Fannywasdoublysilencedhere；thoughwhenthemomentwaspassed，couldregretthatshehadnotforcedherselfintotheacknowledgedcomprehensionofonehalfofhismeaning，andencouragedhimtosaysomethingmoreofhissisterandEdmund。Itwasasubjectwhichshemustlearntospeakof，andtheweaknessthatshrunkfromitwouldsoonbequiteunpardonable。
WhenMr。Priceandhisfriendhadseenallthattheywished，orhadtimefor，theotherswerereadytoreturn；
andinthecourseoftheirwalkback，Mr。Crawfordcontrivedaminute’sprivacyfortellingFannythathisonlybusinessinPortsmouthwastoseeher；thathewascomedownforacoupleofdaysonheraccount，andhersonly，andbecausehecouldnotendurealongertotalseparation。
Shewassorry，reallysorry；andyetinspiteofthisandthetwoorthreeotherthingswhichshewishedhehadnotsaid，shethoughthimaltogetherimprovedsinceshehadseenhim；
hewasmuchmoregentle，obliging，andattentivetootherpeople’sfeelingsthanhehadeverbeenatMansfield；
shehadneverseenhimsoagreeable——so_near_beingagreeable；
hisbehaviourtoherfathercouldnotoffend，andtherewassomethingparticularlykindandproperinthenoticehetookofSusan。Hewasdecidedlyimproved。Shewishedthenextdayover，shewishedhehadcomeonlyforoneday；
butitwasnotsoverybadasshewouldhaveexpected：
thepleasureoftalkingofMansfieldwassoverygreat!
Beforetheyparted，shehadtothankhimforanotherpleasure，andoneofnotrivialkind。Herfatheraskedhimtodothemthehonouroftakinghismuttonwiththem，andFannyhadtimeforonlyonethrillofhorror，beforehedeclaredhimselfpreventedbyapriorengagement。Hewasengagedtodinneralreadybothforthatdayandthenext；hehadmetwithsomeacquaintanceattheCrownwhowouldnotbedenied；
heshouldhavethehonour，however，ofwaitingonthemagainonthemorrow，etc。，andsotheyparted——Fannyinastateofactualfelicityfromescapingsohorribleanevil!
Tohavehadhimjointheirfamilydinner-party，andseealltheirdeficiencies，wouldhavebeendreadful!
Rebecca’scookeryandRebecca’swaiting，andBetsey’seatingattablewithoutrestraint，andpullingeverythingaboutasshechose，werewhatFannyherselfwasnotyetenoughinuredtoforheroftentomakeatolerablemeal。
_She_wasniceonlyfromnaturaldelicacy，but_he_hadbeenbroughtupinaschoolofluxuryandepicurism。
ThePriceswerejustsettingoffforchurchthenextdaywhenMr。Crawfordappearedagain。Hecame，nottostop，buttojointhem；hewasaskedtogowiththemtotheGarrisonchapel，whichwasexactlywhathehadintended，andtheyallwalkedthithertogether。
Thefamilywerenowseentoadvantage。Naturehadgiventhemnoinconsiderableshareofbeauty，andeverySundaydressedthemintheircleanestskinsandbestattire。
SundayalwaysbroughtthiscomforttoFanny，andonthisSundayshefeltitmorethanever。HerpoormothernowdidnotlooksoveryunworthyofbeingLadyBertram’ssisterasshewasbuttooapttolook。Itoftengrievedhertothehearttothinkofthecontrastbetweenthem；
tothinkthatwherenaturehadmadesolittledifference，circumstancesshouldhavemadesomuch，andthathermother，ashandsomeasLadyBertram，andsomeyearsherjunior，shouldhaveanappearancesomuchmorewornandfaded，socomfortless，soslatternly，soshabby。ButSundaymadeheraverycreditableandtolerablycheerful-lookingMrs。Price，comingabroadwithafinefamilyofchildren，feelingalittlerespiteofherweeklycares，andonlydiscomposedifshesawherboysrunintodanger，orRebeccapassbywithaflowerinherhat。
Inchapeltheywereobligedtodivide，butMr。Crawfordtookcarenottobedividedfromthefemalebranch；
andafterchapelhestillcontinuedwiththem，andmadeoneinthefamilypartyontheramparts。
Mrs。PricetookherweeklywalkontherampartseveryfineSundaythroughouttheyear，alwaysgoingdirectlyaftermorningserviceandstayingtilldinner-time。Itwasherpublicplace：thereshemetheracquaintance，heardalittlenews，talkedoverthebadnessofthePortsmouthservants，andwoundupherspiritsforthesixdaysensuing。
Thithertheynowwent；Mr。CrawfordmosthappytoconsidertheMissPricesashispeculiarcharge；andbeforetheyhadbeentherelong，somehoworother，therewasnosayinghow，Fannycouldnothavebelievedit，buthewaswalkingbetweenthemwithanarmofeachunderhis，andshedidnotknowhowtopreventorputanendtoit。
