Williamwasalmostashappyintheplanashissister。
Itwouldbethegreatestpleasuretohimtohavehertheretothelastmomentbeforehesailed，andperhapsfindhertherestillwhenhecameinfromhisfirstcruise。
Andbesides，hewantedhersoverymuchtoseetheThrushbeforeshewentoutofharbour——theThrushwascertainlythefinestsloopintheservice——andtherewereseveralimprovementsinthedockyard，too，whichhequitelongedtoshewher。
Hedidnotscrupletoaddthatherbeingathomeforawhilewouldbeagreatadvantagetoeverybody。
“Idonotknowhowitis，“saidhe；“butweseemtowantsomeofyournicewaysandorderlinessatmyfather’s。Thehouseisalwaysinconfusion。Youwillsetthingsgoinginabetterway，Iamsure。Youwilltellmymotherhowitalloughttobe，andyouwillbesousefultoSusan，andyouwillteachBetsey，andmaketheboysloveandmindyou。
Howrightandcomfortableitwillallbe!“
BythetimeMrs。Price’sanswerarrived，thereremainedbutaveryfewdaysmoretobespentatMansfield；
andforpartofoneofthosedaystheyoungtravellerswereinagooddealofalarmonthesubjectoftheirjourney，forwhenthemodeofitcametobetalkedof，andMrs。Norrisfoundthatallheranxietytosaveherbrother-in-law’smoneywasvain，andthatinspiteofherwishesandhintsforalessexpensiveconveyanceofFanny，theyweretotravelpost；whenshesawSirThomasactuallygiveWilliamnotesforthepurpose，shewasstruckwiththeideaoftherebeingroomforathirdinthecarriage，andsuddenlyseizedwithastronginclinationtogowiththem，togoandseeherpoordearsisterPrice。
Sheproclaimedherthoughts。Shemustsaythatshehadmorethanhalfamindtogowiththeyoungpeople；
itwouldbesuchanindulgencetoher；shehadnotseenherpoordearsisterPriceformorethantwentyyears；
anditwouldbeahelptotheyoungpeopleintheirjourneytohaveherolderheadtomanageforthem；andshecouldnothelpthinkingherpoordearsisterPricewouldfeelitveryunkindofhernottocomebysuchanopportunity。
WilliamandFannywerehorror-struckattheidea。
Allthecomfortoftheircomfortablejourneywouldbedestroyedatonce。Withwoefulcountenancestheylookedateachother。Theirsuspenselastedanhourortwo。Nooneinterferedtoencourageordissuade。
Mrs。Norriswaslefttosettlethematterbyherself；
anditended，totheinfinitejoyofhernephewandniece，intherecollectionthatshecouldnotpossiblybesparedfromMansfieldParkatpresent；thatshewasagreatdealtoonecessarytoSirThomasandLadyBertramforhertobeabletoanswerittoherselftoleavethemevenforaweek，andthereforemustcertainlysacrificeeveryotherpleasuretothatofbeingusefultothem。
Ithad，infact，occurredtoher，thatthoughtakentoPortsmouthfornothing，itwouldbehardlypossibleforhertoavoidpayingherownexpensesbackagain。
SoherpoordearsisterPricewaslefttoallthedisappointmentofhermissingsuchanopportunity，andanothertwentyyears’absence，perhaps，begun。
Edmund’splanswereaffectedbythisPortsmouthjourney，thisabsenceofFanny’s。HetoohadasacrificetomaketoMansfieldParkaswellashisaunt。Hehadintended，aboutthistime，tobegoingtoLondon；buthecouldnotleavehisfatherandmotherjustwheneverybodyelseofmostimportancetotheircomfortwasleavingthem；
andwithaneffort，feltbutnotboastedof，hedelayedforaweekortwolongerajourneywhichhewaslookingforwardtowiththehopeofitsfixinghishappinessforever。
HetoldFannyofit。Sheknewsomuchalready，thatshemustknoweverything。ItmadethesubstanceofoneotherconfidentialdiscourseaboutMissCrawford；
andFannywasthemoreaffectedfromfeelingittobethelasttimeinwhichMissCrawford’snamewouldeverbementionedbetweenthemwithanyremainsofliberty。
Onceafterwardsshewasalludedtobyhim。LadyBertramhadbeentellinghernieceintheeveningtowritetohersoonandoften，andpromisingtobeagoodcorrespondentherself；
andEdmund，ataconvenientmoment，thenaddedinawhisper，“And_I_shallwritetoyou，Fanny，whenIhaveanythingworthwritingabout，anythingtosaythatIthinkyouwillliketohear，andthatyouwillnothearsosoonfromanyotherquarter。“Hadshedoubtedhismeaningwhileshelistened，theglowinhisface，whenshelookedupathim，wouldhavebeendecisive。
Forthislettershemusttrytoarmherself。ThataletterfromEdmundshouldbeasubjectofterror!
