Edmundhadalreadygonethroughtheserviceoncesincehisordination；anduponthisbeingunderstood，hehadavarietyofquestionsfromCrawfordastohisfeelingsandsuccess；questions，whichbeingmade，thoughwiththevivacityoffriendlyinterestandquicktaste，withoutanytouchofthatspiritofbanterorairoflevitywhichEdmundknewtobemostoffensivetoFanny，hehadtruepleasureinsatisfying；andwhenCrawfordproceededtoaskhisopinionandgivehisownastotheproperestmannerinwhichparticularpassagesintheserviceshouldbedelivered，shewingittobeasubjectonwhichhehadthoughtbefore，andthoughtwithjudgment，Edmundwasstillmoreandmorepleased。ThiswouldbethewaytoFanny’sheart。
Shewasnottobewonbyallthatgallantryandwitandgood-naturetogethercoulddo；or，atleast，shewouldnotbewonbythemnearlysosoon，withouttheassistanceofsentimentandfeeling，andseriousnessonserioussubjects“Ourliturgy，“observedCrawford，“hasbeauties，whichnotevenacareless，slovenlystyleofreadingcandestroy；
butithasalsoredundanciesandrepetitionswhichrequiregoodreadingnottobefelt。Formyself，atleast，ImustconfessbeingnotalwayssoattentiveasIoughttobe“
herewasaglanceatFanny；“thatnineteentimesoutoftwentyIamthinkinghowsuchaprayeroughttoberead，andlongingtohaveittoreadmyself。Didyouspeak？“
steppingeagerlytoFanny，andaddressingherinasoftenedvoice；anduponhersaying“No，“headded，“Areyousureyoudidnotspeak？Isawyourlipsmove。
IfanciedyoumightbegoingtotellmeIoughttobemoreattentive，andnot_allow_mythoughtstowander。
Arenotyougoingtotellmeso？“
“No，indeed，youknowyourdutytoowellformeto——
evensupposing——“
Shestopt，feltherselfgettingintoapuzzle，andcouldnotbeprevailedontoaddanotherword，notbydintofseveralminutesofsupplicationandwaiting。Hethenreturnedtohisformerstation，andwentonasiftherehadbeennosuchtenderinterruption。
“Asermon，welldelivered，ismoreuncommoneventhanprayerswellread。Asermon，goodinitself，isnorarething。
Itismoredifficulttospeakwellthantocomposewell；
thatis，therulesandtrickofcompositionareofteneranobjectofstudy。Athoroughlygoodsermon，thoroughlywelldelivered，isacapitalgratification。
Icanneverhearsuchaonewithoutthegreatestadmirationandrespect，andmorethanhalfamindtotakeordersandpreachmyself。Thereissomethingintheeloquenceofthepulpit，whenitisreallyeloquence，whichisentitledtothehighestpraiseandhonour。Thepreacherwhocantouchandaffectsuchanheterogeneousmassofhearers，onsubjectslimited，andlongwornthreadbareinallcommonhands；whocansayanythingneworstriking，anythingthatrousestheattentionwithoutoffendingthetaste，orwearingoutthefeelingsofhishearers，isamanwhomonecouldnot，inhispubliccapacity，honourenough。
Ishouldliketobesuchaman。“
Edmundlaughed。
“Ishouldindeed。Ineverlistenedtoadistinguishedpreacherinmylifewithoutasortofenvy。Butthen，ImusthaveaLondonaudience。Icouldnotpreachbuttotheeducated；tothosewhowerecapableofestimatingmycomposition。AndIdonotknowthatIshouldbefondofpreachingoften；nowandthen，perhapsonceortwiceinthespring，afterbeinganxiouslyexpectedforhalfadozenSundaystogether；butnotforaconstancy；
itwouldnotdoforaconstancy。“
HereFanny，whocouldnotbutlisten，involuntarilyshookherhead，andCrawfordwasinstantlybyhersideagain，entreatingtoknowhermeaning；andasEdmundperceived，byhisdrawinginachair，andsittingdownclosebyher，thatitwastobeaverythoroughattack，thatlooksandundertonesweretobewelltried，hesankasquietlyaspossibleintoacorner，turnedhisback，andtookupanewspaper，verysincerelywishingthatdearlittleFannymightbepersuadedintoexplainingawaythatshakeoftheheadtothesatisfactionofherardentlover；
andasearnestlytryingtoburyeverysoundofthebusinessfromhimselfinmurmursofhisown，overthevariousadvertisementsof“AmostdesirableEstateinSouthWales“；“ToParentsandGuardians“；anda“Capitalseason’dHunter。“
