October 22, 2025 • 15 mins
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Chapter forty one, a week was gone since Edmond might
be supposed in town, and Fanny had heard nothing of him.
There were three different conclusions to be drawn from his silence,
between which her mind was in fluctuation, each of them
at times being held the most probable. Either his going
had been again delayed, or he had yet procured no
(00:21):
opportunity of seeing miss Crawford alone, or he was too
happy for letter writing. One morning about this time, Fanny
having now been nearly four weeks from Mansfield, a point
which she never failed to think over and calculate every day.
As she and Susan were preparing to remove as usual upstairs,
they were stopped by the knock of a visitor whom
(00:42):
they felt they could not avoid from Rebecca's alertness in
going to the door, a duty which always interested her
beyond any other. It was a gentleman's voice. It was
a voice that Fanny was just turning pale about when
mister Crawford walked into the room. Good sense like hers
will always act when really called upon, and she found
that she had been able to name him to her mother,
(01:04):
and recall her remembrance of the name as that of
William's friend, though she could not previously have believed herself
capable of uttering a syllable at such a moment, the
consciousness of his being known there only as William's friend
was some support. Having introduced him, however, and being all
re seated, the terrors that occurred of what this visit
(01:24):
might lead to were overpowering, and she fancied herself on
the point of fainting away while trying to keep herself alive.
Their visitor, who had at first approached her with as
animated a countenance as ever, was wisely and kindly, keeping
his eyes away and giving her time to recover while
he devoted himself entirely to her mother, addressing her and
(01:45):
attending her with the utmost politeness and propriety, at the
same time with the degree of friendliness of interest, at least,
which was making his manner perfect. Missus Price's manners were
also at their best, warmed by the sight of such
a friend to her son, and regulated by the wish
of appearing to advantage before him. She was overflowing with gratitude,
artless maternal gratitude which could not be unpleasing. Mister Price
(02:09):
was out which she regretted very much. Fanny was just
recovered enough to feel that she could not regret it.
For to her many other sources of uneasiness was added
the severe one of shame for the home in which
she found her. She might scold herself for the weakness,
but there was no scolding it away. She was ashamed,
and she should have been yet more ashamed of her
father than of all the rest. They talked of William,
(02:33):
a subject on which missus Price could never tire, and
mister Crawford was as warm in his commendation as even
her heart could wish. She felt that she had never
seen so agreeable a man in her life, and was
only astonished to find that so great and so agreeable
as he was, he should be come down to Portsmouth,
neither on a visit to the port Admiral nor the Commissioner,
(02:53):
nor yet with the intention of going over to the island,
nor of seeing the dockyard. Nothing of all that she
had been used to think of as the proof of
importance or the employment of wealth had brought him to Portsmouth.
He had reached it late the night before, was come
for a day or two, was staying at the Crown,
had accidentally met with a navy officer or two of
his acquaintance since his arrival, but had no object of
(03:15):
that kind in coming. By the time he had given
all this information, it was not unreasonable to suppose that
Fanny might be looked at and spoken to, and she
was tolerably able to bear his eye. And here that
he had spent half an hour with his sister the
evening before his leaving London, that she had sent her
best and kindest love, but had had no time for writing.
(03:36):
That he thought himself lucky in seeing Mary for even
half an hour, having spent scarcely twenty four hours in
London after his return from Norfolk, before he set off again,
that her cousin Edmund was in town, had been in town.
He understood a few days that he had not seen
him himself, but that he was well, had left them
all well at Mansfield, and was to dine as yesterday.
(03:56):
With the phrases, Fanny listened collectedly even to the last
mentioned circumstance. Nay, it seemed a relief to her worn
mind to be at any certainty, and the words then,
by this time it is all settled, passed internally without
more evidence of emotion than a faint blush. After talking
a little more about Mansfield, a subject in which her
(04:17):
interest was most apparent, Crawford began to hint at the
expediency of an early walk. It was a lovely morning,
and at that season of the year, a fine morning
so often turned off that it was wisest for everybody
not to delay their exercise. And such hints producing nothing,
he soon proceeded to a positive recommendation to missus Price
and her daughters to take their walk without loss of time.
