第90章

Fannyseemedtoherselfnevertohavebeenshockedbefore。

Therewasnopossibilityofrest。Theeveningpassedwithoutapauseofmisery，thenightwastotallysleepless。

Shepassedonlyfromfeelingsofsicknesstoshudderingsofhorror；andfromhotfitsoffevertocold。Theeventwassoshocking，thatthereweremomentsevenwhenherheartrevoltedfromitasimpossible：whenshethoughtitcouldnotbe。Awomanmarriedonlysixmonthsago；

amanprofessinghimselfdevoted，even_engaged_toanother；

thatotherhernearrelation；thewholefamily，bothfamiliesconnectedastheywerebytieupontie；

allfriends，allintimatetogether!Itwastoohorribleaconfusionofguilt，toogrossacomplicationofevil，forhumannature，notinastateofutterbarbarism，tobecapableof!yetherjudgmenttoldheritwasso。

_His_unsettledaffections，waveringwithhisvanity，_Maria’s_decidedattachment，andnosufficientprincipleoneitherside，gaveitpossibility：MissCrawford’sletterstamptitafact。

Whatwouldbetheconsequence？Whomwoulditnotinjure？

Whoseviewsmightitnotaffect？Whosepeacewoulditnotcutupforever？MissCrawford，herself，Edmund；

butitwasdangerous，perhaps，totreadsuchground。

Sheconfinedherself，ortriedtoconfineherself，tothesimple，indubitablefamilymiserywhichmustenvelopall，ifitwereindeedamatterofcertifiedguiltandpublicexposure。

Themother’ssufferings，thefather’s；thereshepaused。

Julia’s，Tom’s，Edmund’s；thereayetlongerpause。

Theywerethetwoonwhomitwouldfallmosthorribly。

SirThomas’sparentalsolicitudeandhighsenseofhonouranddecorum，Edmund’suprightprinciples，unsuspicioustemper，andgenuinestrengthoffeeling，madeherthinkitscarcelypossibleforthemtosupportlifeandreasonundersuchdisgrace；anditappearedtoherthat，asfarasthisworldalonewasconcerned，thegreatestblessingtoeveryoneofkindredwithMrs。Rushworthwouldbeinstantannihilation。

Nothinghappenedthenextday，orthenext，toweakenherterrors。Twopostscamein，andbroughtnorefutation，publicorprivate。TherewasnosecondlettertoexplainawaythefirstfromMissCrawford；therewasnointelligencefromMansfield，thoughitwasnowfulltimeforhertohearagainfromheraunt。Thiswasanevilomen。

Shehad，indeed，scarcelytheshadowofahopetosoothehermind，andwasreducedtosolowandwanandtremblingacondition，asnomother，notunkind，exceptMrs。Pricecouldhaveoverlooked，whenthethirddaydidbringthesickeningknock，andaletterwasagainputintoherhands。

ItboretheLondonpostmark，andcamefromEdmund。

“DearFanny，——Youknowourpresentwretchedness。

MayGodsupportyouunderyourshare!Wehavebeenheretwodays，butthereisnothingtobedone。Theycannotbetraced。Youmaynothaveheardofthelastblow——

Julia’selo

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