第16章

“Thereisnohardship，Isuppose，nothingunpleasant，“

saidEdmund，“ingoingonthebarouchebox。“

“Unpleasant!“criedMaria：“ohdear!Ibelieveitwouldbegenerallythoughtthefavouriteseat。Therecanbenocomparisonastoone’sviewofthecountry。

ProbablyMissCrawfordwillchoosethebarouche-boxherself。“

“Therecanbenoobjection，then，toFanny’sgoingwithyou；

therecanbenodoubtofyourhavingroomforher。“

“Fanny!“repeatedMrs。Norris；“mydearEdmund，thereisnoideaofhergoingwithus。Shestayswithheraunt。

ItoldMrs。Rushworthso。Sheisnotexpected。“

“Youcanhavenoreason，Iimagine，madam，“saidhe，addressinghismother，“forwishingFanny_not_

tobeoftheparty，butasitrelatestoyourself，toyourowncomfort。Ifyoucoulddowithouther，youwouldnotwishtokeepherathome？“

“Tobesurenot，butI_cannot_dowithouther。“

“Youcan，ifIstayathomewithyou，asImeantodo。“

Therewasageneralcryoutatthis。“Yes，“hecontinued，“thereisnonecessityformygoing，andImeantostayathome。FannyhasagreatdesiretoseeSotherton。

Iknowshewishesitverymuch。Shehasnotoftenagratificationofthekind，andIamsure，ma’am，youwouldbegladtogiveherthepleasurenow？“

“Ohyes!veryglad，ifyourauntseesnoobjection。“

Mrs。Norriswasveryreadywiththeonlyobjectionwhichcouldremain——theirhavingpositivelyassuredMrs。RushworththatFannycouldnotgo，andtheverystrangeappearancetherewouldconsequentlybeintakingher，whichseemedtoheradifficultyquiteimpossibletobegotover。

Itmusthavethestrangestappearance!Itwouldbesomethingsoveryunceremonious，soborderingondisrespectforMrs。Rushworth，whoseownmannersweresuchapatternofgood-breedingandattention，thatshereallydidnotfeelequaltoit。Mrs。NorrishadnoaffectionforFanny，andnowishofprocuringherpleasureatanytime；

butheroppositiontoEdmund_now_，arosemorefrompartialityforherownscheme，becauseit_was_herown，thanfromanythingelse。Shefeltthatshehadarrangedeverythingextremelywell，andthatanyalterationmustbefortheworse。WhenEdmund，therefore，toldherinreply，ashedidwhenshewouldgivehimthehearing，thatsheneednotdistressherselfonMrs。Rushworth’saccount，becausehehadtakentheopportunity，ashewalkedwithherthroughthehall，ofmentioningMissPriceasonewhowouldprobablybeoftheparty，andhaddirectlyreceivedaverysufficientinvitationforhiscousin，Mrs。Norriswastoomuchvexedtosubmitwithaverygoodgrace，andwouldonlysay，“Verywell，verywell，justasyouchuse，settleityourownway，IamsureI

donotcareaboutit。“

“Itseemsveryodd，“saidMaria，“thatyoushouldbestayingathomeinsteadofFanny。“

“Iamsuresheoughttobeverymuchobligedtoyou，“

addedJulia，hastilyleavingtheroomasshespoke，fromaconsciousnessthatsheoughttooffertostayathomeherself。

“Fannywillfeelquiteasgratefulastheoccasionrequires，“

wasEdmund’sonlyreply，andthesubjectdropt。

Fanny’sgratitude，whensheheardtheplan，was，infact，muchgreaterthanherpleasure。ShefeltEdmund’skindnesswithall，andmorethanall，thesensibilitywhichhe，unsuspiciousofherfondattachment，couldbeawareof；

butthatheshouldforegoanyenjoymentonheraccountgaveherpain，andherownsatisfactioninseeingSothertonwouldbenothingwithouthim。

ThenextmeetingofthetwoMansfieldfamiliesproducedanotheralterationintheplan，andonethatwasadmittedwithgeneralapprobation。Mrs。GrantofferedherselfascompanionforthedaytoLadyBertraminlieuofherson，andDr。Grantwastojointhematdinner。LadyBertramwasverywellpleasedtohaveitso，andtheyoungladieswereinspiritsagain。EvenEdmundwasverythankfulforanarrangementwhichrestoredhimtohisshareoftheparty；

andMrs。Norristhoughtitanexcellentplan，andhaditathertongue’send，andwasonthepointofproposingit，whenMrs。Grantspoke。

Wednesdaywasfine，andsoonafterbreakfastthebarouchearrived，Mr。Crawforddrivinghissisters；andaseverybodywasready，therewasnothingtobedonebutforMrs。Granttoalightandtheotherstotaketheirplaces。Theplaceofallplaces，theenviedseat，thepostofhonour，wasunappropriated。Towhosehappylotwasittofall？