(04:40):
Now they came to an understanding. Missus Price, it appeared
scarcely ever stirred out of doors except of a Sunday.
She owned she could seldom, with her large family, find
time for a walk. Would she not then persuade her
daughters to take advantage of such weather and allow him
the pleasure of attending them. Missus Price was greatly obliged
and very complying. Her daughters were very much confined. Portsmouth
(05:03):
was a sad place. They did not often get out,
and she knew they had some errands in the town
which they would be very glad to do. And the
consequence was that Fanny strange, as it was strange, awkward,
and distressing, found herself and Susan within ten minutes walking
towards the high Street with mister Crawford. It was soon
pain upon pain, confusion upon confusion, for they were hardly
(05:26):
in the high Street before they met her father, whose
appearance was not the better from its being Saturday. He stopped, and,
ungentlemanlike as he looked, Fanny was obliged to introduce him
to mister Crawford. She could not have a doubt of
the manner in which mister Crawford must be struck. He
must be ashamed and disgusted altogether. He must soon give
her up and cease to have the smallest inclination for
(05:48):
the match. And yet though she had been so much
wanting his affection to be cured, this was a sort
of cure that would be almost as bad as the complaint.
And I believe there is scarcely a young lady in
the uniitsighted kingdoms who would not rather put up with
the misfortune of being sought by a clever, agreeable man
than have him driven away by the vulgarity of her
(06:08):
nearest relations. Mister Crawford probably could not regard his future
father in law with any idea of taking him for
a model in dress. But as Fanny instantly, and to
her great relief, discerned, her father was a very different man,
a very different mister Price in his behavior to this
most highly respected stranger from what he was in his
own family at home. His manners, now, though not polished,
(06:31):
were more than passable. They were grateful, animated, manly. His
expressions were those of an attached father and a sensible man.
His loud tones did very well in the open air,
and there was not a single oath to be heard.
Such was his instinctive compliment to the good manners of
mister Crawford, And be the consequence what it might, Fanny's
immediate feelings were infinitely soothed. The conclusion of the two
(06:55):
gentlemen's civilities was an offer of mister Price's to take
mister Crawford into the dock use, which mister Crawford desirous
of accepting as a favor what was intended as such,
though he had seen the dock yard again and again,
and hoping to be so much the longer with Fanny,
was very gratefully disposed to avail himself of if the
mis prices were not afraid of the fatigue. And as
(07:15):
it was, somehow or other ascertained or inferred, or at
least acted upon, that they were not at all afraid
to the dock yard, they were all to go, and
but for mister Crawford, mister Price would have turned thither
directly without the smallest consideration for his daughter's errands in
the high street. He took care, however, that they should
be allowed to go to the shops. They came out
expressly to visit, and it did not delay them long,
(07:38):
for Fanny could so little bear to excite impatience, or
be waited for that before the gentlemen, as they stood
at the door, could do more than begin upon the
last naval regulations or settle the number of three decas
now in commission. Their companions were ready to proceed. They
were then to set forward for the dock yard at once,
and the walk would have been conducted according to mister
(07:58):
Crawford's opinion in a singular manner, had mister Price been
allowed the entire regulation of it, as the two girls
he found would have been left to follow and keep
up with them, or not, as they could while they
walked on together at their own hasty pace. He was
able to introduce some improvement occasionally, though by no means
to the extent he wished. He absolutely would not walk
(08:19):
away from them, and at any crossing or any crowd,
when mister Price was only calling out, come girls, come fan,
come sue, take care of yourselves, keep a sharp lookout,
he would give them his particular attendants. Once fairly in
the dock yard he began to reckon upon some happy
intercourse with Fanny, as they were very soon joined by
a brother lounger of mister Price's, who was come to
(08:40):
take his daily survey of how things went on, and
who must prove a far more worthy companion than himself.
