flattermyselfthepoorsuffererwillsoonbeabletobeartheremovalwithoutmaterialinconvenienceorinjury。
AsIhavelittledoubtofyourfeelingforus，mydearFanny，underthesedistressingcircumstances，Iwillwriteagainverysoon。“
Fanny’sfeelingsontheoccasionwereindeedconsiderablymorewarmandgenuinethanheraunt’sstyleofwriting。
Shefelttrulyforthemall。Tomdangerouslyill，Edmundgonetoattendhim，andthesadlysmallpartyremainingatMansfield，werecarestoshutouteveryothercare，oralmosteveryother。ShecouldjustfindselfishnessenoughtowonderwhetherEdmund_had_writtentoMissCrawfordbeforethissummonscame，butnosentimentdweltlongwithherthatwasnotpurelyaffectionateanddisinterestedlyanxious。Herauntdidnotneglecther：
shewroteagainandagain；theywerereceivingfrequentaccountsfromEdmund，andtheseaccountswereasregularlytransmittedtoFanny，inthesamediffusestyle，andthesamemedleyoftrusts，hopes，andfears，allfollowingandproducingeachotherathaphazard。
Itwasasortofplayingatbeingfrightened。
ThesufferingswhichLadyBertramdidnotseehadlittlepoweroverherfancy；andshewroteverycomfortablyaboutagitation，andanxiety，andpoorinvalids，tillTomwasactuallyconveyedtoMansfield，andherowneyeshadbeheldhisalteredappearance。ThenaletterwhichshehadbeenpreviouslypreparingforFannywasfinishedinadifferentstyle，inthelanguageofrealfeelingandalarm；thenshewroteasshemighthavespoken。
“Heisjustcome，mydearFanny，andistakenupstairs；
andIamsoshockedtoseehim，thatIdonotknowwhattodo。Iamsurehehasbeenveryill。PoorTom!
Iamquitegrievedforhim，andverymuchfrightened，andsoisSirThomas；andhowgladIshouldbeifyouwereheretocomfortme。ButSirThomashopeshewillbebetterto-morrow，andsayswemustconsiderhisjourney。“
Therealsolicitudenowawakenedinthematernalbosomwasnotsoonover。Tom’sextremeimpatiencetoberemovedtoMansfield，andexperiencethosecomfortsofhomeandfamilywhichhadbeenlittlethoughtofinuninterruptedhealth，hadprobablyinducedhisbeingconveyedthithertooearly，asareturnoffevercameon，andforaweekhewasinamorealarmingstatethanever。
Theywereallveryseriouslyfrightened。LadyBertramwroteherdailyterrorstoherniece，whomightnowbesaidtoliveuponletters，andpassallhertimebetweensufferingfromthatofto-dayandlookingforwardtoto-morrow’s。
Withoutanyparticularaffectionforhereldestcousin，hertendernessofheartmadeherfeelthatshecouldnotsparehim，andthepurityofherprinciplesaddedyetakeenersolicitude，whensheconsideredhowlittleuseful，howlittleself-denyinghislifehadapparentlybeen。
Susanwasheronlycompanionandlisteneronthis，asonmorecommonoccasions。Susanwasalwaysreadytohearandtosympathise。Nobodyelsecouldbeinterestedinsoremoteanevilasillnessinafamilyaboveanhundredmilesoff；
notevenMrs。Price，beyondabriefquestionortwo，ifshesawherdaughterwithaletterinherhand，andnowandthenthequietobservationof，“MypoorsisterBertrammustbeinagreatdealoftrouble。“
Solongdividedandsodifferentlysituated，thetiesofbloodwerelittlemorethannothing。Anattachment，originallyastranquilastheirtempers，wasnowbecomeamerename。Mrs。PricedidquiteasmuchforLadyBertramasLadyBertramwouldhavedoneforMrs。Price。
ThreeorfourPricesmighthavebeensweptaway，anyorallexceptFannyandWilliam，andLadyBertramwouldhavethoughtlittleaboutit；orperhapsmighthavecaughtfromMrs。Norris’slipsthecantofitsbeingaveryhappythingandagreatblessingtotheirpoordearsisterPricetohavethemsowellprovidedfor。
Atabouttheweek’sendfromhisreturntoMansfield，Tom’simmediatedangerwasover，andhewassofarpronouncedsafeastomakehismotherperfectlyeasy；
forbeingnowusedtothesightofhiminhissuffering，helplessstate，andhearingonlythebest，andneverthinkingbeyondwhatsheheard，withnodispositionforalarmandnoaptitudeatahint，LadyBertramwasthehappiestsubjectintheworldforalittlemedicalimposition。
Thefeverwassubdued；thefeverhadbeenhiscomplaint；
