TomandCharles。CharleshadbeenbornsinceFanny’sgoingaway，butTomshehadoftenhelpedtonurse，andnowfeltaparticularpleasureinseeingagain。
Bothwerekissedverytenderly，butTomshewantedtokeepbyher，totrytotracethefeaturesofthebabyshehadloved，andtalkedto，ofhisinfantpreferenceofherself。Tom，however，hadnomindforsuchtreatment：
hecamehomenottostandandbetalkedto，buttorunaboutandmakeanoise；andbothboyshadsoonburstfromher，andslammedtheparlour-doortillhertemplesached。
Shehadnowseenallthatwereathome；thereremainedonlytwobrothersbetweenherselfandSusan，oneofwhomwasaclerkinapublicofficeinLondon，andtheothermidshipmanonboardanIndiaman。
Butthoughshehad_seen_allthemembersofthefamily，shehadnotyet_heard_allthenoisetheycouldmake。
Anotherquarterofanhourbroughtheragreatdealmore。
Williamwassooncallingoutfromthelanding-placeofthesecondstoryforhismotherandforRebecca。
Hewasindistressforsomethingthathehadleftthere，anddidnotfindagain。Akeywasmislaid，Betseyaccusedofhavinggotathisnewhat，andsomeslight，butessentialalterationofhisuniformwaistcoat，whichhehadbeenpromisedtohavedoneforhim，entirelyneglected。
Mrs。Price，Rebecca，andBetseyallwentuptodefendthemselves，alltalkingtogether，butRebeccaloudest，andthejobwastobedoneaswellasitcouldinagreathurry；
WilliamtryinginvaintosendBetseydownagain，orkeepherfrombeingtroublesomewhereshewas；thewholeofwhich，asalmosteverydoorinthehousewasopen，couldbeplainlydistinguishedintheparlour，exceptwhendrownedatintervalsbythesuperiornoiseofSam，Tom，andCharleschasingeachotherupanddownstairs，andtumblingaboutandhallooing。
Fannywasalmoststunned。Thesmallnessofthehouseandthinnessofthewallsbroughteverythingsoclosetoher，that，addedtothefatigueofherjourney，andallherrecentagitation，shehardlyknewhowtobearit。
_Within_theroomallwastranquilenough，forSusanhavingdisappearedwiththeothers，thereweresoononlyherfatherandherselfremaining；andhe，takingoutanewspaper，theaccustomaryloanofaneighbour，appliedhimselftostudyingit，withoutseemingtorecollectherexistence。
Thesolitarycandlewasheldbetweenhimselfandthepaper，withoutanyreferencetoherpossibleconvenience；
butshehadnothingtodo，andwasgladtohavethelightscreenedfromherachinghead，asshesatinbewildered，broken，sorrowfulcontemplation。
Shewasathome。But，alas!itwasnotsuchahome，shehadnotsuchawelcome，as——shecheckedherself；
shewasunreasonable。Whatrighthadshetobeofimportancetoherfamily？Shecouldhavenone，solonglostsightof!
William’sconcernsmustbedearest，theyalwayshadbeen，andhehadeveryright。Yettohavesolittlesaidoraskedaboutherself，tohavescarcelyaninquirymadeafterMansfield!ItdidpainhertohaveMansfieldforgotten；
thefriendswhohaddonesomuch——thedear，dearfriends!
Buthere，onesubjectswallowedupalltherest。
Perhapsitmustbeso。ThedestinationoftheThrushmustbenowpreeminentlyinteresting。Adayortwomightshewthedifference。_She_onlywastoblame。
YetshethoughtitwouldnothavebeensoatMansfield。
No，inheruncle’shousetherewouldhavebeenaconsiderationoftimesandseasons，aregulationofsubject，apropriety，anattentiontowardseverybodywhichtherewasnothere。
Theonlyinterruptionwhichthoughtslikethesereceivedfornearlyhalfanhourwasfromasuddenburstofherfather’s，notatallcalculatedtocomposethem。Atamorethanordinarypitchofthumpingandhallooinginthepassage，heexclaimed，“Deviltakethoseyoungdogs!Howtheyaresingingout!Ay，Sam’svoicelouderthanalltherest!
Thatboyisfitforaboatswain。Holla，youthere!
