Therewas，indeed，sodeepablushoverFanny’sfaceatthatmomentasmightwarrantstrongsuspicioninapredisposedmind。
　　“Excellentcreature!Iwillnotteaseyou。Everythingshalltakeitscourse。But，dearFanny，youmustallowthatyouwerenotsoabsolutelyunpreparedtohavethequestionaskedasyourcousinfancies。Itisnotpossiblebutthatyoumusthavehadsomethoughtsonthesubject，somesurmisesastowhatmightbe。Youmusthaveseenthathewastryingtopleaseyoubyeveryattentioninhispower。
　　Wasnothedevotedtoyouattheball？Andthenbeforetheball，thenecklace!Oh!youreceiveditjustasitwasmeant。Youwereasconsciousasheartcoulddesire。
　　Irememberitperfectly。“
　　“Doyoumean，then，thatyourbrotherknewofthenecklacebeforehand？Oh!MissCrawford，_that_wasnotfair。“
　　“Knewofit!Itwashisowndoingentirely，hisownthought。
　　Iamashamedtosaythatithadneverenteredmyhead，butIwasdelightedtoactonhisproposalforbothyoursakes。“
　　“Iwillnotsay，“repliedFanny，“thatIwasnothalfafraidatthetimeofitsbeingso，fortherewassomethinginyourlookthatfrightenedme，butnotatfirst；
　　Iwasasunsuspiciousofitatfirst——indeed，indeedIwas。
　　ItisastrueasthatIsithere。AndhadIhadanideaofit，nothingshouldhaveinducedmetoacceptthenecklace。
　　Astoyourbrother’sbehaviour，certainlyIwassensibleofaparticularity：Ihadbeensensibleofitsomelittletime，perhapstwoorthreeweeks；butthenIconsidereditasmeaningnothing：Iputitdownassimplybeinghisway，andwasasfarfromsupposingasfromwishinghimtohaveanyseriousthoughtsofme。Ihadnot，MissCrawford，beenaninattentiveobserverofwhatwaspassingbetweenhimandsomepartofthisfamilyinthesummerandautumn。
　　Iwasquiet，butIwasnotblind。IcouldnotbutseethatMr。Crawfordallowedhimselfingallantrieswhichdidmeannothing。“
　　“Ah!Icannotdenyit。Hehasnowandthenbeenasadflirt，andcaredverylittleforthehavochemightbemakinginyoungladies’affections。Ihaveoftenscoldedhimforit，butitishisonlyfault；andthereisthistobesaid，thatveryfewyoungladieshaveanyaffectionsworthcaringfor。Andthen，Fanny，thegloryoffixingonewhohasbeenshotatbysomany；ofhavingitinone’spowertopayoffthedebtsofone’ssex!Oh!Iamsureitisnotinwoman’snaturetorefusesuchatriumph。“
　　Fannyshookherhead。“Icannotthinkwellofamanwhosportswithanywoman’sfeelings；andtheremayoftenbeagreatdealmoresufferedthanastander-bycanjudgeof。“
　　“Idonotdefendhim。Ileavehimentirelytoyourmercy，andwhenhehasgotyouatEveringham，Idonotcarehowmuchyoulecturehim。ButthisIwillsay，thathisfault，thelikingtomakegirlsalittleinlovewithhim，isnothalfsodangeroustoawife’shappinessasatendencytofallinlovehimself，whichhehasneverbeenaddictedto。
　　AndIdoseriouslyandtrulybelievethatheisattachedtoyouinawaythatheneverwastoanywomanbefore；
　　thathelovesyouwithallhisheart，andwillloveyouasnearlyforeveraspossible。Ifanymaneverlovedawomanforever，IthinkHenrywilldoasmuchforyou。“
　　Fannycouldnotavoidafaintsmile，buthadnothingtosay。
　　“IcannotimagineHenryevertohavebeenhappier，“
　　continuedMarypresently，“thanwhenhehadsucceededingettingyourbrother’scommission。“
　　ShehadmadeasurepushatFanny’sfeelingshere。
　　“Oh!yes。Howvery，verykindofhim。“
　　“Iknowhemusthaveexertedhimselfverymuch，forIknowthepartieshehadtomove。TheAdmiralhatestrouble，andscornsaskingfavours；andtherearesomanyyoungmen’sclaimstobeattendedtointhesameway，thatafriendshipandenergy，notverydetermined，iseasilyputby。WhatahappycreatureWilliammustbe!