Itmadeheruncomfortableforatime，butyettherewereenjoymentsinthedayandintheviewwhichwouldbefelt。
Thedaywasuncommonlylovely。ItwasreallyMarch；
butitwasAprilinitsmildair，brisksoftwind，andbrightsun，occasionallycloudedforaminute；
andeverythinglookedsobeautifulundertheinfluenceofsuchasky，theeffectsoftheshadowspursuingeachotherontheshipsatSpitheadandtheislandbeyond，withtheever-varyinghuesofthesea，nowathighwater，dancinginitsgleeanddashingagainsttherampartswithsofineasound，producedaltogethersuchacombinationofcharmsforFanny，asmadehergraduallyalmostcarelessofthecircumstancesunderwhichshefeltthem。Nay，hadshebeenwithouthisarm，shewouldsoonhaveknownthatsheneededit，forshewantedstrengthforatwohours’
saunterofthiskind，coming，asitgenerallydid，uponaweek’spreviousinactivity。Fannywasbeginningtofeeltheeffectofbeingdebarredfromherusualregularexercise；shehadlostgroundastohealthsinceherbeinginPortsmouth；andbutforMr。Crawfordandthebeautyoftheweatherwouldsoonhavebeenknockedupnow。
Thelovelinessoftheday，andoftheview，hefeltlikeherself。Theyoftenstoptwiththesamesentimentandtaste，leaningagainstthewall，someminutes，tolookandadmire；andconsideringhewasnotEdmund，Fannycouldnotbutallowthathewassufficientlyopentothecharmsofnature，andverywellabletoexpresshisadmiration。Shehadafewtenderreveriesnowandthen，whichhecouldsometimestakeadvantageoftolookinherfacewithoutdetection；andtheresultoftheselookswas，thatthoughasbewitchingasever，herfacewaslessbloomingthanitoughttobe。She_said_shewasverywell，anddidnotliketobesupposedotherwise；
buttakeitallinall，hewasconvincedthatherpresentresidencecouldnotbecomfortable，andthereforecouldnotbesalutaryforher，andhewasgrowinganxiousforherbeingagainatMansfield，whereherownhappiness，andhisinseeingher，mustbesomuchgreater。
“Youhavebeenhereamonth，Ithink？“saidhe。
“No；notquiteamonth。Itisonlyfourweeksto-morrowsinceIleftMansfield。“
“Youareamostaccurateandhonestreckoner。Ishouldcallthatamonth。“
“IdidnotarriveheretillTuesdayevening。“
“Anditistobeatwomonths’visit，isnot？“
“Yes。Myuncletalkedoftwomonths。Isupposeitwillnotbeless。“
“Andhowareyoutobeconveyedbackagain？Whocomesforyou？“
“Idonotknow。Ihaveheardnothingaboutityetfrommyaunt。PerhapsImaybetostaylonger。
Itmaynotbeconvenientformetobefetchedexactlyatthetwomonths’end。“
Afteramoment’sreflection，Mr。Crawfordreplied，“IknowMansfield，Iknowitsway，Iknowitsfaultstowards_you_。Iknowthedangerofyourbeingsofarforgotten，astohaveyourcomfortsgivewaytotheimaginaryconvenienceofanysinglebeinginthefamily。
Iamawarethatyoumaybelefthereweekafterweek，ifSirThomascannotsettleeverythingforcominghimself，orsendingyouraunt’smaidforyou，withoutinvolvingtheslightestalterationofthearrangementswhichhemayhavelaiddownforthenextquarterofayear。
Thiswillnotdo。Twomonthsisanampleallowance；
Ishouldthinksixweeksquiteenough。Iamconsideringyoursister’shealth，“saidhe，addressinghimselftoSusan，“whichIthinktheconfinementofPortsmouthunfavourableto。
Sherequiresconstantairandexercise。WhenyouknowheraswellasIdo，Iamsureyouwillagreethatshedoes，andthatsheoughtnevertobelongbanishedfromthefreeairandlibertyofthecountry。If，therefore“turningagaintoFanny，“youfindyourselfgrowingunwell，andanydifficultiesariseaboutyourreturningtoMansfield，withoutwaitingforthetwomonthstobeended，_that_mustnotberegardedasofanyconsequence，ifyoufeelyourselfatalllessstrongorcomfortablethanusual，andwillonlyletmysisterknowit，giveheronlytheslightesthint，sheandIwillimmediatelycomedown，andtakeyoubacktoMansfield。Youknowtheeaseandthepleasurewithwhichthiswouldbedone。
Youknowallthatwouldbefeltontheoccasion。“
Fannythankedhim，buttriedtolaughitoff。
“Iamperfectlyserious，“hereplied，“asyouperfectlyknow。
AndIhopeyouwillnotbecruellyconcealinganytendencytoindisposition。Indeed，youshall_not_；
itshallnotbeinyourpower；forsolongonlyasyoupositivelysay，ineverylettertoMary，’Iamwell，’