Shereproachedherself，coloured，andlookedfearfullytowardsherfatherandmother。Sheneednothavebeenuneasy。
　　Therewasnosignofdispleasure，orevenofhearingher。
　　TheywereperfectlyfreefromanyjealousyofMansfield。
　　Shewasaswelcometowishherselfthereastobethere。
　　ItwassadtoFannytoloseallthepleasuresofspring。
　　Shehadnotknownbeforewhatpleasuresshe_had_toloseinpassingMarchandAprilinatown。Shehadnotknownbeforehowmuchthebeginningsandprogressofvegetationhaddelightedher。Whatanimation，bothofbodyandmind，shehadderivedfromwatchingtheadvanceofthatseasonwhichcannot，inspiteofitscapriciousness，beunlovely，andseeingitsincreasingbeautiesfromtheearliestflowersinthewarmestdivisionsofheraunt’sgarden，totheopeningofleavesofheruncle’splantations，andthegloryofhiswoods。Tobelosingsuchpleasureswasnotrifle；tobelosingthem，becauseshewasinthemidstofclosenessandnoise，tohaveconfinement，badair，badsmells，substitutedforliberty，freshness，fragrance，andverdure，wasinfinitelyworse：
　　buteventheseincitementstoregretwerefeeble，comparedwithwhatarosefromtheconvictionofbeingmissedbyherbestfriends，andthelongingtobeusefultothosewhowerewantingher!
　　Couldshehavebeenathome，shemighthavebeenofservicetoeverycreatureinthehouse。Shefeltthatshemusthavebeenofusetoall。Toallshemusthavesavedsometroubleofheadorhand；andwereitonlyinsupportingthespiritsofherauntBertram，keepingherfromtheevilofsolitude，orthestillgreaterevilofarestless，officiouscompanion，tooapttobeheighteningdangerinordertoenhanceherownimportance，herbeingtherewouldhavebeenageneralgood。Shelovedtofancyhowshecouldhavereadtoheraunt，howshecouldhavetalkedtoher，andtriedatoncetomakeherfeeltheblessingofwhatwas，andpreparehermindforwhatmightbe；
　　andhowmanywalksupanddownstairsshemighthavesavedher，andhowmanymessagesshemighthavecarried。
　　ItastonishedherthatTom’ssisterscouldbesatisfiedwithremaininginLondonatsuchatime，throughanillnesswhichhadnow，underdifferentdegreesofdanger，lastedseveralweeks。_They_mightreturntoMansfieldwhentheychose；travellingcouldbenodifficultyto_them_，andshecouldnotcomprehendhowbothcouldstillkeepaway。
　　IfMrs。Rushworthcouldimagineanyinterferingobligations，JuliawascertainlyabletoquitLondonwhenevershechose。
　　Itappearedfromoneofheraunt’slettersthatJuliahadofferedtoreturnifwanted，butthiswasall。
　　Itwasevidentthatshewouldratherremainwhereshewas。
　　FannywasdisposedtothinktheinfluenceofLondonverymuchatwarwithallrespectableattachments。
　　ShesawtheproofofitinMissCrawford，aswellasinhercousins；_her_attachmenttoEdmundhadbeenrespectable，themostrespectablepartofhercharacter；herfriendshipforherselfhadatleastbeenblameless。Wherewaseithersentimentnow？ItwassolongsinceFannyhadhadanyletterfromher，thatshehadsomereasontothinklightlyofthefriendshipwhichhadbeensodwelton。
　　ItwasweekssinceshehadheardanythingofMissCrawfordorofherotherconnexionsintown，exceptthroughMansfield，andshewasbeginningtosupposethatshemightneverknowwhetherMr。CrawfordhadgoneintoNorfolkagainornottilltheymet，andmightneverhearfromhissisteranymorethisspring，whenthefollowingletterwasreceivedtoreviveoldandcreatesomenewsensations——
　　“Forgiveme，mydearFanny，assoonasyoucan，formylongsilence，andbehaveasifyoucouldforgivemedirectly。
　　Thisismymodestrequestandexpectation，foryouaresogood，thatIdependuponbeingtreatedbetterthanIdeserve，andIwritenowtobeganimmediateanswer。IwanttoknowthestateofthingsatMansfieldPark，andyou，nodoubt，areperfectlyabletogiveit。Oneshouldbeabrutenottofeelforthedistresstheyarein；andfromwhatIhear，poorMr。Bertramhasabadchanceofultimaterecovery。
　　Ithoughtlittleofhisillnessatfirst。Ilookeduponhimasthesortofpersontobemadeafusswith，andtomakeafusshimselfinanytriflingdisorder，andwaschieflyconcernedforthosewhohadtonursehim；
　　butnowitisconfidentlyassertedthatheisreallyinadecline，thatthesymptomsaremostalarming，andthatpartofthefamily，atleast，areawareofit。
　　Ifitbeso，Iamsureyoumustbeincludedinthatpart，thatdiscerningpart，andthereforeentreatyoutoletmeknowhowfarIhavebeenrightlyinformed。IneednotsayhowrejoicedIshallbetoheartherehasbeenanymistake，butthereportissoprevalentthatIconfessIcannothelptrembling。Tohavesuchafineyoungmancutoffintheflowerofhisdaysismostmelancholy。
