第17章

Hereyewaseagerlytakingineverythingwithinherreach；

andafterbeingatsomepainstogetaviewofthehouse，andobservingthat“itwasasortofbuildingwhichshecouldnotlookatbutwithrespect，“sheadded，“Now，whereistheavenue？Thehousefrontstheeast，Iperceive。

Theavenue，therefore，mustbeatthebackofit。

Mr。Rushworthtalkedofthewestfront。“

“Yes，itisexactlybehindthehouse；beginsatalittledistance，andascendsforhalfamiletotheextremityofthegrounds。Youmayseesomethingofithere——

somethingofthemoredistanttrees。Itisoakentirely。“

MissBertramcouldnowspeakwithdecidedinformationofwhatshehadknownnothingaboutwhenMr。Rushworthhadaskedheropinion；andherspiritswereinashappyaflutterasvanityandpridecouldfurnish，whentheydroveuptothespaciousstonestepsbeforetheprincipalentrance。

Mr。Rushworthwasatthedoortoreceivehisfairlady；

andthewholepartywerewelcomedbyhimwithdueattention。

Inthedrawing-roomtheyweremetwithequalcordialitybythemother，andMissBertramhadallthedistinctionwitheachthatshecouldwish。Afterthebusinessofarrivingwasover，itwasfirstnecessarytoeat，andthedoorswerethrownopentoadmitthemthroughoneortwointermediateroomsintotheappointeddining-parlour，whereacollationwaspreparedwithabundanceandelegance。

Muchwassaid，andmuchwasate，andallwentwell。

Theparticularobjectofthedaywasthenconsidered。

HowwouldMr。Crawfordlike，inwhatmannerwouldhechuse，totakeasurveyofthegrounds？Mr。Rushworthmentionedhiscurricle。Mr。Crawfordsuggestedthegreaterdesirablenessofsomecarriagewhichmightconveymorethantwo。

“Tobedeprivingthemselvesoftheadvantageofothereyesandotherjudgments，mightbeanevilevenbeyondthelossofpresentpleasure。“

Mrs。Rushworthproposedthatthechaiseshouldbetakenalso；

butthiswasscarcelyreceivedasanamendment：theyoungladiesneithersmilednorspoke。Hernextproposition，ofshewingthehousetosuchofthemashadnotbeentherebefore，wasmoreacceptable，forMissBertramwaspleasedtohaveitssizedisplayed，andallweregladtobedoingsomething。

Thewholepartyroseaccordingly，andunderMrs。Rushworth’sguidancewereshewnthroughanumberofrooms，alllofty，andmanylarge，andamplyfurnishedinthetasteoffiftyyearsback，withshiningfloors，solidmahogany，richdamask，marble，gilding，andcarving，eachhandsomeinitsway。

Ofpicturestherewereabundance，andsomefewgood，butthelargerpartwerefamilyportraits，nolongeranythingtoanybodybutMrs。Rushworth，whohadbeenatgreatpainstolearnallthatthehousekeepercouldteach，andwasnowalmostequallywellqualifiedtoshewthehouse。

OnthepresentoccasionsheaddressedherselfchieflytoMissCrawfordandFanny，buttherewasnocomparisoninthewillingnessoftheirattention；forMissCrawford，whohadseenscoresofgreathouses，andcaredfornoneofthem，hadonlytheappearanceofcivillylistening，whileFanny，towhomeverythingwasalmostasinterestingasitwasnew，attendedwithunaffectedearnestnesstoallthatMrs。Rushworthcouldrelateofthefamilyinformertimes，itsriseandgrandeur，regalvisitsandloyalefforts，delightedtoconnectanythingwithhistoryalreadyknown，orwarmherimaginationwithscenesofthepast。

Thesituationofthehouseexcludedthepossibilityofmuchprospectfromanyoftherooms；andwhileFannyandsomeoftheotherswereattendingMrs。Rushworth，HenryCrawfordwaslookinggraveandshakinghisheadatthewindows。Everyroomonthewestfrontlookedacrossalawntothebeginningoftheavenueimmediatelybeyondtallironpalisadesandgates。

Havingvisitedmanymoreroomsthancouldbesupposedtobeofanyotherusethantocontributetothewindow-tax，andfindemploymentforhousemaids，“Now，“saidMrs。Rushworth，“wearecomingtothechapel，whichproperlyweoughttoenterfromabove，andlookdownupon；butaswearequiteamongfriends，Iwilltakeyouinthisway，ifyouwillexcuseme。“

