“Itisamazing，“saidshe，“howmuchyoungpeoplecosttheirfriends，whatwithbringingthemupandputtingthemoutintheworld!Theylittlethinkhowmuchitcomesto，orwhattheirparents，ortheirunclesandaunts，payfortheminthecourseoftheyear。Now，herearemysisterPrice’schildren；takethemalltogether，IdaresaynobodywouldbelievewhatasumtheycostSirThomaseveryyear，tosaynothingofwhat_I_doforthem。“
“Verytrue，sister，asyousay。But，poorthings!
theycannothelpit；andyouknowitmakesverylittledifferencetoSirThomas。Fanny，WilliammustnotforgetmyshawlifhegoestotheEastIndies；andIshallgivehimacommissionforanythingelsethatisworthhaving。
IwishhemaygototheEastIndies，thatImayhavemyshawl。
IthinkIwillhavetwoshawls，Fanny。“
Fanny，meanwhile，speakingonlywhenshecouldnothelpit，wasveryearnestlytryingtounderstandwhatMr。andMissCrawfordwereat。Therewaseverythingintheworld_against_theirbeingseriousbuthiswordsandmanner。
Everythingnatural，probable，reasonable，wasagainstit；
alltheirhabitsandwaysofthinking，andallherowndemerits。Howcould_she_haveexcitedseriousattachmentinamanwhohadseensomany，andbeenadmiredbysomany，andflirtedwithsomany，infinitelyhersuperiors；whoseemedsolittleopentoseriousimpressions，evenwherepainshadbeentakentopleasehim；whothoughtsoslightly，socarelessly，sounfeelinglyonallsuchpoints；whowaseverythingtoeverybody，andseemedtofindnooneessentialtohim？
Andfarther，howcoulditbesupposedthathissister，withallherhighandworldlynotionsofmatrimony，wouldbeforwardinganythingofaseriousnatureinsuchaquarter？Nothingcouldbemoreunnaturalineither。
Fannywasashamedofherowndoubts。Everythingmightbepossibleratherthanseriousattachment，orseriousapprobationofittowardher。ShehadquiteconvincedherselfofthisbeforeSirThomasandMr。Crawfordjoinedthem。
ThedifficultywasinmaintainingtheconvictionquitesoabsolutelyafterMr。Crawfordwasintheroom；
foronceortwicealookseemedforcedonherwhichshedidnotknowhowtoclassamongthecommonmeaning；
inanyotherman，atleast，shewouldhavesaidthatitmeantsomethingveryearnest，verypointed。
Butshestilltriedtobelieveitnomorethanwhathemightoftenhaveexpressedtowardshercousinsandfiftyotherwomen。
Shethoughthewaswishingtospeaktoherunheardbytherest。Shefanciedhewastryingforitthewholeeveningatintervals，wheneverSirThomaswasoutoftheroom，oratallengagedwithMrs。Norris，andshecarefullyrefusedhimeveryopportunity。
Atlast——itseemedanatlasttoFanny’snervousness，thoughnotremarkablylate——hebegantotalkofgoingaway；
butthecomfortofthesoundwasimpairedbyhisturningtoherthenextmoment，andsaying，“HaveyounothingtosendtoMary？Noanswertohernote？Shewillbedisappointedifshereceivesnothingfromyou。Praywritetoher，ifitbeonlyaline。“
“Ohyes!certainly，“criedFanny，risinginhaste，thehasteofembarrassmentandofwantingtogetaway——
“Iwillwritedirectly。“
Shewentaccordinglytothetable，whereshewasinthehabitofwritingforheraunt，andpreparedhermaterialswithoutknowingwhatintheworldtosay。ShehadreadMissCrawford’snoteonlyonce，andhowtoreplytoanythingsoimperfectlyunderstoodwasmostdistressing。
Quiteunpractisedinsuchsortofnote-writing，hadtherebeentimeforscruplesandfearsastostyleshewouldhavefelttheminabundance：butsomethingmustbeinstantlywritten；andwithonlyonedecidedfeeling，thatofwishingnottoappeartothinkanythingreallyintended，shewrotethus，ingreattremblingbothofspiritsandhand——
“Iamverymuchobligedtoyou，mydearMissCrawford，foryourkindcongratulations，asfarastheyrelatetomydearestWilliam。TherestofyournoteIknowmeansnothing；
butIamsounequaltoanythingofthesort，thatIhopeyouwillexcusemybeggingyoutotakenofarthernotice。
