Williamwasalmostashappyintheplanashissister。
　　Itwouldbethegreatestpleasuretohimtohavehertheretothelastmomentbeforehesailed，andperhapsfindhertherestillwhenhecameinfromhisfirstcruise。
　　Andbesides，hewantedhersoverymuchtoseetheThrushbeforeshewentoutofharbour——theThrushwascertainlythefinestsloopintheservice——andtherewereseveralimprovementsinthedockyard，too，whichhequitelongedtoshewher。
　　Hedidnotscrupletoaddthatherbeingathomeforawhilewouldbeagreatadvantagetoeverybody。
　　“Idonotknowhowitis，“saidhe；“butweseemtowantsomeofyournicewaysandorderlinessatmyfather’s。Thehouseisalwaysinconfusion。Youwillsetthingsgoinginabetterway，Iamsure。Youwilltellmymotherhowitalloughttobe，andyouwillbesousefultoSusan，andyouwillteachBetsey，andmaketheboysloveandmindyou。
　　Howrightandcomfortableitwillallbe!“
　　BythetimeMrs。Price’sanswerarrived，thereremainedbutaveryfewdaysmoretobespentatMansfield；
　　andforpartofoneofthosedaystheyoungtravellerswereinagooddealofalarmonthesubjectoftheirjourney，forwhenthemodeofitcametobetalkedof，andMrs。Norrisfoundthatallheranxietytosaveherbrother-in-law’smoneywasvain，andthatinspiteofherwishesandhintsforalessexpensiveconveyanceofFanny，theyweretotravelpost；whenshesawSirThomasactuallygiveWilliamnotesforthepurpose，shewasstruckwiththeideaoftherebeingroomforathirdinthecarriage，andsuddenlyseizedwithastronginclinationtogowiththem，togoandseeherpoordearsisterPrice。
　　Sheproclaimedherthoughts。Shemustsaythatshehadmorethanhalfamindtogowiththeyoungpeople；
　　itwouldbesuchanindulgencetoher；shehadnotseenherpoordearsisterPriceformorethantwentyyears；
　　anditwouldbeahelptotheyoungpeopleintheirjourneytohaveherolderheadtomanageforthem；andshecouldnothelpthinkingherpoordearsisterPricewouldfeelitveryunkindofhernottocomebysuchanopportunity。
　　WilliamandFannywerehorror-struckattheidea。
　　Allthecomfortoftheircomfortablejourneywouldbedestroyedatonce。Withwoefulcountenancestheylookedateachother。Theirsuspenselastedanhourortwo。Nooneinterferedtoencourageordissuade。
　　Mrs。Norriswaslefttosettlethematterbyherself；
　　anditended，totheinfinitejoyofhernephewandniece，intherecollectionthatshecouldnotpossiblybesparedfromMansfieldParkatpresent；thatshewasagreatdealtoonecessarytoSirThomasandLadyBertramforhertobeabletoanswerittoherselftoleavethemevenforaweek，andthereforemustcertainlysacrificeeveryotherpleasuretothatofbeingusefultothem。
　　Ithad，infact，occurredtoher，thatthoughtakentoPortsmouthfornothing，itwouldbehardlypossibleforhertoavoidpayingherownexpensesbackagain。
　　SoherpoordearsisterPricewaslefttoallthedisappointmentofhermissingsuchanopportunity，andanothertwentyyears’absence，perhaps，begun。
　　Edmund’splanswereaffectedbythisPortsmouthjourney，thisabsenceofFanny’s。HetoohadasacrificetomaketoMansfieldParkaswellashisaunt。Hehadintended，aboutthistime，tobegoingtoLondon；buthecouldnotleavehisfatherandmotherjustwheneverybodyelseofmostimportancetotheircomfortwasleavingthem；
　　andwithaneffort，feltbutnotboastedof，hedelayedforaweekortwolongerajourneywhichhewaslookingforwardtowiththehopeofitsfixinghishappinessforever。
　　HetoldFannyofit。Sheknewsomuchalready，thatshemustknoweverything。ItmadethesubstanceofoneotherconfidentialdiscourseaboutMissCrawford；
　　andFannywasthemoreaffectedfromfeelingittobethelasttimeinwhichMissCrawford’snamewouldeverbementionedbetweenthemwithanyremainsofliberty。
　　Onceafterwardsshewasalludedtobyhim。LadyBertramhadbeentellinghernieceintheeveningtowritetohersoonandoften，andpromisingtobeagoodcorrespondentherself；
　　andEdmund，ataconvenientmoment，thenaddedinawhisper，“And_I_shallwritetoyou，Fanny，whenIhaveanythingworthwritingabout，anythingtosaythatIthinkyouwillliketohear，andthatyouwillnothearsosoonfromanyotherquarter。“Hadshedoubtedhismeaningwhileshelistened，theglowinhisface，whenshelookedupathim，wouldhavebeendecisive。
　　Forthislettershemusttrytoarmherself。ThataletterfromEdmundshouldbeasubjectofterror!
