Simplegirl!Ishallneverforgiveher。Hadsheacceptedhimassheought，theymightnowhavebeenonthepointofmarriage，andHenrywouldhavebeentoohappyandtoobusytowantanyotherobject。HewouldhavetakennopainstobeontermswithMrs。Rushworthagain。
Itwouldhaveallendedinaregularstandingflirtation，inyearlymeetingsatSothertonandEveringham。’Couldyouhavebelieveditpossible？Butthecharmisbroken。
Myeyesareopened。“
“Cruel!“saidFanny，“quitecruel。Atsuchamomenttogivewaytogaiety，tospeakwithlightness，andtoyou!
Absolutecruelty。“
“Cruelty，doyoucallit？Wedifferthere。No，hersisnotacruelnature。Idonotconsiderherasmeaningtowoundmyfeelings。Theevilliesyetdeeper：
inhertotalignorance，unsuspiciousnessoftherebeingsuchfeelings；inaperversionofmindwhichmadeitnaturaltohertotreatthesubjectasshedid。Shewasspeakingonlyasshehadbeenusedtohearothersspeak，assheimaginedeverybodyelsewouldspeak。Hersarenotfaultsoftemper。Shewouldnotvoluntarilygiveunnecessarypaintoanyone，andthoughImaydeceivemyself，Icannotbutthinkthatforme，formyfeelings，shewould——
Hersarefaultsofprinciple，Fanny；ofblunteddelicacyandacorrupted，vitiatedmind。Perhapsitisbestforme，sinceitleavesmesolittletoregret。Notso，however。
GladlywouldIsubmittoalltheincreasedpainoflosingher，ratherthanhavetothinkofherasIdo。
Itoldherso。“
“Didyou？“
“Yes；whenIleftherItoldherso。“
“Howlongwereyoutogether？“
“Five-and-twentyminutes。Well，shewentontosaythatwhatremainednowtobedonewastobringaboutamarriagebetweenthem。Shespokeofit，Fanny，withasteadiervoicethanIcan。“Hewasobligedtopausemorethanonceashecontinued。“’WemustpersuadeHenrytomarryher，’
saidshe；’andwhatwithhonour，andthecertaintyofhavingshuthimselfoutforeverfromFanny，Idonotdespairofit。Fannyhemustgiveup。Idonotthinkthateven_he_couldnowhopetosucceedwithoneofherstamp，andthereforeIhopewemayfindnoinsuperabledifficulty。
Myinfluence，whichisnotsmallshallallgothatway；
andwhenoncemarried，andproperlysupportedbyherownfamily，peopleofrespectabilityastheyare，shemayrecoverherfootinginsocietytoacertaindegree。
Insomecircles，weknow，shewouldneverbeadmitted，butwithgooddinners，andlargeparties，therewillalwaysbethosewhowillbegladofheracquaintance；
andthereis，undoubtedly，moreliberalityandcandouronthosepointsthanformerly。WhatIadviseis，thatyourfatherbequiet。Donotlethiminjurehisowncausebyinterference。Persuadehimtoletthingstaketheircourse。Ifbyanyofficiousexertionsofhis，sheisinducedtoleaveHenry’sprotection，therewillbemuchlesschanceofhismarryingherthanifsheremainwithhim。Iknowhowheislikelytobeinfluenced。
LetSirThomastrusttohishonourandcompassion，anditmayallendwell；butifhegethisdaughteraway，itwillbedestroyingthechiefhold。’“
Afterrepeatingthis，EdmundwassomuchaffectedthatFanny，watchinghimwithsilent，butmosttenderconcern，wasalmostsorrythatthesubjecthadbeenenteredonatall。Itwaslongbeforehecouldspeakagain。
Atlast，“Now，Fanny，“saidhe，“Ishallsoonhavedone。
Ihavetoldyouthesubstanceofallthatshesaid。
AssoonasIcouldspeak，IrepliedthatIhadnotsupposeditpossible，cominginsuchastateofmindintothathouseasIhaddone，thatanythingcouldoccurtomakemesuffermore，butthatshehadbeeninflictingdeeperwoundsinalmosteverysentence。
ThatthoughIhad，inthecourseofouracquaintance，beenoftensensibleofsomedifferenceinouropinions，onpoints，too，ofsomemoment，ithadnotenteredmyimaginationtoconceivethedifferencecouldbesuchasshehadnowprovedit。ThatthemannerinwhichshetreatedthedreadfulcrimecommittedbyherbrotherandmysisterwithwhomlaythegreaterseductionIpretendednottosay，butthemannerinwhichshespokeofthecrimeitself，givingiteveryreproachbuttheright；consideringitsillconsequencesonlyastheyweretobebravedoroverbornebyadefianceofdecencyandimpudenceinwrong；andlastofall，andaboveall，recommendingtousacompliance，acompromise，anacquiescenceinthecontinuanceofthesin，onthechanceofamarriagewhich，thinkingasInowthoughtofherbrother，shouldratherbepreventedthansought；
allthistogethermostgrievouslyconvincedmethatIhadneverunderstoodherbefore，andthat，asfarasrelatedtomind，ithadbeenthecreatureofmyownimagination，notMissCrawford，thatIhadbeentooapttodwellonformanymonthspast。That，perhaps，itwasbestforme；
Ihadlesstoregretinsacrificingafriendship，feelings，hopeswhichmust，atanyrate，havebeentornfrommenow。
