第9章

“Why，astothat，Mr。Rushworthisaverygoodsortofyoungman，anditisagreatmatchforher。“

“ButMissBertramdoesnotcarethreestrawsforhim；

_that_isyouropinionofyourintimatefriend。_I_donotsubscribetoit。IamsureMissBertramisverymuchattachedtoMr。Rushworth。Icouldseeitinhereyes，whenhewasmentioned。IthinktoowellofMissBertramtosupposeshewouldevergiveherhandwithoutherheart。“

“Mary，howshallwemanagehim？“

“Wemustleavehimtohimself，Ibelieve。Talkingdoesnogood。Hewillbetakeninatlast。“

“ButIwouldnothavehim_taken__in_；Iwouldnothavehimduped；Iwouldhaveitallfairandhonourable。“

“Ohdear!lethimstandhischanceandbetakenin。

Itwilldojustaswell。Everybodyistakeninatsomeperiodorother。“

“Notalwaysinmarriage，dearMary。“

“Inmarriageespecially。Withallduerespecttosuchofthepresentcompanyaschancetobemarried，mydearMrs。Grant，thereisnotoneinahundredofeithersexwhoisnottakeninwhentheymarry。LookwhereIwill，Iseethatit_is_so；andIfeelthatit_must_beso，whenIconsiderthatitis，ofalltransactions，theoneinwhichpeopleexpectmostfromothers，andareleasthonestthemselves。“

“Ah!Youhavebeeninabadschoolformatrimony，inHillStreet。“

“Mypooraunthadcertainlylittlecausetolovethestate；but，however，speakingfrommyownobservation，itisamanoeuvringbusiness。Iknowsomanywhohavemarriedinthefullexpectationandconfidenceofsomeoneparticularadvantageintheconnexion，oraccomplishment，orgoodqualityintheperson，whohavefoundthemselvesentirelydeceived，andbeenobligedtoputupwithexactlythereverse。Whatisthisbutatakein？“

“Mydearchild，theremustbealittleimaginationhere。

Ibegyourpardon，butIcannotquitebelieveyou。

Dependuponit，youseebuthalf。Youseetheevil，butyoudonotseetheconsolation。Therewillbelittlerubsanddisappointmentseverywhere，andweareallapttoexpecttoomuch；butthen，ifoneschemeofhappinessfails，humannatureturnstoanother；

ifthefirstcalculationiswrong，wemakeasecondbetter：

wefindcomfortsomewhere——andthoseevil-mindedobservers，dearestMary，whomakemuchofalittle，aremoretakeninanddeceivedthanthepartiesthemselves。“

“Welldone，sister!Ihonouryour_esprit__du__corps_。

WhenIamawife，Imeantobejustasstaunchmyself；

andIwishmyfriendsingeneralwouldbesotoo。Itwouldsavememanyaheartache。“

“Youareasbadasyourbrother，Mary；butwewillcureyouboth。Mansfieldshallcureyouboth，andwithoutanytakingin。Staywithus，andwewillcureyou。“

TheCrawfords，withoutwantingtobecured，wereverywillingtostay。MarywassatisfiedwiththeParsonageasapresenthome，andHenryequallyreadytolengthenhisvisit。Hehadcome，intendingtospendonlyafewdayswiththem；butMansfieldpromisedwell，andtherewasnothingtocallhimelsewhere。ItdelightedMrs。Granttokeepthembothwithher，andDr。Grantwasexceedinglywellcontentedtohaveitso：atalkingprettyyoungwomanlikeMissCrawfordisalwayspleasantsocietytoanindolent，stay-at-homeman；andMr。Crawford’sbeinghisguestwasanexcusefordrinkingclareteveryday。

TheMissBertrams’admirationofMr。CrawfordwasmorerapturousthananythingwhichMissCrawford’shabitsmadeherlikelytofeel。Sheacknowledged，however，thattheMr。Bertramswereveryfineyoungmen，thattwosuchyoungmenwerenotoftenseentogethereveninLondon，andthattheirmanners，particularlythoseoftheeldest，wereverygood。_He_hadbeenmuchinLondon，andhadmorelivelinessandgallantrythanEdmund，andmust，therefore，bepreferred；and，indeed，hisbeingtheeldestwasanotherstrongclaim。Shehadfeltanearlypresentimentthatshe_should_liketheeldestbest。

Sheknewitwasherway。

TomBertrammusthavebeenthoughtpleasant，indeed，atanyrate；

hewasthesortofyoungmantobegenerallyliked，hisagreeablenesswasofthekindtobeoftenerfoundagreeablethansomeendowmentsofahigherstamp，forhehadeasymanners，excellentspirits，alargeacquaintance，andagreatdealtosay；andthereversionofMansfieldPark，andabaronetcy，didnoharmtoallthis。MissCrawfordsoonfeltthatheandhissituationmightdo。Shelookedaboutherwithdueconsideration，andfoundalmosteverythinginhisfavour：apark，arealpark，fivemilesround，aspaciousmodern-builthouse，sowellplacedandwellscreenedastodeservetobeinanycollectionofengravingsofgentlemen’sseatsinthekingdom，andwantingonlytobecompletelynewfurnished——pleasantsisters，aquietmother，andanagreeablemanhimself——withtheadvantageofbeingtiedupfrommuchgamingatpresentbyapromisetohisfather，andofbeingSirThomashereafter。