And after a time the two officers seemed very well
satisfied in going about together and discussing matters of equal
and never failing interest. While the young people sat down
upon some timbers in the yard, or found a seat
on board a vessel in the store, which they all
(09:01):
went to look at. Fanny was most conveniently in want
of rest. Crawford could not have wished her more fatigued
or more ready to sit down, but he could have
wished her sister away. A quick looking girl of Susan's
age was the very worst third in the world, totally
different from Lady Bertram all eyes and ears, and there
was no introducing the main point before her. He must
(09:23):
content himself with being only generally agreeable and letting Susan
have her share of entertainment, with the indulgence now and
then of a look or hint for the better informed
and conscious Fanny. Norfolk was what he had mostly to
talk of. There he had been some time, and everything
there was rising in importance from his present schemes. Such
(09:43):
a man could come from no place, no society, without
importing something to amuse. His journeys and his acquaintance were
all of use, and Susan was entertained in a way
quite new to her. For Fanny, something more was related
than the accidental agreeableness of the parties he had been
in for her approbation. The particular reason of his going
(10:03):
into Norfolk at all at this unusual time of year
was given it had been real business, relative to the
renewal of a lease in which the welfare of a
large and he believed industrious family was at stake. He
had suspected his agent of some underhand dealing of meaning
to bias him against the deserving, and he had determined
to go himself and thoroughly investigate the merits of the case.
(10:27):
He had gone, had done even more good than he
had foreseen, had been useful to more than his first
plan had comprehended, and was now able to congratulate himself
upon it, and to feel that in performing a duty
he had secured agreeable recollections for his own mind. He
had introduced himself to some tenants whom he had never
seen before, had begun making acquaintance with cottages whose very existence,
(10:49):
though on his own estate, had been hitherto unknown to him.
This was aimed, and well aimed at Fanny. It was
pleasing to hear him speak so properly. Here he had
been acting as he ought to do, to be the
friend of the poor and oppressed. Nothing could be more
grateful to her, and she was on the point of
giving him an approving look, when it was all frightened
(11:10):
off by his adding as something too pointed of his
hoping soon to have an assistant, a friend, a guide
in every plan of utility or charity for Everingham, as
somebody that would make Everingham and all about it a
dearer object than it had ever been. Yet she turned
away and wished he would not say such things. She
was willing to allow he might have more good qualities
(11:31):
than she had been wont to suppose. She began to
feel the possibility of his turning out well at last.
But he was and must ever be, completely unsuited to her,
and ought not to think of her. He perceived that
enough had been said of Everingham, and that it would
be as well to talk of something else and turn
to Mansfield. He could not have chosen better. That was
(11:51):
a topic to bring back her attention and her looks
almost instantly. It was a real indulgence to her to
hear or to speak of Mansfield, now so long divided
from everybody who knew the place. She felt it quite
the voice of a friend when he mentioned it, and
led the way to her. Fond exclamations in praise of
its beauties and comforts, and by his honorable tribute to
(12:12):
its inhabitants, allowed her to gratify her own heart in
the warmest eulogium. In speaking of her uncle as all
that was clever and good, and her aunt as having
the sweetest of all sweet tempers. He had a great
attachment to Mansfield himself, he said, so he looked forward
with hope of spending much, very much of his time there,
always there or in the neighborhood. He particularly built upon
(12:34):
a very happy summer and autumn there this year he
felt that it would be so. He depended upon it
as summer and autumn infinitely superior to the last, as animated,
as diversified, as social, but with circumstances of superiority indescribable. Mansfield, Southerton,
Thornton Lacy. He continued, what a society will be comprised
(12:55):
in those houses, and at Michaelmas. Perhaps a fourth may
be added, some small hunting box in the vicinity of everything.
So dear for as to any partnership in Thornton Lacy,
as Edmund Bertram once good humoredly proposed, I hope I
foresee two objections, two fair, excellent, irresistible objections to that plan.
Fanny was doubly silenced here, though when the moment was passed,
(13:17):
could regret that she had not forced herself into the
acknowledged comprehension of one half of his meaning, and encouraged
him to say something more of his sister and Edmund.
