butthiscannotpossiblybepermittedbeforethemiddleofnextweek；thatis，hecannotanyhowbesparedtillafterthel4th，for_we_haveapartythatevening。
ThevalueofamanlikeHenry，onsuchanoccasion，iswhatyoucanhavenoconceptionof；soyoumusttakeituponmywordtobeinestimable。HewillseetheRushworths，whichownIamnotsorryfor——havingalittlecuriosity，andsoIthinkhashe——thoughhewillnotacknowledgeit。“
Thiswasalettertoberunthrougheagerly，tobereaddeliberately，tosupplymatterformuchreflection，andtoleaveeverythingingreatersuspensethanever。
Theonlycertaintytobedrawnfromitwas，thatnothingdecisivehadyettakenplace。Edmundhadnotyetspoken。
HowMissCrawfordreallyfelt，howshemeanttoact，ormightactwithoutoragainsthermeaning；whetherhisimportancetoherwerequitewhatithadbeenbeforethelastseparation；whether，iflessened，itwerelikelytolessenmore，ortorecoveritself，weresubjectsforendlessconjecture，andtobethoughtofonthatdayandmanydaystocome，withoutproducinganyconclusion。
TheideathatreturnedtheoftenestwasthatMissCrawford，afterprovingherselfcooledandstaggeredbyareturntoLondonhabits，wouldyetproveherselfintheendtoomuchattachedtohimtogivehimup。Shewouldtrytobemoreambitiousthanherheartwouldallow。
Shewouldhesitate，shewouldtease，shewouldcondition，shewouldrequireagreatdeal，butshewouldfinallyaccept。
ThiswasFanny’smostfrequentexpectation。Ahouseintown——that，shethought，mustbeimpossible。
YettherewasnosayingwhatMissCrawfordmightnotask。
Theprospectforhercousingrewworseandworse。
Thewomanwhocouldspeakofhim，andspeakonlyofhisappearance!Whatanunworthyattachment!TobederivingsupportfromthecommendationsofMrs。Fraser!
_She_whohadknownhimintimatelyhalfayear!
Fannywasashamedofher。ThosepartsoftheletterwhichrelatedonlytoMr。Crawfordandherself，touchedher，incomparison，slightly。WhetherMr。CrawfordwentintoNorfolkbeforeorafterthe14thwascertainlynoconcernofhers，though，everythingconsidered，shethoughthe_would_gowithoutdelay。ThatMissCrawfordshouldendeavourtosecureameetingbetweenhimandMrs。Rushworth，wasallinherworstlineofconduct，andgrosslyunkindandill-judged；butshehoped_he_
wouldnotbeactuatedbyanysuchdegradingcuriosity。
Heacknowledgednosuchinducement，andhissisteroughttohavegivenhimcreditforbetterfeelingsthanherown。
Shewasyetmoreimpatientforanotherletterfromtownafterreceivingthisthanshehadbeenbefore；
andforafewdayswassounsettledbyitaltogether，bywhathadcome，andwhatmightcome，thatherusualreadingsandconversationwithSusanweremuchsuspended。
Shecouldnotcommandherattentionasshewished。
IfMr。Crawfordrememberedhermessagetohercousin，shethoughtitverylikely，mostlikely，thathewouldwritetoheratallevents；itwouldbemostconsistentwithhisusualkindness；andtillshegotridofthisidea，tillitgraduallyworeoff，bynolettersappearinginthecourseofthreeorfourdaysmore，shewasinamostrestless，anxiousstateAtlength，asomethinglikecomposuresucceeded。
Suspensemustbesubmittedto，andmustnotbeallowedtowearherout，andmakeheruseless。Timedidsomething，herownexertionssomethingmore，andsheresumedherattentionstoSusan，andagainawakenedthesameinterestinthem。
Susanwasgrowingveryfondofher，andthoughwithoutanyoftheearlydelightinbookswhichhadbeensostronginFanny，withadispositionmuchlessinclinedtosedentarypursuits，ortoinformationforinformation’ssake，shehadsostrongadesireofnot_appearing_ignorant，as，withagoodclearunderstanding，madeheramostattentive，profitable，thankfulpupil。
Fannywasheroracle。Fanny’sexplanationsandremarkswereamostimportantadditiontoeveryessay，oreverychapterofhistory。WhatFannytoldherofformertimesdweltmoreonhermindthanthepagesofGoldsmith；andshepaidhersisterthecomplimentofpreferringherstyletothatofanyprintedauthor。Theearlyhabitofreadingwaswanting。
Theirconversations，however，werenotalwaysonsubjectssohighashistoryormorals。Othershadtheirhour；
