andhaddiscretionenoughtoreservetheresttilltheymightbesecureofhavingfourwallstothemselves。
　　Fannynaturallyturnedupstairs，andtookherguesttotheapartmentwhichwasnowalwaysfitforcomfortableuse；
　　openingthedoor，however，withamostachingheart，andfeelingthatshehadamoredistressingscenebeforeherthaneverthatspothadyetwitnessed。ButtheevilreadytoburstonherwasatleastdelayedbythesuddenchangeinMissCrawford’sideas；bythestrongeffectonhermindwhichthefindingherselfintheEastroomagainproduced。
　　“Ha!“shecried，withinstantanimation，“amIhereagain？
　　TheEastroom!OnceonlywasIinthisroombefore“；
　　andafterstoppingtolookabouther，andseeminglytoretraceallthathadthenpassed，sheadded，“Onceonlybefore。Doyourememberit？Icametorehearse。
　　Yourcousincametoo；andwehadarehearsal。Youwereouraudienceandprompter。Adelightfulrehearsal。
　　Ishallneverforgetit。Herewewere，justinthispartoftheroom：herewasyourcousin，herewasI，herewerethechairs。Oh!whywillsuchthingseverpassaway？“
　　Happilyforhercompanion，shewantednoanswer。
　　Hermindwasentirelyself-engrossed。Shewasinareverieofsweetremembrances。
　　“Thescenewewererehearsingwassoveryremarkable!
　　Thesubjectofitsovery——very——whatshallIsay？
　　Hewastobedescribingandrecommendingmatrimonytome。
　　IthinkIseehimnow，tryingtobeasdemureandcomposedasAnhaltought，throughthetwolongspeeches。
　　’Whentwosympatheticheartsmeetinthemarriagestate，matrimonymaybecalledahappylife。’IsupposenotimecaneverwearouttheimpressionIhaveofhislooksandvoiceashesaidthosewords。Itwascurious，verycurious，thatweshouldhavesuchascenetoplay!
　　IfIhadthepowerofrecallinganyoneweekofmyexistence，itshouldbethatweek——thatactingweek。Saywhatyouwould，Fanny，itshouldbe_that_；forIneverknewsuchexquisitehappinessinanyother。Hissturdyspirittobendasitdid!Oh!itwassweetbeyondexpression。
　　Butalas，thatveryeveningdestroyeditall。Thatveryeveningbroughtyourmostunwelcomeuncle。PoorSirThomas，whowasgladtoseeyou？Yet，Fanny，donotimagineIwouldnowspeakdisrespectfullyofSirThomas，thoughIcertainlydidhatehimformanyaweek。No，Idohimjusticenow。
　　Heisjustwhattheheadofsuchafamilyshouldbe。
　　Nay，insobersadness，IbelieveInowloveyouall。“
　　Andhavingsaidso，withadegreeoftendernessandconsciousnesswhichFannyhadneverseeninherbefore，andnowthoughtonlytoobecoming，sheturnedawayforamomenttorecoverherself。“IhavehadalittlefitsinceIcameintothisroom，asyoumayperceive，“
　　saidshepresently，withaplayfulsmile，“butitisovernow；soletussitdownandbecomfortable；forastoscoldingyou，Fanny，whichIcamefullyintendingtodo，Ihavenottheheartforitwhenitcomestothepoint。“
　　Andembracingherveryaffectionately，“Good，gentleFanny!
　　whenIthinkofthisbeingthelasttimeofseeingyouforI
　　donotknowhowlong，Ifeelitquiteimpossibletodoanythingbutloveyou。“
　　Fannywasaffected。Shehadnotforeseenanythingofthis，andherfeelingscouldseldomwithstandthemelancholyinfluenceoftheword“last。“ShecriedasifshehadlovedMissCrawfordmorethanshepossiblycould；
　　andMissCrawford，yetfarthersoftenedbythesightofsuchemotion，hungaboutherwithfondness，andsaid，“Ihatetoleaveyou。IshallseenoonehalfsoamiablewhereIamgoing。Whosaysweshallnotbesisters？
　　Iknowweshall。Ifeelthatweareborntobeconnected；
　　andthosetearsconvincemethatyoufeelittoo，dearFanny。“
　　Fannyrousedherself，andreplyingonlyinpart，said，“Butyouareonlygoingfromonesetoffriendstoanother。
　　Youaregoingtoaveryparticularfriend。“
　　“Yes，verytrue。Mrs。Fraserhasbeenmyintimatefriendforyears。ButIhavenottheleastinclinationtogonearher。IcanthinkonlyofthefriendsIamleaving：
　　myexcellentsister，yourself，andtheBertramsingeneral。
　　Youhaveallsomuchmore_heart_amongyouthanonefindsintheworldatlarge。Youallgivemeafeelingofbeingabletotrustandconfideinyou，whichincommonintercourseoneknowsnothingof。IwishIhadsettledwithMrs。FrasernottogotohertillafterEaster，amuchbettertimeforthevisit，butnowIcannotputheroff。
　　AndwhenIhavedonewithherImustgotohersister，LadyStornaway，because_she_wasrathermymostparticularfriendofthetwo，butIhavenotcaredmuchfor_her_
　　thesethreeyears。“
　　Afterthisspeechthetwogirlssatmanyminutessilent，eachthoughtful：Fannymeditatingonthedifferentsortsoffriendshipintheworld，Maryonsomethingoflessphilosophictendency。_She_firstspokeagain。
　　“HowperfectlyIremembermyresolvingtolookforyouupstairs，andsettingofftofindmywaytotheEastroom，withouthavinganideawhereaboutsitwas!