Fanny，meanwhile，vexedwithherselffornothavingbeenasmotionlessasshewasspeechless，andgrievedtothehearttoseeEdmund’sarrangements，wastryingbyeverythinginthepowerofhermodest，gentlenature，torepulseMr。Crawford，andavoidbothhislooksandinquiries；
andhe，unrepulsable，waspersistinginboth。
“Whatdidthatshakeoftheheadmean？“saidhe。“Whatwasitmeanttoexpress？Disapprobation，Ifear。Butofwhat？
WhathadIbeensayingtodispleaseyou？Didyouthinkmespeakingimproperly，lightly，irreverentlyonthesubject？
OnlytellmeifIwas。OnlytellmeifIwaswrong。
Iwanttobesetright。Nay，nay，Ientreatyou；
foronemomentputdownyourwork。Whatdidthatshakeoftheheadmean？“
Invainwasher“Pray，sir，don’t；pray，Mr。Crawford，“
repeatedtwiceover；andinvaindidshetrytomoveaway。
Inthesamelow，eagervoice，andthesamecloseneighbourhood，hewenton，reurgingthesamequestionsasbefore。
Shegrewmoreagitatedanddispleased。
“Howcanyou，sir？Youquiteastonishme；Iwonderhowyoucan——“
“DoIastonishyou？“saidhe。“Doyouwonder？Isthereanythinginmypresententreatythatyoudonotunderstand？
Iwillexplaintoyouinstantlyallthatmakesmeurgeyouinthismanner，allthatgivesmeaninterestinwhatyoulookanddo，andexcitesmypresentcuriosity。
Iwillnotleaveyoutowonderlong。“
Inspiteofherself，shecouldnothelphalfasmile，butshesaidnothing。
“YoushookyourheadatmyacknowledgingthatIshouldnotliketoengageinthedutiesofaclergymanalwaysforaconstancy。Yes，thatwastheword。Constancy：
Iamnotafraidoftheword。Iwouldspellit，readit，writeitwithanybody。Iseenothingalarmingintheword。
DidyouthinkIought？“
“Perhaps，sir，“saidFanny，weariedatlastintospeaking——
“perhaps，sir，Ithoughtitwasapityyoudidnotalwaysknowyourselfaswellasyouseemedtodoatthatmoment。“
Crawford，delightedtogethertospeakatanyrate，wasdeterminedtokeepitup；andpoorFanny，whohadhopedtosilencehimbysuchanextremityofreproof，foundherselfsadlymistaken，andthatitwasonlyachangefromoneobjectofcuriosityandonesetofwordstoanother。
Hehadalwayssomethingtoentreattheexplanationof。
Theopportunitywastoofair。Nonesuchhadoccurredsincehisseeingherinheruncle’sroom，nonesuchmightoccuragainbeforehisleavingMansfield。LadyBertram’sbeingjustontheothersideofthetablewasatrifle，forshemightalwaysbeconsideredasonlyhalf-awake，andEdmund’sadvertisementswerestillofthefirstutility。
“Well，“saidCrawford，afteracourseofrapidquestionsandreluctantanswers；“IamhappierthanIwas，becauseI
nowunderstandmoreclearlyyouropinionofme。Youthinkmeunsteady：easilyswayedbythewhimofthemoment，easilytempted，easilyputaside。Withsuchanopinion，nowonderthat。Butweshallsee。ItisnotbyprotestationsthatIshallendeavourtoconvinceyouIamwronged；
itisnotbytellingyouthatmyaffectionsaresteady。
Myconductshallspeakforme；absence，distance，timeshallspeakforme。_They_shallprovethat，asfarasyoucanbedeservedbyanybody，Idodeserveyou。Youareinfinitelymysuperiorinmerit；all_that_Iknow。
YouhavequalitieswhichIhadnotbeforesupposedtoexistinsuchadegreeinanyhumancreature。
Youhavesometouchesoftheangelinyoubeyondwhat——
notmerelybeyondwhatonesees，becauseoneneverseesanythinglikeit——butbeyondwhatonefanciesmightbe。
ButstillIamnotfrightened。Itisnotbyequalityofmeritthatyoucanbewon。Thatisoutofthequestion。
Itishewhoseesandworshipsyourmeritthestrongest，wholovesyoumostdevotedly，thathasthebestrighttoareturn。ThereIbuildmyconfidence。
BythatrightIdoandwilldeserveyou；andwhenonceconvincedthatmyattachmentiswhatIdeclareit，Iknowyoutoowellnottoentertainthewarmesthopes。
Yes，dearest，sweetestFanny。Nay“seeingherdrawbackdispleased，“forgiveme。PerhapsIhaveasyetnoright；