第20章

Aquarterofanhour，twentyminutes，passedaway，andFannywasstillthinkingofEdmund，MissCrawford，andherself，withoutinterruptionfromanyone。Shebegantobesurprisedatbeingleftsolong，andtolistenwithananxiousdesireofhearingtheirstepsandtheirvoicesagain。Shelistened，andatlengthsheheard；

sheheardvoicesandfeetapproaching；butshehadjustsatisfiedherselfthatitwasnotthoseshewanted，whenMissBertram，Mr。Rushworth，andMr。Crawfordissuedfromthesamepathwhichshehadtrodherself，andwerebeforeher。

“MissPriceallalone“and“MydearFanny，howcomesthis？“

werethefirstsalutations。Shetoldherstory。

“PoordearFanny，“criedhercousin，“howillyouhavebeenusedbythem!Youhadbetterhavestaidwithus。“

Thenseatingherselfwithagentlemanoneachside，sheresumedtheconversationwhichhadengagedthembefore，anddiscussedthepossibilityofimprovementswithmuchanimation。Nothingwasfixedon；butHenryCrawfordwasfullofideasandprojects，and，generallyspeaking，whateverheproposedwasimmediatelyapproved，firstbyher，andthenbyMr。Rushworth，whoseprincipalbusinessseemedtobetoheartheothers，andwhoscarcelyriskedanoriginalthoughtofhisownbeyondawishthattheyhadseenhisfriendSmith’splace。

Aftersomeminutesspentinthisway，MissBertram，observingtheirongate，expressedawishofpassingthroughitintothepark，thattheirviewsandtheirplansmightbemorecomprehensive。Itwastheverythingofallotherstobewished，itwasthebest，itwastheonlywayofproceedingwithanyadvantage，inHenryCrawford’sopinion；andhedirectlysawaknollnothalfamileoff，whichwouldgivethemexactlytherequisitecommandofthehouse。Gothereforetheymusttothatknoll，andthroughthatgate；butthegatewaslocked。

Mr。Rushworthwishedhehadbroughtthekey；hehadbeenverynearthinkingwhetherheshouldnotbringthekey；

hewasdeterminedhewouldnevercomewithoutthekeyagain；

butstillthisdidnotremovethepresentevil。Theycouldnotgetthrough；andasMissBertram’sinclinationforsodoingdidbynomeanslessen，itendedinMr。Rushworth’sdeclaringoutrightthathewouldgoandfetchthekey。

Hesetoffaccordingly。

“Itisundoubtedlythebestthingwecandonow，aswearesofarfromthehousealready，“saidMr。Crawford，whenhewasgone。

“Yes，thereisnothingelsetobedone。Butnow，sincerely，donotyoufindtheplacealtogetherworsethanyouexpected？“

“No，indeed，farotherwise。Ifinditbetter，grander，morecompleteinitsstyle，thoughthatstylemaynotbethebest。

Andtotellyouthetruth，“speakingratherlower，“Idonotthinkthat_I_shalleverseeSothertonagainwithsomuchpleasureasIdonow。Anothersummerwillhardlyimproveittome。“

Afteramoment’sembarrassmenttheladyreplied，“Youaretoomuchamanoftheworldnottoseewiththeeyesoftheworld。IfotherpeoplethinkSothertonimproved，Ihavenodoubtthatyouwill。“

“IamafraidIamnotquitesomuchthemanoftheworldasmightbegoodformeinsomepoints。Myfeelingsarenotquitesoevanescent，normymemoryofthepastundersucheasydominionasonefindstobethecasewithmenoftheworld。“

Thiswasfollowedbyashortsilence。MissBertrambeganagain。“Youseemedtoenjoyyourdrivehereverymuchthismorning。Iwasgladtoseeyousowellentertained。

YouandJuliawerelaughingthewholeway。“

“Werewe？Yes，Ibelievewewere；butIhavenottheleastrecollectionatwhat。Oh!IbelieveIwasrelatingtohersomeridiculousstoriesofanoldIrishgroomofmyuncle’s。Yoursisterlovestolaugh。“

“Youthinkhermorelight-heartedthanIam？“

“Moreeasilyamused，“hereplied；“consequently，youknow，“

smiling，“bettercompany。IcouldnothavehopedtoentertainyouwithIrishanecdotesduringatenmiles’drive。“

“Naturally，Ibelieve，IamaslivelyasJulia，butI

havemoretothinkofnow。“

“Youhave，undoubtedly；andtherearesituationsinwhichveryhighspiritswoulddenoteinsensibility。

Yourprospects，however，aretoofairtojustifywantofspirits。Youhaveaverysmilingscenebeforeyou。“

“Doyoumeanliterallyorfiguratively？Literally，Iconclude。Yes，certainly，thesunshines，andtheparklooksverycheerful。Butunluckilythatirongate，thatha-ha，givemeafeelingofrestraintandhardship。

