第14章

“MydearMissPrice，“saidMissCrawford，assoonasshewasatallwithinhearing，“Iamcometomakemyownapologiesforkeepingyouwaiting；butIhavenothingintheworldtosayformyself——Iknewitwasverylate，andthatIwasbehavingextremelyill；andtherefore，ifyouplease，youmustforgiveme。Selfishnessmustalwaysbeforgiven，youknow，becausethereisnohopeofacure。“

Fanny’sanswerwasextremelycivil，andEdmundaddedhisconvictionthatshecouldbeinnohurry。“Forthereismorethantimeenoughformycousintoridetwiceasfarassheevergoes，“saidhe，“andyouhavebeenpromotinghercomfortbypreventingherfromsettingoffhalfanhoursooner：cloudsarenowcomingup，andshewillnotsufferfromtheheatasshewouldhavedonethen。

Iwish_you_maynotbefatiguedbysomuchexercise。

Iwishyouhadsavedyourselfthiswalkhome。“

“Nopartofitfatiguesmebutgettingoffthishorse，Iassureyou，“saidshe，asshesprangdownwithhishelp；

“Iamverystrong。NothingeverfatiguesmebutdoingwhatIdonotlike。MissPrice，Igivewaytoyouwithaverybadgrace；butIsincerelyhopeyouwillhaveapleasantride，andthatImayhavenothingbutgoodtohearofthisdear，delightful，beautifulanimal。“

Theoldcoachman，whohadbeenwaitingaboutwithhisownhorse，nowjoiningthem，Fannywasliftedonhers，andtheysetoffacrossanotherpartofthepark；

herfeelingsofdiscomfortnotlightenedbyseeing，asshelookedback，thattheotherswerewalkingdownthehilltogethertothevillage；nordidherattendantdohermuchgoodbyhiscommentsonMissCrawford’sgreatclevernessasahorse-woman，whichhehadbeenwatchingwithaninterestalmostequaltoherown。

“Itisapleasuretoseealadywithsuchagoodheartforriding!“saidhe。“Ineverseeonesitahorsebetter。

Shedidnotseemtohaveathoughtoffear。Verydifferentfromyou，miss，whenyoufirstbegan，sixyearsagocomenextEaster。Lordblessyou!howyoudidtremblewhenSirThomasfirsthadyouputon!“

Inthedrawing-roomMissCrawfordwasalsocelebrated。

HermeritinbeinggiftedbyNaturewithstrengthandcouragewasfullyappreciatedbytheMissBertrams；

herdelightinridingwasliketheirown；herearlyexcellenceinitwasliketheirown，andtheyhadgreatpleasureinpraisingit。

“Iwassureshewouldridewell，“saidJulia；“shehasthemakeforit。Herfigureisasneatasherbrother’s。“

“Yes，“addedMaria，“andherspiritsareasgood，andshehasthesameenergyofcharacter。Icannotbutthinkthatgoodhorsemanshiphasagreatdealtodowiththemind。“

WhentheypartedatnightEdmundaskedFannywhethershemeanttoridethenextday。

“No，Idonotknow——notifyouwantthemare，“washeranswer。

“Idonotwantheratallformyself，“saidhe；

“’butwheneveryouarenextinclinedtostayathome，IthinkMissCrawfordwouldbegladtohaveheralongertime——

forawholemorning，inshort。ShehasagreatdesiretogetasfarasMansfieldCommon：Mrs。Granthasbeentellingherofitsfineviews，andIhavenodoubtofherbeingperfectlyequaltoit。Butanymorningwilldoforthis。

Shewouldbeextremelysorrytointerferewithyou。

Itwouldbeverywrongifshedid。_She_ridesonlyforpleasure；_you_forhealth。“

“Ishallnotrideto-morrow，certainly，“saidFanny；

“Ihavebeenoutveryoftenlately，andwouldratherstayathome。YouknowIamstrongenoughnowtowalkverywell。“

Edmundlookedpleased，whichmustbeFanny’scomfort，andtheridetoMansfieldCommontookplacethenextmorning：

thepartyincludedalltheyoungpeoplebutherself，andwasmuchenjoyedatthetime，anddoublyenjoyedagainintheeveningdiscussion。Asuccessfulschemeofthissortgenerallybringsonanother；andthehavingbeentoMansfieldCommondisposedthemallforgoingsomewhereelsethedayafter。Thereweremanyotherviewstobeshewn；andthoughtheweatherwashot，therewereshadylaneswherevertheywantedtogo。