WhileeachoftheMissBertramsweremeditatinghowbest，andwiththemostappearanceofobligingtheothers，tosecureit，thematterwassettledbyMrs。Grant’ssaying，asshesteppedfromthecarriage，“Astherearefiveofyou，itwillbebetterthatoneshouldsitwithHenry；

andasyouweresayinglatelythatyouwishedyoucoulddrive，Julia，Ithinkthiswillbeagoodopportunityforyoutotakealesson。“

HappyJulia!UnhappyMaria!Theformerwasonthebarouche-boxinamoment，thelattertookherseatwithin，ingloomandmortification；andthecarriagedroveoffamidthegoodwishesofthetworemainingladies，andthebarkingofPuginhismistress’sarms。

Theirroadwasthroughapleasantcountry；andFanny，whoserideshadneverbeenextensive，wassoonbeyondherknowledge，andwasveryhappyinobservingallthatwasnew，andadmiringallthatwaspretty。Shewasnotofteninvitedtojoinintheconversationoftheothers，nordidshedesireit。Herownthoughtsandreflectionswerehabituallyherbestcompanions；and，inobservingtheappearanceofthecountry，thebearingsoftheroads，thedifferenceofsoil，thestateoftheharvest，thecottages，thecattle，thechildren，shefoundentertainmentthatcouldonlyhavebeenheightenedbyhavingEdmundtospeaktoofwhatshefelt。Thatwastheonlypointofresemblancebetweenherandtheladywhosatbyher：

ineverythingbutavalueforEdmund，MissCrawfordwasveryunlikeher。ShehadnoneofFanny’sdelicacyoftaste，ofmind，offeeling；shesawNature，inanimateNature，withlittleobservation；herattentionwasallformenandwomen，hertalentsforthelightandlively。

InlookingbackafterEdmund，however，whentherewasanystretchofroadbehindthem，orwhenhegainedontheminascendingaconsiderablehill，theywereunited，anda“thereheis“brokeatthesamemomentfromthemboth，morethanonce。

ForthefirstsevenmilesMissBertramhadverylittlerealcomfort：herprospectalwaysendedinMr。Crawfordandhersistersittingsidebyside，fullofconversationandmerriment；andtoseeonlyhisexpressiveprofileasheturnedwithasmiletoJulia，ortocatchthelaughoftheother，wasaperpetualsourceofirritation，whichherownsenseofproprietycouldbutjustsmoothover。

WhenJulialookedback，itwaswithacountenanceofdelight，andwhenevershespoketothem，itwasinthehighestspirits：

“herviewofthecountrywascharming，shewishedtheycouldallseeit，“etc。；butheronlyofferofexchangewasaddressedtoMissCrawford，astheygainedthesummitofalonghill，andwasnotmoreinvitingthanthis：

“Hereisafineburstofcountry。Iwishyouhadmyseat，butIdaresayyouwillnottakeit，letmepressyoueversomuch；“andMissCrawfordcouldhardlyanswerbeforetheyweremovingagainatagoodpace。

WhentheycamewithintheinfluenceofSothertonassociations，itwasbetterforMissBertram，whomightbesaidtohavetwostringstoherbow。ShehadRushworthfeelings，andCrawfordfeelings，andinthevicinityofSothertontheformerhadconsiderableeffect。Mr。Rushworth’sconsequencewashers。ShecouldnottellMissCrawfordthat“thosewoodsbelongedtoSotherton，“shecouldnotcarelesslyobservethat“shebelievedthatitwasnowallMr。Rushworth’spropertyoneachsideoftheroad，“

withoutelationofheart；anditwasapleasuretoincreasewiththeirapproachtothecapitalfreeholdmansion，andancientmanorialresidenceofthefamily，withallitsrightsofcourt-leetandcourt-baron。

“Nowweshallhavenomoreroughroad，MissCrawford；

ourdifficultiesareover。Therestofthewayissuchasitoughttobe。Mr。Rushworthhasmadeitsincehesucceededtotheestate。Herebeginsthevillage。

Thosecottagesarereallyadisgrace。Thechurchspireisreckonedremarkablyhandsome。Iamgladthechurchisnotsoclosetothegreathouseasoftenhappensinoldplaces。Theannoyanceofthebellsmustbeterrible。

Thereistheparsonage：atidy-lookinghouse，andI

understandtheclergymanandhiswifeareverydecentpeople。

Thosearealmshouses，builtbysomeofthefamily。

Totherightisthesteward’shouse；heisaveryrespectableman。Nowwearecomingtothelodge-gates；

butwehavenearlyamilethroughtheparkstill。

Itisnotugly，yousee，atthisend；thereissomefinetimber，butthesituationofthehouseisdreadful。

Wegodownhilltoitforhalfamile，anditisapity，foritwouldnotbeanill-lookingplaceifithadabetterapproach。“

MissCrawfordwasnotslowtoadmire；sheprettywellguessedMissBertram’sfeelings，andmadeitapointofhonourtopromoteherenjoymenttotheutmost。Mrs。Norriswasalldelightandvolubility；andevenFannyhadsomethingtosayinadmiration，andmightbeheardwithcomplacency。