第32章

“Ishallwalkdownimmediatelyafterbreakfast，“saidhe，“andamsureofgivingpleasurethere。Andnow，dearFanny，Iwillnotinterruptyouanylonger。Youwanttobereading。

ButIcouldnotbeeasytillIhadspokentoyou，andcometoadecision。Sleepingorwaking，myheadhasbeenfullofthismatterallnight。Itisanevil，butIamcertainlymakingitlessthanitmightbe。

IfTomisup，Ishallgotohimdirectlyandgetitover，andwhenwemeetatbreakfastweshallbeallinhighgood-humourattheprospectofactingthefooltogetherwithsuchunanimity。_You_，inthemeanwhile，willbetakingatripintoChina，Isuppose。HowdoesLordMacartneygoon？“——openingavolumeonthetableandthentakingupsomeothers。“AndhereareCrabbe’sTales，andtheIdler，athandtorelieveyou，ifyoutireofyourgreatbook。

Iadmireyourlittleestablishmentexceedingly；andassoonasIamgone，youwillemptyyourheadofallthisnonsenseofacting，andsitcomfortablydowntoyourtable。

Butdonotstayheretobecold。“

Hewent；buttherewasnoreading，noChina，nocomposureforFanny。Hehadtoldherthemostextraordinary，themostinconceivable，themostunwelcomenews；

andshecouldthinkofnothingelse。Tobeacting!

Afterallhisobjections——objectionssojustandsopublic!

Afterallthatshehadheardhimsay，andseenhimlook，andknownhimtobefeeling。Coulditbepossible？

Edmundsoinconsistent!Washenotdeceivinghimself？

Washenotwrong？Alas!itwasallMissCrawford’sdoing。

Shehadseenherinfluenceineveryspeech，andwasmiserable。

Thedoubtsandalarmsastoherownconduct，whichhadpreviouslydistressedher，andwhichhadallsleptwhileshelistenedtohim，werebecomeoflittleconsequencenow。Thisdeeperanxietyswallowedthemup。Thingsshouldtaketheircourse；

shecarednothowitended。Hercousinsmightattack，butcouldhardlyteaseher。Shewasbeyondtheirreach；

andifatlastobligedtoyield——nomatter——itwasallmiserynow。

Itwas，indeed，atriumphantdaytoMr。BertramandMaria。

SuchavictoryoverEdmund’sdiscretionhadbeenbeyondtheirhopes，andwasmostdelightful。Therewasnolongeranythingtodisturbthemintheirdarlingproject，andtheycongratulatedeachotherinprivateonthejealousweaknesstowhichtheyattributedthechange，withallthegleeoffeelingsgratifiedineveryway。

Edmundmightstilllookgrave，andsayhedidnotliketheschemeingeneral，andmustdisapprovetheplayinparticular；

theirpointwasgained：hewastoact，andhewasdriventoitbytheforceofselfishinclinationsonly。

Edmundhaddescendedfromthatmoralelevationwhichhehadmaintainedbefore，andtheywerebothasmuchthebetterasthehappierforthedescent。

Theybehavedverywell，however，to_him_ontheoccas

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