Ayoungpartyisalwaysprovidedwithashadylane。

Fourfinemorningssuccessivelywerespentinthismanner，inshewingtheCrawfordsthecountry，anddoingthehonoursofitsfinestspots。Everythinganswered；

itwasallgaietyandgood-humour，theheatonlysupplyinginconvenienceenoughtobetalkedofwithpleasure——

tillthefourthday，whenthehappinessofoneofthepartywasexceedinglyclouded。MissBertramwastheone。

EdmundandJuliawereinvitedtodineattheParsonage，and_she_wasexcluded。ItwasmeantanddonebyMrs。Grant，withperfectgood-humour，onMr。Rushworth’saccount，whowaspartlyexpectedattheParkthatday；butitwasfeltasaverygrievousinjury，andhergoodmannerswereseverelytaxedtoconcealhervexationandangertillshereachedhome。

AsMr。Rushworthdid_not_come，theinjurywasincreased，andshehadnoteventhereliefofshewingherpoweroverhim；

shecouldonlybesullentohermother，aunt，andcousin，andthrowasgreatagloomaspossibleovertheirdinneranddessert。

BetweentenandelevenEdmundandJuliawalkedintothedrawing-room，freshwiththeeveningair，glowingandcheerful，theveryreverseofwhattheyfoundinthethreeladiessittingthere，forMariawouldscarcelyraisehereyesfromherbook，andLadyBertramwashalf-asleep；andevenMrs。Norris，discomposedbyherniece’sill-humour，andhavingaskedoneortwoquestionsaboutthedinner，whichwerenotimmediatelyattendedto，seemedalmostdeterminedtosaynomore。Forafewminutesthebrotherandsisterweretooeagerintheirpraiseofthenightandtheirremarksonthestars，tothinkbeyondthemselves；

butwhenthefirstpausecame，Edmund，lookingaround，said，“ButwhereisFanny？Isshegonetobed？“

“No，notthatIknowof，“repliedMrs。Norris；“shewashereamomentago。“

Herowngentlevoicespeakingfromtheotherendoftheroom，whichwasaverylongone，toldthemthatshewasonthesofa。Mrs。Norrisbeganscolding。

“Thatisaveryfoolishtrick，Fanny，tobeidlingawayalltheeveninguponasofa。Whycannotyoucomeandsithere，andemployyourselfas_we_do？Ifyouhavenoworkofyourown，Icansupplyyoufromthepoorbasket。

Thereisallthenewcalico，thatwasboughtlastweek，nottouchedyet。IamsureIalmostbrokemybackbycuttingitout。Youshouldlearntothinkofotherpeople；and，takemywordforit，itisashockingtrickforayoungpersontobealwayslollinguponasofa。“

Beforehalfthiswassaid，Fannywasreturnedtoherseatatthetable，andhadtakenupherworkagain；

andJulia，whowasinhighgood-humour，fromthepleasuresoftheday，didherthejusticeofexclaiming，“Imustsay，ma’am，thatFannyisaslittleuponthesofaasanybodyinthehouse。“

“Fanny，“saidEdmund，afterlookingatherattentively，“Iamsureyouhavetheheadache。“

Shecouldnotdenyit，butsaiditwasnotverybad。

“Icanhardlybelieveyou，“hereplied；“Iknowyourlookstoowell。Howlonghaveyouhadit？“

“Sincealittlebeforedinner。Itisnothingbuttheheat。“

“Didyougooutintheheat？“

“Goout!tobesureshedid，“saidMrs。Norris：

“wouldyouhaveherstaywithinsuchafinedayasthis？

Werenotwe_all_out？Evenyourmotherwasoutto-dayforaboveanhour。“

“Yes，indeed，Edmund，“addedherladyship，whohadbeenthoroughlyawakenedbyMrs。Norris’ssharpreprimandtoFanny；“Iwasoutaboveanhour。Isatthree-quartersofanhourintheflower-garden，whileFannycuttheroses；

andverypleasantitwas，Iassureyou，butveryhot。

Itwasshadyenoughinthealcove，butIdeclareIquitedreadedthecominghomeagain。“

“Fannyhasbeencuttingroses，hasshe？“

“Yes，andIamafraidtheywillbethelastthisyear。

Poorthing!_She_foundithotenough；buttheyweresofull-blownthatonecouldnotwait。“

“Therewasnohelpforit，certainly，“rejoinedMrs。Norris，inarathersoftenedvoice；“butIquestionwhetherherheadachemightnotbecaught_then_，sister。Thereisnothingsolikelytogiveitasstandingandstoopinginahotsun；butIdaresayitwillbewellto-morrow。

Supposeyouletherhaveyouraromaticvinegar；Ialwaysforgettohaveminefilled。“