“AndIlongedtodoit——buttherewassuchadeadsilence!
　　Andwhilemycousinsweresittingbywithoutspeakingaword，orseemingatallinterestedinthesubject，Ididnotlike——
　　IthoughtitwouldappearasifIwantedtosetmyselfoffattheirexpense，byshewingacuriosityandpleasureinhisinformationwhichhemustwishhisowndaughterstofeel。“
　　“MissCrawfordwasveryrightinwhatshesaidofyoutheotherday：thatyouseemedalmostasfearfulofnoticeandpraiseasotherwomenwereofneglect。WeweretalkingofyouattheParsonage，andthosewereherwords。
　　Shehasgreatdiscernment。Iknownobodywhodistinguishescharactersbetter。Forsoyoungawomanitisremarkable!
　　Shecertainlyunderstands_you_betterthanyouareunderstoodbythegreaterpartofthosewhohaveknownyousolong；andwithregardtosomeothers，Icanperceive，fromoccasionallivelyhints，theunguardedexpressionsofthemoment，thatshecoulddefine_many_asaccurately，didnotdelicacyforbidit。Iwonderwhatshethinksofmyfather!Shemustadmirehimasafine-lookingman，withmostgentlemanlike，dignified，consistentmanners；
　　butperhaps，havingseenhimsoseldom，hisreservemaybealittlerepulsive。Couldtheybemuchtogether，Ifeelsureoftheirlikingeachother。Hewouldenjoyherlivelinessandshehastalentstovaluehispowers。
　　Iwishtheymetmorefrequently!Ihopeshedoesnotsupposethereisanydislikeonhisside。“
　　“Shemustknowherselftoosecureoftheregardofalltherestofyou，“saidFanny，withhalfasigh，“tohaveanysuchapprehension。AndSirThomas’swishingjustatfirsttobeonlywithhisfamily，issoverynatural，thatshecanarguenothingfromthat。Afteralittlewhile，Idaresay，weshallbemeetingagaininthesamesortofway，allowingforthedifferenceofthetimeofyear。“
　　“ThisisthefirstOctoberthatshehaspassedinthecountrysinceherinfancy。IdonotcallTunbridgeorCheltenhamthecountry；andNovemberisastillmoreseriousmonth，andIcanseethatMrs。GrantisveryanxiousforhernotfindingMansfielddullaswintercomeson。“
　　Fannycouldhavesaidagreatdeal，butitwassafertosaynothing，andleaveuntouchedallMissCrawford’sresources——
　　heraccomplishments，herspirits，herimportance，herfriends，lestitshouldbetrayherintoanyobservationsseeminglyunhandsome。MissCrawford’skindopinionofherselfdeservedatleastagratefulforbearance，andshebegantotalkofsomethingelse。
　　“To-morrow，Ithink，myuncledinesatSotherton，andyouandMr。Bertramtoo。Weshallbequiteasmallpartyathome。
　　IhopemyunclemaycontinuetolikeMr。Rushworth。“
　　“Thatisimpossible，Fanny。Hemustlikehimlessafterto-morrow’svisit，forweshallbefivehoursinhiscompany。Ishoulddreadthestupidityoftheday，iftherewerenotamuchgreatereviltofollow——
　　theimpressionitmustleaveonSirThomas。Hecannotmuchlongerdeceivehimself。Iamsorryforthemall，andwouldgivesomethingthatRushworthandMariahadnevermet。“
　　Inthisquarter，indeed，disappointmentwasimpendingoverSirThomas。Notallhisgood-willforMr。Rushworth，notallMr。Rushworth’sdeferenceforhim，couldpreventhimfromsoondiscerningsomepartofthetruth——
　　thatMr。Rushworthwasaninferioryoungman，asignorantinbusinessasinbooks，withopinionsingeneralunfixed，andwithoutseemingmuchawareofithimself。
　　Hehadexpectedaverydifferentson-in-law；andbeginningtofeelgraveonMaria’saccount，triedtounderstand_her_feelings。Littleobservationtherewasnecessarytotellhimthatindifferencewasthemostfavourablestatetheycouldbein。HerbehaviourtoMr。Rushworthwascarelessandcold。Shecouldnot，didnotlikehim。
　　SirThomasresolvedtospeakseriouslytoher。
　　Advantageousaswouldbethealliance，andlongstandingandpublicaswastheengagement，herhappinessmustnotbesacrificedtoit。Mr。Rushworthhad，perhaps，beenacceptedontooshortanacquaintance，and，onknowinghimbetter，shewasrepenting。
　　WithsolemnkindnessSirThomasaddressedher：toldherhisfears，inquiredintoherwishes，entreatedhertobeopenandsincere，andassuredherthateveryinconvenienceshouldbebraved，andtheconnexionentirelygivenup，ifshefeltherselfunhappyintheprospectofit。
　　Hewouldactforherandreleaseher。Mariahadamoment’sstruggleasshelistened，andonlyamoment’s：whenherfatherceased，shewasabletogiveheranswerimmediately，decidedly，andwithnoapparentagitation。Shethankedhimforhisgreatattention，hispaternalkindness，buthewasquitemistakeninsupposingshehadthesmallestdesireofbreakingthroughherengagement，orwassensibleofanychangeofopinionorinclinationsinceherformingit。
