第50章

Edmundmight，inthecommonphrase，dothedutyofThornton，thatis，hemightreadprayersandpreach，withoutgivingupMansfieldPark：hemightrideovereverySunday，toahousenominallyinhabited，andgothroughdivineservice；

hemightbetheclergymanofThorntonLaceyeveryseventhday，forthreeorfourhours，ifthatwouldcontenthim。

Butitwillnot。Heknowsthathumannatureneedsmorelessonsthanaweeklysermoncanconvey；andthatifhedoesnotliveamonghisparishioners，andprovehimself，byconstantattention，theirwell-wisherandfriend，hedoesverylittleeitherfortheirgoodorhisown。“

Mr。Crawfordbowedhisacquiescence。

“Irepeatagain，“addedSirThomas，“thatThorntonLaceyistheonlyhouseintheneighbourhoodinwhichIshould_not_behappytowaitonMr。Crawfordasoccupier。“

Mr。Crawfordbowedhisthanks。

“SirThomas，“saidEdmund，“undoubtedlyunderstandsthedutyofaparishpriest。Wemusthopehissonmayprovethat_he_knowsittoo。“

WhatevereffectSirThomas’slittleharanguemightreallyproduceonMr。Crawford，itraisedsomeawkwardsensationsintwooftheothers，twoofhismostattentivelisteners——

MissCrawfordandFanny。Oneofwhom，havingneverbeforeunderstoodthatThorntonwassosoonandsocompletelytobehishome，wasponderingwithdowncasteyesonwhatitwouldbe_not_toseeEdmundeveryday；andtheother，startledfromtheagreeablefanciesshehadbeenpreviouslyindulgingonthestrengthofherbrother’sdescription，nolongerable，inthepictureshehadbeenformingofafutureThornton，toshutoutthechurch，sinktheclergyman，andseeonlytherespectable，elegant，modernised，andoccasionalresidenceofamanofindependentfortune，wasconsideringSirThomas，withdecidedill-will，asthedestroyerofallthis，andsufferingthemorefromthatinvoluntaryforbearancewhichhischaracterandmannercommanded，andfromnotdaringtorelieveherselfbyasingleattemptatthrowingridiculeonhiscause。

Alltheagreeableof_her_speculationwasoverforthathour。

Itwastimetohavedonewithcards，ifsermonsprevailed；

andshewasgladtofinditnecessarytocometoaconclusion，andbeabletorefreshherspiritsbyachangeofplaceandneighbour。

Thechiefofthepartywerenowcollectedirregularlyroundthefire，andwaitingthefinalbreak-up。WilliamandFannywerethemostdetached。Theyremainedtogetherattheotherwisedesertedcard-table，talkingverycomfortably，andnotthinkingoftherest，tillsomeoftherestbegantothinkofthem。HenryCrawford’schairwasthefirsttobegivenadirectiontowardsthem，andhesatsilentlyobservingthemforafewminutes；

himself，inthemeanwhile，observedbySirThomas，whowasstandinginchatwithDr。Grant。

“Thisistheassemblynight，“saidWilliam。“IfIwereatPortsmouthIshouldbeatit，perhaps。“

“ButyoudonotwishyourselfatPortsmouth，William？“

“No，Fanny，thatIdonot。IshallhaveenoughofPortsmouth

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