andhaddiscretionenoughtoreservetheresttilltheymightbesecureofhavingfourwallstothemselves。
Fannynaturallyturnedupstairs，andtookherguesttotheapartmentwhichwasnowalwaysfitforcomfortableuse；
openingthedoor，however，withamostachingheart，andfeelingthatshehadamoredistressingscenebeforeherthaneverthatspothadyetwitnessed。ButtheevilreadytoburstonherwasatleastdelayedbythesuddenchangeinMissCrawford’sideas；bythestrongeffectonhermindwhichthefindingherselfintheEastroomagainproduced。
“Ha!“shecried，withinstantanimation，“amIhereagain？
TheEastroom!OnceonlywasIinthisroombefore“；
andafterstoppingtolookabouther，andseeminglytoretraceallthathadthenpassed，sheadded，“Onceonlybefore。Doyourememberit？Icametorehearse。
Yourcousincametoo；andwehadarehearsal。Youwereouraudienceandprompter。Adelightfulrehearsal。
Ishallneverforgetit。Herewewere，justinthispartoftheroom：herewasyourcousin，herewasI，herewerethechairs。Oh!whywillsuchthingseverpassaway？“
Happilyforhercompanion，shewantednoanswer。
Hermindwasentirelyself-engrossed。Shewasinareverieofsweetremembrances。
“Thescenewewererehearsingwassoveryremarkable!
Thesubjectofitsovery——very——whatshallIsay？
Hewastobedescribingandrecommendingmatrimonytome。
IthinkIseehimnow，tryingtobeasdemureandcomposedasAnhaltought，throughthetwolongspeeches。
’Whentwosympatheticheartsmeetinthemarriagestate，matrimonymaybecalledahappylife。’IsupposenotimecaneverwearouttheimpressionIhaveofhislooksandvoiceashesaidthosewords。Itwascurious，verycurious，thatweshouldhavesuchascenetoplay!
IfIhadthepowerofrecallinganyoneweekofmyexistence，itshouldbethatweek——thatactingweek。Saywhatyouwould，Fanny，itshouldbe_that_；forIneverknewsuchexquisitehappinessinanyother。Hissturdyspirittobendasitdid!Oh!itwassweetbeyondexpression。
Butalas，thatveryeveningdestroyeditall。Thatveryeveningbroughtyourmostunwelcomeuncle。PoorSirThomas，whowasgladtoseeyou？Yet，Fanny，donotimagineIwouldnowspeakdisrespectfullyofSirThomas，thoughIcertainlydidhatehimformanyaweek。No，Idohimjusticenow。
Heisjustwhattheheadofsuchafamilyshouldbe。
Nay，insobersadness，IbelieveInowloveyouall。“
Andhavingsaidso，withadegreeoftendernessandconsciousnesswhichFannyhadneverseeninherbefore，andnowthoughtonlytoobecoming，sheturnedawayforamomenttorecoverherself。“IhavehadalittlefitsinceIcameintothisroom，asyoumayperceive，“
saidshepresently，withaplayfulsmile，“butitisovernow；soletussitdownandbecomfortable；forastoscoldingyou，Fanny，whichIcamefullyintendingtodo，Ihavenottheheartforitwhenitcomestothepoint。“
Andembracingherveryaffectionately，“Good，gentleFanny!
whenIthinkofthisbeingthelasttimeofseeingyouforI
donotknowhowlong，Ifeelitquiteimpossibletodoanythingbutloveyou。“
Fannywasaffected。Shehadnotforeseenanythingofthis，andherfeelingscouldseldomwithstandthemelancholyinfluenceoftheword“last。“ShecriedasifshehadlovedMissCrawfordmorethanshepossiblycould；
andMissCrawford，yetfarthersoftenedbythesightofsuchemotion，hungaboutherwithfondness，andsaid，“Ihatetoleaveyou。IshallseenoonehalfsoamiablewhereIamgoing。Whosaysweshallnotbesisters？
Iknowweshall。Ifeelthatweareborntobeconnected；
andthosetearsconvincemethatyoufeelittoo，dearFanny。“
Fannyrousedherself，andreplyingonlyinpart，said，“Butyouareonlygoingfromonesetoffriendstoanother。
Youaregoingtoaveryparticularfriend。“
“Yes，verytrue。Mrs。Fraserhasbeenmyintimatefriendforyears。ButIhavenottheleastinclinationtogonearher。IcanthinkonlyofthefriendsIamleaving：
myexcellentsister，yourself，andtheBertramsingeneral。
Youhaveallsomuchmore_heart_amongyouthanonefindsintheworldatlarge。Youallgivemeafeelingofbeingabletotrustandconfideinyou，whichincommonintercourseoneknowsnothingof。IwishIhadsettledwithMrs。FrasernottogotohertillafterEaster，amuchbettertimeforthevisit，butnowIcannotputheroff。
AndwhenIhavedonewithherImustgotohersister，LadyStornaway，because_she_wasrathermymostparticularfriendofthetwo，butIhavenotcaredmuchfor_her_
thesethreeyears。“
Afterthisspeechthetwogirlssatmanyminutessilent，eachthoughtful：Fannymeditatingonthedifferentsortsoffriendshipintheworld，Maryonsomethingoflessphilosophictendency。_She_firstspokeagain。
“HowperfectlyIremembermyresolvingtolookforyouupstairs，andsettingofftofindmywaytotheEastroom，withouthavinganideawhereaboutsitwas!
