“AndMrs。Grant，didshesay——didshespeak；wasshethereallthetime？“
“Yes，shewasagreeingexactlywithhersister。Thesurpriseofyourrefusal，Fanny，seemstohavebeenunbounded。
ThatyoucouldrefusesuchamanasHenryCrawfordseemsmorethantheycanunderstand。IsaidwhatIcouldforyou；
butingoodtruth，astheystatedthecase——youmustproveyourselftobeinyoursensesassoonasyoucanbyadifferentconduct；nothingelsewillsatisfythem。
Butthisisteasingyou。Ihavedone。Donotturnawayfromme。“
“I_should_havethought，“saidFanny，afterapauseofrecollectionandexertion，“thateverywomanmusthavefeltthepossibilityofaman’snotbeingapproved，notbeinglovedbysomeoneofhersexatleast，lethimbeeversogenerallyagreeable。Lethimhavealltheperfectionsintheworld，Ithinkitoughtnottobesetdownascertainthatamanmustbeacceptabletoeverywomanhemayhappentolikehimself。But，evensupposingitisso，allowingMr。Crawfordtohavealltheclaimswhichhissistersthinkhehas，howwasItobepreparedtomeethimwithanyfeelinganswerabletohisown？
Hetookmewhollybysurprise。Ihadnotanideathathisbehaviourtomebeforehadanymeaning；andsurelyI
wasnottobeteachingmyselftolikehimonlybecausehewastakingwhatseemedveryidlenoticeofme。
Inmysituation，itwouldhavebeentheextremeofvanitytobeformingexpectationsonMr。Crawford。Iamsurehissisters，ratinghimastheydo，musthavethoughtitso，supposinghehadmeantnothing。How，then，wasItobe——
tobeinlovewithhimthemomenthesaidhewaswithme？
HowwasItohaveanattachmentathisservice，assoonasitwasaskedfor？Hissistersshouldconsidermeaswellashim。Thehigherhisdeserts，themoreimproperformeevertohavethoughtofhim。And，and——wethinkverydifferentlyofthenatureofwomen，iftheycanimagineawomansoverysooncapableofreturninganaffectionasthisseemstoimply。“
“Mydear，dearFanny，nowIhavethetruth。Iknowthistobethetruth；andmostworthyofyouaresuchfeelings。
Ihadattributedthemtoyoubefore。IthoughtIcouldunderstandyou。YouhavenowgivenexactlytheexplanationwhichIventuredtomakeforyoutoyourfriendandMrs。Grant，andtheywerebothbettersatisfied，thoughyourwarm-heartedfriendwasstillrunawaywithalittlebytheenthusiasmofherfondnessforHenry。Itoldthemthatyouwereofallhumancreaturestheoneoverwhomhabithadmostpowerandnoveltyleast；andthattheverycircumstanceofthenoveltyofCrawford’saddresseswasagainsthim。
Theirbeingsonewandsorecentwasallintheirdisfavour；
thatyoucouldtoleratenothingthatyouwerenotusedto；
andagreatdealmoretothesamepurpose，togivethemaknowledgeofyourcharacter。MissCrawfordmadeuslaughbyherplansofencouragementforherbrother。
Shemeanttourgehimtopersevereinthehopeofbeinglovedintime，andofhavinghisaddressesmostkindlyreceivedattheendofabouttenyears’happymarriage。“
Fannycouldwithdifficultygivethesmilethatwashereaskedfor。Herfeelingswereallinrevolt。
Shefearedshehadbeendoingwrong：sayingtoomuch，overactingthecautionwhichshehadbeenfancyingnecessary；
inguardingagainstoneevil，layingherselfopentoanother；andtohaveMissCrawford’slivelinessrepeatedtoheratsuchamoment，andonsuchasubject，wasabitteraggravation。
Edmundsawwearinessanddistressinherface，andimmediatelyresolvedtoforbearallfartherdiscussion；
andnoteventomentionthenameofCrawfordagain，exceptasitmightbeconnectedwithwhat_must_beagreeabletoher。Onthisprinciple，hesoonafterwardsobserved——
“TheygoonMonday。Youaresure，therefore，ofseeingyourfriendeitherto-morroworSunday。TheyreallygoonMonday；andIwaswithinatrifleofbeingpersuadedtostayatLessingbytillthatveryday!Ihadalmostpromisedit。Whatadifferenceitmighthavemade!
