Butthereisnotimefixed；perhapsto-morrow，orwheneveryourspiritsarecomposedenough。Forthepresentyouhaveonlytotranquilliseyourself。Checkthesetears；
theydobutexhaustyou。If，asIamwillingtosuppose，youwishtoshewmeanyobservance，youwillnotgivewaytotheseemotions，butendeavourtoreasonyourselfintoastrongerframeofmind。Iadviseyoutogoout：
theairwilldoyougood；gooutforanhouronthegravel；
youwillhavetheshrubberytoyourself，andwillbethebetterforairandexercise。And，Fanny“turningbackagainforamoment，“Ishallmakenomentionbelowofwhathaspassed；IshallnoteventellyourauntBertram。
Thereisnooccasionforspreadingthedisappointment；
saynothingaboutityourself。“
Thiswasanordertobemostjoyfullyobeyed；thiswasanactofkindnesswhichFannyfeltatherheart。
TobesparedfromherauntNorris’sinterminablereproaches!heleftherinaglowofgratitude。
Anythingmightbebearableratherthansuchreproaches。
EventoseeMr。Crawfordwouldbelessoverpowering。
Shewalkedoutdirectly，asherunclerecommended，andfollowedhisadvicethroughout，asfarasshecould；
didcheckhertears；didearnestlytrytocomposeherspiritsandstrengthenhermind。Shewishedtoprovetohimthatshediddesirehiscomfort，andsoughttoregainhisfavour；
andhehadgivenheranotherstrongmotiveforexertion，inkeepingthewholeaffairfromtheknowledgeofheraunts。
Nottoexcitesuspicionbyherlookormannerwasnowanobjectworthattaining；andshefeltequaltoalmostanythingthatmightsaveherfromherauntNorris。
Shewasstruck，quitestruck，when，onreturningfromherwalkandgoingintotheEastroomagain，thefirstthingwhichcaughthereyewasafirelightedandburning。
Afire!itseemedtoomuch；justatthattimetobegivinghersuchanindulgencewasexcitingevenpainfulgratitude。
ShewonderedthatSirThomascouldhaveleisuretothinkofsuchatrifleagain；butshesoonfound，fromthevoluntaryinformationofthehousemaid，whocameintoattendit，thatsoitwastobeeveryday。SirThomashadgivenordersforit。
“Imustbeabrute，indeed，ifIcanbereallyungrateful!“
saidshe，insoliloquy。“Heavendefendmefrombeingungrateful!“
Shesawnothingmoreofheruncle，norofherauntNorris，tilltheymetatdinner。Heruncle’sbehaviourtoherwasthenasnearlyaspossiblewhatithadbeenbefore；
shewassurehedidnotmeanthereshouldbeanychange，andthatitwasonlyherownconsciencethatcouldfancyany；
butherauntwassoonquarrellingwithher；andwhenshefoundhowmuchandhowunpleasantlyherhavingonlywalkedoutwithoutheraunt’sknowledgecouldbedwelton，shefeltallthereasonshehadtoblessthekindnesswhichsavedherfromthesamespiritofreproach，exertedonamoremomentoussubject。
“IfIhadknownyouweregoingout，IshouldhavegotyoujusttogoasfarasmyhousewithsomeordersforNanny，“
saidshe，“whichIhavesince，tomyverygreatinconvenience，beenobligedtogoandcarrymyself。Icouldveryillsparethetime，andyoumighthavesavedmethetrouble，ifyouwouldonlyhavebeensogoodastoletusknowyouweregoingout。Itwouldhavemadenodifferencetoyou，Isuppose，whetheryouhadwalkedintheshrubberyorgonetomyhouse。“
“IrecommendedtheshrubberytoFannyasthedriestplace，“
saidSirThomas。
“Oh!“saidMrs。Norris，withamoment’scheck，“thatwasverykindofyou，SirThomas；butyoudonotknowhowdrythepathistomyhouse。Fannywouldhavehadquiteasgoodawalkthere，Iassureyou，withtheadvantageofbeingofsomeuse，andobligingheraunt：
itisallherfault。IfshewouldbuthaveletusknowshewasgoingoutbutthereisasomethingaboutFanny，Ihaveoftenobserveditbefore——shelikestogoherownwaytowork；shedoesnotliketobedictatedto；
shetakesherownindependentwalkwhenevershecan；
shecertainlyhasalittlespiritofsecrecy，andindependence，andnonsense，abouther，whichIwouldadvisehertogetthebetterof。“
AsageneralreflectiononFanny，SirThomasthoughtnothingcouldbemoreunjust，thoughhehadbeensolatelyexpressingthesamesentimentshimself，andhetriedtoturntheconversation：triedrepeatedlybeforehecouldsucceed；
