Fannyseemedtoherselfnevertohavebeenshockedbefore。
Therewasnopossibilityofrest。Theeveningpassedwithoutapauseofmisery，thenightwastotallysleepless。
Shepassedonlyfromfeelingsofsicknesstoshudderingsofhorror；andfromhotfitsoffevertocold。Theeventwassoshocking，thatthereweremomentsevenwhenherheartrevoltedfromitasimpossible：whenshethoughtitcouldnotbe。Awomanmarriedonlysixmonthsago；
amanprofessinghimselfdevoted，even_engaged_toanother；
thatotherhernearrelation；thewholefamily，bothfamiliesconnectedastheywerebytieupontie；
allfriends，allintimatetogether!Itwastoohorribleaconfusionofguilt，toogrossacomplicationofevil，forhumannature，notinastateofutterbarbarism，tobecapableof!yetherjudgmenttoldheritwasso。
_His_unsettledaffections，waveringwithhisvanity，_Maria’s_decidedattachment，andnosufficientprincipleoneitherside，gaveitpossibility：MissCrawford’sletterstamptitafact。
Whatwouldbetheconsequence？Whomwoulditnotinjure？
Whoseviewsmightitnotaffect？Whosepeacewoulditnotcutupforever？MissCrawford，herself，Edmund；
butitwasdangerous，perhaps，totreadsuchground。
Sheconfinedherself，ortriedtoconfineherself，tothesimple，indubitablefamilymiserywhichmustenvelopall，ifitwereindeedamatterofcertifiedguiltandpublicexposure。
Themother’ssufferings，thefather’s；thereshepaused。
Julia’s，Tom’s，Edmund’s；thereayetlongerpause。
Theywerethetwoonwhomitwouldfallmosthorribly。
SirThomas’sparentalsolicitudeandhighsenseofhonouranddecorum，Edmund’suprightprinciples，unsuspicioustemper，andgenuinestrengthoffeeling，madeherthinkitscarcelypossibleforthemtosupportlifeandreasonundersuchdisgrace；anditappearedtoherthat，asfarasthisworldalonewasconcerned，thegreatestblessingtoeveryoneofkindredwithMrs。Rushworthwouldbeinstantannihilation。
Nothinghappenedthenextday，orthenext，toweakenherterrors。Twopostscamein，andbroughtnorefutation，publicorprivate。TherewasnosecondlettertoexplainawaythefirstfromMissCrawford；therewasnointelligencefromMansfield，thoughitwasnowfulltimeforhertohearagainfromheraunt。Thiswasanevilomen。
Shehad，indeed，scarcelytheshadowofahopetosoothehermind，andwasreducedtosolowandwanandtremblingacondition，asnomother，notunkind，exceptMrs。Pricecouldhaveoverlooked，whenthethirddaydidbringthesickeningknock，andaletterwasagainputintoherhands。
ItboretheLondonpostmark，andcamefromEdmund。
“DearFanny，——Youknowourpresentwretchedness。
MayGodsupportyouunderyourshare!Wehavebeenheretwodays，butthereisnothingtobedone。Theycannotbetraced。Youmaynothaveheardofthelastblow——
Julia’selopement；sheisgonetoScotlandwithYates。
SheleftLondonafewhoursbeforeweenteredit。
Atanyothertimethiswouldhavebeenfeltdreadfully。
Nowitseemsnothing；yetitisanheavyaggravation。
Myfatherisnotoverpowered。Morecannotbehoped。
Heisstillabletothinkandact；andIwrite，byhisdesire，toproposeyourreturninghome。
Heisanxioustogetyouthereformymother’ssake。
IshallbeatPortsmouththemorningafteryoureceivethis，andhopetofindyoureadytosetoffforMansfield。
MyfatherwishesyoutoinviteSusantogowithyouforafewmonths。Settleitasyoulike；saywhatisproper；
Iamsureyouwillfeelsuchaninstanceofhiskindnessatsuchamoment!Dojusticetohismeaning，howeverImayconfuseit。Youmayimaginesomethingofmypresentstate。Thereisnoendoftheevilletlooseuponus。Youwillseemeearlybythemail——
Yours，etc。“
NeverhadFannymorewantedacordial。Neverhadshefeltsuchaoneasthislettercontained。To-morrow!toleavePortsmouthto-morrow!Shewas，shefeltshewas，inthegreatestdangerofbeingexquisitelyhappy，whilesomanyweremiserable。Theevilwhichbroughtsuchgoodtoher!