It was a subject which she must learn to speak of,
and the weakness that shrunk from it would soon be
quite unpardonable. When mister Price and his friend had seen
all that they wished or had time for, the others
(13:38):
were ready to return, and in the course of their
walk back, mister Crawford contrived a minute's privacy for telling
Fanny that his only business im Portsmouth was to see her,
that he was come down for a couple of days
on her account and hers only, and because he could
not endure a longer total separation. She was sorry, really sorry.
And yet in spite of this and the two or
(14:00):
three other things which she wished he had not said,
she thought him altogether improved since she had seen him.
He was much more gentle, obliging, and attentive to other
people's feelings than he had ever been at Mansfield. She
had never seen him so agreeable, so near being agreeable.
His behavior to her father could not offend, and there
was something particularly kind and proper in the notice he
(14:22):
took of Susan. He was decidedly improved, she wished the
next day over. She wished he had come only for
one day, but it was not so very bad as
she would have expected. The pleasure of talking of Mansfield
was so very great. Before they parted, she had to
thank him for another pleasure, and one of no trivial kind.
Her father asked him to do them the honor of
(14:43):
taking his mutton with them, and Fanny had time for
only one thrill of horror before he declared himself prevented
by a prior engagement. He was engaged to dinner already,
both for that day and the next. He had met
with some acquaintance at the Crown, who would not be denied.
He should have the honor, however, of waiting on them
again on the morrow, et cetera. And so they parted,
(15:04):
Fanny in a state of actual felicity from escaping so
horrible and evil to have had him join their family
dinner party and see all their deficiencies would have been dreadful.
Rebecca's cookery and Rebecca's waiting, and Betsy's eating at table
without restraint and pulling everything about as she chose, were
what Fanny herself was not yet enough inured to for
(15:25):
her often to make a tolerable meal. She was nice
only from natural delicacy. But he had been brought up
in a school of luxury and epicurism. End of chapter
forty one
Chapter forty one, a week was gone since Edmond might
be supposed in town, and Fanny had heard nothing of him.
There were three different conclusions to be drawn from his silence,
between which her mind was in fluctuation, each of them
at times being held the most probable. Either his going
had been again delayed, or he had yet procured no
(00:21):
opportunity of seeing miss Crawford alone, or he was too
happy for letter writing. One morning about this time, Fanny
having now been nearly four weeks from Mansfield, a point
which she never failed to think over and calculate every day.
As she and Susan were preparing to remove as usual upstairs,
they were stopped by the knock of a visitor whom
(00:42):
they felt they could not avoid from Rebecca's alertness in
going to the door, a duty which always interested her
beyond any other. It was a gentleman's voice. It was
a voice that Fanny was just turning pale about when
mister Crawford walked into the room. Good sense like hers
will always act when really called upon, and she found
that she had been able to name him to her mother,
(01:04):
and recall her remembrance of the name as that of
William's friend, though she could not previously have believed herself
capable of uttering a syllable at such a moment, the
consciousness of his being known there only as William's friend
was some support. Having introduced him, however, and being all
re seated, the terrors that occurred of what this visit
(01:24):
might lead to were overpowering, and she fancied herself on
the point of fainting away while trying to keep herself alive.
Their visitor, who had at first approached her with as
animated a countenance as ever, was wisely and kindly, keeping
his eyes away and giving her time to recover while
he devoted himself entirely to her mother, addressing her and
(01:45):
attending her with the utmost politeness and propriety, at the
same time with the degree of friendliness of interest, at least,
which was making his manner perfect. Missus Price's manners were
also at their best, warmed by the sight of such
a friend to her son, and regulated by the wish
of appearing to advantage before him. She was overflowing with gratitude,
artless maternal gratitude which could not be unpleasing. Mister Price
(02:09):
was out which she regretted very much. Fanny was just
recovered enough to feel that she could not regret it.
