Heraweofheruncle，andherdreadoftakingalibertywithhim，madeitinstantlyplaintoherwhatshehadtodo。Shemustabsolutelydeclinetheproposal。
Ifhewanted，hewouldsendforher；andeventoofferanearlyreturnwasapresumptionwhichhardlyanythingwouldhaveseemedtojustify。ShethankedMissCrawford，butgaveadecidednegative。“Heruncle，sheunderstood，meanttofetchher；andashercousin’sillnesshadcontinuedsomanyweekswithoutherbeingthoughtatallnecessary，shemustsupposeherreturnwouldbeunwelcomeatpresent，andthatsheshouldbefeltanencumbrance。“
Herrepresentationofhercousin’sstateatthistimewasexactlyaccordingtoherownbeliefofit，andsuchasshesupposedwouldconveytothesanguinemindofhercorrespondentthehopeofeverythingshewaswishingfor。
Edmundwouldbeforgivenforbeingaclergyman，itseemed，undercertainconditionsofwealth；andthis，shesuspected，wasalltheconquestofprejudicewhichhewassoreadytocongratulatehimselfupon。Shehadonlylearnttothinknothingofconsequencebutmoney。
AsFannycouldnotdoubtthatheranswerwasconveyingarealdisappointment，shewasratherinexpectation，fromherknowledgeofMissCrawford’stemper，ofbeingurgedagain；andthoughnosecondletterarrivedforthespaceofaweek，shehadstillthesamefeelingwhenitdidcome。
Onreceivingit，shecouldinstantlydecideonitscontaininglittlewriting，andwaspersuadedofitshavingtheairofaletterofhasteandbusiness。
Itsobjectwasunquestionable；andtwomomentswereenoughtostarttheprobabilityofitsbeingmerelytogivehernoticethattheyshouldbeinPortsmouththatveryday，andtothrowherintoalltheagitationofdoubtingwhatsheoughttodoinsuchacase。
Iftwomoments，however，cansurroundwithdifficulties，athirdcandispersethem；andbeforeshehadopenedtheletter，thepossibilityofMr。andMissCrawford’shavingappliedtoheruncleandobtainedhispermissionwasgivingherease。Thiswastheletter——
“Amostscandalous，ill-naturedrumourhasjustreachedme，andIwrite，dearFanny，towarnyouagainstgivingtheleastcredittoit，shoulditspreadintothecountry。
Dependuponit，thereissomemistake，andthatadayortwowillclearitup；atanyrate，thatHenryisblameless，andinspiteofamoment’s_etourderie_，thinksofnobodybutyou。Saynotawordofit；hearnothing，surmisenothing，whispernothingtillIwriteagain。
Iamsureitwillbeallhushedup，andnothingprovedbutRushworth’sfolly。Iftheyaregone，IwouldlaymylifetheyareonlygonetoMansfieldPark，andJuliawiththem。Butwhywouldnotyouletuscomeforyou？
Iwishyoumaynotrepentit——Yours，etc。“
Fannystoodaghast。Asnoscandalous，ill-naturedrumourhadreachedher，itwasimpossibleforhertounderstandmuchofthisstrangeletter。ShecouldonlyperceivethatitmustrelatetoWimpoleStreetandMr。Crawford，andonlyconjecturethatsomethingveryimprudenthadjustoccurredinthatquartertodrawthenoticeoftheworld，andtoexciteherjealousy，inMissCrawford’sapprehension，ifsheheardit。MissCrawfordneednotbealarmedforher。ShewasonlysorryforthepartiesconcernedandforMansfield，ifthereportshouldspreadsofar；
butshehopeditmightnot。IftheRushworthsweregonethemselvestoMansfield，aswastobeinferredfromwhatMissCrawfordsaid，itwasnotlikelythatanythingunpleasantshouldhaveprecededthem，oratleastshouldmakeanyimpression。
AstoMr。Crawford，shehopeditmightgivehimaknowledgeofhisowndisposition，convincehimthathewasnotcapableofbeingsteadilyattachedtoanyonewomanintheworld，andshamehimfrompersistinganylongerinaddressingherself。
Itwasverystrange!Shehadbeguntothinkhereallylovedher，andtofancyhisaffectionforhersomethingmorethancommon；andhissisterstillsaidthathecaredfornobodyelse。Yettheremusthavebeensomemarkeddisplayofattentionstohercousin，theremusthavebeensomestrongindiscretion，sincehercorrespondentwasnotofasorttoregardaslightone。
Veryuncomfortableshewas，andmustcontinue，tillsheheardfromMissCrawfordagain。Itwasimpossibletobanishtheletterfromherthoughts，andshecouldnotrelieveherselfbyspeakingofittoanyhumanbeing。
MissCrawfordneednothaveurgedsecrecywithsomuchwarmth；
shemighthavetrustedtohersenseofwhatwasduetohercousin。
Thenextdaycameandbroughtnosecondletter。