ofcoursehewouldsoonbewellagain。LadyBertramcouldthinknothingless，andFannysharedheraunt’ssecurity，tillshereceivedafewlinesfromEdmund，writtenpurposelytogiveheraclearerideaofhisbrother’ssituation，andacquaintherwiththeapprehensionswhichheandhisfatherhadimbibedfromthephysicianwithrespecttosomestronghecticsymptoms，whichseemedtoseizetheframeonthedepartureofthefever。TheyjudgeditbestthatLadyBertramshouldnotbeharassedbyalarmswhich，itwastobehoped，wouldproveunfounded；buttherewasnoreasonwhyFannyshouldnotknowthetruth。Theywereapprehensiveforhislungs。
AveryfewlinesfromEdmundshewedherthepatientandthesickroominajusterandstrongerlightthanallLadyBertram’ssheetsofpapercoulddo。Therewashardlyanyoneinthehousewhomightnothavedescribed，frompersonalobservation，betterthanherself；
notonewhowasnotmoreusefulattimestoherson。
Shecoulddonothingbutglideinquietlyandlookathim；
butwhenabletotalkorbetalkedto，orreadto，Edmundwasthecompanionhepreferred。Hisauntworriedhimbyhercares，andSirThomasknewnothowtobringdownhisconversationorhisvoicetothelevelofirritationandfeebleness。Edmundwasallinall。Fannywouldcertainlybelievehimsoatleast，andmustfindthatherestimationofhimwashigherthaneverwhenheappearedastheattendant，supporter，cheererofasufferingbrother。
Therewasnotonlythedebilityofrecentillnesstoassist：
therewasalso，asshenowlearnt，nervesmuchaffected，spiritsmuchdepressedtocalmandraise，andherownimaginationaddedthattheremustbeamindtobeproperlyguided。
Thefamilywerenotconsumptive，andshewasmoreinclinedtohopethanfearforhercousin，exceptwhenshethoughtofMissCrawford；butMissCrawfordgavehertheideaofbeingthechildofgoodluck，andtoherselfishnessandvanityitwouldbegoodlucktohaveEdmundtheonlyson。
EveninthesickchamberthefortunateMarywasnotforgotten。Edmund’sletterhadthispostscript。
“Onthesubjectofmylast，IhadactuallybegunaletterwhencalledawaybyTom’sillness，butIhavenowchangedmymind，andfeartotrusttheinfluenceoffriends。
WhenTomisbetter，Ishallgo。“
SuchwasthestateofMansfield，andsoitcontinued，withscarcelyanychange，tillEaster。AlineoccasionallyaddedbyEdmundtohismother’sletterwasenoughforFanny’sinformation。Tom’samendmentwasalarminglyslow。
Eastercameparticularlylatethisyear，asFannyhadmostsorrowfullyconsidered，onfirstlearningthatshehadnochanceofleavingPortsmouthtillafterit。Itcame，andshehadyetheardnothingofherreturn——nothingevenofthegoingtoLondon，whichwastoprecedeherreturn。
Herauntoftenexpressedawishforher，buttherewasnonotice，nomessagefromtheuncleonwhomalldepended。
Shesupposedhecouldnotyetleavehisson，butitwasacruel，aterribledelaytoher。TheendofAprilwascomingon；
itwouldsoonbealmostthreemonths，insteadoftwo，thatshehadbeenabsentfromthemall，andthatherdayshadbeenpassinginastateofpenance，whichshelovedthemtoowelltohopetheywouldthoroughlyunderstand；
andwhocouldyetsaywhentheremightbeleisuretothinkoforfetchher？
Hereagerness，herimpatience，herlongingstobewiththem，weresuchastobringalineortwoofCowper’sTirociniumforeverbeforeher。“Withwhatintensedesireshewantsherhome，“wascontinuallyonhertongue，asthetruestdescriptionofayearningwhichshecouldnotsupposeanyschoolboy’sbosomtofeelmorekeenly。
WhenshehadbeencomingtoPortsmouth，shehadlovedtocallitherhome，hadbeenfondofsayingthatshewasgoinghome；
thewordhadbeenverydeartoher，andsoitstillwas，butitmustbeappliedtoMansfield。_That_wasnowthehome。PortsmouthwasPortsmouth；Mansfieldwashome。
Theyhadbeenlongsoarrangedintheindulgenceofhersecretmeditations，andnothingwasmoreconsolatorytoherthantofindherauntusingthesamelanguage：
“IcannotbutsayImuchregretyourbeingfromhomeatthisdistressingtime，soverytryingtomyspirits。
Itrustandhope，andsincerelywishyoumayneverbeabsentfromhomesolongagain，“weremostdelightfulsentencestoher。Still，however，itwasherprivateregale。
Delicacytoherparentsmadehercarefulnottobetraysuchapreferenceofheruncle’shouse。Itwasalways：
“WhenIgobackintoNorthamptonshire，orwhenIreturntoMansfield，Ishalldosoandso。“Foragreatwhileitwasso，butatlastthelonginggrewstronger，itoverthrewcaution，andshefoundherselftalkingofwhatsheshoulddowhenshewenthomebeforeshewasaware。