For to her many other sources of uneasiness was added
the severe one of shame for the home in which
she found her. She might scold herself for the weakness,
but there was no scolding it away. She was ashamed,
and she should have been yet more ashamed of her
father than of all the rest. They talked of William,
(02:33):
a subject on which missus Price could never tire, and
mister Crawford was as warm in his commendation as even
her heart could wish. She felt that she had never
seen so agreeable a man in her life, and was
only astonished to find that so great and so agreeable
as he was, he should be come down to Portsmouth,
neither on a visit to the port Admiral nor the Commissioner,
(02:53):
nor yet with the intention of going over to the island,
nor of seeing the dockyard. Nothing of all that she
had been used to think of as the proof of
importance or the employment of wealth had brought him to Portsmouth.
He had reached it late the night before, was come
for a day or two, was staying at the Crown,
had accidentally met with a navy officer or two of
his acquaintance since his arrival, but had no object of
(03:15):
that kind in coming. By the time he had given
all this information, it was not unreasonable to suppose that
Fanny might be looked at and spoken to, and she
was tolerably able to bear his eye. And here that
he had spent half an hour with his sister the
evening before his leaving London, that she had sent her
best and kindest love, but had had no time for writing.
(03:36):
That he thought himself lucky in seeing Mary for even
half an hour, having spent scarcely twenty four hours in
London after his return from Norfolk, before he set off again,
that her cousin Edmund was in town, had been in town.
He understood a few days that he had not seen
him himself, but that he was well, had left them
all well at Mansfield, and was to dine as yesterday.
(03:56):
With the phrases, Fanny listened collectedly even to the last
mentioned circumstance. Nay, it seemed a relief to her worn
mind to be at any certainty, and the words then,
by this time it is all settled, passed internally without
more evidence of emotion than a faint blush. After talking
a little more about Mansfield, a subject in which her
(04:17):
interest was most apparent, Crawford began to hint at the
expediency of an early walk. It was a lovely morning,
and at that season of the year, a fine morning
so often turned off that it was wisest for everybody
not to delay their exercise. And such hints producing nothing,
he soon proceeded to a positive recommendation to missus Price
and her daughters to take their walk without loss of time.
(04:40):
Now they came to an understanding. Missus Price, it appeared
scarcely ever stirred out of doors except of a Sunday.
She owned she could seldom, with her large family, find
time for a walk. Would she not then persuade her
daughters to take advantage of such weather and allow him
the pleasure of attending them. Missus Price was greatly obliged
and very complying. Her daughters were very much confined. Portsmouth
(05:03):
was a sad place. They did not often get out,
and she knew they had some errands in the town
which they would be very glad to do. And the
consequence was that Fanny strange, as it was strange, awkward,
and distressing, found herself and Susan within ten minutes walking
towards the high Street with mister Crawford. It was soon
pain upon pain, confusion upon confusion, for they were hardly
(05:26):
in the high Street before they met her father, whose
appearance was not the better from its being Saturday. He stopped, and,
ungentlemanlike as he looked, Fanny was obliged to introduce him
to mister Crawford. She could not have a doubt of
the manner in which mister Crawford must be struck. He
must be ashamed and disgusted altogether. He must soon give
her up and cease to have the smallest inclination for
(05:48):
the match. And yet though she had been so much
wanting his affection to be cured, this was a sort
of cure that would be almost as bad as the complaint.
And I believe there is scarcely a young lady in
the uniitsighted kingdoms who would not rather put up with
the misfortune of being sought by a clever, agreeable man
than have him driven away by the vulgarity of her
(06:08):
nearest relations. Mister Crawford probably could not regard his future
father in law with any idea of taking him for
a model in dress. But as Fanny instantly, and to
her great relief, discerned, her father was a very different man,
a very different mister Price in his behavior to this
most highly respected stranger from what he was in his
own family at home. His manners, now, though not polished,
(06:31):
were more than passable. They were grateful, animated, manly. His
expressions were those of an attached father and a sensible man.
His loud tones did very well in the open air,
and there was not a single oath to be heard.
