第73章

andhaddiscretionenoughtoreservetheresttilltheymightbesecureofhavingfourwallstothemselves。

Fannynaturallyturnedupstairs，andtookherguesttotheapartmentwhichwasnowalwaysfitforcomfortableuse；

openingthedoor，however，withamostachingheart，andfeelingthatshehadamoredistressingscenebeforeherthaneverthatspothadyetwitnessed。ButtheevilreadytoburstonherwasatleastdelayedbythesuddenchangeinMissCrawford’sideas；bythestrongeffectonhermindwhichthefindingherselfintheEastroomagainproduced。

“Ha!“shecried，withinstantanimation，“amIhereagain？

TheEastroom!OnceonlywasIinthisroombefore“；

andafterstoppingtolookabouther，andseeminglytoretraceallthathadthenpassed，sheadded，“Onceonlybefore。Doyourememberit？Icametorehearse。

Yourcousincametoo；andwehadarehearsal。Youwereouraudienceandprompter。Adelightfulrehearsal。

Ishallneverforgetit。Herewewere，justinthispartoftheroom：herewasyourcousin，herewasI，herewerethechairs。Oh!whywillsuchthingseverpassaway？“

Happilyforhercompanion，shewantednoanswer。

Hermindwasentirelyself-engrossed。Shewasinareverieofsweetremembrances。

“Thescenewewererehearsingwassoveryremarkable!

Thesubjectofitsovery——very——whatshallIsay？

Hewastobedescribingandrecommendingmatrimonytome。

IthinkIseehimnow，tryingtobeasdemureandcomposedasAnhaltought，throughthetwolongspeeches。

’Whentwosympatheticheartsmeetinthemarriagestate，matrimonymaybecalledahappylife。’IsupposenotimecaneverwearouttheimpressionIhaveofhislooksandvoiceashesaidthosewords。Itwascurious，verycurious，thatweshouldhavesuchascenetoplay!

IfIhadthepowerofrecallinganyoneweekofmyexistence，itshouldbethatweek——thatactingweek。Saywhatyouwould，Fanny，itshouldbe_that_；forIneverknewsuchexquisitehappinessinanyother。Hissturdyspirittobendasitdid!Oh!itwassweetbeyondexpression。

Butalas，thatveryeveningdestroyeditall。Thatveryeveningbroughtyourmostunwelcomeuncle。PoorSirThomas，whowasgladtoseeyou？Yet，Fanny，donotimagineIwouldnowspeakdisrespectfullyofSirThomas，thoughIcertainlydidhatehimformanyaweek。No，Idohimjusticenow。

Heisjustwhattheheadofsuchafamilyshouldbe。

Nay，insobersadness，IbelieveInowloveyouall。“

Andhavingsaidso，withadegreeoftendernessandconsciousnesswhichFannyhadneverseeninherbefore，andnowthoughtonlytoobecoming，sheturnedawayforamomenttorecoverherself。“IhavehadalittlefitsinceIcameintothisroom，asyoumayperceive，“

saidshepresently，withaplayfulsmile，“butitisovernow；soletussitdownandbecomfortable；forastoscoldingyou，Fanny，whichIcamefullyintendingtodo，Ihavenottheheartforitwhenitcomestothepoint。“

Andembracingherveryaffectionately，“Good，gentleFanny!

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