forMrs。Norrishadnotdiscernmentenoughtoperceive，eithernow，oratanyothertime，towhatdegreehethoughtwellofhisniece，orhowveryfarhewasfromwishingtohavehisownchildren’smeritssetoffbythedepreciationofhers。Shewastalking_at_Fanny，andresentingthisprivatewalkhalfthroughthedinner。
Itwasover，however，atlast；andtheeveningsetinwithmorecomposuretoFanny，andmorecheerfulnessofspiritsthanshecouldhavehopedforaftersostormyamorning；
butshetrusted，inthefirstplace，thatshehaddoneright：
thatherjudgmenthadnotmisledher。Forthepurityofherintentionsshecouldanswer；andshewaswillingtohope，secondly，thatheruncle’sdispleasurewasabating，andwouldabatefartherasheconsideredthematterwithmoreimpartiality，andfelt，asagoodmanmustfeel，howwretched，andhowunpardonable，howhopeless，andhowwickeditwastomarrywithoutaffection。
Whenthemeetingwithwhichshewasthreatenedforthemorrowwaspast，shecouldnotbutflatterherselfthatthesubjectwouldbefinallyconcluded，andMr。CrawfordoncegonefromMansfield，thateverythingwouldsoonbeasifnosuchsubjecthadexisted。Shewouldnot，couldnotbelieve，thatMr。Crawford’saffectionforhercoulddistresshimlong；hismindwasnotofthatsort。
Londonwouldsoonbringitscure。InLondonhewouldsoonlearntowonderathisinfatuation，andbethankfulfortherightreasoninherwhichhadsavedhimfromitsevilconsequences。
WhileFanny’smindwasengagedinthesesortofhopes，herunclewas，soonaftertea，calledoutoftheroom；
anoccurrencetoocommontostrikeher，andshethoughtnothingofittillthebutlerreappearedtenminutesafterwards，andadvancingdecidedlytowardsherself，said，“SirThomaswishestospeakwithyou，ma’am，inhisownroom。“
Thenitoccurredtoherwhatmightbegoingon；asuspicionrushedoverhermindwhichdrovethecolourfromhercheeks；
butinstantlyrising，shewaspreparingtoobey，whenMrs。Norriscalledout，“Stay，stay，Fanny!whatareyouabout？whereareyougoing？don’tbeinsuchahurry。Dependuponit，itisnotyouwhoarewanted；dependuponit，itisme“
lookingatthebutler；“butyouaresoveryeagertoputyourselfforward。WhatshouldSirThomaswantyoufor？
Itisme，Baddeley，youmean；Iamcomingthismoment。
Youmeanme，Baddeley，Iamsure；SirThomaswantsme，notMissPrice。“
ButBaddeleywasstout。“No，ma’am，itisMissPrice；
IamcertainofitsbeingMissPrice。“Andtherewasahalf-smilewiththewords，whichmeant，“Idonotthinkyouwouldanswerthepurposeatall。“
Mrs。Norris，muchdiscontented，wasobligedtocomposeherselftoworkagain；andFanny，walkingoffinagitatingconsciousness，foundherself，assheanticipated，inanotherminutealonewithMr。Crawford。
Theconferencewasneithersoshortnorsoconclusiveastheladyhaddesigned。Thegentlemanwasnotsoeasilysatisfied。HehadallthedispositiontoperseverethatSirThomascouldwishhim。Hehadvanity，whichstronglyinclinedhiminthefirstplacetothinkshedidlovehim，thoughshemightnotknowitherself；
andwhich，secondly，whenconstrainedatlasttoadmitthatshedidknowherownpresentfeelings，convincedhimthatheshouldbeableintimetomakethosefeelingswhathewished。
Hewasinlove，verymuchinlove；anditwasalovewhich，operatingonanactive，sanguinespirit，ofmorewarmththandelicacy，madeheraffectionappearofgreaterconsequencebecauseitwaswithheld，anddeterminedhimtohavetheglory，aswellasthefelicity，offorcinghertolovehim。
Hewouldnotdespair：hewouldnotdesist。Hehadeverywell-groundedreasonforsolidattachment；heknewhertohavealltheworththatcouldjustifythewarmesthopesoflastinghappinesswithher；herconductatthisverytime，byspeakingthedisinterestednessanddelicacyofhercharacterqualitieswhichhebelievedmostrareindeed，wasofasorttoheightenallhiswishes，andconfirmallhisresolutions。Heknewnotthathehadapre-engagedhearttoattack。Of_that_hehadnosuspicion。
Heconsideredherratherasonewhohadneverthoughtonthesubjectenoughtobeindanger；whohadbeenguardedbyyouth，ayouthofmindaslovelyasofperson；
whosemodestyhadpreventedherfromunderstandinghisattentions，andwhowasstilloverpoweredbythesuddennessofaddressessowhollyunexpected，andthenoveltyofasituationwhichherfancyhadnevertakenintoaccount。