Such was his instinctive compliment to the good manners of
mister Crawford, And be the consequence what it might, Fanny's
immediate feelings were infinitely soothed. The conclusion of the two
(06:55):
gentlemen's civilities was an offer of mister Price's to take
mister Crawford into the dock use, which mister Crawford desirous
of accepting as a favor what was intended as such,
though he had seen the dock yard again and again,
and hoping to be so much the longer with Fanny,
was very gratefully disposed to avail himself of if the
mis prices were not afraid of the fatigue. And as
(07:15):
it was, somehow or other ascertained or inferred, or at
least acted upon, that they were not at all afraid
to the dock yard, they were all to go, and
but for mister Crawford, mister Price would have turned thither
directly without the smallest consideration for his daughter's errands in
the high street. He took care, however, that they should
be allowed to go to the shops. They came out
expressly to visit, and it did not delay them long,
(07:38):
for Fanny could so little bear to excite impatience, or
be waited for that before the gentlemen, as they stood
at the door, could do more than begin upon the
last naval regulations or settle the number of three decas
now in commission. Their companions were ready to proceed. They
were then to set forward for the dock yard at once,
and the walk would have been conducted according to mister
(07:58):
Crawford's opinion in a singular manner, had mister Price been
allowed the entire regulation of it, as the two girls
he found would have been left to follow and keep
up with them, or not, as they could while they
walked on together at their own hasty pace. He was
able to introduce some improvement occasionally, though by no means
to the extent he wished. He absolutely would not walk
(08:19):
away from them, and at any crossing or any crowd,
when mister Price was only calling out, come girls, come fan,
come sue, take care of yourselves, keep a sharp lookout,
he would give them his particular attendants. Once fairly in
the dock yard he began to reckon upon some happy
intercourse with Fanny, as they were very soon joined by
a brother lounger of mister Price's, who was come to
(08:40):
take his daily survey of how things went on, and
who must prove a far more worthy companion than himself.
And after a time the two officers seemed very well
satisfied in going about together and discussing matters of equal
and never failing interest. While the young people sat down
upon some timbers in the yard, or found a seat
on board a vessel in the store, which they all
(09:01):
went to look at. Fanny was most conveniently in want
of rest. Crawford could not have wished her more fatigued
or more ready to sit down, but he could have
wished her sister away. A quick looking girl of Susan's
age was the very worst third in the world, totally
different from Lady Bertram all eyes and ears, and there
was no introducing the main point before her. He must
(09:23):
content himself with being only generally agreeable and letting Susan
have her share of entertainment, with the indulgence now and
then of a look or hint for the better informed
and conscious Fanny. Norfolk was what he had mostly to
talk of. There he had been some time, and everything
there was rising in importance from his present schemes. Such
(09:43):
a man could come from no place, no society, without
importing something to amuse. His journeys and his acquaintance were
all of use, and Susan was entertained in a way
quite new to her. For Fanny, something more was related
than the accidental agreeableness of the parties he had been
in for her approbation. The particular reason of his going
(10:03):
into Norfolk at all at this unusual time of year
was given it had been real business, relative to the
renewal of a lease in which the welfare of a
large and he believed industrious family was at stake. He
had suspected his agent of some underhand dealing of meaning
to bias him against the deserving, and he had determined
to go himself and thoroughly investigate the merits of the case.
(10:27):
He had gone, had done even more good than he
had foreseen, had been useful to more than his first
plan had comprehended, and was now able to congratulate himself
upon it, and to feel that in performing a duty
he had secured agreeable recollections for his own mind. He
had introduced himself to some tenants whom he had never
seen before, had begun making acquaintance with cottages whose very existence,
(10:49):
though on his own estate, had been hitherto unknown to him.
