第11章

AfterashortinterruptionMr。Rushworthbeganagain。

“Smith’splaceistheadmirationofallthecountry；

anditwasamerenothingbeforeReptontookitinhand。

IthinkIshallhaveRepton。“

“Mr。Rushworth，“saidLadyBertram，“ifIwereyou，Iwouldhaveaveryprettyshrubbery。Onelikestogetoutintoashrubberyinfineweather。“

Mr。Rushworthwaseagertoassureherladyshipofhisacquiescence，andtriedtomakeoutsomethingcomplimentary；

but，betweenhissubmissionto_her_taste，andhishavingalwaysintendedthesamehimself，withthesuperaddedobjectsofprofessingattentiontothecomfortofladiesingeneral，andofinsinuatingthattherewasoneonlywhomhewasanxioustoplease，hegrewpuzzled，andEdmundwasgladtoputanendtohisspeechbyaproposalofwine。

Mr。Rushworth，however，thoughnotusuallyagreattalker，hadstillmoretosayonthesubjectnexthisheart。

“Smithhasnotmuchaboveahundredacresaltogetherinhisgrounds，whichislittleenough，andmakesitmoresurprisingthattheplacecanhavebeensoimproved。

Now，atSothertonwehaveagoodsevenhundred，withoutreckoningthewatermeadows；sothatIthink，ifsomuchcouldbedoneatCompton，weneednotdespair。

Therehavebeentwoorthreefineoldtreescutdown，thatgrewtoonearthehouse，anditopenstheprospectamazingly，whichmakesmethinkthatRepton，oranybodyofthatsort，wouldcertainlyhavetheavenueatSothertondown：theavenuethatleadsfromthewestfronttothetopofthehill，youknow，“turningtoMissBertramparticularlyashespoke。

ButMissBertramthoughtitmostbecomingtoreply——

“Theavenue!Oh!Idonotrecollectit。IreallyknowverylittleofSotherton。“

Fanny，whowassittingontheothersideofEdmund，exactlyoppositeMissCrawford，andwhohadbeenattentivelylistening，nowlookedathim，andsaidinalowvoice——

“Cutdownanavenue!Whatapity!DoesitnotmakeyouthinkofCowper？’Yefallenavenues，oncemoreImournyourfateunmerited。’“

Hesmiledasheanswered，“Iamafraidtheavenuestandsabadchance，Fanny。“

“IshouldliketoseeSothertonbeforeitiscutdown，toseetheplaceasitisnow，initsoldstate；butIdonotsupposeIshall。“

“Haveyouneverbeenthere？No，younevercan；

and，unluckily，itisoutofdistanceforaride。

Iwishwecouldcontriveit。“

“Oh!itdoesnotsignify。WheneverIdoseeit，youwilltellmehowithasbeenaltered。“

“Icollect，“saidMissCrawford，“thatSothertonisanoldplace，andaplaceofsomegrandeur。

Inanyparticularstyleofbuilding？“

“ThehousewasbuiltinElizabeth’stime，andisalarge，regular，brickbuilding；heavy，butrespectablelooking，andhasmanygoodrooms。Itisillplaced。Itstandsinoneofthelowestspotsofthepark；inthatrespect，unfavourableforimprovement。Butthewoodsarefine，andthereisastream，which，Idaresay，mightbemadeagooddealof。Mr。Rushworthisquiteright，Ithink，inmeaningtogiveitamoderndress，andIhavenodoubtthatitwillbealldoneextremelywell。“

MissCrawfordlistenedwithsubmission，andsaidtoherself，“Heisawell-bredman；hemakesthebestofit。“

“IdonotwishtoinfluenceMr。Rushworth，“hecontinued；

“but，hadIaplacetonewfashion，Ishouldnotputmyselfintothehandsofanimprover。Iwouldratherhaveaninferiordegreeofbeauty，ofmyownchoice，andacquiredprogressively。Iwouldratherabidebymyownblundersthanbyhis。“

“_You_wouldknowwhatyouwereabout，ofcourse；

butthatwouldnotsuit_me_。Ihavenoeyeoringenuityforsuchmatters，butastheyarebeforeme；

andhadIaplaceofmyowninthecountry，IshouldbemostthankfultoanyMr。Reptonwhowouldundertakeit，andgivemeasmuchbeautyashecouldformymoney；

andIshouldneverlookatittillitwascomplete。“

“Itwouldbedelightfulto_me_toseetheprogressofitall，“saidFanny。

“Ay，youhavebeenbroughtuptoit。Itwasnopartofmyeducation；andtheonlydoseIeverhad，beingadministeredbynotthefirstfavouriteintheworld，hasmademeconsiderimprovements_in__hand_asthegreatestofnuisances。