HowwellIrememberwhatIwasthinkingofasIcamealong，andmylookinginandseeingyouheresittingatthistableatwork；andthenyourcousin’sastonishment，whenheopenedthedoor，atseeingmehere!Tobesure，youruncle’sreturningthatveryevening!Thereneverwasanythingquitelikeit。“
Anothershortfitofabstractionfollowed，when，shakingitoff，shethusattackedhercompanion。
“Why，Fanny，youareabsolutelyinareverie。
Thinking，Ihope，ofonewhoisalwaysthinkingofyou。
Oh!thatIcouldtransportyouforashorttimeintoourcircleintown，thatyoumightunderstandhowyourpoweroverHenryisthoughtofthere!Oh!theenvyingsandheartburningsofdozensanddozens；thewonder，theincredulitythatwillbefeltathearingwhatyouhavedone!Forastosecrecy，Henryisquitetheheroofanoldromance，andgloriesinhischains。YoushouldcometoLondontoknowhowtoestimateyourconquest。
Ifyouweretoseehowheiscourted，andhowIamcourtedforhissake!Now，IamwellawarethatIshallnotbehalfsowelcometoMrs。Fraserinconsequenceofhissituationwithyou。Whenshecomestoknowthetruthshewill，verylikely，wishmeinNorthamptonshireagain；
forthereisadaughterofMr。Fraser，byafirstwife，whomsheiswildtogetmarried，andwantsHenrytotake。
Oh!shehasbeentryingforhimtosuchadegree。
Innocentandquietasyousithere，youcannothaveanideaofthe_sensation_thatyouwillbeoccasioning，ofthecuriositytherewillbetoseeyou，oftheendlessquestionsIshallhavetoanswer!PoorMargaretFraserwillbeatmeforeveraboutyoureyesandyourteeth，andhowyoudoyourhair，andwhomakesyourshoes。
IwishMargaretweremarried，formypoorfriend’ssake，forIlookupontheFraserstobeaboutasunhappyasmostothermarriedpeople。AndyetitwasamostdesirablematchforJanetatthetime。Wewerealldelighted。
Shecouldnotdootherwisethanaccepthim，forhewasrich，andshehadnothing；butheturnsoutill-temperedand_exigeant_，andwantsayoungwoman，abeautifulyoungwomanoffive-and-twenty，tobeassteadyashimself。
Andmyfrienddoesnotmanagehimwell；shedoesnotseemtoknowhowtomakethebestofit。Thereisaspiritofirritationwhich，tosaynothingworse，iscertainlyveryill-bred。IntheirhouseIshallcalltomindtheconjugalmannersofMansfieldParsonagewithrespect。
EvenDr。Grantdoesshewathoroughconfidenceinmysister，andacertainconsiderationforherjudgment，whichmakesonefeelthere_is_attachment；butofthatIshallseenothingwiththeFrasers。IshallbeatMansfieldforever，Fanny。Myownsisterasawife，SirThomasBertramasahusband，aremystandardsofperfection。
PoorJanethasbeensadlytakenin，andyettherewasnothingimproperonherside：shedidnotrunintothematchinconsiderately；therewasnowantofforesight。
Shetookthreedaystoconsiderofhisproposals，andduringthosethreedaysaskedtheadviceofeverybodyconnectedwithherwhoseopinionwasworthhaving，andespeciallyappliedtomylatedearaunt，whoseknowledgeoftheworldmadeherjudgmentverygenerallyanddeservedlylookeduptobyalltheyoungpeopleofheracquaintance，andshewasdecidedlyinfavourofMr。Fraser。Thisseemsasifnothingwereasecurityformatrimonialcomfort。IhavenotsomuchtosayformyfriendFlora，whojiltedaveryniceyoungmanintheBluesforthesakeofthathorridLordStornaway，whohasaboutasmuchsense，Fanny，asMr。Rushworth，butmuchworse-looking，andwithablackguardcharacter。
I_had_mydoubtsatthetimeaboutherbeingright，forhehasnoteventheairofagentleman，andnowIamsureshewaswrong。Bythebye，FloraRosswasdyingforHenrythefirstwintershecameout。ButwereI
toattempttotellyouofallthewomenwhomIhaveknowntobeinlovewithhim，Ishouldneverhavedone。
Itisyou，onlyyou，insensibleFanny，whocanthinkofhimwithanythinglikeindifference。Butareyousoinsensibleasyouprofessyourself？No，no，Iseeyouarenot。“