidthathisopinionofFannyPricewasscarcelybeyondhermerits，rejoiceinherprospects。
“ThemoreIthinkofit，“shecried，“themoreamIconvincedthatyouaredoingquiteright；andthoughIshouldneverhaveselectedFannyPriceasthegirlmostlikelytoattachyou，Iamnowpersuadedsheistheveryonetomakeyouhappy。
Yourwickedprojectuponherpeaceturnsoutacleverthoughtindeed。Youwillbothfindyourgoodinit。“
“Itwasbad，verybadinmeagainstsuchacreature；
butIdidnotknowherthen；andsheshallhavenoreasontolamentthehourthatfirstputitintomyhead。
Iwillmakeherveryhappy，Mary；happierthanshehaseveryetbeenherself，oreverseenanybodyelse。IwillnottakeherfromNorthamptonshire。IshallletEveringham，andrentaplaceinthisneighbourhood；perhapsStanwixLodge。
Ishallletasevenyears’leaseofEveringham。
Iamsureofanexcellenttenantathalfaword。
Icouldnamethreepeoplenow，whowouldgivememyowntermsandthankme。“
“Ha!“criedMary；“settleinNorthamptonshire!
Thatispleasant!Thenweshallbealltogether。“
Whenshehadspokenit，sherecollectedherself，andwisheditunsaid；buttherewasnoneedofconfusion；
forherbrothersawheronlyasthesupposedinmateofMansfieldparsonage，andrepliedbuttoinviteherinthekindestmannertohisownhouse，andtoclaimthebestrightinher。
“Youmustgiveusmorethanhalfyourtime，“saidhe。
“IcannotadmitMrs。GranttohaveanequalclaimwithFannyandmyself，forweshallbothhavearightinyou。
Fannywillbesotrulyyoursister!“
Maryhadonlytobegratefulandgivegeneralassurances；
butshewasnowveryfullypurposedtobetheguestofneitherbrothernorsistermanymonthslonger。
“YouwilldivideyouryearbetweenLondonandNorthamptonshire？“
“Yes。“