Sam，stopyourconfoundedpipe，orIshallbeafteryou。“
Thisthreatwassopalpablydisregarded，thatthoughwithinfiveminutesafterwardsthethreeboysallburstintotheroomtogetherandsatdown，Fannycouldnotconsideritasaproofofanythingmorethantheirbeingforthetimethoroughlyfagged，whichtheirhotfacesandpantingbreathsseemedtoprove，especiallyastheywerestillkickingeachother’sshins，andhallooingoutatsuddenstartsimmediatelyundertheirfather’seye。
Thenextopeningofthedoorbroughtsomethingmorewelcome：
itwasforthetea-things，whichshehadbegunalmosttodespairofseeingthatevening。Susanandanattendantgirl，whoseinferiorappearanceinformedFanny，tohergreatsurprise，thatshehadpreviouslyseentheupperservant，broughtineverythingnecessaryforthemeal；
Susanlooking，assheputthekettleonthefireandglancedathersister，asifdividedbetweentheagreeabletriumphofshewingheractivityandusefulness，andthedreadofbeingthoughttodemeanherselfbysuchanoffice。
“Shehadbeenintothekitchen，“shesaid，“tohurrySallyandhelpmakethetoast，andspreadthebreadandbutter，orshedidnotknowwhentheyshouldhavegottea，andshewassurehersistermustwantsomethingafterherjourney。“
Fannywasverythankful。Shecouldnotbutownthatsheshouldbeverygladofalittletea，andSusanimmediatelysetaboutmakingit，asifpleasedtohavetheemploymentalltoherself；andwithonlyalittleunnecessarybustle，andsomefewinjudiciousattemptsatkeepingherbrothersinbetterorderthanshecould，acquittedherselfverywell。
Fanny’sspiritwasasmuchrefreshedasherbody；herheadandheartweresoonthebetterforsuchwell-timedkindness。
Susanhadanopen，sensiblecountenance；shewaslikeWilliam，andFannyhopedtofindherlikehimindispositionandgoodwilltowardsherself。
InthismoreplacidstateofthingsWilliamreentered，followednotfarbehindbyhismotherandBetsey。
He，completeinhislieutenant’suniform，lookingandmovingallthetaller，firmer，andmoregracefulforit，andwiththehappiestsmileoverhisface，walkedupdirectlytoFanny，who，risingfromherseat，lookedathimforamomentinspeechlessadmiration，andthenthrewherarmsroundhisnecktosobouthervariousemotionsofpainandpleasure。
Anxiousnottoappearunhappy，shesoonrecoveredherself；
andwipingawayhertears，wasabletonoticeandadmireallthestrikingpartsofhisdress；listeningwithrevivingspiritstohischeerfulhopesofbeingonshoresomepartofeverydaybeforetheysailed，andevenofgettinghertoSpitheadtoseethesloop。
ThenextbustlebroughtinMr。Campbell，thesurgeonoftheThrush，averywell-behavedyoungman，whocametocallforhisfriend，andforwhomtherewaswithsomecontrivancefoundachair，andwithsomehastywashingoftheyoungtea-maker’s，acupandsaucer；andafteranotherquarterofanhourofearnesttalkbetweenthegentlemen，noiserisinguponnoise，andbustleuponbustle，menandboysatlastallinmotiontogether，themomentcameforsettingoff；everythingwasready，Williamtookleave，andallofthemweregone；forthethreeboys，inspiteoftheirmother’sentreaty，determinedtoseetheirbrotherandMr。Campbelltothesally-port；andMr。Pricewalkedoffatthesametimetocarrybackhisneighbour’snewspaper。
Somethingliketranquillitymightnowbehopedfor；
andaccordingly，whenRebeccahadbeenprevailedontocarryawaythetea-things，andMrs。Pricehadwalkedabouttheroomsometimelookingforashirt-sleeve，whichBetseyatlasthuntedoutfromadrawerinthekitchen，thesmallpartyoffemaleswereprettywellcomposed，andthemotherhavinglamentedagainovertheimpossibilityofgettingSamreadyintime，wasatleisuretothinkofhereldestdaughterandthefriendsshehadcomefrom。
Afewinquiriesbegan：butoneoftheearliest——“HowdidsisterBertrammanageaboutherservants？“Wassheasmuchplaguedasherselftogettolerableservants？“——
soonledhermindawayfromNorthamptonshire，andfixeditonherowndomesticgrievances，andtheshockingcharacterofallthePortsmouthservants，ofwhomshebelievedherowntwoweretheveryworst，engrossedhercompletely。
TheBertramswereallforgottenindetailingthefaultsofRebecca，againstwhomSusanhadalsomuchtodepose，andlittleBetseyagreatdealmore，andwhodidseemsothoroughlywithoutasinglerecommendation，thatFannycouldnothelpmodestlypresumingthathermothermeanttopartwithherwhenheryearwasup。
“Heryear!“criedMrs。Price；“IamsureIhopeI
shallberidofherbeforeshehasstaidayear，forthatwillnotbeuptillNovember。Servantsarecometosuchapass，mydear，inPortsmouth，thatitisquiteamiracleifonekeepsthemmorethanhalfayear。
Ihavenohopeofeverbeingsettled；andifIwastopartwithRebecca，Ishouldonlygetsomethingworse。
AndyetIdonotthinkIamaverydifficultmistresstoplease；andIamsuretheplaceiseasyenough，forthereisalwaysagirlunderher，andIoftendohalftheworkmyself。“
Fannywassilent；butnotfrombeingconvincedthattheremightnotbearemedyfoundforsomeoftheseevils。
AsshenowsatlookingatBetsey，shecouldnotbutthinkparticularlyofanothersister，averyprettylittlegirl，whomshehadlefttherenotmuchyoungerwhenshewentintoNorthamptonshire，whohaddiedafewyearsafterwards。