第13章

improprietyinmakingthempublic。“

“Donotyouthink，“saidFanny，afteralittleconsideration，“thatthisimproprietyisareflectionitselfuponMrs。Crawford，asherniecehasbeenentirelybroughtupbyher？ShecannothavegivenherrightnotionsofwhatwasduetotheAdmiral。“

“Thatisafairremark。Yes，wemustsupposethefaultsoftheniecetohavebeenthoseoftheaunt；anditmakesonemoresensibleofthedisadvantagesshehasbeenunder。

ButIthinkherpresenthomemustdohergood。

Mrs。Grant’smannersarejustwhattheyoughttobe。

Shespeaksofherbrotherwithaverypleasingaffection。“

“Yes，exceptastohiswritinghersuchshortletters。

Shemademealmostlaugh；butIcannotratesoveryhighlytheloveorgood-natureofabrotherwhowillnotgivehimselfthetroubleofwritinganythingworthreadingtohissisters，whentheyareseparated。IamsureWilliamwouldneverhaveused_me_so，underanycircumstances。

Andwhatrighthadshetosupposethat_you_wouldnotwritelongletterswhenyouwereabsent？“

“Therightofalivelymind，Fanny，seizingwhatevermaycontributetoitsownamusementorthatofothers；

perfectlyallowable，whenuntincturedbyill-humourorroughness；andthereisnotashadowofeitherinthecountenanceormannerofMissCrawford：nothingsharp，orloud，orcoarse。Sheisperfectlyfeminine，exceptmtheinstanceswehavebeenspeakingof。Thereshecannotbejustified。IamgladyousawitallasIdid。“

Havingformedhermindandgainedheraffections，hehadagoodchanceofherthinkinglikehim；thoughatthisperiod，andonthissubject，therebegannowtobesomedangerofdissimilarity，forhewasinalineofadmirationofMissCrawford，whichmightleadhimwhereFannycouldnotfollow。MissCrawford’sattractionsdidnotlessen。

Theharparrived，andratheraddedtoherbeauty，wit，andgood-humour；forsheplayedwiththegreatestobligingness，withanexpressionandtastewhichwerepeculiarlybecoming，andtherewassomethingclevertobesaidatthecloseofeveryair。EdmundwasattheParsonageeveryday，tobeindulgedwithhisfavouriteinstrument：

onemorningsecuredaninvitationforthenext；

fortheladycouldnotbeunwillingtohavealistener，andeverythingwassooninafairtrain。

Ayoungwoman，pretty，lively，withaharpaselegantasherself，andbothplacednearawindow，cutdowntotheground，andopeningonalittlelawn，surroundedbyshrubsintherichfoliageofsummer，wasenoughtocatchanyman’sheart。Theseason，thescene，theair，wereallfavourabletotendernessandsentiment。

Mrs。Grantandhertambourframewerenotwithouttheiruse：

itwasallinharmony；andaseverythingwillturntoaccountwhenloveisoncesetgoing，eventhesandwichtray，andDr。Grantdoingthehonoursofit，wereworthlookingat。

Withoutstudyingthebusiness，however，orknowingwhathewasabout，Edmundwasbeginning，attheendofaweekofsuchintercourse，tobeagooddealinlove；

andtothecreditoftheladyitmaybeaddedthat，withouthisbeingamanoftheworldoranelderbrother，withoutanyoftheartsofflatteryorthegaietiesofsmalltalk，hebegantobeagreeabletoher。Shefeltittobeso，thoughshehadnotforeseen，andcouldhardlyunderstandit；forhewasnotpleasantbyanycommonrule：

hetalkednononsense；hepaidnocompliments；hisopinionswereunbending，hisattentionstranquilandsimple。

Therewasacharm，perhaps，inhissincerity，hissteadiness，hisintegrity，whichMissCrawfordmightbeequaltofeel，thoughnotequaltodiscusswithherself。

Shedidnotthinkverymuchaboutit，however：hepleasedherforthepresent；shelikedtohavehimnearher；

itwasenough。

FannycouldnotwonderthatEdmundwasattheParsonageeverymorning；shewouldgladlyhavebeentheretoo，mightshehavegoneinuninvitedandunnoticed，toheartheharp；neithercouldshewonderthat，whentheeveningstrollwasover，andthetwofamiliespartedagain，heshouldthinkitrighttoattendMrs。Grantandhersistertotheirhome，whileMr。CrawfordwasdevotedtotheladiesofthePark；butshethoughtitaverybadexchange；andifEdmundwerenottheretomixthewineandwaterforher，wouldrathergowithoutitthannot。

ShewasalittlesurprisedthathecouldspendsomanyhourswithMissCrawford，andnotseemoreofthesortoffaultwhichhehadalreadyobserved，andofwhich_she_

wasalmostalwaysremindedbyasomethingofthesamenaturewhenevershewasinhercompany；butsoitwas。

