Thisdreadfulcommunicationcouldnotbekeptfromtherestofthefamily。SirThomassetoff，Edmundwouldgowithhim，andtheothershadbeenleftinastateofwretchedness，inferioronlytowhatfollowedthereceiptofthenextlettersfromLondon。Everythingwasbythattimepublicbeyondahope。TheservantofMrs。Rushworth，themother，hadexposureinherpower，andsupportedbyhermistress，wasnottobesilenced。Thetwoladies，evenintheshorttimetheyhadbeentogether，haddisagreed；andthebitternessoftheelderagainstherdaughter-in-lawmightperhapsarisealmostasmuchfromthepersonaldisrespectwithwhichshehadherselfbeentreatedasfromsensibilityforherson。
Howeverthatmightbe，shewasunmanageable。Buthadshebeenlessobstinate，oroflessweightwithherson，whowasalwaysguidedbythelastspeaker，bythepersonwhocouldgetholdofandshuthimup，thecasewouldstillhavebeenhopeless，forMrs。Rushworthdidnotappearagain，andtherewaseveryreasontoconcludehertobeconcealedsomewherewithMr。Crawford，whohadquittedhisuncle’shouse，asforajourney，ontheverydayofherabsentingherself。
SirThomas，however，remainedyetalittlelongerintown，inthehopeofdiscoveringandsnatchingherfromfarthervice，thoughallwaslostonthesideofcharacter。
_His_presentstateFannycouldhardlybeartothinkof。
Therewasbutoneofhischildrenwhowasnotatthistimeasourceofmiserytohim。Tom’scomplaintshadbeengreatlyheightenedbytheshockofhissister’sconduct，andhisrecoverysomuchthrownbackbyit，thatevenLadyBertramhadbeenstruckbythedifference，andallheralarmswereregularlysentofftoherhusband；
andJulia’selopement，theadditionalblowwhichhadmethimonhisarrivalinLondon，thoughitsforcehadbeendeadenedatthemoment，must，sheknew，besorelyfelt。
Shesawthatitwas。Hislettersexpressedhowmuchhedeploredit。Underanycircumstancesitwouldhavebeenanunwelcomealliance；buttohaveitsoclandestinelyformed，andsuchaperiodchosenforitscompletion，placedJulia’sfeelingsinamostunfavourablelight，andseverelyaggravatedthefollyofherchoice。
Hecalleditabadthing，doneintheworstmanner，andattheworsttime；andthoughJuliawasyetasmorepardonablethanMariaasfollythanvice，hecouldnotbutregardthestepshehadtakenasopeningtheworstprobabilitiesofaconclusionhereafterlikehersister’s。
Suchwashisopinionofthesetintowhichshehadthrownherself。
Fannyfeltforhimmostacutely。HecouldhavenocomfortbutinEdmund。Everyotherchildmustberackinghisheart。
Hisdispleasureagainstherselfshetrusted，reasoningdifferentlyfromMrs。Norris，wouldnowbedoneaway。
_She_shouldbejustified。Mr。Crawfordwouldhavefullyacquittedherconductinrefusinghim；butthis，thoughmostmaterialtoherself，wouldbepoorconsolationtoSirThomas。Heruncle’sdispleasurewasterribletoher；
butwhatcouldherjustificationorhergratitudeandattachmentdoforhim？HisstaymustbeonEdmundalone。
Shewasmistaken，however，insupposingthatEdmundgavehisfathernopresentpain。Itwasofamuchlesspoignantnaturethanwhattheothersexcited；butSirThomaswasconsideringhishappinessasverydeeplyinvolvedintheoffenceofhissisterandfriend；cutoffbyit，ashemustbe，fromthewomanwhomhehadbeenpursuingwithundoubtedattachmentandstrongprobabilityofsuccess；
andwho，ineverythingbutthisdespicablebrother，wouldhavebeensoeligibleaconnexion。HewasawareofwhatEdmundmustbesufferingonhisownbehalf，inadditiontoalltherest，whentheywereintown：
hehadseenorconjecturedhisfeelings；and，havingreasontothinkthatoneinterviewwithMissCrawfordhadtakenplace，fromwhichEdmundderivedonlyincreaseddistress，hadbeenasanxiousonthataccountasonotherstogethimoutoftown，andhadengagedhimintakingFannyhometoheraunt，withaviewtohisreliefandbenefit，nolessthantheirs。
Fannywasnotinthesecretofheruncle’sfeelings，SirThomasnotinthesecretofMissCrawford’scharacter。
Hadhebeenprivytoherconversationwithhisson，hewouldnothavewishedhertobelongtohim，thoughhertwentythousandpoundshadbeenforty。
ThatEdmundmustbeforeverdividedfromMissCrawforddidnotadmitofadoubtwithFanny；andyet，tillsheknewthathefeltthesame，herownconvictionwasinsufficient。
Shethoughthedid，butshewantedtobeassuredofit。
Ifhewouldnowspeaktoherwiththeunreservewhichhadsometimesbeentoomuchforherbefore，itwouldbemostconsoling；but_that_shefoundwasnottobe。
Sheseldomsawhim：neveralone。Heprobablyavoidedbeingalonewithher。Whatwastobeinferred？Thathisjudgmentsubmittedtoallhisownpeculiarandbittershareofthisfamilyaffliction，butthatitwastookeenlyfelttobeasubjectoftheslightestcommunication。