　　PoorSirThomaswillfeelitdreadfully。Ireallyamquiteagitatedonthesubject。Fanny，Fanny，Iseeyousmileandlookcunning，but，uponmyhonour，Ineverbribedaphysicianinmylife。Pooryoungman!Ifheistodie，therewillbe_two_pooryoungmenlessintheworld；
　　andwithafearlessfaceandboldvoicewouldIsaytoanyone，thatwealthandconsequencecouldfallintonohandsmoredeservingofthem。ItwasafoolishprecipitationlastChristmas，buttheevilofafewdaysmaybeblottedoutinpart。Varnishandgildinghidemanystains。
　　ItwillbebutthelossoftheEsquireafterhisname。
　　Withrealaffection，Fanny，likemine，moremightbeoverlooked。
　　Writetomebyreturnofpost，judgeofmyanxiety，anddonottriflewithit。Tellmetherealtruth，asyouhaveitfromthefountainhead。Andnow，donottroubleyourselftobeashamedofeithermyfeelingsoryourown。Believeme，theyarenotonlynatural，theyarephilanthropicandvirtuous。Iputittoyourconscience，whether’SirEdmund’wouldnotdomoregoodwithalltheBertrampropertythananyotherpossible’Sir。’
　　HadtheGrantsbeenathomeIwouldnothavetroubledyou，butyouarenowtheonlyoneIcanapplytoforthetruth，hissistersnotbeingwithinmyreach。Mrs。R。hasbeenspendingtheEasterwiththeAylmersatTwickenhamastobesureyouknow，andisnotyetreturned；
　　andJuliaiswiththecousinswholivenearBedfordSquare，butIforgettheirnameandstreet。CouldIimmediatelyapplytoeither，however，Ishouldstillpreferyou，becauseitstrikesmethattheyhaveallalongbeensounwillingtohavetheirownamusementscutup，astoshuttheireyestothetruth。IsupposeMrs。R。’sEasterholidayswillnotlastmuchlonger；nodoubttheyarethoroughholidaystoher。TheAylmersarepleasantpeople；
　　andherhusbandaway，shecanhavenothingbutenjoyment。
　　IgivehercreditforpromotinghisgoingdutifullydowntoBath，tofetchhismother；buthowwillsheandthedowageragreeinonehouse？Henryisnotathand，soI
　　havenothingtosayfromhim。DonotyouthinkEdmundwouldhavebeenintownagainlongago，butforthisillness？——
　　Yoursever，Mary。“
　　“IhadactuallybegunfoldingmyletterwhenHenrywalkedin，buthebringsnointelligencetopreventmysendingit。
　　Mrs。R。knowsadeclineisapprehended；hesawherthismorning：
　　shereturnstoWimpoleStreetto-day；theoldladyiscome。
　　NowdonotmakeyourselfuneasywithanyqueerfanciesbecausehehasbeenspendingafewdaysatRichmond。
　　Hedoesiteveryspring。Beassuredhecaresfornobodybutyou。Atthisverymomentheiswildtoseeyou，andoccupiedonlyincontrivingthemeansfordoingso，andformakinghispleasureconducetoyours。Inproof，herepeats，andmoreeagerly，whathesaidatPortsmouthaboutourconveyingyouhome，andIjoinhiminitwithallmysoul。DearFanny，writedirectly，andtellustocome。
　　Itwilldousallgood。HeandIcangototheParsonage，youknow，andbenotroubletoourfriendsatMansfieldPark。
　　Itwouldreallybegratifyingtoseethemallagain，andalittleadditionofsocietymightbeofinfiniteusetothem；
　　andastoyourself，youmustfeelyourselftobesowantedthere，thatyoucannotinconscience——conscientiousasyouare——
　　keepaway，whenyouhavethemeansofreturning。
　　IhavenottimeorpatiencetogivehalfHenry’smessages；
　　besatisfiedthatthespiritofeachandeveryoneisunalterableaffection。“
　　Fanny’sdisgustatthegreaterpartofthisletter，withherextremereluctancetobringthewriterofitandhercousinEdmundtogether，wouldhavemadeherasshefeltincapableofjudgingimpartiallywhethertheconcludingoffermightbeacceptedornot。
　　Toherself，individually，itwasmosttempting。Tobefindingherself，perhapswithinthreedays，transportedtoMansfield，wasanimageofthegreatestfelicity，butitwouldhavebeenamaterialdrawbacktobeowingsuchfelicitytopersonsinwhosefeelingsandconduct，atthepresentmoment，shesawsomuchtocondemn：
　　thesister’sfeelings，thebrother’sconduct，_her_cold-heartedambition，_his_thoughtlessvanity。
　　Tohavehimstilltheacquaintance，theflirtperhaps，ofMrs。Rushworth!Shewasmortified。Shehadthoughtbetterofhim。Happily，however，shewasnotlefttoweighanddecidebetweenoppositeinclinationsanddoubtfulnotionsofright；therewasnooccasiontodeterminewhethersheoughttokeepEdmundandMaryasunderornot。
　　Shehadaruletoapplyto，whichsettledeverything。