EdmundwasfondofspeakingtoherofMissCrawford，butheseemedtothinkitenoughthattheAdmiralhadsincebeenspared；andshescrupledtopointoutherownremarkstohim，lestitshouldappearlikeill-nature。

ThefirstactualpainwhichMissCrawfordoccasionedherwastheconsequenceofaninclinationtolearntoride，whichtheformercaught，soonafterherbeingsettledatMansfield，fromtheexampleoftheyoungladiesatthePark，andwhich，whenEdmund’sacquaintancewithherincreased，ledtohisencouragingthewish，andtheofferofhisownquietmareforthepurposeofherfirstattempts，asthebestfittedforabeginnerthateitherstablecouldfurnish。

Nopain，noinjury，however，wasdesignedbyhimtohiscousininthisoffer：_she_wasnottoloseaday’sexercisebyit。ThemarewasonlytobetakendowntotheParsonagehalfanhourbeforeherrideweretobegin；andFanny，onitsbeingfirstproposed，sofarfromfeelingslighted，wasalmostover-poweredwithgratitudethatheshouldbeaskingherleaveforit。

MissCrawfordmadeherfirstessaywithgreatcredittoherself，andnoinconveniencetoFanny。Edmund，whohadtakendownthemareandpresidedatthewhole，returnedwithitinexcellenttime，beforeeitherFannyorthesteadyoldcoachman，whoalwaysattendedherwhensherodewithouthercousins，werereadytosetforward。

Thesecondday’strialwasnotsoguiltless。MissCrawford’senjoymentofridingwassuchthatshedidnotknowhowtoleaveoff。Activeandfearless，andthoughrathersmall，stronglymade，sheseemedformedforahorsewoman；andtothepuregenuinepleasureoftheexercise，somethingwasprobablyaddedinEdmund’sattendanceandinstructions，andsomethingmoreintheconvictionofverymuchsurpassinghersexingeneralbyherearlyprogress，tomakeherunwillingtodismount。Fannywasreadyandwaiting，andMrs。Norriswasbeginningtoscoldherfornotbeinggone，andstillnohorsewasannounced，noEdmundappeared。

Toavoidheraunt，andlookforhim，shewentout。

Thehouses，thoughscarcelyhalfamileapart，werenotwithinsightofeachother；but，bywalkingfiftyyardsfromthehalldoor，shecouldlookdownthepark，andcommandaviewoftheParsonageandallitsdemesnes，gentlyrisingbeyondthevillageroad；andinDr。Grant’smeadowsheimmediatelysawthegroup——EdmundandMissCrawfordbothonhorse-back，ridingsidebyside，Dr。andMrs。Grant，andMr。Crawford，withtwoorthreegrooms，standingaboutandlookingon。Ahappypartyitappearedtoher，allinterestedinoneobject：cheerfulbeyondadoubt，forthesoundofmerrimentascendedeventoher。

Itwasasoundwhichdidnotmake_her_cheerful；

shewonderedthatEdmundshouldforgether，andfeltapang。Shecouldnotturnhereyesfromthemeadow；

shecouldnothelpwatchingallthatpassed。AtfirstMissCrawfordandhercompanionmadethecircuitofthefield，whichwasnotsmall，atafoot’space；then，at_her_

apparentsuggestion，theyroseintoacanter；andtoFanny’stimidnatureitwasmostastonishingtoseehowwellshesat。Afterafewminutestheystoppedentirely。

Edmundwasclosetoher；hewasspeakingtoher；

hewasevidentlydirectinghermanagementofthebridle；

hehadholdofherhand；shesawit，ortheimaginationsuppliedwhattheeyecouldnotreach。Shemustnotwonderatallthis；whatcouldbemorenaturalthanthatEdmundshouldbemakinghimselfuseful，andprovinghisgood-naturebyanyone？Shecouldnotbutthink，indeed，thatMr。Crawfordmightaswellhavesavedhimthetrouble；thatitwouldhavebeenparticularlyproperandbecominginabrothertohavedoneithimself；

butMr。Crawford，withallhisboastedgood-nature，andallhiscoachmanship，probablyknewnothingofthematter，andhadnoactivekindnessincomparisonofEdmund。

Shebegantothinkitratherharduponthemaretohavesuchdoubleduty；ifshewereforgotten，thepoormareshouldberemembered。

Herfeelingsforoneandtheotherweresoonalittletranquillisedbyseeingthepartyinthemeadowdisperse，andMissCrawfordstillonhorseback，butattendedbyEdmundonfoot，passthroughagateintothelane，andsointothepark，andmaketowardsthespotwhereshestood。

Shebeganthentobeafraidofappearingrudeandimpatient；

andwalkedtomeetthemwithagreatanxietytoavoidthesuspicion。