ThosefiveorsixdaysmoreatLessingbymighthavebeenfeltallmylife。“
“Youwerenearstayingthere？“
“Very。Iwasmostkindlypressed，andhadnearlyconsented。
HadIreceivedanyletterfromMansfield，totellmehowyouwereallgoingon，IbelieveIshouldcertainlyhavestaid；
butIknewnothingthathadhappenedhereforafortnight，andfeltthatIhadbeenawaylongenough。“
“Youspentyourtimepleasantlythere？“
“Yes；thatis，itwasthefaultofmyownmindifIdidnot。
Theywereallverypleasant。Idoubttheirfindingmeso。
Itookuneasinesswithme，andtherewasnogettingridofittillIwasinMansfieldagain。“
“TheMissOwens——youlikedthem，didnotyou？“
“Yes，verywell。Pleasant，good-humoured，unaffectedgirls。
ButIamspoilt，Fanny，forcommonfemalesociety。
Good-humoured，unaffectedgirlswillnotdoforamanwhohasbeenusedtosensiblewomen。Theyaretwodistinctordersofbeing。YouandMissCrawfordhavemademetoonice。“
Still，however，Fannywasoppressedandwearied；
hesawitinherlooks，itcouldnotbetalkedaway；
andattemptingitnomore，heledherdirectly，withthekindauthorityofaprivilegedguardian，intothehouse。
EdmundnowbelievedhimselfperfectlyacquaintedwithallthatFannycouldtell，orcouldleavetobeconjecturedofhersentiments，andhewassatisfied。Ithadbeen，ashebeforepresumed，toohastyameasureonCrawford’sside，andtimemustbegiventomaketheideafirstfamiliar，andthenagreeabletoher。Shemustbeusedtotheconsiderationofhisbeinginlovewithher，andthenareturnofaffectionmightnotbeverydistant。
Hegavethisopinionastheresultoftheconversationtohisfather；andrecommendedtherebeingnothingmoresaidtoher：nofartherattemptstoinfluenceorpersuade；
butthateverythingshouldbelefttoCrawford’sassiduities，andthenaturalworkingsofherownmind。
SirThomaspromisedthatitshouldbeso。Edmund’saccountofFanny’sdispositionhecouldbelievetobejust；
hesupposedshehadallthosefeelings，buthemustconsideritasveryunfortunatethatshe_had_；for，lesswillingthanhissontotrusttothefuture，hecouldnothelpfearingthatifsuchverylongallowancesoftimeandhabitwerenecessaryforher，shemightnothavepersuadedherselfintoreceivinghisaddressesproperlybeforetheyoungman’sinclinationforpayingthemwereover。
Therewasnothingtobedone，however，buttosubmitquietlyandhopethebest。
Thepromisedvisitfrom“herfriend，“asEdmundcalledMissCrawford，wasaformidablethreattoFanny，andshelivedincontinualterrorofit。Asasister，sopartialandsoangry，andsolittlescrupulousofwhatshesaid，andinanotherlightsotriumphantandsecure，shewasineverywayanobjectofpainfulalarm。
Herdispleasure，herpenetration，andherhappinesswereallfearfultoencounter；andthedependenceofhavingotherspresentwhentheymetwasFanny’sonlysupportinlookingforwardtoit。SheabsentedherselfaslittleaspossiblefromLadyBertram，keptawayfromtheEastroom，andtooknosolitarywalkintheshrubbery，inhercautiontoavoidanysuddenattack。
Shesucceeded。Shewassafeinthebreakfast-room，withheraunt，whenMissCrawforddidcome；andthefirstmiseryover，andMissCrawfordlookingandspeakingwithmuchlessparticularityofexpressionthanshehadanticipated，Fannybegantohopetherewouldbenothingworsetobeenduredthanahalf-hourofmoderateagitation。
Buthereshehopedtoomuch；MissCrawfordwasnottheslaveofopportunity。ShewasdeterminedtoseeFannyalone，andthereforesaidtohertolerablysoon，inalowvoice，“Imustspeaktoyouforafewminutessomewhere“；
wordsthatFannyfeltalloverher，inallherpulsesandallhernerves。Denialwasimpossible。Herhabitsofreadysubmission，onthecontrary，madeheralmostinstantlyriseandleadthewayoutoftheroom。
Shediditwithwretchedfeelings，butitwasinevitable。
TheywerenosoonerinthehallthanallrestraintofcountenancewasoveronMissCrawford’sside。
SheimmediatelyshookherheadatFannywitharch，yetaffectionatereproach，andtakingherhand，seemedhardlyabletohelpbeginningdirectly。
Shesaidnothing，however，but，“Sad，sadgirl!
IdonotknowwhenIshallhavedonescoldingyou，“