Fannywasdisappointed。Shecouldstillthinkoflittleelseallthemorning；but，whenherfathercamebackintheafternoonwiththedailynewspaperasusual，shewassofarfromexpectinganyelucidationthroughsuchachannelthatthesubjectwasforamomentoutofherhead。
Shewasdeepinothermusing。Theremembranceofherfirsteveninginthatroom，ofherfatherandhisnewspaper，cameacrossher。Nocandlewasnowwanted。
Thesunwasyetanhourandhalfabovethehorizon。
Shefeltthatshehad，indeed，beenthreemonthsthere；
andthesun’sraysfallingstronglyintotheparlour，insteadofcheering，madeherstillmoremelancholy，forsunshineappearedtoheratotallydifferentthinginatownandinthecountry。Here，itspowerwasonlyaglare：astifling，sicklyglare，servingbuttobringforwardstainsanddirtthatmightotherwisehaveslept。
Therewasneitherhealthnorgaietyinsunshineinatown。
Shesatinablazeofoppressiveheat，inacloudofmovingdust，andhereyescouldonlywanderfromthewalls，markedbyherfather’shead，tothetablecutandnotchedbyherbrothers，wherestoodthetea-boardneverthoroughlycleaned，thecupsandsaucerswipedinstreaks，themilkamixtureofmotesfloatinginthinblue，andthebreadandbuttergrowingeveryminutemoregreasythanevenRebecca’shandshadfirstproducedit。
Herfatherreadhisnewspaper，andhermotherlamentedovertheraggedcarpetasusual，whiletheteawasinpreparation，andwishedRebeccawouldmendit；
andFannywasfirstrousedbyhiscallingouttoher，afterhumphingandconsideringoveraparticularparagraph：
“What’sthenameofyourgreatcousinsintown，Fan？“
Amoment’srecollectionenabledhertosay，“Rushworth，sir。“
“Anddon’ttheyliveinWimpoleStreet？“
“Yes，sir。“
“Then，there’sthedeviltopayamongthem，that’sall!
There“holdingoutthepapertoher；“muchgoodmaysuchfinerelationsdoyou。Idon’tknowwhatSirThomasmaythinkofsuchmatters；hemaybetoomuchofthecourtierandfinegentlemantolikehisdaughtertheless。But，byG——
!ifshebelongedto_me_，I’dgivehertherope’sendaslongasIcouldstandoverher。Alittlefloggingformanandwomantoowouldbethebestwayofpreventingsuchthings。“
Fannyreadtoherselfthat“itwaswithinfiniteconcernthenewspaperhadtoannouncetotheworldamatrimonial_fracas_inthefamilyofMr。R。ofWimpoleStreet；
thebeautifulMrs。R。，whosenamehadnotlongbeenenrolledinthelistsofHymen，andwhohadpromisedtobecomesobrilliantaleaderinthefashionableworld，havingquittedherhusband’sroofincompanywiththewell-knownandcaptivatingMr。C。，theintimatefriendandassociateofMr。R。，anditwasnotknowneventotheeditorofthenewspaperwhithertheyweregone。“
“Itisamistake，sir，“saidFannyinstantly；“itmustbeamistake，itcannotbetrue；itmustmeansomeotherpeople。“
Shespokefromtheinstinctivewishofdelayingshame；
shespokewitharesolutionwhichsprungfromdespair，forshespokewhatshedidnot，couldnotbelieveherself。
Ithadbeentheshockofconvictionassheread。Thetruthrushedonher；andhowshecouldhavespokenatall，howshecouldevenhavebreathed，wasafterwardsmatterofwondertoherself。
Mr。Pricecaredtoolittleaboutthereporttomakehermuchanswer。“Itmightbeallalie，“heacknowledged；
“butsomanyfineladiesweregoingtothedevilnowadaysthatway，thattherewasnoansweringforanybody。“
“Indeed，Ihopeitisnottrue，“saidMrs。Priceplaintively；
“itwouldbesoveryshocking!IfIhavespokenoncetoRebeccaaboutthatcarpet，IamsureIhavespokeatleastadozentimes；havenotI，Betsey？Anditwouldnotbetenminutes’work。“
ThehorrorofamindlikeFanny’s，asitreceivedtheconvictionofsuchguilt，andbegantotakeinsomepartofthemiserythatmustensue，canhardlybedescribed。
Atfirst，itwasasortofstupefaction；buteverymomentwasquickeningherperceptionofthehorribleevil。
Shecouldnotdoubt，shedarednotindulgeahope，oftheparagraphbeingfalse。MissCrawford’sletter，whichshehadreadsooftenastomakeeverylineherown，wasinfrightfulconformitywithit。Hereagerdefenceofherbrother，herhopeofitsbeing_hushed__up_，herevidentagitation，wereallofapiecewithsomethingverybad；andiftherewasawomanofcharacterinexistence，whocouldtreatasatriflethissinofthefirstmagnitude，whowouldtrytoglossitover，anddesiretohaveitunpunished，shecouldbelieveMissCrawfordtobethewoman!
Nowshecouldseeherownmistakeasto_who_weregone，or_said_tobegone。ItwasnotMr。andMrs。Rushworth；
itwasMrs。RushworthandMr。Crawford。