“Icannotgetout，asthestarlingsaid。“Asshespoke，anditwaswithexpression，shewalkedtothegate：

hefollowedher。“Mr。Rushworthissolongfetchingthiskey!“

“AndfortheworldyouwouldnotgetoutwithoutthekeyandwithoutMr。Rushworth’sauthorityandprotection，orIthinkyoumightwithlittledifficultypassroundtheedgeofthegate，here，withmyassistance；Ithinkitmightbedone，ifyoureallywishedtobemoreatlarge，andcouldallowyourselftothinkitnotprohibited。“

“Prohibited!nonsense!Icertainlycangetoutthatway，andIwill。Mr。Rushworthwillbehereinamoment，youknow；weshallnotbeoutofsight。“

“Orifweare，MissPricewillbesogoodastotellhimthathewillfindusnearthatknoll：thegroveofoakontheknoll。“

Fanny，feelingallthistobewrong，couldnothelpmakinganefforttopreventit。“Youwillhurtyourself，MissBertram，“shecried；“youwillcertainlyhurtyourselfagainstthosespikes；youwilltearyourgown；

youwillbeindangerofslippingintotheha-ha。Youhadbetternotgo。“

Hercousinwassafeontheothersidewhilethesewordswerespoken，and，smilingwithallthegood-humourofsuccess，shesaid，“Thankyou，mydearFanny，butIandmygownarealiveandwell，andsogood-bye。“

Fannywasagainlefttohersolitude，andwithnoincreaseofpleasantfeelings，forshewassorryforalmostallthatshehadseenandheard，astonishedatMissBertram，andangrywithMr。Crawford。Bytakingacircuitousroute，and，asitappearedtoher，veryunreasonabledirectiontotheknoll，theyweresoonbeyondhereye；

andforsomeminuteslongersheremainedwithoutsightorsoundofanycompanion。Sheseemedtohavethelittlewoodalltoherself。ShecouldalmosthavethoughtthatEdmundandMissCrawfordhadleftit，butthatitwasimpossibleforEdmundtoforgethersoentirely。

Shewasagainrousedfromdisagreeablemusingsbysuddenfootsteps：

somebodywascomingataquickpacedowntheprincipalwalk。

SheexpectedMr。Rushworth，butitwasJulia，who，hotandoutofbreath，andwithalookofdisappointment，criedoutonseeingher，“Heyday!Wherearetheothers？

IthoughtMariaandMr。Crawfordwerewithyou。“

Fannyexplained。

“Aprettytrick，uponmyword!Icannotseethemanywhere，“

lookingeagerlyintothepark。“Buttheycannotbeveryfaroff，andIthinkIamequaltoasmuchasMaria，evenwithouthelp。“

“But，Julia，Mr。Rushworthwillbehereinamomentwiththekey。DowaitforMr。Rushworth。“

“NotI，indeed。Ihavehadenoughofthefamilyforonemorning。Why，child，Ihavebutthismomentescapedfromhishorriblemother。SuchapenanceasIhavebeenenduring，whileyouweresittingheresocomposedandsohappy!

Itmighthavebeenaswell，perhaps，ifyouhadbeeninmyplace，butyoualwayscontrivetokeepoutofthesescrapes。“

Thiswasamostunjustreflection，butFannycouldallowforit，andletitpass：Juliawasvexed，andhertemperwashasty；butshefeltthatitwouldnotlast，andtherefore，takingnonotice，onlyaskedherifshehadnotseenMr。Rushworth。

“Yes，yes，wesawhim。Hewaspostingawayasifuponlifeanddeath，andcouldbutjustsparetimetotellushiserrand，andwhereyouallwere。“

“Itisapityheshouldhavesomuchtroublefornothing。“

“_That_isMissMaria’sconcern。Iamnotobligedtopunishmyselffor_her_sins。ThemotherIcouldnotavoid，aslongasmytiresomeauntwasdancingaboutwiththehousekeeper，butthesonI_can_getawayfrom。“

Andsheimmediatelyscrambledacrossthefence，andwalkedaway，notattendingtoFanny’slastquestionofwhethershehadseenanythingofMissCrawfordandEdmund。

ThesortofdreadinwhichFannynowsatofseeingMr。Rushworthpreventedherthinkingsomuchoftheircontinuedabsence，however，asshemighthavedone。

Shefeltthathehadbeenveryill-used，andwasquiteunhappyinhavingtocommunicatewhathadpassed。

HejoinedherwithinfiveminutesafterJulia’sexit；

andthoughshemadethebestofthestory，hewasevidentlymortifiedanddispleasedinnocommondegree。Atfirsthescarcelysaidanything；hislooksonlyexpressedhisextremesurpriseandvexation，andhewalkedtothegateandstoodthere，withoutseemingtoknowwhattodo。

“Theydesiredmetostay——mycousinMariachargedmetosaythatyouwouldfindthematthatknoll，orthereabouts。“

“IdonotbelieveIshallgoanyfarther，“saidhesullenly；

“Iseenothingofthem。BythetimeIgettotheknolltheymaybegonesomewhereelse。Ihavehadwalkingenough。“

AndhesatdownwithamostgloomycountenancebyFanny。

“Iamverysorry，“saidshe；“itisveryunlucky。“Andshelongedtobeabletosaysomethingmoretothepurpose。

Afteranintervalofsilence，“Ithinktheymightaswellhavestaidforme，“saidhe。