CHAPTER III

stheParsonage,shebelieved,hadneverbeenwantingincomfortsofanysort,hadneverborneabadcharacterinhertime,butthiswasawayofgoingonthatshecouldnotunderstand.Afineladyinacountryparsonagewasquiteoutofplace.Herstore-room,shethought,mighthavebeengoodenoughforMrs.Granttogointo.Inquirewhereshewould,shecouldnotfindoutthatMrs.Granthadeverhadmorethanfivethousandpounds.” LadyBertramlistenedwithoutmuchinteresttothissortofinvective.Shecouldnotenterintothewrongsofaneconomist,butshefeltalltheinjuriesofbeautyinMrs.Grant’sbeingsowellsettledinlifewithoutbeinghandsome,andexpressedherastonishmentonthatpointalmostasoften,thoughnotsodiffusely,asMrs.Norrisdiscussedtheother. Theseopinionshadbeenhardlycanvassedayearbeforeanothereventaroseofsuchimportanceinthefamily,asmightfairlyclaimsomeplaceinthethoughtsandconversationoftheladies.SirThomasfounditexpedienttogotoAntiguahimself,forthebetterarrangementofhisaffairs,andhetookhiseldestsonwithhim,inthehopeofdetachinghimfromsomebadconnexionsathome.TheyleftEnglandwiththeprobabilityofbeingnearlyatwelvemonthabsent. Thenecessityofthemeasureinapecuniarylight,andthehopeofitsutilitytohisson,reconciledSirThomastotheeffortofquittingtherestofhisfamily,andofleavinghisdaughterstothedirectionofothersattheirpresentmostinterestingtimeoflife.HecouldnotthinkLadyBertramquiteequaltosupplyhisplacewiththem,orrather,toperformwhatshouldhavebeenherownbut,inMrs.Norris’swatchfulattention,andinEdmund’sjudgment,hehadsufficientconfidencetomakehimgowithoutfearsfortheirconduct. LadyBertramdidnotatallliketohaveherhusbandleaveherbutshewasnotdisturbedbyanyalarmforhissafety,orsolicitudeforhiscomfort,beingoneofthosepersonswhothinknothingcanbedangerous,ordifficult,orfatiguingtoanybodybutthemselves. TheMissBertramsweremuchtobepitiedontheoccasion:notfortheirsorrow,butfortheirwantofit.Theirfatherwasnoobjectoflovetothemhehadneverseemedthefriendoftheirpleasures,andhisabsencewasunhappilymostwelcome.TheywererelievedbyitfromallrestraintandwithoutaimingatonegratificationthatwouldprobablyhavebeenforbiddenbySirThomas,theyfeltthemselvesimmediatelyattheirowndisposal,andtohaveeveryindulgencewithintheirreach.Fanny’srelief,andherconsciousnessofit,werequiteequaltohercousins’butamoretendernaturesuggestedthatherfeelingswereungrateful,andshereallygrievedbecauseshecouldnotgrieve.“SirThomas,whohaddonesomuchforherandherbrothers,andwhowasgoneperhapsnevertoreturn!thatsheshouldseehimgowithoutatear!itwasashamefulinsensibility.”Hehadsaidtoher,moreover,ontheverylastmorning,thathehopedshemightseeWilliamagaininthecourseoftheensuingwinter,andhadchargedhertowriteandinvitehimtoMansfieldassoonasthesquadrontowhichhebelongedshouldbeknowntobeinEngland.“Thiswassothoughtfulandkind!”andwouldheonlyhavesmileduponher,andcalledher“mydearFanny,”whilehesaidit,everyformerfrownorcoldaddressmighthavebeenforgotten.Buthehadendedhisspeechinawaytosinkherinsadmortification,byadding,“IfWilliamdoescometoMansfield,Ihopeyoumaybeabletoconvincehimthatthemanyyearswhichhavepassedsinceyoupartedhavenotbeenspentonyoursideentirelywithoutimprovementthough,Ifear,hemustfindhissisteratsixteeninsomerespectstoomuchlikehissisteratten.”Shecriedbitterlyoverthisreflectionwhenherunclewasgoneandhercousins,onseeingherwithredeyes,setherdownasahypocrite.