ThepromiseddeparturewasallthatFannycouldthinkofwithmuchsatisfaction。Heruncle’skindexpressions，however，andforbearingmanner，weresensiblyfelt；
andwhensheconsideredhowmuchofthetruthwasunknowntohim，shebelievedshehadnorighttowonderatthelineofconducthepursued。He，whohadmarriedadaughtertoMr。Rushworth：romanticdelicacywascertainlynottobeexpectedfromhim。Shemustdoherduty，andtrustthattimemightmakeherdutyeasierthanitnowwas。
Shecouldnot，thoughonlyeighteen，supposeMr。Crawford’sattachmentwouldholdoutforever；shecouldnotbutimaginethatsteady，unceasingdiscouragementfromherselfwouldputanendtoitintime。Howmuchtimeshemight，inherownfancy，allotforitsdominion，isanotherconcern。Itwouldnotbefairtoinquireintoayounglady’sexactestimateofherownperfections。
Inspiteofhisintendedsilence，SirThomasfoundhimselfoncemoreobligedtomentionthesubjecttohisniece，toprepareherbrieflyforitsbeingimpartedtoheraunts；
ameasurewhichhewouldstillhaveavoided，ifpossible，butwhichbecamenecessaryfromthetotallyoppositefeelingsofMr。Crawfordastoanysecrecyofproceeding。
Hehadnoideaofconcealment。ItwasallknownattheParsonage，wherehelovedtotalkoverthefuturewithbothhissisters，anditwouldberathergratifyingtohimtohaveenlightenedwitnessesoftheprogressofhissuccess。WhenSirThomasunderstoodthis，hefeltthenecessityofmakinghisownwifeandsister-in-lawacquaintedwiththebusinesswithoutdelay；though，onFanny’saccount，healmostdreadedtheeffectofthecommunicationtoMrs。NorrisasmuchasFannyherself。
Hedeprecatedhermistakenbutwell-meaningzeal。
SirThomas，indeed，was，bythistime，notveryfarfromclassingMrs。Norrisasoneofthosewell-meaningpeoplewhoarealwaysdoingmistakenandverydisagreeablethings。
Mrs。Norris，however，relievedhim。Hepressedforthestrictestforbearanceandsilencetowardstheirniece；shenotonlypromised，butdidobserveit。
Sheonlylookedherincreasedill-will。Angryshewas：
bitterlyangry；butshewasmoreangrywithFannyforhavingreceivedsuchanofferthanforrefusingit。
ItwasaninjuryandaffronttoJulia，whooughttohavebeenMr。Crawford’schoice；and，independentlyofthat，shedislikedFanny，becauseshehadneglectedher；
andshewouldhavegrudgedsuchanelevationtoonewhomshehadbeenalwaystryingtodepress。
SirThomasgavehermorecreditfordiscretionontheoccasionthanshedeserved；andFannycouldhaveblessedherforallowingheronlytoseeherdispleasure，andnottohearit。
LadyBertramtookitdifferently。Shehadbeenabeauty，andaprosperousbeauty，allherlife；andbeautyandwealthwereallthatexcitedherrespect。ToknowFannytobesoughtinmarriagebyamanoffortune，raisedher，therefore，verymuchinheropinion。
ByconvincingherthatFanny_was_verypretty，whichshehadbeendoubtingaboutbefore，andthatshewouldbeadvantageouslymarried，itmadeherfeelasortofcreditincallingherniece。
“Well，Fanny，“saidshe，assoonastheywerealonetogetherafterwards，andshereallyhadknownsomethinglikeimpatiencetobealonewithher，andhercountenance，asshespoke，hadextraordinaryanimation；“Well，Fanny，Ihavehadaveryagreeablesurprisethismorning。Imustjustspeakofit_once_，ItoldSirThomasImust_once_，andthenIshallhavedone。Igiveyoujoy，mydearniece。“
Andlookingathercomplacently，sheadded，“Humph，wecertainlyareahandsomefamily!“
Fannycoloured，anddoubtedatfirstwhattosay；
when，hopingtoassailheronhervulnerableside，shepresentlyanswered——
“Mydearaunt，_you_cannotwishmetododifferentlyfromwhatIhavedone，Iamsure。_You_cannotwishmetomarry；
foryouwouldmissme，shouldnotyou？Yes，Iamsureyouwouldmissmetoomuchforthat。“
“No，mydear，Ishouldnotthinkofmissingyou，whensuchanofferasthiscomesinyourway。
Icoulddoverywellwithoutyou，ifyouweremarriedtoamanofsuchgoodestateasMr。Crawford。Andyoumustbeaware，Fanny，thatitiseveryyoungwoman’sdutytoacceptsuchaveryunexceptionableofferasthis。“
