第69章

Edmundhadalreadygonethroughtheserviceoncesincehisordination；anduponthisbeingunderstood，hehadavarietyofquestionsfromCrawfordastohisfeelingsandsuccess；questions，whichbeingmade，thoughwiththevivacityoffriendlyinterestandquicktaste，withoutanytouchofthatspiritofbanterorairoflevitywhichEdmundknewtobemostoffensivetoFanny，hehadtruepleasureinsatisfying；andwhenCrawfordproceededtoaskhisopinionandgivehisownastotheproperestmannerinwhichparticularpassagesintheserviceshouldbedelivered，shewingittobeasubjectonwhichhehadthoughtbefore，andthoughtwithjudgment，Edmundwasstillmoreandmorepleased。ThiswouldbethewaytoFanny’sheart。

Shewasnottobewonbyallthatgallantryandwitandgood-naturetogethercoulddo；or，atleast，shewouldnotbewonbythemnearlysosoon，withouttheassistanceofsentimentandfeeling，andseriousnessonserioussubjects“Ourliturgy，“observedCrawford，“hasbeauties，whichnotevenacareless，slovenlystyleofreadingcandestroy；

butithasalsoredundanciesandrepetitionswhichrequiregoodreadingnottobefelt。Formyself，atleast，ImustconfessbeingnotalwayssoattentiveasIoughttobe“

(herewasaglanceatFanny)；“thatnineteentimesoutoftwentyIamthinkinghowsuchaprayeroughttoberead，andlongingtohaveittoreadmyself。Didyouspeak？“

steppingeagerlytoFanny，andaddressingherinasoftenedvoice；anduponhersaying“No，“headded，“Areyousureyoudidnotspeak？Isawyourlipsmove。

IfanciedyoumightbegoingtotellmeIoughttobemoreattentive，andnot_allow_mythoughtstowander。

Arenotyougoingtotellmeso？“

“No，indeed，youknowyourdutytoowellformeto——

evensupposing——“

Shestopt，feltherselfgettingintoapuzzle，andcouldnotbeprevailedontoaddanotherword，notbydintofseveralminutesofsupplicationandwaiting。Hethenreturnedtohisformerstation，andwentonasiftherehadbeennosuchtenderinterruption。

“Asermon，welldelivered，ismoreuncommoneventhanprayerswellread。Asermon，goodinitself，isnorarething。

Itismoredifficulttospeakwellthantocomposewell；

thatis，therulesandtrickofcompositionareofteneranobjectofstudy。Athoroughlygoodsermon，thoroughlywelldelivered，isacapitalgratification。

Icanneverhearsuchaonewithoutthegreatestadmirationandrespect，andmorethanhalfamindtotakeordersandpreachmyself。Thereissomethingintheeloquenceofthepulpit，whenitisreallyeloquence，whichisentitledtothehighestpraiseandhonour。Thepreacherwhocantouchandaffectsuchanheterogeneousmassofhearers，onsubjectslimited，andlongwornthreadbareinallcommonhands；whocansayan

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