　　ShehadthehighestesteemforMr。Rushworth’scharacteranddisposition，andcouldnothaveadoubtofherhappinesswithhim。
　　SirThomaswassatisfied；toogladtobesatisfied，perhaps，tourgethematterquitesofarashisjudgmentmighthavedictatedtoothers。Itwasanalliancewhichhecouldnothaverelinquishedwithoutpain；andthushereasoned。Mr。Rushworthwasyoungenoughtoimprove。
　　Mr。Rushworthmustandwouldimproveingoodsociety；
　　andifMariacouldnowspeaksosecurelyofherhappinesswithhim，speakingcertainlywithouttheprejudice，theblindnessoflove，sheoughttobebelieved。
　　Herfeelings，probably，werenotacute；hehadneversupposedthemtobeso；buthercomfortsmightnotbelessonthataccount；andifshecoulddispensewithseeingherhusbandaleading，shiningcharacter，therewouldcertainlybeeverythingelseinherfavour。
　　Awell-disposedyoungwoman，whodidnotmarryforlove，wasingeneralbutthemoreattachedtoherownfamily；
　　andthenearnessofSothertontoMansfieldmustnaturallyholdoutthegreatesttemptation，andwould，inallprobability，beacontinualsupplyofthemostamiableandinnocentenjoyments。
　　Suchandsuch-likewerethereasoningsofSirThomas，happytoescapetheembarrassingevilsofarupture，thewonder，thereflections，thereproachthatmustattendit；happytosecureamarriagewhichwouldbringhimsuchanadditionofrespectabilityandinfluence，andveryhappytothinkanythingofhisdaughter’sdispositionthatwasmostfavourableforthepurpose。
　　Tohertheconferenceclosedassatisfactorilyastohim。
　　Shewasinastateofmindtobegladthatshehadsecuredherfatebeyondrecall：thatshehadpledgedherselfanewtoSotherton；thatshewassafefromthepossibilityofgivingCrawfordthetriumphofgoverningheractions，anddestroyingherprospects；andretiredinproudresolve，determinedonlytobehavemorecautiouslytoMr。Rushworthinfuture，thatherfathermightnotbeagainsuspectingher。
　　HadSirThomasappliedtohisdaughterwithinthefirstthreeorfourdaysafterHenryCrawford’sleavingMansfield，beforeherfeelingswereatalltranquillised，beforeshehadgivenupeveryhopeofhim，orabsolutelyresolvedonenduringhisrival，heranswermighthavebeendifferent；
　　butafteranotherthreeorfourdays，whentherewasnoreturn，noletter，nomessage，nosymptomofasoftenedheart，nohopeofadvantagefromseparation，hermindbecamecoolenoughtoseekallthecomfortthatprideandselfrevengecouldgive。
　　HenryCrawfordhaddestroyedherhappiness，butheshouldnotknowthathehaddoneit；heshouldnotdestroyhercredit，herappearance，herprosperity，too。
　　HeshouldnothavetothinkofheraspiningintheretirementofMansfieldfor_him_，rejectingSothertonandLondon，independenceandsplendour，for_his_sake。
　　Independencewasmoreneedfulthanever；thewantofitatMansfieldmoresensiblyfelt。Shewaslessandlessabletoenduretherestraintwhichherfatherimposed。
　　Thelibertywhichhisabsencehadgivenwasnowbecomeabsolutelynecessary。ShemustescapefromhimandMansfieldassoonaspossible，andfindconsolationinfortuneandconsequence，bustleandtheworld，forawoundedspirit。
　　Hermindwasquitedetermined，andvariednot。
　　Tosuchfeelingsdelay，eventhedelayofmuchpreparation，wouldhavebeenanevil，andMr。Rushworthcouldhardlybemoreimpatientforthemarriagethanherself。
　　Inalltheimportantpreparationsofthemindshewascomplete：beingpreparedformatrimonybyanhatredofhome，restraint，andtranquillity；bythemiseryofdisappointedaffection，andcontemptofthemanshewastomarry。Therestmightwait。ThepreparationsofnewcarriagesandfurnituremightwaitforLondonandspring，whenherowntastecouldhavefairerplay。
　　Theprincipalsbeingallagreedinthisrespect，itsoonappearedthataveryfewweekswouldbesufficientforsucharrangementsasmustprecedethewedding。
　　Mrs。Rushworthwasquitereadytoretire，andmakewayforthefortunateyoungwomanwhomherdearsonhadselected；
　　andveryearlyinNovemberremovedherself，hermaid，herfootman，andherchariot，withtruedowagerpropriety，toBath，theretoparadeoverthewondersofSothertoninhereveningparties；enjoyingthemasthoroughly，perhaps，intheanimationofacard-table，asshehadeverdoneonthespot；andbeforethemiddleofthesamemonththeceremonyhadtakenplacewhichgaveSothertonanothermistress。
　　Itwasaveryproperwedding。Thebridewaselegantlydressed；
　　thetwobridesmaidsweredulyinferior；herfathergaveheraway；hermotherstoodwithsaltsinherhand，expectingtobeagitated；heraunttriedtocry；