Thiswasalmosttheonlyruleofconduct，theonlypieceofadvice，whichFannyhadeverreceivedfromherauntinthecourseofeightyearsandahalf。Itsilencedher。
Shefelthowunprofitablecontentionwouldbe。
Ifheraunt’sfeelingswereagainsther，nothingcouldbehopedfromattackingherunderstanding。LadyBertramwasquitetalkative。
“Iwilltellyouwhat，Fanny，“saidshe，“Iamsurehefellinlovewithyouattheball；Iamsurethemischiefwasdonethatevening。Youdidlookremarkablywell。
Everybodysaidso。SirThomassaidso。AndyouknowyouhadChapmantohelpyoutodress。IamverygladIsentChapmantoyou。IshalltellSirThomasthatI
amsureitwasdonethatevening。“Andstillpursuingthesamecheerfulthoughts，shesoonafterwardsadded，“Andwilltellyouwhat，Fanny，whichismorethanIdidforMaria：thenexttimePughasalitteryoushallhaveapuppy。“
Edmundhadgreatthingstohearonhisreturn。Manysurpriseswereawaitinghim。Thefirstthatoccurredwasnotleastininterest：theappearanceofHenryCrawfordandhissisterwalkingtogetherthroughthevillageasherodeintoit。
Hehadconcluded——hehadmeantthemtobefardistant。
HisabsencehadbeenextendedbeyondafortnightpurposelytoavoidMissCrawford。HewasreturningtoMansfieldwithspiritsreadytofeedonmelancholyremembrances，andtenderassociations，whenherownfairselfwasbeforehim，leaningonherbrother’sarm，andhefoundhimselfreceivingawelcome，unquestionablyfriendly，fromthewomanwhom，twomomentsbefore，hehadbeenthinkingofasseventymilesoff，andasfarther，muchfarther，fromhimininclinationthananydistancecouldexpress。
Herreceptionofhimwasofasortwhichhecouldnothavehopedfor，hadheexpectedtoseeher。Comingashedidfromsuchapurportfulfilledashadtakenhimaway，hewouldhaveexpectedanythingratherthanalookofsatisfaction，andwordsofsimple，pleasantmeaning。
Itwasenoughtosethisheartinaglow，andtobringhimhomeinthepropereststateforfeelingthefullvalueoftheotherjoyfulsurprisesathand。
William’spromotion，withallitsparticulars，hewassoonmasterof；andwithsuchasecretprovisionofcomfortwithinhisownbreasttohelpthejoy，hefoundinitasourceofmostgratifyingsensationandunvaryingcheerfulnessalldinner-time。
Afterdinner，whenheandhisfatherwerealone，hehadFanny’shistory；andthenallthegreateventsofthelastfortnight，andthepresentsituationofmattersatMansfieldwereknowntohim。
Fannysuspectedwhatwasgoingon。Theysatsomuchlongerthanusualinthedining-parlour，thatshewassuretheymustbetalkingofher；andwhenteaatlastbroughtthemaway，andshewastobeseenbyEdmundagain，shefeltdreadfullyguilty。Hecametoher，satdownbyher，tookherhand，andpresseditkindly；andatthatmomentshethoughtthat，butfortheoccupationandthescenewhichthetea-thingsafforded，shemusthavebetrayedheremotioninsomeunpardonableexcess。
Hewasnotintending，however，bysuchaction，tobeconveyingtoherthatunqualifiedapprobationandencouragementwhichherhopesdrewfromit。
Itwasdesignedonlytoexpresshisparticipationinallthatinterestedher，andtotellherthathehadbeenhearingwhatquickenedeveryfeelingofaffection。Hewas，infact，entirelyonhisfather’ssideofthequestion。
Hissurprisewasnotsogreatashisfather’satherrefusingCrawford，because，sofarfromsupposinghertoconsiderhimwithanythinglikeapreference，hehadalwaysbelievedittoberatherthereverse，andcouldimaginehertobetakenperfectlyunprepared，butSirThomascouldnotregardtheconnexionasmoredesirablethanhedid。Ithadeveryrecommendationtohim；
andwhilehonouringherforwhatshehaddoneundertheinfluenceofherpresentindifference，honouringherinratherstrongertermsthanSirThomascouldquiteecho，hewasmostearnestinhoping，andsanguineinbelieving，thatitwouldbeamatchatlast，andthat，unitedbymutualaffection，itwouldappearthattheirdispositionswereasexactlyfittedtomakethemblessedineachother，ashewasnowbeginningseriouslytoconsiderthem。
Crawfordhadbeentooprecipitate。Hehadnotgivenhertimetoattachherself。Hehadbegunatthewrongend。