第62章

“Itisamazing，“saidshe，“howmuchyoungpeoplecosttheirfriends，whatwithbringingthemupandputtingthemoutintheworld!Theylittlethinkhowmuchitcomesto，orwhattheirparents，ortheirunclesandaunts，payfortheminthecourseoftheyear。Now，herearemysisterPrice’schildren；takethemalltogether，IdaresaynobodywouldbelievewhatasumtheycostSirThomaseveryyear，tosaynothingofwhat_I_doforthem。“

“Verytrue，sister，asyousay。But，poorthings!

theycannothelpit；andyouknowitmakesverylittledifferencetoSirThomas。Fanny，WilliammustnotforgetmyshawlifhegoestotheEastIndies；andIshallgivehimacommissionforanythingelsethatisworthhaving。

IwishhemaygototheEastIndies，thatImayhavemyshawl。

IthinkIwillhavetwoshawls，Fanny。“

Fanny，meanwhile，speakingonlywhenshecouldnothelpit，wasveryearnestlytryingtounderstandwhatMr。andMissCrawfordwereat。Therewaseverythingintheworld_against_theirbeingseriousbuthiswordsandmanner。

Everythingnatural，probable，reasonable，wasagainstit；

alltheirhabitsandwaysofthinking，andallherowndemerits。Howcould_she_haveexcitedseriousattachmentinamanwhohadseensomany，andbeenadmiredbysomany，andflirtedwithsomany，infinitelyhersuperiors；whoseemedsolittleopentoseriousimpressions，evenwherepainshadbeentakentopleasehim；whothoughtsoslightly，socarelessly，sounfeelinglyonallsuchpoints；whowaseverythingtoeverybody，andseemedtofindnooneessentialtohim？

Andfarther，howcoulditbesupposedthathissister，withallherhighandworldlynotionsofmatrimony，wouldbeforwardinganythingofaseriousnatureinsuchaquarter？Nothingcouldbemoreunnaturalineither。

Fannywasashamedofherowndoubts。Everythingmightbepossibleratherthanseriousattachment，orseriousapprobationofittowardher。ShehadquiteconvincedherselfofthisbeforeSirThomasandMr。Crawfordjoinedthem。

ThedifficultywasinmaintainingtheconvictionquitesoabsolutelyafterMr。Crawfordwasintheroom；

foronceortwicealookseemedforcedonherwhichshedidnotknowhowtoclassamongthecommonmeaning；

inanyotherman，atleast，shewouldhavesaidthatitmeantsomethingveryearnest，verypointed。

Butshestilltriedtobelieveitnomorethanwhathemightoftenhaveexpressedtowardshercousinsandfiftyotherwomen。

Shethoughthewaswishingtospeaktoherunheardbytherest。Shefanciedhewastryingforitthewholeeveningatintervals，wheneverSirThomaswasoutoftheroom，oratallengagedwithMrs。Norris，andshecarefullyrefusedhimeveryopportunity。

Atlast——itseemedanatlasttoFanny’snervousness，thou

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