　　Iwishwecouldseehim。“
　　PoorFanny’smindwasthrownintothemostdistressingofallitsvarieties。TherecollectionofwhathadbeendoneforWilliamwasalwaysthemostpowerfuldisturberofeverydecisionagainstMr。Crawford；
　　andshesatthinkingdeeplyofittillMary，whohadbeenfirstwatchinghercomplacently，andthenmusingonsomethingelse，suddenlycalledherattentionbysaying：
　　“Ishouldliketosittalkingwithyouhereallday，butwemustnotforgettheladiesbelow，andsogood-bye，mydear，myamiable，myexcellentFanny，forthoughweshallnominallypartinthebreakfast-parlour，Imusttakeleaveofyouhere。AndIdotakeleave，longingforahappyreunion，andtrustingthatwhenwemeetagain，itwillbeundercircumstanceswhichmayopenourheartstoeachotherwithoutanyremnantorshadowofreserve。“
　　Avery，verykindembrace，andsomeagitationofmanner，accompaniedthesewords。
　　“Ishallseeyourcousinintownsoon：hetalksofbeingtheretolerablysoon；andSirThomas，Idaresay，inthecourseofthespring；andyoureldestcousin，andtheRushworths，andJulia，Iamsureofmeetingagainandagain，andallbutyou。Ihavetwofavourstoask，Fanny：oneisyourcorrespondence。Youmustwritetome。
　　Andtheother，thatyouwilloftencallonMrs。Grant，andmakeheramendsformybeinggone。“
　　Thefirst，atleast，ofthesefavoursFannywouldrathernothavebeenasked；butitwasimpossibleforhertorefusethecorrespondence；itwasimpossibleforherevennottoaccedetoitmorereadilythanherownjudgmentauthorised。
　　Therewasnoresistingsomuchapparentaffection。
　　Herdispositionwaspeculiarlycalculatedtovalueafondtreatment，andfromhavinghithertoknownsolittleofit，shewasthemoreovercomebyMissCrawford’s。Besides，therewasgratitudetowardsher，forhavingmadetheir_tete-a-tete_somuchlesspainfulthanherfearshadpredicted。
　　Itwasover，andshehadescapedwithoutreproachesandwithoutdetection。Hersecretwasstillherown；
　　andwhilethatwasthecase，shethoughtshecouldresignherselftoalmosteverything。
　　Intheeveningtherewasanotherparting。HenryCrawfordcameandsatsometimewiththem；andherspiritsnotbeingpreviouslyinthestrongeststate，herheartwassoftenedforawhiletowardshim，becausehereallyseemedtofeel。
　　Quiteunlikehisusualself，hescarcelysaidanything。
　　Hewasevidentlyoppressed，andFannymustgrieveforhim，thoughhopingshemightneverseehimagaintillhewerethehusbandofsomeotherwoman。
　　Whenitcametothemomentofparting，hewouldtakeherhand，hewouldnotbedeniedit；hesaidnothing，however，ornothingthatsheheard，andwhenhehadlefttheroom，shewasbetterpleasedthatsuchatokenoffriendshiphadpassed。
　　OnthemorrowtheCrawfordsweregone。
　　Mr。Crawfordgone，SirThomas’snextobjectwasthatheshouldbemissed；andheentertainedgreathopethathisniecewouldfindablankinthelossofthoseattentionswhichatthetimeshehadfelt，orfancied，anevil。
　　Shehadtastedofconsequenceinitsmostflatteringform；
　　andhedidhopethatthelossofit，thesinkingagainintonothing，wouldawakenverywholesomeregretsinhermind。Hewatchedherwiththisidea；buthecouldhardlytellwithwhatsuccess。Hehardlyknewwhethertherewereanydifferenceinherspiritsornot。
　　Shewasalwayssogentleandretiringthatheremotionswerebeyondhisdiscrimination。Hedidnotunderstandher：
　　hefeltthathedidnot；andthereforeappliedtoEdmundtotellhimhowshestoodaffectedonthepresentoccasion，andwhethersheweremoreorlesshappythanshehadbeen。
　　Edmunddidnotdiscernanysymptomsofregret，andthoughthisfatheralittleunreasonableinsupposingthefirstthreeorfourdayscouldproduceany。
　　WhatchieflysurprisedEdmundwas，thatCrawford’ssister，thefriendandcompanionwhohadbeensomuchtoher，shouldnotbemorevisiblyregretted。HewonderedthatFannyspokesoseldomof_her_，andhadsolittlevoluntarilytosayofherconcernatthisseparation。
　　Alas!itwasthissister，thisfriendandcompanion，whowasnowthechiefbaneofFanny’scomfort。IfshecouldhavebelievedMary’sfuturefateasunconnectedwithMansfieldasshewasdeterminedthebrother’sshouldbe，ifshecouldhavehopedherreturnthithertobeasdistantasshewasmuchinclinedtothinkhis，shewouldhavebeenlightofheartindeed；butthemoresherecollectedandobserved，themoredeeplywassheconvincedthateverythingwasnowinafairertrainforMissCrawford’smarryingEdmundthanithadeverbeenbefore。Onhissidetheinclinationwasstronger，onherslessequivocal。Hisobjections，thescruplesofhisintegrity，seemedalldoneaway，nobodycouldtellhow；