　　Shebegantofeelthatshehadnotyetgonethroughallthechangesofopinionandsentimentwhichtheprogressoftimeandvariationofcircumstancesoccasioninthisworldofchanges。Thevicissitudesofthehumanmindhadnotyetbeenexhaustedbyher。
　　PoorFanny!thoughgoingasshedidwillinglyandeagerly，thelasteveningatMansfieldParkmuststillbewretchedness。Herheartwascompletelysadatparting。
　　Shehadtearsforeveryroominthehouse，muchmoreforeverybelovedinhabitant。Sheclungtoheraunt，becauseshewouldmissher；shekissedthehandofherunclewithstrugglingsobs，becauseshehaddispleasedhim；
　　andasforEdmund，shecouldneitherspeak，norlook，northink，whenthelastmomentcamewith_him_；anditwasnottillitwasoverthatsheknewhewasgivinghertheaffectionatefarewellofabrother。
　　Allthispassedovernight，forthejourneywastobeginveryearlyinthemorning；andwhenthesmall，diminishedpartymetatbreakfast，WilliamandFannyweretalkedofasalreadyadvancedonestage。
　　Thenoveltyoftravelling，andthehappinessofbeingwithWilliam，soonproducedtheirnaturaleffectonFanny’sspirits，whenMansfieldParkwasfairlyleftbehind；
　　andbythetimetheirfirststagewasended，andtheyweretoquitSirThomas’scarriage，shewasabletotakeleaveoftheoldcoachman，andsendbackpropermessages，withcheerfullooks。
　　Ofpleasanttalkbetweenthebrotherandsistertherewasnoend。EverythingsuppliedanamusementtothehighgleeofWilliam’smind，andhewasfulloffrolicandjokeintheintervalsoftheirhigher-tonedsubjects，allofwhichended，iftheydidnotbegin，inpraiseoftheThrush，conjectureshowshewouldbeemployed，schemesforanactionwithsomesuperiorforce，whichsupposingthefirstlieutenantoutoftheway，andWilliamwasnotverymercifultothefirstlieutenant
　　wastogivehimselfthenextstepassoonaspossible，orspeculationsuponprize-money，whichwastobegenerouslydistributedathome，withonlythereservationofenoughtomakethelittlecottagecomfortable，inwhichheandFannyweretopassalltheirmiddleandlaterlifetogether。
　　Fanny’simmediateconcerns，asfarastheyinvolvedMr。Crawford，madenopartoftheirconversation。
　　Williamknewwhathadpassed，andfromhisheartlamentedthathissister’sfeelingsshouldbesocoldtowardsamanwhomhemustconsiderasthefirstofhumancharacters；
　　buthewasofanagetobeallforlove，andthereforeunabletoblame；andknowingherwishonthesubject，hewouldnotdistressherbytheslightestallusion。
　　ShehadreasontosupposeherselfnotyetforgottenbyMr。Crawford。ShehadheardrepeatedlyfromhissisterwithinthethreeweekswhichhadpassedsincetheirleavingMansfield，andineachlettertherehadbeenafewlinesfromhimself，warmanddeterminedlikehisspeeches。ItwasacorrespondencewhichFannyfoundquiteasunpleasantasshehadfeared。
　　MissCrawford’sstyleofwriting，livelyandaffectionate，wasitselfanevil，independentofwhatshewasthusforcedintoreadingfromthebrother’spen，forEdmundwouldneverresttillshehadreadthechiefofthelettertohim；andthenshehadtolistentohisadmirationofherlanguage，andthewarmthofherattachments。
　　Therehad，infact，beensomuchofmessage，ofallusion，ofrecollection，somuchofMansfieldineveryletter，thatFannycouldnotbutsupposeitmeantforhimtohear；
　　andtofindherselfforcedintoapurposeofthatkind，compelledintoacorrespondencewhichwasbringinghertheaddressesofthemanshedidnotlove，andobliginghertoadministertotheadversepassionofthemanshedid，wascruellymortifying。Here，too，herpresentremovalpromisedadvantage。WhennolongerunderthesameroofwithEdmund，shetrustedthatMissCrawfordwouldhavenomotiveforwritingstrongenoughtoovercomethetrouble，andthatatPortsmouththeircorrespondencewoulddwindleintonothing。
　　Withsuchthoughtsasthese，amongtenhundredothers，Fannyproceededinherjourneysafelyandcheerfully，andasexpeditiouslyascouldrationallybehopedinthedirtymonthofFebruary。TheyenteredOxford，butshecouldtakeonlyahastyglimpseofEdmund’scollegeastheypassedalong，andmadenostopanywheretilltheyreachedNewbury，whereacomfortablemeal，unitingdinnerandsupper，wounduptheenjoymentsandfatiguesoftheday。
　　Thenextmorningsawthemoffagainatanearlyhour；
　　andwithnoevents，andnodelays，theyregularlyadvanced，andwereintheenvironsofPortsmouthwhiletherewasyetdaylightforFannytolookaroundher，andwonderatthenewbuildings。Theypassedthedrawbridge，andenteredthetown；andthelightwasonlybeginningtofailas，guidedbyWilliam’spowerfulvoice，theywererattledintoanarrowstreet，leadingfromtheHighStreet，anddrawnupbeforethedoorofasmallhousenowinhabitedbyMr。Price。