IhaveseentoomuchofMr。Crawfordnottounderstandhismanners；ifheunderstoodmeaswell，hewould，Idaresay，behavedifferently。IdonotknowwhatIwrite，butitwouldbeagreatfavourofyounevertomentionthesubjectagain。Withthanksforthehonourofyournote，Iremain，dearMissCrawford，etc。，etc。“
Theconclusionwasscarcelyintelligiblefromincreasingfright，forshefoundthatMr。Crawford，underpretenceofreceivingthenote，wascomingtowardsher。
“YoucannotthinkImeantohurryyou，“saidhe，inanundervoice，perceivingtheamazingtrepidationwithwhichshemadeupthenote，“youcannotthinkIhaveanysuchobject。Donothurryyourself，Ientreat。“
“Oh!Ithankyou；Ihavequitedone，justdone；itwillbereadyinamoment；Iamverymuchobligedtoyou；
ifyouwillbesogoodastogive_that_toMissCrawford。“
Thenotewasheldout，andmustbetaken；andassheinstantlyandwithavertedeyeswalkedtowardsthefireplace，wheresattheothers，hehadnothingtodobuttogoingoodearnest。
Fannythoughtshehadneverknownadayofgreateragitation，bothofpainandpleasure；buthappilythepleasurewasnotofasorttodiewiththeday；foreverydaywouldrestoretheknowledgeofWilliam’sadvancement，whereasthepain，shehoped，wouldreturnnomore。
Shehadnodoubtthathernotemustappearexcessivelyill-written，thatthelanguagewoulddisgraceachild，forherdistresshadallowednoarrangement；butatleastitwouldassurethembothofherbeingneitherimposedonnorgratifiedbyMr。Crawford’sattentions。
FannyhadbynomeansforgottenMr。Crawfordwhensheawokethenextmorning；butsherememberedthepurportofhernote，andwasnotlesssanguineastoitseffectthanshehadbeenthenightbefore。IfMr。Crawfordwouldbutgoaway!Thatwaswhatshemostearnestlydesired：
goandtakehissisterwithhim，ashewastodo，andashereturnedtoMansfieldonpurposetodo。
Andwhyitwasnotdonealreadyshecouldnotdevise，forMissCrawfordcertainlywantednodelay。Fannyhadhoped，inthecourseofhisyesterday’svisit，tohearthedaynamed；
buthehadonlyspokenoftheirjourneyaswhatwouldtakeplaceerelong。
Havingsosatisfactorilysettledtheconvictionhernotewouldconvey，shecouldnotbutbeastonishedtoseeMr。Crawford，assheaccidentallydid，cominguptothehouseagain，andatanhourasearlyasthedaybefore。
Hiscomingmighthavenothingtodowithher，butshemustavoidseeinghimifpossible；andbeingthenonherwayupstairs，sheresolvedtheretoremain，duringthewholeofhisvisit，unlessactuallysentfor；
andasMrs。Norriswasstillinthehouse，thereseemedlittledangerofherbeingwanted。
Shesatsometimeinagooddealofagitation，listening，trembling，andfearingtobesentforeverymoment；
butasnofootstepsapproachedtheEastroom，shegrewgraduallycomposed，couldsitdown，andbeabletoemployherself，andabletohopethatMr。Crawfordhadcomeandwouldgowithoutherbeingobligedtoknowanythingofthematter。
Nearlyhalfanhourhadpassed，andshewasgrowingverycomfortable，whensuddenlythesoundofastepinregularapproachwasheard；aheavystep，anunusualstepinthatpartofthehouse：itwasheruncle’s；
sheknewitaswellashisvoice；shehadtrembledatitasoften，andbegantotrembleagain，attheideaofhiscominguptospeaktoher，whatevermightbethesubject。
ItwasindeedSirThomaswhoopenedthedoorandaskedifshewerethere，andifhemightcomein。Theterrorofhisformeroccasionalvisitstothatroomseemedallrenewed，andshefeltasifheweregoingtoexamineheragaininFrenchandEnglish。
Shewasallattention，however，inplacingachairforhim，andtryingtoappearhonoured；and，inheragitation，hadquiteoverlookedthedeficienciesofherapartment，tillhe，stoppingshortasheentered，said，withmuchsurprise，“Whyhaveyounofireto-day？“
Therewassnowontheground，andshewassittinginashawl。
Shehesitated。
“Iamnotcold，sir：Ineversitherelongatthistimeofyear。“
“Butyouhaveafireingeneral？“
“No，sir。“
“Howcomesthisabout？Heremustbesomemistake。