Shebegantofeelthatshehadnotyetgonethroughallthechangesofopinionandsentimentwhichtheprogressoftimeandvariationofcircumstancesoccasioninthisworldofchanges。Thevicissitudesofthehumanmindhadnotyetbeenexhaustedbyher。
PoorFanny!thoughgoingasshedidwillinglyandeagerly，thelasteveningatMansfieldParkmuststillbewretchedness。Herheartwascompletelysadatparting。
Shehadtearsforeveryroominthehouse，muchmoreforeverybelovedinhabitant。Sheclungtoheraunt，becauseshewouldmissher；shekissedthehandofherunclewithstrugglingsobs，becauseshehaddispleasedhim；
andasforEdmund，shecouldneitherspeak，norlook，northink，whenthelastmomentcamewith_him_；anditwasnottillitwasoverthatsheknewhewasgivinghertheaffectionatefarewellofabrother。
Allthispassedovernight，forthejourneywastobeginveryearlyinthemorning；andwhenthesmall，diminishedpartymetatbreakfast，WilliamandFannyweretalkedofasalreadyadvancedonestage。
Thenoveltyoftravelling，andthehappinessofbeingwithWilliam，soonproducedtheirnaturaleffectonFanny’sspirits，whenMansfieldParkwasfairlyleftbehind；
andbythetimetheirfirststagewasended，andtheyweretoquitSirThomas’scarriage，shewasabletotakeleaveoftheoldcoachman，andsendbackpropermessages，withcheerfullooks。
Ofpleasanttalkbetweenthebrotherandsistertherewasnoend。EverythingsuppliedanamusementtothehighgleeofWilliam’smind，andhewasfulloffrolicandjokeintheintervalsoftheirhigher-tonedsubjects，allofwhichended，iftheydidnotbegin，inpraiseoftheThrush，conjectureshowshewouldbeemployed，schemesforanactionwithsomesuperiorforce，whichsupposingthefirstlieutenantoutoftheway，andWilliamwasnotverymercifultothefirstlieutenant
wastogivehimselfthenextstepassoonaspossible，orspeculationsuponprize-money，whichwastobegenerouslydistributedathome，withonlythereservationofenoughtomakethelittlecottagecomfortable，inwhichheandFannyweretopassalltheirmiddleandlaterlifetogether。
Fanny’simmediateconcerns，asfarastheyinvolvedMr。Crawford，madenopartoftheirconversation。
Williamknewwhathadpassed，andfromhisheartlamentedthathissister’sfeelingsshouldbesocoldtowardsamanwhomhemustconsiderasthefirstofhumancharacters；
buthewasofanagetobeallforlove，andthereforeunabletoblame；andknowingherwishonthesubject，hewouldnotdistressherbytheslightestallusion。
ShehadreasontosupposeherselfnotyetforgottenbyMr。Crawford。ShehadheardrepeatedlyfromhissisterwithinthethreeweekswhichhadpassedsincetheirleavingMansfield，andineachlettertherehadbeenafewlinesfromhimself，warmanddeterminedlikehisspeeches。ItwasacorrespondencewhichFannyfoundquiteasunpleasantasshehadfeared。
MissCrawford’sstyleofwriting，livelyandaffectionate，wasitselfanevil，independentofwhatshewasthusforcedintoreadingfromthebrother’spen，forEdmundwouldneverresttillshehadreadthechiefofthelettertohim；andthenshehadtolistentohisadmirationofherlanguage，andthewarmthofherattachments。
Therehad，infact，beensomuchofmessage，ofallusion，ofrecollection，somuchofMansfieldineveryletter，thatFannycouldnotbutsupposeitmeantforhimtohear；
andtofindherselfforcedintoapurposeofthatkind，compelledintoacorrespondencewhichwasbringinghertheaddressesofthemanshedidnotlove，andobliginghertoadministertotheadversepassionofthemanshedid，wascruellymortifying。Here，too，herpresentremovalpromisedadvantage。WhennolongerunderthesameroofwithEdmund，shetrustedthatMissCrawfordwouldhavenomotiveforwritingstrongenoughtoovercomethetrouble，andthatatPortsmouththeircorrespondencewoulddwindleintonothing。
Withsuchthoughtsasthese，amongtenhundredothers，Fannyproceededinherjourneysafelyandcheerfully，andasexpeditiouslyascouldrationallybehopedinthedirtymonthofFebruary。TheyenteredOxford，butshecouldtakeonlyahastyglimpseofEdmund’scollegeastheypassedalong，andmadenostopanywheretilltheyreachedNewbury，whereacomfortablemeal，unitingdinnerandsupper，wounduptheenjoymentsandfatiguesoftheday。
Thenextmorningsawthemoffagainatanearlyhour；
andwithnoevents，andnodelays，theyregularlyadvanced，andwereintheenvironsofPortsmouthwhiletherewasyetdaylightforFannytolookaroundher，andwonderatthenewbuildings。Theypassedthedrawbridge，andenteredthetown；andthelightwasonlybeginningtofailas，guidedbyWilliam’spowerfulvoice，theywererattledintoanarrowstreet，leadingfromtheHighStreet，anddrawnupbeforethedoorofasmallhousenowinhabitedbyMr。Price。