　　HowwellIrememberwhatIwasthinkingofasIcamealong，andmylookinginandseeingyouheresittingatthistableatwork；andthenyourcousin’sastonishment，whenheopenedthedoor，atseeingmehere!Tobesure，youruncle’sreturningthatveryevening!Thereneverwasanythingquitelikeit。“
　　Anothershortfitofabstractionfollowed，when，shakingitoff，shethusattackedhercompanion。
　　“Why，Fanny，youareabsolutelyinareverie。
　　Thinking，Ihope，ofonewhoisalwaysthinkingofyou。
　　Oh!thatIcouldtransportyouforashorttimeintoourcircleintown，thatyoumightunderstandhowyourpoweroverHenryisthoughtofthere!Oh!theenvyingsandheartburningsofdozensanddozens；thewonder，theincredulitythatwillbefeltathearingwhatyouhavedone!Forastosecrecy，Henryisquitetheheroofanoldromance，andgloriesinhischains。YoushouldcometoLondontoknowhowtoestimateyourconquest。
　　Ifyouweretoseehowheiscourted，andhowIamcourtedforhissake!Now，IamwellawarethatIshallnotbehalfsowelcometoMrs。Fraserinconsequenceofhissituationwithyou。Whenshecomestoknowthetruthshewill，verylikely，wishmeinNorthamptonshireagain；
　　forthereisadaughterofMr。Fraser，byafirstwife，whomsheiswildtogetmarried，andwantsHenrytotake。
　　Oh!shehasbeentryingforhimtosuchadegree。
　　Innocentandquietasyousithere，youcannothaveanideaofthe_sensation_thatyouwillbeoccasioning，ofthecuriositytherewillbetoseeyou，oftheendlessquestionsIshallhavetoanswer!PoorMargaretFraserwillbeatmeforeveraboutyoureyesandyourteeth，andhowyoudoyourhair，andwhomakesyourshoes。
　　IwishMargaretweremarried，formypoorfriend’ssake，forIlookupontheFraserstobeaboutasunhappyasmostothermarriedpeople。AndyetitwasamostdesirablematchforJanetatthetime。Wewerealldelighted。
　　Shecouldnotdootherwisethanaccepthim，forhewasrich，andshehadnothing；butheturnsoutill-temperedand_exigeant_，andwantsayoungwoman，abeautifulyoungwomanoffive-and-twenty，tobeassteadyashimself。
　　Andmyfrienddoesnotmanagehimwell；shedoesnotseemtoknowhowtomakethebestofit。Thereisaspiritofirritationwhich，tosaynothingworse，iscertainlyveryill-bred。IntheirhouseIshallcalltomindtheconjugalmannersofMansfieldParsonagewithrespect。
　　EvenDr。Grantdoesshewathoroughconfidenceinmysister，andacertainconsiderationforherjudgment，whichmakesonefeelthere_is_attachment；butofthatIshallseenothingwiththeFrasers。IshallbeatMansfieldforever，Fanny。Myownsisterasawife，SirThomasBertramasahusband，aremystandardsofperfection。
　　PoorJanethasbeensadlytakenin，andyettherewasnothingimproperonherside：shedidnotrunintothematchinconsiderately；therewasnowantofforesight。
　　Shetookthreedaystoconsiderofhisproposals，andduringthosethreedaysaskedtheadviceofeverybodyconnectedwithherwhoseopinionwasworthhaving，andespeciallyappliedtomylatedearaunt，whoseknowledgeoftheworldmadeherjudgmentverygenerallyanddeservedlylookeduptobyalltheyoungpeopleofheracquaintance，andshewasdecidedlyinfavourofMr。Fraser。Thisseemsasifnothingwereasecurityformatrimonialcomfort。IhavenotsomuchtosayformyfriendFlora，whojiltedaveryniceyoungmanintheBluesforthesakeofthathorridLordStornaway，whohasaboutasmuchsense，Fanny，asMr。Rushworth，butmuchworse-looking，andwithablackguardcharacter。
　　I_had_mydoubtsatthetimeaboutherbeingright，forhehasnoteventheairofagentleman，andnowIamsureshewaswrong。Bythebye，FloraRosswasdyingforHenrythefirstwintershecameout。ButwereI
　　toattempttotellyouofallthewomenwhomIhaveknowntobeinlovewithhim，Ishouldneverhavedone。
　　Itisyou，onlyyou，insensibleFanny，whocanthinkofhimwithanythinglikeindifference。Butareyousoinsensibleasyouprofessyourself？No，no，Iseeyouarenot。“