Shewouldratherdiethanownthetruth；andshehoped，byalittlereflection，tofortifyherselfbeyondbetrayingit。
“IndependentlyoftheinterestwhichMr。Crawford’s_choice_
seemedtojustify“saidSirThomas，beginningagain，andverycomposedly，“hiswishingtomarryatallsoearlyisrecommendatorytome。Iamanadvocateforearlymarriages，wheretherearemeansinproportion，andwouldhaveeveryyoungman，withasufficientincome，settleassoonafterfour-and-twentyashecan。Thisissomuchmyopinion，thatIamsorrytothinkhowlittlelikelymyowneldestson，yourcousin，Mr。Bertram，istomarryearly；butatpresent，asfarasIcanjudge，matrimonymakesnopartofhisplansorthoughts。
Iwishheweremorelikelytofix。“HerewasaglanceatFanny。“Edmund，Iconsider，fromhisdispositionsandhabits，asmuchmorelikelytomarryearlythanhisbrother。_He_，indeed，Ihavelatelythought，hasseenthewomanhecouldlove，which，Iamconvinced，myeldestsonhasnot。AmIright？Doyouagreewithme，mydear？“
“Yes，sir。“
Itwasgently，butitwascalmlysaid，andSirThomaswaseasyonthescoreofthecousins。Buttheremovalofhisalarmdidhisniecenoservice：asherunaccountablenesswasconfirmedhisdispleasureincreased；andgettingupandwalkingabouttheroomwithafrown，whichFannycouldpicturetoherself，thoughshedarednotliftuphereyes，heshortlyafterwards，andinavoiceofauthority，said，“Haveyouanyreason，child，tothinkillofMr。Crawford’stemper？“
“No，sir。“
Shelongedtoadd，“ButofhisprinciplesIhave“；butherheartsunkundertheappallingprospectofdiscussion，explanation，andprobablynon-conviction。Herillopinionofhimwasfoundedchieflyonobservations，which，forhercousins’sake，shecouldscarcelydarementiontotheirfather。MariaandJulia，andespeciallyMaria，weresocloselyimplicatedinMr。Crawford’smisconduct，thatshecouldnotgivehischaracter，suchasshebelievedit，withoutbetrayingthem。Shehadhopedthat，toamanlikeheruncle，sodiscerning，sohonourable，sogood，thesimpleacknowledgmentofsettled_dislike_
onhersidewouldhavebeensufficient。Toherinfinitegriefshefounditwasnot。
SirThomascametowardsthetablewhereshesatintremblingwretchedness，andwithagooddealofcoldsternness，said，“Itisofnouse，Iperceive，totalktoyou。Wehadbetterputanendtothismostmortifyingconference。Mr。Crawfordmustnotbekeptlongerwaiting。Iwill，therefore，onlyadd，asthinkingitmydutytomarkmyopinionofyourconduct，thatyouhavedisappointedeveryexpectationIhadformed，andprovedyourselfofacharactertheveryreverseofwhatIhadsupposed。ForI_had_，Fanny，asIthinkmybehaviourmusthaveshewn，formedaveryfavourableopinionofyoufromtheperiodofmyreturntoEngland。
Ihadthoughtyoupeculiarlyfreefromwilfulnessoftemper，self-conceit，andeverytendencytothatindependenceofspiritwhichprevailssomuchinmoderndays，eveninyoungwomen，andwhichinyoungwomenisoffensiveanddisgustingbeyondallcommonoffence。Butyouhavenowshewnmethatyoucanbewilfulandperverse；
thatyoucanandwilldecideforyourself，withoutanyconsiderationordeferenceforthosewhohavesurelysomerighttoguideyou，withoutevenaskingtheiradvice。
Youhaveshewnyourselfvery，verydifferentfromanythingthatIhadimagined。Theadvantageordisadvantageofyourfamily，ofyourparents，yourbrothersandsisters，neverseemstohavehadamoment’sshareinyourthoughtsonthisoccasion。How_they_mightbebenefited，how_they_mustrejoiceinsuchanestablishmentforyou，isnothingto_you_。Youthinkonlyofyourself，andbecauseyoudonotfeelforMr。Crawfordexactlywhatayoungheatedfancyimaginestobenecessaryforhappiness，youresolvetorefusehimatonce，withoutwishingevenforalittletimetoconsiderofit，alittlemoretimeforcoolconsideration，andforreallyexaminingyourowninclinations；andare，inawildfitoffolly，throwingawayfromyousuchanopportunityofbeingsettledinlife，eligibly，honourably，noblysettled，aswill，probably，neveroccurtoyouagain。Hereisayoungmanofsense，ofcharacter，oftemper，ofmanners，andoffortune，exceedinglyattachedtoyou，andseekingyourhandinthemosthandsomeanddisinterestedway；
andletmetellyou，Fanny，thatyoumayliveeighteenyearslongerintheworldwithoutbeingaddressedbyamanofhalfMr。Crawford’sestate，oratenthpartofhismerits。
GladlywouldIhavebestowedeitherofmyowndaughtersonhim。Mariaisnoblymarried；buthadMr。CrawfordsoughtJulia’shand，IshouldhavegivenittohimwithsuperiorandmoreheartfeltsatisfactionthanIgaveMaria’stoMr。Rushworth。“Afterhalfamoment’spause：
“AndIshouldhavebeenverymuchsurprisedhadeitherofmydaughters，onreceivingaproposalofmarriageatanytimewhichmightcarrywithitonly_half_theeligibilityof_this_，immediatelyandperemptorily，andwithoutpayingmyopinionormyregardthecomplimentofanyconsultation，putadecidednegativeonit。Ishouldhavebeenmuchsurprisedandmuchhurtbysuchaproceeding。Ishouldhavethoughtitagrossviolationofdutyandrespect。
_You_arenottobejudgedbythesamerule。Youdonotowemethedutyofachild。But，Fanny，ifyourheartcanacquityouof_ingratitude_——“
Heceased。Fannywasbythistimecryingsobitterlythat，angryashewas，hewouldnotpressthatarticlefarther。
Herheartwasalmostbrokebysuchapictureofwhatsheappearedtohim；bysuchaccusations，soheavy，somultiplied，sorisingindreadfulgradation!
