andtheservicewasimpressivelyreadbyDr。Grant。
  Nothingcouldbeobjectedtowhenitcameunderthediscussionoftheneighbourhood,exceptthatthecarriagewhichconveyedthebrideandbridegroomandJuliafromthechurch-doortoSothertonwasthesamechaisewhichMr。Rushworthhadusedforatwelvemonthbefore。
  Ineverythingelsetheetiquetteofthedaymightstandthestrictestinvestigation。
  Itwasdone,andtheyweregone。SirThomasfeltasananxiousfathermustfeel,andwasindeedexperiencingmuchoftheagitationwhichhiswifehadbeenapprehensiveofforherself,buthadfortunatelyescaped。Mrs。Norris,mosthappytoassistinthedutiesoftheday,byspendingitattheParktosupporthersister’sspirits,anddrinkingthehealthofMr。andMrs。Rushworthinasupernumeraryglassortwo,wasalljoyousdelight;
  forshehadmadethematch;shehaddoneeverything;
  andnoonewouldhavesupposed,fromherconfidenttriumph,thatshehadeverheardofconjugalinfelicityinherlife,orcouldhavethesmallestinsightintothedispositionoftheniecewhohadbeenbroughtupunderhereye。
  Theplanoftheyoungcouplewastoproceed,afterafewdays,toBrighton,andtakeahousethereforsomeweeks。EverypublicplacewasnewtoMaria,andBrightonisalmostasgayinwinterasinsummer。
  Whenthenoveltyofamusementtherewasover,itwouldbetimeforthewiderrangeofLondon。
  JuliawastogowiththemtoBrighton。Sincerivalrybetweenthesistershadceased,theyhadbeengraduallyrecoveringmuchoftheirformergoodunderstanding;
  andwereatleastsufficientlyfriendstomakeeachofthemexceedinglygladtobewiththeotheratsuchatime。
  SomeothercompanionthanMr。Rushworthwasofthefirstconsequencetohislady;andJuliawasquiteaseagerfornoveltyandpleasureasMaria,thoughshemightnothavestruggledthroughsomuchtoobtainthem,andcouldbetterbearasubordinatesituation。
  TheirdeparturemadeanothermaterialchangeatMansfield,achasmwhichrequiredsometimetofillup。Thefamilycirclebecamegreatlycontracted;andthoughtheMissBertramshadlatterlyaddedlittletoitsgaiety,theycouldnotbutbemissed。Eventheirmothermissedthem;
  andhowmuchmoretheirtenderheartedcousin,whowanderedaboutthehouse,andthoughtofthem,andfeltforthem,withadegreeofaffectionateregretwhichtheyhadneverdonemuchtodeserve!
  Fanny’sconsequenceincreasedonthedepartureofhercousins。Becoming,asshethendid,theonlyyoungwomaninthedrawing-room,theonlyoccupierofthatinterestingdivisionofafamilyinwhichshehadhithertoheldsohumbleathird,itwasimpossibleforhernottobemorelookedat,morethoughtofandattendedto,thanshehadeverbeenbefore;and“WhereisFanny?“
  becamenouncommonquestion,evenwithoutherbeingwantedforanyone’sconvenience。
  Notonlyathomedidhervalueincrease,butattheParsonagetoo。Inthathouse,whichshehadhardlyenteredtwiceayearsinceMr。Norris’sdeath,shebecameawelcome,aninvitedguest,andinthegloomanddirtofaNovemberday,mostacceptabletoMaryCrawford。
  Hervisitsthere,beginningbychance,werecontinuedbysolicitation。Mrs。Grant,reallyeagertogetanychangeforhersister,could,bytheeasiestself-deceit,persuadeherselfthatshewasdoingthekindestthingbyFanny,andgivingherthemostimportantopportunitiesofimprovementinpressingherfrequentcalls。
  Fanny,havingbeensentintothevillageonsomeerrandbyherauntNorris,wasovertakenbyaheavyshowerclosetotheParsonage;andbeingdescriedfromoneofthewindowsendeavouringtofindshelterunderthebranchesandlingeringleavesofanoakjustbeyondtheirpremises,wasforced,thoughnotwithoutsomemodestreluctanceonherpart,tocomein。Acivilservantshehadwithstood;
  butwhenDr。Granthimselfwentoutwithanumbrella,therewasnothingtobedonebuttobeverymuchashamed,andtogetintothehouseasfastaspossible;andtopoorMissCrawford,whohadjustbeencontemplatingthedismalraininaverydespondingstateofmind,sighingovertheruinofallherplanofexerciseforthatmorning,andofeverychanceofseeingasinglecreaturebeyondthemselvesforthenexttwenty-fourhours,thesoundofalittlebustleatthefrontdoor,andthesightofMissPricedrippingwithwetinthevestibule,wasdelightful。
  Thevalueofaneventonawetdayinthecountrywasmostforciblybroughtbeforeher。Shewasallaliveagaindirectly,andamongthemostactiveinbeingusefultoFanny,indetectinghertobewetterthanshewouldatfirstallow,andprovidingherwithdryclothes;andFanny,afterbeingobligedtosubmittoallthisattention,andtobeingassistedandwaitedonbymistressesandmaids,beingalsoobliged,onreturningdownstairs,tobefixedintheirdrawing-roomforanhourwhiletheraincontinued,theblessingofsomethingfreshtoseeandthinkofwasthusextendedtoMissCrawford,andmightcarryonherspiritstotheperiodofdressinganddinner。