ThreeyearsagotheAdmiral，myhonoureduncle，boughtacottageatTwickenhamforusalltospendoursummersin；

andmyauntandIwentdowntoitquiteinraptures；

butitbeingexcessivelypretty，itwassoonfoundnecessarytobeimproved，andforthreemonthswewerealldirtandconfusion，withoutagravelwalktostepon，orabenchfitforuse。Iwouldhaveeverythingascompleteaspossibleinthecountry，shrubberiesandflower-gardens，andrusticseatsinnumerable：butitmustallbedonewithoutmycare。Henryisdifferent；helovestobedoing。“

EdmundwassorrytohearMissCrawford，whomhewasmuchdisposedtoadmire，speaksofreelyofheruncle。

Itdidnotsuithissenseofpropriety，andhewassilenced，tillinducedbyfurthersmilesandlivelinesstoputthematterbyforthepresent。

“Mr。Bertram，“saidshe，“Ihavetidingsofmyharpatlast。

IamassuredthatitissafeatNorthampton；andthereithasprobablybeenthesetendays，inspiteofthesolemnassuranceswehavesooftenreceivedtothecontrary。“

Edmundexpressedhispleasureandsurprise。“Thetruthis，thatourinquiriesweretoodirect；wesentaservant，wewentourselves：thiswillnotdoseventymilesfromLondon；

butthismorningweheardofitintherightway。

Itwasseenbysomefarmer，andhetoldthemiller，andthemillertoldthebutcher，andthebutcher’sson-in-lawleftwordattheshop。“

“Iamverygladthatyouhaveheardofit，bywhatevermeans，andhopetherewillbenofurtherdelay。“

“Iamtohaveitto-morrow；buthowdoyouthinkitistobeconveyed？Notbyawagonorcart：ohno!

nothingofthatkindcouldbehiredinthevillage。

Imightaswellhaveaskedforportersandahandbarrow。“

“Youwouldfinditdifficult，Idaresay，justnow，inthemiddleofaverylatehayharvest，tohireahorseandcart？“

“Iwasastonishedtofindwhatapieceofworkwasmadeofit!

Towantahorseandcartinthecountryseemedimpossible，soItoldmymaidtospeakforonedirectly；andasIcannotlookoutofmydressing-closetwithoutseeingonefarmyard，norwalkintheshrubberywithoutpassinganother，Ithoughtitwouldbeonlyaskandhave，andwasrathergrievedthatIcouldnotgivetheadvantagetoall。

Guessmysurprise，whenIfoundthatIhadbeenaskingthemostunreasonable，mostimpossiblethingintheworld；

hadoffendedallthefarmers，allthelabourers，allthehayintheparish!AsforDr。Grant’sbailiff，IbelieveIhadbetterkeepoutof_his_way；andmybrother-in-lawhimself，whoisallkindnessingeneral，lookedratherblackuponmewhenhefoundwhatIhadbeenat。“

“Youcouldnotbeexpectedtohavethoughtonthesubjectbefore；

butwhenyou_do_thinkofit，youmustseetheimportanceofgettinginthegrass。Thehireofacartatanytimemightnotbesoeasyasyousuppose：ourfarmersarenotinthehabitoflettingthemout；but，inharvest，itmustbequiteoutoftheirpowertospareahorse。“

“Ishallunderstandallyourwaysintime；but，comingdownwiththetrueLondonmaxim，thateverythingistobegotwithmoney，Iwasalittleembarrassedatfirstbythesturdyindependenceofyourcountrycustoms。

However，Iamtohavemyharpfetchedto-morrow。Henry，whoisgood-natureitself，hasofferedtofetchitinhisbarouche。Willitnotbehonourablyconveyed？“

Edmundspokeoftheharpashisfavouriteinstrument，andhopedtobesoonallowedtohearher。Fannyhadneverheardtheharpatall，andwishedforitverymuch。

“Ishallbemosthappytoplaytoyouboth，“saidMissCrawford；“atleastaslongasyoucanliketolisten：

probablymuchlonger，forIdearlylovemusicmyself，andwherethenaturaltasteisequaltheplayermustalwaysbebestoff，forsheisgratifiedinmorewaysthanone。Now，Mr。Bertram，ifyouwritetoyourbrother，Ientreatyoutotellhimthatmyharpiscome：