Theyentered。Fanny’simaginationhadpreparedherforsomethinggranderthanamerespacious，oblongroom，fittedupforthepurposeofdevotion：withnothingmorestrikingormoresolemnthantheprofusionofmahogany，andthecrimsonvelvetcushionsappearingovertheledgeofthefamilygalleryabove。“Iamdisappointed，“

saidshe，inalowvoice，toEdmund。“Thisisnotmyideaofachapel。Thereisnothingawfulhere，nothingmelancholy，nothinggrand。Herearenoaisles，noarches，noinscriptions，nobanners。Nobanners，cousin，tobe’blownbythenightwindofheaven。’

Nosignsthata’Scottishmonarchsleepsbelow。’“

“Youforget，Fanny，howlatelyallthishasbeenbuilt，andforhowconfinedapurpose，comparedwiththeoldchapelsofcastlesandmonasteries。Itwasonlyfortheprivateuseofthefamily。Theyhavebeenburied，Isuppose，intheparishchurch。_There_youmustlookforthebannersandtheachievements。“

“Itwasfoolishofmenottothinkofallthat；butI

amdisappointed。“

Mrs。Rushworthbeganherrelation。“Thischapelwasfittedupasyouseeit，inJamestheSecond’stime。Beforethatperiod，asIunderstand，thepewswereonlywainscot；andthereissomereasontothinkthattheliningsandcushionsofthepulpitandfamilyseatwereonlypurplecloth；

butthisisnotquitecertain。Itisahandsomechapel，andwasformerlyinconstantusebothmorningandevening。

Prayerswerealwaysreadinitbythedomesticchaplain，withinthememoryofmany；butthelateMr。Rushworthleftitoff。“

“Everygenerationhasitsimprovements，“saidMissCrawford，withasmile，toEdmund。

Mrs。RushworthwasgonetorepeatherlessontoMr。Crawford；

andEdmund，Fanny，andMissCrawfordremainedinaclustertogether。

“Itisapity，“criedFanny，“thatthecustomshouldhavebeendiscontinued。Itwasavaluablepartofformertimes。

Thereissomethinginachapelandchaplainsomuchincharacterwithagreathouse，withone’sideasofwhatsuchahouseholdshouldbe!Awholefamilyassemblingregularlyforthepurposeofprayerisfine!“

“Veryfineindeed，“saidMissCrawford，laughing。“Itmustdotheheadsofthefamilyagreatdealofgoodtoforceallthepoorhousemaidsandfootmentoleavebusinessandpleasure，andsaytheirprayersheretwiceaday，whiletheyareinventingexcusesthemselvesforstayingaway。“

“_That_ishardlyFanny’sideaofafamilyassembling，“

saidEdmund。“Ifthemasterandmistressdo_not_

attendthemselves，theremustbemoreharmthangoodinthecustom。“

“Atanyrate，itissafertoleavepeopletotheirowndevicesonsuchsubjects。Everybodylikestogotheirownway——tochusetheirowntimeandmannerofdevotion。

Theobligationofattendance，theformality，therestraint，thelengthoftime——altogetheritisaformidablething，andwhatnobodylikes；andifthegoodpeoplewhousedtokneelandgapeinthatgallerycouldhaveforeseenthatthetimewouldevercomewhenmenandwomenmightlieanothertenminutesinbed，whentheywokewithaheadache，withoutdangerofreprobation，becausechapelwasmissed，theywouldhavejumpedwithjoyandenvy。CannotyouimaginewithwhatunwillingfeelingstheformerbellesofthehouseofRushworthdidmanyatimerepairtothischapel？TheyoungMrs。EleanorsandMrs。Bridgets——

starchedupintoseemingpiety，butwithheadsfullofsomethingverydifferent——especiallyifthepoorchaplainwerenotworthlookingat——and，inthosedays，Ifancyparsonswereveryinferioreventowhattheyarenow。“

Forafewmomentsshewasunanswered。FannycolouredandlookedatEdmund，butfelttooangryforspeech；

andheneededalittlerecollectionbeforehecouldsay，“Yourlivelymindcanhardlybeseriousevenonserioussubjects。

Youhavegivenusanamusingsketch，andhumannaturecannotsayitwasnotso。Wemustallfeel_at__times_

thedifficultyoffixingourthoughtsaswecouldwish；

butifyouaresupposingitafrequentthing，thatistosay，aweaknessgrownintoahabitfromneglect，whatcouldbeexpectedfromthe_private_devotionsofsuchpersons？

Doyouthinkthemindswhicharesuffered，whichareindulgedinwanderingsinachapel，wouldbemorecollectedinacloset？“

“Yes，verylikely。Theywouldhavetwochancesatleastintheirfavour。Therewouldbelesstodistracttheattentionfromwithout，anditwouldnotbetriedsolong。“