Andyet，thatImustandwouldconfessthat，couldI
haverestoredhertowhatshehadappearedtomebefore，Iwouldinfinitelypreferanyincreaseofthepainofparting，forthesakeofcarryingwithmetherightoftendernessandesteem。ThisiswhatIsaid，thepurportofit；but，asyoumayimagine，notspokensocollectedlyormethodicallyasIhaverepeatedittoyou。Shewasastonished，exceedinglyastonished——morethanastonished。
Isawherchangecountenance。Sheturnedextremelyred。
IimaginedIsawamixtureofmanyfeelings：agreat，thoughshortstruggle；halfawishofyieldingtotruths，halfasenseofshame，buthabit，habitcarriedit。
Shewouldhavelaughedifshecould。Itwasasortoflaugh，assheanswered，’Aprettygoodlecture，uponmyword。
Wasitpartofyourlastsermon？AtthisrateyouwillsoonreformeverybodyatMansfieldandThorntonLacey；
andwhenIhearofyounext，itmaybeasacelebratedpreacherinsomegreatsocietyofMethodists，orasamissionaryintoforeignparts。’Shetriedtospeakcarelessly，butshewasnotsocarelessasshewantedtoappear。
Ionlysaidinreply，thatfrommyheartIwishedherwell，andearnestlyhopedthatshemightsoonlearntothinkmorejustly，andnotowethemostvaluableknowledgewecouldanyofusacquire，theknowledgeofourselvesandofourduty，tothelessonsofaffliction，andimmediatelylefttheroom。Ihadgoneafewsteps，Fanny，whenI
heardthedooropenbehindme。’Mr。Bertram，’saidshe。
Ilookedback。’Mr。Bertram，’saidshe，withasmile；
butitwasasmileill-suitedtotheconversationthathadpassed，asaucyplayfulsmile，seemingtoinviteinordertosubdueme；atleastitappearedsotome。
Iresisted；itwastheimpulseofthemomenttoresist，andstillwalkedon。Ihavesince，sometimes，foramoment，regrettedthatIdidnotgoback，butIknowIwasright，andsuchhasbeentheendofouracquaintance。Andwhatanacquaintancehasitbeen!HowhaveIbeendeceived!
Equallyinbrotherandsisterdeceived!Ithankyouforyourpatience，Fanny。Thishasbeenthegreatestrelief，andnowwewillhavedone。“
AndsuchwasFanny’sdependenceonhiswords，thatforfiveminutesshethoughtthey_had_done。Then，however，itallcameonagain，orsomethingverylikeit，andnothinglessthanLadyBertram’srousingthoroughlyupcouldreallyclosesuchaconversation。Tillthathappened，theycontinuedtotalkofMissCrawfordalone，andhowshehadattachedhim，andhowdelightfulnaturehadmadeher，andhowexcellentshewouldhavebeen，hadshefallenintogoodhandsearlier。Fanny，nowatlibertytospeakopenly，feltmorethanjustifiedinaddingtohisknowledgeofherrealcharacter，bysomehintofwhatsharehisbrother’sstateofhealthmightbesupposedtohaveinherwishforacompletereconciliation。Thiswasnotanagreeableintimation。Natureresisteditforawhile。
Itwouldhavebeenavastdealpleasantertohavehadhermoredisinterestedinherattachment；buthisvanitywasnotofastrengthtofightlongagainstreason。
HesubmittedtobelievethatTom’sillnesshadinfluencedher，onlyreservingforhimselfthisconsolingthought，thatconsideringthemanycounteractionsofopposinghabits，shehadcertainlybeen_more_attachedtohimthancouldhavebeenexpected，andforhissakebeenmoreneardoingright。Fannythoughtexactlythesame；andtheywerealsoquiteagreedintheiropinionofthelastingeffect，theindelibleimpression，whichsuchadisappointmentmustmakeonhismind。Timewouldundoubtedlyabatesomewhatofhissufferings，butstillitwasasortofthingwhichhenevercouldgetentirelythebetterof；
andastohisevermeetingwithanyotherwomanwhocould——
itwastooimpossibletobenamedbutwithindignation。
Fanny’sfriendshipwasallthathehadtoclingto。
Letotherpensdwellonguiltandmisery。IquitsuchodioussubjectsassoonasIcan，impatienttorestoreeverybody，notgreatlyinfaultthemselves，totolerablecomfort，andtohavedonewithalltherest。
MyFanny，indeed，atthisverytime，Ihavethesatisfactionofknowing，musthavebeenhappyinspiteofeverything。
Shemusthavebeenahappycreatureinspiteofallthatshefelt，orthoughtshefelt，forthedistressofthosearoundher。
Shehadsourcesofdelightthatmustforcetheirway。
ShewasreturnedtoMansfieldPark，shewasuseful，shewasbeloved；shewassafefromMr。Crawford；
andwhenSirThomascamebackshehadeveryproofthatcouldbegiveninhisthenmelancholystateofspirits，ofhisperfectapprobationandincreasedregard；
andhappyasallthismustmakeher，shewouldstillhavebeenhappywithoutanyofit，forEdmundwasnolongerthedupeofMissCrawford。
ItistruethatEdmundwasveryfarfromhappyhimself。