CHAPTER IX

edshewillbeatwhatshesaidjustnow,”passedacrosshermind. “Ordained!”saidMissCrawford“what,areyoutobeaclergyman?” “YesIshalltakeorderssoonaftermyfather’sreturn—probablyatChristmas.” MissCrawford,rallyingherspirits,andrecoveringhercomplexion,repliedonly,“IfIhadknownthisbefore,Iwouldhavespokenoftheclothwithmorerespect,”andturnedthesubject. Thechapelwassoonafterwardslefttothesilenceandstillnesswhichreignedinit,withfewinterruptions,throughouttheyear.MissBertram,displeasedwithhersister,ledtheway,andallseemedtofeelthattheyhadbeentherelongenough. Thelowerpartofthehousehadbeennowentirelyshewn,andMrs.Rushworth,neverwearyinthecause,wouldhaveproceededtowardstheprincipalstaircase,andtakenthemthroughalltheroomsabove,ifhersonhadnotinterposedwithadoubtoftherebeingtimeenough.“Forif,”saidhe,withthesortofself-evidentpropositionwhichmanyaclearerheaddoesnotalwaysavoid,“wearetoolonggoingoverthehouse,weshallnothavetimeforwhatistobedoneoutofdoors.Itispasttwo,andwearetodineatfive.” Mrs.Rushworthsubmittedandthequestionofsurveyingthegrounds,withthewhoandthehow,waslikelytobemorefullyagitated,andMrs.Norriswasbeginningtoarrangebywhatjunctionofcarriagesandhorsesmostcouldbedone,whentheyoungpeople,meetingwithanoutwarddoor,temptinglyopenonaflightofstepswhichledimmediatelytoturfandshrubs,andallthesweetsofpleasure-grounds,asbyoneimpulse,onewishforairandliberty,allwalkedout. “Supposeweturndownhereforthepresent,”saidMrs.Rushworth,civillytakingthehintandfollowingthem.“Herearethegreatestnumberofourplants,andherearethecuriouspheasants.” “Query,”saidMr.Crawford,lookingroundhim,“whetherwemaynotfindsomethingtoemployusherebeforewegofarther?Iseewallsofgreatpromise.Mr.Rushworth,shallwesummonacouncilonthislawn?” “James,”saidMrs.Rushworthtoherson,“Ibelievethewildernesswillbenewtoalltheparty.TheMissBertramshaveneverseenthewildernessyet.” Noobjectionwasmade,butforsometimethereseemednoinclinationtomoveinanyplan,ortoanydistance.Allwereattractedatfirstbytheplantsorthepheasants,andalldispersedaboutinhappyindependence.Mr.Crawfordwasthefirsttomoveforwardtoexaminethecapabilitiesofthatendofthehouse.Thelawn,boundedoneachsidebyahighwall,containedbeyondthefirstplantedareaabowling-green,andbeyondthebowling-greenalongterracewalk,backedbyironpalisades,andcommandingaviewoverthemintothetopsofthetreesofthewildernessimmediatelyadjoining.Itwasagoodspotforfault-finding.Mr.CrawfordwassoonfollowedbyMissBertramandMr.Rushworthandwhen,afteralittletime,theothersbegantoformintoparties,thesethreewerefoundinbusyconsultationontheterracebyEdmund,MissCrawford,andFanny,whoseemedasnaturallytounite,andwho,afterashortparticipationoftheirregretsanddifficulties,leftthemandwalkedon.Theremainingthree,Mrs.Rushworth,Mrs.Norris,andJulia,werestillfarbehindforJulia,whosehappystarnolongerprevailed,wasobligedtokeepbythesideofMrs.Rushworth,andrestrainherimpatientfeettothatlady’sslowpace,whileheraunt,havingfalleninwiththehousekeeper,whowascomeouttofeedthepheasants,waslingeringbehindingossipwithher.PoorJulia,theonlyoneoutoftheninenottolerablysatisfiedwiththeirlot,wasnowinastateofcompletepenance,andasdifferentfromtheJuliaofthebarouche-boxascouldwellbeimagined.Thepolitenesswhichshehadbeenbroughtuptopractiseasadutymadeitimpossibleforhertoescapewhilethewantofthathigherspeciesofself-command,thatjustconsiderationofothers,thatknowledgeofherownheart,thatprincipleofright,whichhadnotformedanyessentialpartofhereducation,madehermiserableunderit. “Thisisinsufferablyhot,”saidMissCrawford,whentheyhadtakenoneturnontheterrace,andweredrawingasecondtimetothedoorinthemiddlewhichopenedtothewilderness.“Shallanyofusobjecttobeingcomfortable?Hereisanicelittlewood,ifonecanbutgetintoit.Whathappinessifthedoorshouldnotbelocked!butofcourseitisforinthesegreatplacesthegardenersaretheonlypeoplewhocangowheretheylike.” Thedoor,however,provednottobelocked,andtheywereallagreedinturningjoyfullythroughit,andleavingtheunmitigatedglareofdaybehind.Aconsiderableflightofstepslandedtheminthewilderness,whichwasaplantedwoodofabouttwoacres,andthoughchieflyoflarchandlaurel,andbeechcutdown,andthoughlaidoutwithtoomuchregularity,wasdarknessandshade,andnaturalbeauty,compar