CHAPTER I

AboutthirtyyearsagoMissMariaWard,ofHuntingdon,withonlyseventhousandpounds,hadthegoodlucktocaptivateSirThomasBertram,ofMansfieldPark,inthecountyofNorthampton,andtobetherebyraisedtotherankofabaronet’slady,withallthecomfortsandconsequencesofanhandsomehouseandlargeincome.AllHuntingdonexclaimedonthegreatnessofthematch,andheruncle,thelawyer,himself,allowedhertobeatleastthreethousandpoundsshortofanyequitableclaimtoit.ShehadtwosisterstobebenefitedbyherelevationandsuchoftheiracquaintanceasthoughtMissWardandMissFrancesquiteashandsomeasMissMaria,didnotscrupletopredicttheirmarryingwithalmostequaladvantage.Buttherecertainlyarenotsomanymenoflargefortuneintheworldasthereareprettywomentodeservethem.MissWard,attheendofhalfadozenyears,foundherselfobligedtobeattachedtotheRev.Mr.Norris,afriendofherbrother-in-law,withscarcelyanyprivatefortune,andMissFrancesfaredyetworse.MissWard’smatch,indeed,whenitcametothepoint,wasnotcontemptible:SirThomasbeinghappilyabletogivehisfriendanincomeinthelivingofMansfieldandMr.andMrs.Norrisbegantheircareerofconjugalfelicitywithverylittlelessthanathousandayear.ButMissFrancesmarried,inthecommonphrase,todisobligeherfamily,andbyfixingonalieutenantofmarines,withouteducation,fortune,orconnexions,diditverythoroughly.Shecouldhardlyhavemadeamoreuntowardchoice.SirThomasBertramhadinterest,which,fromprincipleaswellaspride—fromageneralwishofdoingright,andadesireofseeingallthatwereconnectedwithhiminsituationsofrespectability,hewouldhavebeengladtoexertfortheadvantageofLadyBertram’ssisterbutherhusband’sprofessionwassuchasnointerestcouldreachandbeforehehadtimetodeviseanyothermethodofassistingthem,anabsolutebreachbetweenthesistershadtakenplace.Itwasthenaturalresultoftheconductofeachparty,andsuchasaveryimprudentmarriagealmostalwaysproduces.Tosaveherselffromuselessremonstrance,Mrs.Priceneverwrotetoherfamilyonthesubjecttillactuallymarried.LadyBertram,whowasawomanofverytranquilfeelings,andatemperremarkablyeasyandindolent,wouldhavecontentedherselfwithmerelygivinguphersister,andthinkingnomoreofthematterbutMrs.Norrishadaspiritofactivity,whichcouldnotbesatisfiedtillshehadwrittenalongandangrylettertoFanny,topointoutthefollyofherconduct,andthreatenherwithallitspossibleillconsequences.Mrs.Price,inherturn,wasinjuredandangryandananswer,whichcomprehendedeachsisterinitsbitterness,andbestowedsuchverydisrespectfulreflectionsontheprideofSirThomasasMrs.Norriscouldnotpossiblykeeptoherself,putanendtoallintercoursebetweenthemforaconsiderableperiod. Theirhomesweresodistant,andthecirclesinwhichtheymovedsodistinct,asalmosttoprecludethemeansofeverhearingofeachother’sexistenceduringtheelevenfollowingyears,or,atleast,tomakeitverywonderfultoSirThomasthatMrs.Norrisshouldeverhaveitinherpowertotellthem,asshenowandthendid,inanangryvoice,thatFannyhadgotanotherchild.Bytheendofelevenyears,howe