This was aimed, and well aimed at Fanny. It was
pleasing to hear him speak so properly. Here he had
been acting as he ought to do, to be the
friend of the poor and oppressed. Nothing could be more
grateful to her, and she was on the point of
giving him an approving look, when it was all frightened
(11:10):
off by his adding as something too pointed of his
hoping soon to have an assistant, a friend, a guide
in every plan of utility or charity for Everingham, as
somebody that would make Everingham and all about it a
dearer object than it had ever been. Yet she turned
away and wished he would not say such things. She
was willing to allow he might have more good qualities
(11:31):
than she had been wont to suppose. She began to
feel the possibility of his turning out well at last.
But he was and must ever be, completely unsuited to her,
and ought not to think of her. He perceived that
enough had been said of Everingham, and that it would
be as well to talk of something else and turn
to Mansfield. He could not have chosen better. That was
(11:51):
a topic to bring back her attention and her looks
almost instantly. It was a real indulgence to her to
hear or to speak of Mansfield, now so long divided
from everybody who knew the place. She felt it quite
the voice of a friend when he mentioned it, and
led the way to her. Fond exclamations in praise of
its beauties and comforts, and by his honorable tribute to
(12:12):
its inhabitants, allowed her to gratify her own heart in
the warmest eulogium. In speaking of her uncle as all
that was clever and good, and her aunt as having
the sweetest of all sweet tempers. He had a great
attachment to Mansfield himself, he said, so he looked forward
with hope of spending much, very much of his time there,
always there or in the neighborhood. He particularly built upon
(12:34):
a very happy summer and autumn there this year he
felt that it would be so. He depended upon it
as summer and autumn infinitely superior to the last, as animated,
as diversified, as social, but with circumstances of superiority indescribable. Mansfield, Southerton,
Thornton Lacy. He continued, what a society will be comprised
(12:55):
in those houses, and at Michaelmas. Perhaps a fourth may
be added, some small hunting box in the vicinity of everything.
So dear for as to any partnership in Thornton Lacy,
as Edmund Bertram once good humoredly proposed, I hope I
foresee two objections, two fair, excellent, irresistible objections to that plan.
Fanny was doubly silenced here, though when the moment was passed,
(13:17):
could regret that she had not forced herself into the
acknowledged comprehension of one half of his meaning, and encouraged
him to say something more of his sister and Edmund.
It was a subject which she must learn to speak of,
and the weakness that shrunk from it would soon be
quite unpardonable. When mister Price and his friend had seen
all that they wished or had time for, the others
(13:38):
were ready to return, and in the course of their
walk back, mister Crawford contrived a minute's privacy for telling
Fanny that his only business im Portsmouth was to see her,
that he was come down for a couple of days
on her account and hers only, and because he could
not endure a longer total separation. She was sorry, really sorry.
And yet in spite of this and the two or
(14:00):
three other things which she wished he had not said,
she thought him altogether improved since she had seen him.
He was much more gentle, obliging, and attentive to other
people's feelings than he had ever been at Mansfield. She
had never seen him so agreeable, so near being agreeable.
His behavior to her father could not offend, and there
was something particularly kind and proper in the notice he
(14:22):
took of Susan. He was decidedly improved, she wished the
next day over. She wished he had come only for
one day, but it was not so very bad as
she would have expected. The pleasure of talking of Mansfield
was so very great. Before they parted, she had to
thank him for another pleasure, and one of no trivial kind.
Her father asked him to do them the honor of
(14:43):
taking his mutton with them, and Fanny had time for
only one thrill of horror before he declared himself prevented
by a prior engagement. He was engaged to dinner already,
both for that day and the next. He had met
with some acquaintance at the Crown, who would not be denied.
He should have the honor, however, of waiting on them
again on the morrow, et cetera. And so they parted,
(15:04):
Fanny in a state of actual felicity from escaping so
horrible and evil to have had him join their family
dinner party and see all their deficiencies would have been dreadful.
Rebecca's cookery and Rebecca's waiting, and Betsy's eating at table
without restraint and pulling everything about as she chose, were
what Fanny herself was not yet enough inured to for
(15:25):
her often to make a tolerable meal. She was nice
only from natural delicacy. But he had been brought up
in a school of luxury and epicurism. End of chapter
forty one
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