andoflessermatters，nonereturnedsooften，orremainedsolongbetweenthem，asMansfieldPark，adescriptionofthepeople，themanners，theamusements，thewaysofMansfieldPark。Susan，whohadaninnatetasteforthegenteelandwell-appointed，waseagertohear，andFannycouldnotbutindulgeherselfindwellingonsobelovedatheme。Shehopeditwasnotwrong；though，afteratime，Susan’sverygreatadmirationofeverythingsaidordoneinheruncle’shouse，andearnestlongingtogointoNorthamptonshire，seemedalmosttoblameherforexcitingfeelingswhichcouldnotbegratified。
PoorSusanwasverylittlebetterfittedforhomethanhereldersister；andasFannygrewthoroughlytounderstandthis，shebegantofeelthatwhenherownreleasefromPortsmouthcame，herhappinesswouldhaveamaterialdrawbackinleavingSusanbehind。
Thatagirlsocapableofbeingmadeeverythinggoodshouldbeleftinsuchhands，distressedhermoreandmore。
Were_she_likelytohaveahometoinviteherto，whatablessingitwouldbe!AndhaditbeenpossibleforhertoreturnMr。Crawford’sregard，theprobabilityofhisbeingveryfarfromobjectingtosuchameasurewouldhavebeenthegreatestincreaseofallherowncomforts。
Shethoughthewasreallygood-tempered，andcouldfancyhisenteringintoaplanofthatsortmostpleasantly。
Sevenweeksofthetwomonthswereverynearlygone，whentheoneletter，theletterfromEdmund，solongexpected，wasputintoFanny’shands。Assheopened，andsawitslength，shepreparedherselfforaminutedetailofhappinessandaprofusionofloveandpraisetowardsthefortunatecreaturewhowasnowmistressofhisfate。
Thesewerethecontents——
“MyDearFanny，——ExcusemethatIhavenotwrittenbefore。
Crawfordtoldmethatyouwerewishingtohearfromme，butIfounditimpossibletowritefromLondon，andpersuadedmyselfthatyouwouldunderstandmysilence。
CouldIhavesentafewhappylines，theyshouldnothavebeenwanting，butnothingofthatnaturewaseverinmypower。IamreturnedtoMansfieldinalessassuredstatethatwhenIleftit。Myhopesaremuchweaker。
Youareprobablyawareofthisalready。SoveryfondofyouasMissCrawfordis，itismostnaturalthatsheshouldtellyouenoughofherownfeelingstofurnishatolerableguessatmine。Iwillnotbeprevented，however，frommakingmyowncommunication。Ourconfidencesinyouneednotclash。
Iasknoquestions。Thereissomethingsoothingintheideathatwehavethesamefriend，andthatwhateverunhappydifferencesofopinionmayexistbetweenus，weareunitedinourloveofyou。Itwillbeacomforttometotellyouhowthingsnoware，andwhataremypresentplans，ifplansIcanbesaidtohave。IhavebeenreturnedsinceSaturday。IwasthreeweeksinLondon，andsawherforLondonveryoften。IhadeveryattentionfromtheFrasersthatcouldbereasonablyexpected。
IdaresayIwasnotreasonableincarryingwithmehopesofanintercourseatalllikethatofMansfield。
Itwashermanner，however，ratherthananyunfrequencyofmeeting。HadshebeendifferentwhenIdidseeher，Ishouldhavemadenocomplaint，butfromtheveryfirstshewasaltered：myfirstreceptionwassounlikewhatIhadhoped，thatIhadalmostresolvedonleavingLondonagaindirectly。Ineednotparticularise。
Youknowtheweaksideofhercharacter，andmayimaginethesentimentsandexpressionswhichweretorturingme。
Shewasinhighspirits，andsurroundedbythosewhoweregivingallthesupportoftheirownbadsensetohertoolivelymind。IdonotlikeMrs。Fraser。
Sheisacold-hearted，vainwoman，whohasmarriedentirelyfromconvenience，andthoughevidentlyunhappyinhermarriage，placesherdisappointmentnottofaultsofjudgment，ortemper，ordisproportionofage，buttoherbeing，afterall，lessaffluentthanmanyofheracquaintance，especiallythanhersister，LadyStornaway，andisthedeterminedsupporterofeverythingmercenaryandambitious，provideditbeonlymercenaryandambitiousenough。Ilookuponherintimacywiththosetwosistersasthegreatestmisfortuneofherlifeandmine。Theyhavebeenleadingherastrayforyears。Couldshebedetachedfromthem!——
andsometimesIdonotdespairofit，fortheaffectionappearstomeprincipallyontheirside。Theyareveryfondofher；butIamsureshedoesnotlovethemasshelovesyou。WhenIthinkofhergreatattachmenttoyou，indeed，andthewholeofherjudicious，uprightconductasasister，sheappearsaverydifferentcreature，capableofeverythingnoble，andIamreadytoblamemyselfforatooharshconstructionofaplayfulmanner。
Icannotgiveherup，Fanny。SheistheonlywomanintheworldwhomIcouldeverthinkofasawife。
IfIdidnotbelievethatshehadsomeregardforme，ofcourseIshouldnotsaythis，butIdobelieveit。
Iamconvincedthatsheisnotwithoutadecidedpreference。