  Thetwosistersweresokindtoher,andsopleasant,thatFannymighthaveenjoyedhervisitcouldshehavebelievedherselfnotintheway,andcouldshehaveforeseenthattheweatherwouldcertainlyclearattheendofthehour,andsaveherfromtheshameofhavingDr。Grant’scarriageandhorsesouttotakeherhome,withwhichshewasthreatened。Astoanxietyforanyalarmthatherabsenceinsuchweathermightoccasionathome,shehadnothingtosufferonthatscore;forasherbeingoutwasknownonlytohertwoaunts,shewasperfectlyawarethatnonewouldbefelt,andthatinwhatevercottageauntNorrismightchusetoestablishherduringtherain,herbeinginsuchcottagewouldbeindubitabletoauntBertram。
  Itwasbeginningtolookbrighter,whenFanny,observingaharpintheroom,askedsomequestionsaboutit,whichsoonledtoanacknowledgmentofherwishingverymuchtohearit,andaconfession,whichcouldhardlybebelieved,ofherhavingneveryethearditsinceitsbeinginMansfield。ToFannyherselfitappearedaverysimpleandnaturalcircumstance。ShehadscarcelyeverbeenattheParsonagesincetheinstrument’sarrival,therehadbeennoreasonthatsheshould;butMissCrawford,callingtomindanearlyexpressedwishonthesubject,wasconcernedatherownneglect;and“ShallIplaytoyounow?“and“Whatwillyouhave?“werequestionsimmediatelyfollowingwiththereadiestgood-humour。
  Sheplayedaccordingly;happytohaveanewlistener,andalistenerwhoseemedsomuchobliged,sofullofwonderattheperformance,andwhoshewedherselfnotwantingintaste。SheplayedtillFanny’seyes,strayingtothewindowontheweather’sbeingevidentlyfair,spokewhatshefeltmustbedone。
  “Anotherquarterofanhour,“saidMissCrawford,“andweshallseehowitwillbe。Donotrunawaythefirstmomentofitsholdingup。Thosecloudslookalarming。“
  “Buttheyarepassedover,“saidFanny。“Ihavebeenwatchingthem。Thisweatherisallfromthesouth。“
  “Southornorth,IknowablackcloudwhenIseeit;
  andyoumustnotsetforwardwhileitissothreatening。
  Andbesides,Iwanttoplaysomethingmoretoyou——averyprettypiece——andyourcousinEdmund’sprimefavourite。
  Youmuststayandhearyourcousin’sfavourite。“
  Fannyfeltthatshemust;andthoughshehadnotwaitedforthatsentencetobethinkingofEdmund,suchamementomadeherparticularlyawaketohisidea,andshefanciedhimsittinginthatroomagainandagain,perhapsintheveryspotwhereshesatnow,listeningwithconstantdelighttothefavouriteair,played,asitappearedtoher,withsuperiortoneandexpression;
  andthoughpleasedwithitherself,andgladtolikewhateverwaslikedbyhim,shewasmoresincerelyimpatienttogoawayattheconclusionofitthanshehadbeenbefore;
  andonthisbeingevident,shewassokindlyaskedtocallagain,totaketheminherwalkwhenevershecould,tocomeandhearmoreoftheharp,thatshefeltitnecessarytobedone,ifnoobjectionaroseathome。
  SuchwastheoriginofthesortofintimacywhichtookplacebetweenthemwithinthefirstfortnightaftertheMissBertrams’goingaway——anintimacyresultingprincipallyfromMissCrawford’sdesireofsomethingnew,andwhichhadlittlerealityinFanny’sfeelings。
  Fannywenttohereverytwoorthreedays:itseemedakindoffascination:shecouldnotbeeasywithoutgoing,andyetitwaswithoutlovingher,withouteverthinkinglikeher,withoutanysenseofobligationforbeingsoughtafternowwhennobodyelsewastobehad;
  andderivingnohigherpleasurefromherconversationthanoccasionalamusement,and_that_oftenattheexpenseofherjudgment,whenitwasraisedbypleasantryonpeopleorsubjectswhichshewishedtoberespected。
  Shewent,however,andtheysaunteredabouttogethermanyanhalf-hourinMrs。Grant’sshrubbery,theweatherbeingunusuallymildforthetimeofyear,andventuringsometimeseventositdownononeofthebenchesnowcomparativelyunsheltered,remainingthereperhapstill,inthemidstofsometenderejaculationofFanny’sonthesweetsofsoprotractedanautumn,theywereforced,bythesuddenswellofacoldgustshakingdownthelastfewyellowleavesaboutthem,tojumpupandwalkforwarmth。
  “Thisispretty,verypretty,“saidFanny,lookingaroundherastheywerethussittingtogetheroneday;“everytimeIcomeintothisshrubberyIammorestruckwithitsgrowthandbeauty。Threeyearsago,thiswasnothingbutaroughhedgerowalongtheuppersideofthefield,neverthoughtofasanything,orcapableofbecominganything;
  andnowitisconvertedintoawalk,anditwouldbedifficulttosaywhethermostvaluableasaconvenienceoranornament;andperhaps,inanotherthreeyears,wemaybeforgetting——almostforgettingwhatitwasbefore。
  Howwonderful,howverywonderfultheoperationsoftime,andthechangesofthehumanmind!“Andfollowingthelattertrainofthought,shesoonafterwardsadded: