Iunderstoodthatyouhadtheuseofthisroombywayofmakingyouperfectlycomfortable。InyourbedchamberIknowyou_cannot_haveafire。Hereissomegreatmisapprehensionwhichmustberectified。Itishighlyunfitforyoutosit，beitonlyhalfanhouraday，withoutafire。Youarenotstrong。Youarechilly。
Yourauntcannotbeawareofthis。“
Fannywouldratherhavebeensilent；butbeingobligedtospeak，shecouldnotforbear，injusticetotheauntshelovedbest，fromsayingsomethinginwhichthewords“myauntNorris“weredistinguishable。
“Iunderstand，“criedheruncle，recollectinghimself，andnotwantingtohearmore：“Iunderstand。YourauntNorrishasalwaysbeenanadvocate，andveryjudiciously，foryoungpeople’sbeingbroughtupwithoutunnecessaryindulgences；butthereshouldbemoderationineverything。
Sheisalsoveryhardyherself，whichofcoursewillinfluenceherinheropinionofthewantsofothers。
Andonanotheraccount，too，Icanperfectlycomprehend。
Iknowwhathersentimentshavealwaysbeen。
Theprinciplewasgoodinitself，butitmayhavebeen，andIbelieve_has__been_，carriedtoofarinyourcase。
Iamawarethattherehasbeensometimes，insomepoints，amisplaceddistinction；butIthinktoowellofyou，Fanny，tosupposeyouwilleverharbourresentmentonthataccount。
Youhaveanunderstandingwhichwillpreventyoufromreceivingthingsonlyinpart，andjudgingpartiallybytheevent。Youwilltakeinthewholeofthepast，youwillconsidertimes，persons，andprobabilities，andyouwillfeelthat_they_werenotleastyourfriendswhowereeducatingandpreparingyouforthatmediocrityofconditionwhich_seemed_tobeyourlot。
Thoughtheircautionmayproveeventuallyunnecessary，itwaskindlymeant；andofthisyoumaybeassured，thateveryadvantageofaffluencewillbedoubledbythelittleprivationsandrestrictionsthatmayhavebeenimposed。
Iamsureyouwillnotdisappointmyopinionofyou，byfailingatanytimetotreatyourauntNorriswiththerespectandattentionthatareduetoher。
Butenoughofthis。Sitdown，mydear。Imustspeaktoyouforafewminutes，butIwillnotdetainyoulong。“
Fannyobeyed，witheyescastdownandcolourrising。
Afteramoment’spause，SirThomas，tryingtosuppressasmile，wenton。
“Youarenotaware，perhaps，thatIhavehadavisitorthismorning。Ihadnotbeenlonginmyownroom，afterbreakfast，whenMr。Crawfordwasshewnin。
Hiserrandyoumayprobablyconjecture。“
Fanny’scolourgrewdeeperanddeeper；andheruncle，perceivingthatshewasembarrassedtoadegreethatmadeeitherspeakingorlookingupquiteimpossible，turnedawayhisowneyes，andwithoutanyfartherpauseproceededinhisaccountofMr。Crawford’svisit。
Mr。Crawford’sbusinesshadbeentodeclarehimselftheloverofFanny，makedecidedproposalsforher，andentreatthesanctionoftheuncle，whoseemedtostandintheplaceofherparents；andhehaddoneitallsowell，soopenly，soliberally，soproperly，thatSirThomas，feeling，moreover，hisownreplies，andhisownremarkstohavebeenverymuchtothepurpose，wasexceedinglyhappytogivetheparticularsoftheirconversation；
andlittleawareofwhatwaspassinginhisniece’smind，conceivedthatbysuchdetailshemustbegratifyingherfarmorethanhimself。Hetalked，therefore，forseveralminuteswithoutFanny’sdaringtointerrupthim。
Shehadhardlyevenattainedthewishtodoit。Hermindwasintoomuchconfusion。Shehadchangedherposition；
and，withhereyesfixedintentlyononeofthewindows，waslisteningtoheruncleintheutmostperturbationanddismay。Foramomentheceased，butshehadbarelybecomeconsciousofit，when，risingfromhischair，hesaid，“Andnow，Fanny，havingperformedonepartofmycommission，andshewnyoueverythingplacedonabasisthemostassuredandsatisfactory，Imayexecutetheremainderbyprevailingonyoutoaccompanymedownstairs，where，thoughIcannotbutpresumeonhavingbeennounacceptablecompanionmyself，Imustsubmittoyourfindingonestillbetterworthlisteningto。Mr。Crawford，asyouhaveperhapsforeseen，isyetinthehouse。Heisinmyroom，andhopingtoseeyouthere。“