Itmightdoverywell；shebelievedsheshouldaccepthim；

andshebeganaccordinglytointerestherselfalittleaboutthehorsewhichhehadtorunattheB——races。

Theseracesweretocallhimawaynotlongaftertheiracquaintancebegan；andasitappearedthatthefamilydidnot，fromhisusualgoingson，expecthimbackagainformanyweeks，itwouldbringhispassiontoanearlyproof。Muchwassaidonhissidetoinducehertoattendtheraces，andschemesweremadeforalargepartytothem，withalltheeagernessofinclination，butitwouldonlydotobetalkedof。

AndFanny，whatwas_she_doingandthinkingallthiswhile？andwhatwas_her_opinionofthenewcomers？

FewyoungladiesofeighteencouldbelesscalledontospeaktheiropinionthanFanny。Inaquietway，verylittleattendedto，shepaidhertributeofadmirationtoMissCrawford’sbeauty；butasshestillcontinuedtothinkMr。Crawfordveryplain，inspiteofhertwocousinshavingrepeatedlyprovedthecontrary，shenevermentioned_him_。Thenotice，whichsheexcitedherself，wastothiseffect。“Ibeginnowtounderstandyouall，exceptMissPrice，“saidMissCrawford，asshewaswalkingwiththeMr。Bertrams。“Pray，issheout，orisshenot？Iampuzzled。ShedinedattheParsonage，withtherestofyou，whichseemedlikebeing_out_；

andyetshesayssolittle，thatIcanhardlysupposeshe_is_。“

Edmund，towhomthiswaschieflyaddressed，replied，“IbelieveIknowwhatyoumean，butIwillnotundertaketoanswerthequestion。Mycousinisgrownup。Shehastheageandsenseofawoman，buttheoutsandnotoutsarebeyondme。“

“Andyet，ingeneral，nothingcanbemoreeasilyascertained。

Thedistinctionissobroad。Mannersaswellasappearanceare，generallyspeaking，sototallydifferent。

Tillnow，Icouldnothavesupposeditpossibletobemistakenastoagirl’sbeingoutornot。Agirlnotouthasalwaysthesamesortofdress：aclosebonnet，forinstance；looksverydemure，andneversaysaword。

Youmaysmile，butitisso，Iassureyou；andexceptthatitissometimescarriedalittletoofar，itisallveryproper。Girlsshouldbequietandmodest。

Themostobjectionablepartis，thatthealterationofmannersonbeingintroducedintocompanyisfrequentlytoosudden。Theysometimespassinsuchverylittletimefromreservetoquitetheopposite——toconfidence!

_That_isthefaultypartofthepresentsystem。

Onedoesnotliketoseeagirlofeighteenornineteensoimmediatelyuptoeverything——andperhapswhenonehasseenherhardlyabletospeaktheyearbefore。

Mr。Bertram，Idaresay_you_havesometimesmetwithsuchchanges。“

“IbelieveIhave，butthisishardlyfair；Iseewhatyouareat。YouarequizzingmeandMissAnderson。“

“No，indeed。MissAnderson!Idonotknowwhoorwhatyoumean。Iamquiteinthedark。ButI_will_quizyouwithagreatdealofpleasure，ifyouwilltellmewhatabout。“

“Ah!youcarryitoffverywell，butIcannotbequitesofarimposedon。YoumusthavehadMissAndersoninyoureye，indescribinganalteredyounglady。

Youpainttooaccuratelyformistake。Itwasexactlyso。

TheAndersonsofBakerStreet。Wewerespeakingofthemtheotherday，youknow。Edmund，youhaveheardmementionCharlesAnderson。Thecircumstancewaspreciselyasthisladyhasrepresentedit。WhenAndersonfirstintroducedmetohisfamily，abouttwoyearsago，hissisterwasnot_out_，andIcouldnotgethertospeaktome。

IsatthereanhouronemorningwaitingforAnderson，withonlyherandalittlegirlortwointheroom，thegovernessbeingsickorrunaway，andthemotherinandouteverymomentwithlettersofbusiness，andI

couldhardlygetawordoralookfromtheyounglady——

nothinglikeacivilanswer——shescreweduphermouth，andturnedfrommewithsuchanair!Ididnotseeheragainforatwelvemonth。Shewasthen_out_。

ImetheratMrs。Holford’s，anddidnotrecollecther。

Shecameuptome，claimedmeasanacquaintance，staredmeoutofcountenance；andtalkedandlaughedtillIdidnotknowwhichwaytolook。IfeltthatImustbethejestoftheroomatthetime，andMissCrawford，itisplain，hasheardthestory。“

“Andaveryprettystoryitis，andwithmoretruthinit，Idaresay，thandoescredittoMissAnderson。

Itistoocommonafault。Motherscertainlyhavenotyetgotquitetherightwayofmanagingtheirdaughters。

Idonotknowwheretheerrorlies。Idonotpretendtosetpeopleright，butIdoseethattheyareoftenwrong。“

“Thosewhoareshowingtheworldwhatfemalemanners_should_be，“saidMr。Bertramgallantly，“aredoingagreatdealtosetthemright。“