Thismustbehisstate。Heyielded，butitwaswithagonieswhichdidnotadmitofspeech。Long，longwoulditbeereMissCrawford’snamepassedhislipsagain，orshecouldhopeforarenewalofsuchconfidentialintercourseashadbeen。
It_was_long。TheyreachedMansfieldonThursday，anditwasnottillSundayeveningthatEdmundbegantotalktoheronthesubject。SittingwithheronSundayevening——awetSundayevening——theverytimeofallotherswhen，ifafriendisathand，theheartmustbeopened，andeverythingtold；nooneelseintheroom，excepthismother，who，afterhearinganaffectingsermon，hadcriedherselftosleep，itwasimpossiblenottospeak；
andso，withtheusualbeginnings，hardlytobetracedastowhatcamefirst，andtheusualdeclarationthatifshewouldlistentohimforafewminutes，heshouldbeverybrief，andcertainlynevertaxherkindnessinthesamewayagain；sheneednotfeararepetition；
itwouldbeasubjectprohibitedentirely：heenteredupontheluxuryofrelatingcircumstancesandsensationsofthefirstinteresttohimself，tooneofwhoseaffectionatesympathyhewasquiteconvincedHowFannylistened，withwhatcuriosityandconcern，whatpainandwhatdelight，howtheagitationofhisvoicewaswatched，andhowcarefullyherowneyeswerefixedonanyobjectbuthimself，maybeimagined。
Theopeningwasalarming。HehadseenMissCrawford。
Hehadbeeninvitedtoseeher。HehadreceivedanotefromLadyStornawaytobeghimtocall；andregardingitaswhatwasmeanttobethelast，lastinterviewoffriendship，andinvestingherwithallthefeelingsofshameandwretchednesswhichCrawford’ssisteroughttohaveknown，hehadgonetoherinsuchastateofmind，sosoftened，sodevoted，asmadeitforafewmomentsimpossibletoFanny’sfearsthatitshouldbethelast。
Butasheproceededinhisstory，thesefearswereover。
Shehadmethim，hesaid，withaserious——certainlyaserious——
evenanagitatedair；butbeforehehadbeenabletospeakoneintelligiblesentence，shehadintroducedthesubjectinamannerwhichheownedhadshockedhim。
“’Iheardyouwereintown，’saidshe；’Iwantedtoseeyou。
Letustalkoverthissadbusiness。Whatcanequalthefollyofourtworelations？’Icouldnotanswer，butIbelievemylooksspoke。Shefeltreproved。Sometimeshowquicktofeel!Withagraverlookandvoiceshethenadded，’IdonotmeantodefendHenryatyoursister’sexpense。’
Soshebegan，buthowshewenton，Fanny，isnotfit，ishardlyfittoberepeatedtoyou。Icannotrecallallherwords。IwouldnotdwelluponthemifIcould。
Theirsubstancewasgreatangeratthe_folly_ofeach。
Shereprobatedherbrother’sfollyinbeingdrawnonbyawomanwhomhehadnevercaredfor，todowhatmustlosehimthewomanheadored；butstillmorethefollyofpoorMaria，insacrificingsuchasituation，plungingintosuchdifficulties，undertheideaofbeingreallylovedbyamanwhohadlongagomadehisindifferenceclear。
GuesswhatImusthavefelt。Tohearthewomanwhom——
noharshernamethanfollygiven!Sovoluntarily，sofreely，socoollytocanvassit!Noreluctance，nohorror，nofeminine，shallIsay，nomodestloathings？
Thisiswhattheworlddoes。Forwhere，Fanny，shallwefindawomanwhomnaturehadsorichlyendowed？Spoilt，spoilt!“
Afteralittlereflection，hewentonwithasortofdesperatecalmness。“Iwilltellyoueverything，andthenhavedoneforever。Shesawitonlyasfolly，andthatfollystampedonlybyexposure。Thewantofcommondiscretion，ofcaution：hisgoingdowntoRichmondforthewholetimeofherbeingatTwickenham；herputtingherselfinthepowerofaservant；itwasthedetection，inshort——oh，Fanny!itwasthedetection，nottheoffence，whichshereprobated。Itwastheimprudencewhichhadbroughtthingstoextremity，andobligedherbrothertogiveupeverydearerplaninordertoflywithher。“
Hestopt。“Andwhat，“saidFannybelievingherselfrequiredtospeak，“whatcouldyousay？“
“Nothing，nothingtobeunderstood。Iwaslikeamanstunned。
Shewenton，begantotalkofyou；yes，thenshebegantotalkofyou，regretting，aswellshemight，thelossofsucha。Thereshespokeveryrationally。Butshehasalwaysdonejusticetoyou。’Hehasthrownaway，’
saidshe，’suchawomanashewillneverseeagain。
Shewouldhavefixedhim；shewouldhavemadehimhappyforever。’MydearestFanny，Iamgivingyou，Ihope，morepleasurethanpainbythisretrospectofwhatmighthavebeen——butwhatnevercanbenow。Youdonotwishmetobesilent？Ifyoudo，givemebutalook，aword，andI
havedone。“
Nolookorwordwasgiven。
“ThankGod，“saidhe。“Wewerealldisposedtowonder，butitseemstohavebeenthemercifulappointmentofProvidencethattheheartwhichknewnoguileshouldnotsuffer。Shespokeofyouwithhighpraiseandwarmaffection；yet，evenhere，therewasalloy，adashofevil；forinthemidstofitshecouldexclaim，’Whywouldnotshehavehim？Itisallherfault。