Therewasalook，astart，anexclamationonhearingthis，whichastonishedSirThomas；butwhatwashisincreaseofastonishmentonhearingherexclaim——“Oh!no，sir，Icannot，indeedIcannotgodowntohim。Mr。Crawfordoughttoknow——
hemustknowthat：Itoldhimenoughyesterdaytoconvincehim；
hespoketomeonthissubjectyesterday，andItoldhimwithoutdisguisethatitwasverydisagreeabletome，andquiteoutofmypowertoreturnhisgoodopinion。“
“Idonotcatchyourmeaning，“saidSirThomas，sittingdownagain。“Outofyourpowertoreturnhisgoodopinion？
Whatisallthis？Iknowhespoketoyouyesterday，andasfarasIunderstandreceivedasmuchencouragementtoproceedasawell-judgingyoungwomancouldpermitherselftogive。IwasverymuchpleasedwithwhatI
collectedtohavebeenyourbehaviourontheoccasion；
itshewedadiscretionhighlytobecommended。Butnow，whenhehasmadehisoverturessoproperly，andhonourably——
whatareyourscruples_now_？“
“Youaremistaken，sir，“criedFanny，forcedbytheanxietyofthemomenteventotellherunclethathewaswrong；
“youarequitemistaken。HowcouldMr。Crawfordsaysuchathing？Igavehimnoencouragementyesterday。
Onthecontrary，Itoldhim，Icannotrecollectmyexactwords，butIamsureItoldhimthatIwouldnotlistentohim，thatitwasveryunpleasanttomeineveryrespect，andthatIbeggedhimnevertotalktomeinthatmanneragain。
IamsureIsaidasmuchasthatandmore；andIshouldhavesaidstillmore，ifIhadbeenquitecertainofhismeaninganythingseriously；butIdidnotliketobe，Icouldnotbeartobe，imputingmorethanmightbeintended。
Ithoughtitmightallpassfornothingwith_him_。“
Shecouldsaynomore；herbreathwasalmostgone。
“AmItounderstand，“saidSirThomas，afterafewmoments’
silence，“thatyoumeanto_refuse_Mr。Crawford？“
“Yes，sir。“
“Refusehim？“
“Yes，sir。“
“RefuseMr。Crawford!Uponwhatplea？Forwhatreason？“
“I——Icannotlikehim，sir，wellenoughtomarryhim。“
“Thisisverystrange!“saidSirThomas，inavoiceofcalmdispleasure。“Thereissomethinginthiswhichmycomprehensiondoesnotreach。Hereisayoungmanwishingtopayhisaddressestoyou，witheverythingtorecommendhim：
notmerelysituationinlife，fortune，andcharacter，butwithmorethancommonagreeableness，withaddressandconversationpleasingtoeverybody。Andheisnotanacquaintanceofto-day；youhavenowknownhimsometime。
Hissister，moreover，isyourintimatefriend，andhehasbeendoing_that_foryourbrother，whichIshouldsupposewouldhavebeenalmostsufficientrecommendationtoyou，hadtherebeennoother。ItisveryuncertainwhenmyinterestmighthavegotWilliamon。Hehasdoneitalready。“
“Yes，“saidFanny，inafaintvoice，andlookingdownwithfreshshame；andshedidfeelalmostashamedofherself，aftersuchapictureasherunclehaddrawn，fornotlikingMr。Crawford。
“Youmusthavebeenaware，“continuedSirThomaspresently，“youmusthavebeensometimeawareofaparticularityinMr。Crawford’smannerstoyou。Thiscannothavetakenyoubysurprise。Youmusthaveobservedhisattentions；
andthoughyoualwaysreceivedthemveryproperlyIhavenoaccusationtomakeonthathead，Ineverperceivedthemtobeunpleasanttoyou。Iamhalfinclinedtothink，Fanny，thatyoudonotquiteknowyourownfeelings。“
“Ohyes，sir!indeedIdo。Hisattentionswerealways——
whatIdidnotlike。“
SirThomaslookedatherwithdeepersurprise。
“Thisisbeyondme，“saidhe。“Thisrequiresexplanation。
Youngasyouare，andhavingseenscarcelyanyone，itishardlypossiblethatyouraffections——“
Hepausedandeyedherfixedly。Hesawherlipsformedintoa_no_，thoughthesoundwasinarticulate，butherfacewaslikescarlet。That，however，insomodestagirl，mightbeverycompatiblewithinnocence；
andchusingatleasttoappearsatisfied，hequicklyadded，“No，no，Iknow_that_isquiteoutofthequestion；
quiteimpossible。Well，thereisnothingmoretobesaid。“
Andforafewminuteshedidsaynothing。Hewasdeepinthought。Hisniecewasdeepinthoughtlikewise，tryingtohardenandprepareherselfagainstfartherquestioning。