Self-willed，obstinate，selfish，andungrateful。
Hethoughtherallthis。Shehaddeceivedhisexpectations；
shehadlosthisgoodopinion。Whatwastobecomeofher？
“Iamverysorry，“saidsheinarticulately，throughhertears，“Iamverysorryindeed。“
“Sorry!yes，Ihopeyouaresorry；andyouwillprobablyhavereasontobelongsorryforthisday’stransactions。“
“Ifitwerepossibleformetodootherwise“saidshe，withanotherstrongeffort；“butIamsoperfectlyconvincedthatIcouldnevermakehimhappy，andthatI
shouldbemiserablemyself。“
Anotherburstoftears；butinspiteofthatburst，andinspiteofthatgreatblackword_miserable_，whichservedtointroduceit，SirThomasbegantothinkalittlerelenting，alittlechangeofinclination，mighthavesomethingtodowithit；andtoaugurfavourablyfromthepersonalentreatyoftheyoungmanhimself。
Heknewhertobeverytimid，andexceedinglynervous；
andthoughtitnotimprobablethathermindmightbeinsuchastateasalittletime，alittlepressing，alittlepatience，andalittleimpatience，ajudiciousmixtureofallonthelover’sside，mightworktheirusualeffecton。Ifthegentlemanwouldbutpersevere，ifhehadbutloveenoughtopersevere，SirThomasbegantohavehopes；andthesereflectionshavingpassedacrosshismindandcheeredit，“Well，“saidhe，inatoneofbecominggravity，butoflessanger，“well，child，dryupyourtears。Thereisnouseinthesetears；
theycandonogood。Youmustnowcomedownstairswithme。
Mr。Crawfordhasbeenkeptwaitingtoolongalready。
Youmustgivehimyourownanswer：wecannotexpecthimtobesatisfiedwithless；andyouonlycanexplaintohimthegroundsofthatmisconceptionofyoursentiments，which，unfortunatelyforhimself，hecertainlyhasimbibed。Iamtotallyunequaltoit。“
ButFannyshewedsuchreluctance，suchmisery，attheideaofgoingdowntohim，thatSirThomas，afteralittleconsideration，judgeditbettertoindulgeher。
Hishopesfrombothgentlemanandladysufferedasmalldepressioninconsequence；butwhenhelookedathisniece，andsawthestateoffeatureandcomplexionwhichhercryinghadbroughtherinto，hethoughttheremightbeasmuchlostasgainedbyanimmediateinterview。
Withafewwords，therefore，ofnoparticularmeaning，hewalkedoffbyhimself，leavinghispoorniecetositandcryoverwhathadpassed，withverywretchedfeelingsHermindwasalldisorder。Thepast，present，future，everythingwasterrible。Butheruncle’sangergavehertheseverestpainofall。Selfishandungrateful!
tohaveappearedsotohim!Shewasmiserableforever。
Shehadnoonetotakeherpart，tocounsel，orspeakforher。Heronlyfriendwasabsent。Hemighthavesoftenedhisfather；butall，perhapsall，wouldthinkherselfishandungrateful。Shemighthavetoendurethereproachagainandagain；shemighthearit，orseeit，orknowittoexistforeverineveryconnexionabouther。
ShecouldnotbutfeelsomeresentmentagainstMr。Crawford；
yet，ifhereallylovedher，andwereunhappytoo!
Itwasallwretchednesstogether。
Inaboutaquarterofanhourherunclereturned；
shewasalmostreadytofaintatthesightofhim。
Hespokecalmly，however，withoutausterity，withoutreproach，andsherevivedalittle。Therewascomfort，too，inhiswords，aswellashismanner，forhebeganwith，“Mr。Crawfordisgone：hehasjustleftme。Ineednotrepeatwhathaspassed。Idonotwanttoaddtoanythingyoumaynowbefeeling，byanaccountofwhathehasfelt。
Sufficeit，thathehasbehavedinthemostgentlemanlikeandgenerousmanner，andhasconfirmedmeinamostfavourableopinionofhisunderstanding，heart，andtemper。
Uponmyrepresentationofwhatyouweresuffering，heimmediately，andwiththegreatestdelicacy，ceasedtourgetoseeyouforthepresent。“
HereFanny，whohadlookedup，lookeddownagain。“Ofcourse，“
continuedheruncle，“itcannotbesupposedbutthatheshouldrequesttospeakwithyoualone，beitonlyforfiveminutes；
arequesttoonatural，aclaimtoojusttobedenied。