第49章

Ithinkthehouseandpremisesmaybemadecomfortable，andgiventheairofagentleman’sresidence，withoutanyveryheavyexpense，andthatmustsufficeme；and，Ihope，maysufficeallwhocareaboutme。“

MissCrawford，alittlesuspiciousandresentfulofacertaintoneofvoice，andacertainhalf-lookattendingthelastexpressionofhishope，madeahastyfinishofherdealingswithWilliamPrice；andsecuringhisknaveatanexorbitantrate，exclaimed，“There，Iwillstakemylastlikeawomanofspirit。Nocoldprudenceforme。

Iamnotborntositstillanddonothing。IfIlosethegame，itshallnotbefromnotstrivingforit。“

Thegamewashers，andonlydidnotpayherforwhatshehadgiventosecureit。Anotherdealproceeded，andCrawfordbeganagainaboutThorntonLacey。

“Myplanmaynotbethebestpossible：Ihadnotmanyminutestoformitin；butyoumustdoagooddeal。

Theplacedeservesit，andyouwillfindyourselfnotsatisfiedwithmuchlessthanitiscapableof。(Excuseme，yourladyshipmustnotseeyourcards。There，letthemliejustbeforeyou。)Theplacedeservesit，Bertram。

Youtalkofgivingittheairofagentleman’sresidence。

_That_willbedonebytheremovalofthefarmyard；

for，independentofthatterriblenuisance，Ineversawahouseofthekindwhichhadinitselfsomuchtheairofagentleman’sresidence，somuchthelookofasomethingaboveamereparsonage-house——abovetheexpenditureofafewhundredsayear。Itisnotascramblingcollectionoflowsinglerooms，withasmanyroofsaswindows；itisnotcrampedintothevulgarcompactnessofasquarefarmhouse：

itisasolid，roomy，mansion-likelookinghouse，suchasonemightsupposearespectableoldcountryfamilyhadlivedinfromgenerationtogeneration，throughtwocenturiesatleast，andwerenowspendingfromtwotothreethousandayearin。“MissCrawfordlistened，andEdmundagreedtothis。“Theairofagentleman’sresidence，therefore，youcannotbutgiveit，ifyoudoanything。Butitiscapableofmuchmore。(Letmesee，Mary；LadyBertrambidsadozenforthatqueen；no，no，adozenismorethanitisworth。LadyBertramdoesnotbidadozen。

Shewillhavenothingtosaytoit。Goon，goon。)

BysomesuchimprovementsasIhavesuggested(Idonotreallyrequireyoutoproceeduponmyplan，though，bythebye，Idoubtanybody’sstrikingoutabetter)youmaygiveitahighercharacter。Youmayraiseitintoa_place_。

Frombeingthemeregentleman’sresidence，itbecomes，byjudiciousimprovement，theresidenceofamanofeducation，taste，modernmanners，goodconnexions。

Allthismaybestampedonit；andthathousereceivesuchanairastomakeitsownerbesetdownasthegreatlandholderoftheparishbyeverycreaturetravellingtheroad；especiallyasthereisnorealsquire’shousetodisputethepoint——acircumstance，betweenourselves，toenhancethevalueofsuchasituationinpointofprivilegeandindependencebeyondallcalculation。

_You_thinkwithme，Ihope“(turningwithasoftenedvoicetoFanny)。“Haveyoueverseentheplace？“

Fannygaveaquicknegative，andtriedtohideherinterestinthesubjectbyaneagerattentiontoherbrother，whowasdrivingashardabargain，andimposingonherasmuchashecould；butCrawfordpursuedwith“No，no，youmustn

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