Shedreadedlestsheshouldlearntobeinsensibleofit。
Tobegoingsosoon，sentforsokindly，sentforasacomfort，andwithleavetotakeSusan，wasaltogethersuchacombinationofblessingsassetherheartinaglow，andforatimeseemedtodistanceeverypain，andmakeherincapableofsuitablysharingthedistressevenofthosewhosedistressshethoughtofmost。
Julia’selopementcouldaffecthercomparativelybutlittle；
shewasamazedandshocked；butitcouldnotoccupyher，couldnotdwellonhermind。Shewasobligedtocallherselftothinkofit，andacknowledgeittobeterribleandgrievous，oritwasescapingher，inthemidstofalltheagitatingpressingjoyfulcaresattendingthissummonstoherself。
Thereisnothinglikeemployment，activeindispensableemployment，forrelievingsorrow。Employment，evenmelancholy，maydispelmelancholy，andheroccupationswerehopeful。
Shehadsomuchtodo，thatnoteventhehorriblestoryofMrs。Rushworth——nowfixedtothelastpointofcertaintycouldaffectherasithaddonebefore。
Shehadnottimetobemiserable。Withintwenty-fourhoursshewashopingtobegone；herfatherandmothermustbespokento，Susanprepared，everythinggotready。
Businessfollowedbusiness；thedaywashardlylongenough。
Thehappinessshewasimparting，too，happinessverylittlealloyedbytheblackcommunicationwhichmustbrieflyprecedeit——thejoyfulconsentofherfatherandmothertoSusan’sgoingwithher——thegeneralsatisfactionwithwhichthegoingofbothseemedregarded，andtheecstasyofSusanherself，wasallservingtosupportherspirits。
TheafflictionoftheBertramswaslittlefeltinthefamily。
Mrs。Pricetalkedofherpoorsisterforafewminutes，buthowtofindanythingtoholdSusan’sclothes，becauseRebeccatookawayalltheboxesandspoiltthem，wasmuchmoreinherthoughts：andasforSusan，nowunexpectedlygratifiedinthefirstwishofherheart，andknowingnothingpersonallyofthosewhohadsinned，orofthosewhoweresorrowing——ifshecouldhelprejoicingfrombeginningtoend，itwasasmuchasoughttobeexpectedfromhumanvirtueatfourteen。
AsnothingwasreallyleftforthedecisionofMrs。Price，orthegoodofficesofRebecca，everythingwasrationallyanddulyaccomplished，andthegirlswerereadyforthemorrow。Theadvantageofmuchsleeptopreparethemfortheirjourneywasimpossible。Thecousinwhowastravellingtowardsthemcouldhardlyhavelessthanvisitedtheiragitatedspirits——oneallhappiness，theotherallvaryingandindescribableperturbation。
ByeightinthemorningEdmundwasinthehouse。Thegirlsheardhisentrancefromabove，andFannywentdown。
Theideaofimmediatelyseeinghim，withtheknowledgeofwhathemustbesuffering，broughtbackallherownfirstfeelings。Hesonearher，andinmisery。Shewasreadytosinkassheenteredtheparlour。Hewasalone，andmetherinstantly；andshefoundherselfpressedtohisheartwithonlythesewords，justarticulate，“MyFanny，myonlysister；myonlycomfortnow!“
Shecouldsaynothing；norforsomeminutescouldhesaymore。
Heturnedawaytorecoverhimself，andwhenhespokeagain，thoughhisvoicestillfaltered，hismannershewedthewishofself-command，andtheresolutionofavoidinganyfartherallusion。“Haveyoubreakfasted？Whenshallyoubeready？DoesSusango？“werequestionsfollowingeachotherrapidly。Hisgreatobjectwastobeoffassoonaspossible。WhenMansfieldwasconsidered，timewasprecious；andthestateofhisownmindmadehimfindreliefonlyinmotion。Itwassettledthatheshouldorderthecarriagetothedoorinhalfanhour。
Fannyansweredfortheirhavingbreakfastedandbeingquitereadyinhalfanhour。Hehadalreadyate，anddeclinedstayingfortheirmeal。Hewouldwalkroundtheramparts，andjointhemwiththecarriage。Hewasgoneagain；
gladtogetawayevenfromFanny。
Helookedveryill；evidentlysufferingunderviolentemotions，whichhewasdeterminedtosuppress。
Sheknewitmustbeso，butitwasterribletoher。
Thecarriagecame；andheenteredthehouseagainatthesamemoment，justintimetospendafewminuteswiththefamily，andbeawitness——butthathesawnothing——
ofthetranquilmannerinwhichthedaughterswerepartedwith，andjustintimetopreventtheirsittingdowntothebreakfast-table，which，bydintofmuchunusualactivity，wasquiteandcompletelyreadyasthecarriagedrovefromthedoor。Fanny’slastmealinherfather’shousewasincharacterwithherfirst：
shewasdismissedfromitashospitablyasshehadbeenwelcomed。