第78章

TomandCharles。CharleshadbeenbornsinceFanny’sgoingaway，butTomshehadoftenhelpedtonurse，andnowfeltaparticularpleasureinseeingagain。

Bothwerekissedverytenderly，butTomshewantedtokeepbyher，totrytotracethefeaturesofthebabyshehadloved，andtalkedto，ofhisinfantpreferenceofherself。Tom，however，hadnomindforsuchtreatment：

hecamehomenottostandandbetalkedto，buttorunaboutandmakeanoise；andbothboyshadsoonburstfromher，andslammedtheparlour-doortillhertemplesached。

Shehadnowseenallthatwereathome；thereremainedonlytwobrothersbetweenherselfandSusan，oneofwhomwasaclerkinapublicofficeinLondon，andtheothermidshipmanonboardanIndiaman。

Butthoughshehad_seen_allthemembersofthefamily，shehadnotyet_heard_allthenoisetheycouldmake。

Anotherquarterofanhourbroughtheragreatdealmore。

Williamwassooncallingoutfromthelanding-placeofthesecondstoryforhismotherandforRebecca。

Hewasindistressforsomethingthathehadleftthere，anddidnotfindagain。Akeywasmislaid，Betseyaccusedofhavinggotathisnewhat，andsomeslight，butessentialalterationofhisuniformwaistcoat，whichhehadbeenpromisedtohavedoneforhim，entirelyneglected。

Mrs。Price，Rebecca，andBetseyallwentuptodefendthemselves，alltalkingtogether，butRebeccaloudest，andthejobwastobedoneaswellasitcouldinagreathurry；

WilliamtryinginvaintosendBetseydownagain，orkeepherfrombeingtroublesomewhereshewas；thewholeofwhich，asalmosteverydoorinthehousewasopen，couldbeplainlydistinguishedintheparlour，exceptwhendrownedatintervalsbythesuperiornoiseofSam，Tom，andCharleschasingeachotherupanddownstairs，andtumblingaboutandhallooing。

Fannywasalmoststunned。Thesmallnessofthehouseandthinnessofthewallsbroughteverythingsoclosetoher，that，addedtothefatigueofherjourney，andallherrecentagitation，shehardlyknewhowtobearit。

_Within_theroomallwastranquilenough，forSusanhavingdisappearedwiththeothers，thereweresoononlyherfatherandherselfremaining；andhe，takingoutanewspaper，theaccustomaryloanofaneighbour，appliedhimselftostudyingit，withoutseemingtorecollectherexistence。

Thesolitarycandlewasheldbetweenhimselfandthepaper，withoutanyreferencetoherpossibleconvenience；

butshehadnothingtodo，andwasgladtohavethelightscreenedfromherachinghead，asshesatinbewildered，broken，sorrowfulcontemplation。

Shewasathome。But，alas!itwasnotsuchahome，shehadnotsuchawelcome，as——shecheckedherself；

shewasunreasonable。Whatrighthadshetobeofimportancetoherfamily？Shecouldhavenone，solonglostsightof!

William’sconcernsmustbedearest，theyalwayshadbeen，andhehadeveryright。Yettohavesolittlesaidoraskedaboutherself，tohavescarcelyaninquirymadeafterMansfield!ItdidpainhertohaveMansfieldforgotten；

thefriendswhohaddonesomuch——thedear，dearfriends!

Buthere，onesubjectswallowedupalltherest。

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