CHAPTER IX

tinterruptionbysaying,“IwonderthatIshouldbetiredwithonlywalkinginthissweetwoodbutthenexttimewecometoaseat,ifitisnotdisagreeabletoyou,Ishouldbegladtositdownforalittlewhile.” “MydearFanny,”criedEdmund,immediatelydrawingherarmwithinhis,“howthoughtlessIhavebeen!Ihopeyouarenotverytired.Perhaps,”turningtoMissCrawford,“myothercompanionmaydomethehonouroftakinganarm.” “Thankyou,butIamnotatalltired.”Shetookit,however,asshespoke,andthegratificationofhavingherdoso,offeelingsuchaconnexionforthefirsttime,madehimalittleforgetfulofFanny.“Youscarcelytouchme,”saidhe.“Youdonotmakemeofanyuse.Whatadifferenceintheweightofawoman’sarmfromthatofaman!AtOxfordIhavebeenagooddealusedtohaveamanleanonmeforthelengthofastreet,andyouareonlyaflyinthecomparison.” “Iamreallynottired,whichIalmostwonderatforwemusthavewalkedatleastamileinthiswood.Donotyouthinkwehave?” “Nothalfamile,”washissturdyanswerforhewasnotyetsomuchinloveastomeasuredistance,orreckontime,withfemininelawlessness. “Oh!youdonotconsiderhowmuchwehavewoundabout.Wehavetakensuchaveryserpentinecourse,andthewooditselfmustbehalfamilelonginastraightline,forwehaveneverseentheendofityetsinceweleftthefirstgreatpath.” “Butifyouremember,beforeweleftthatfirstgreatpath,wesawdirectlytotheendofit.Welookeddownthewholevista,andsawitclosedbyirongates,anditcouldnothavebeenmorethanafurlonginlength.” “Oh!Iknownothingofyourfurlongs,butIamsureitisaverylongwood,andthatwehavebeenwindinginandouteversincewecameintoitandtherefore,whenIsaythatwehavewalkedamileinit,Imustspeakwithincompass.” “Wehavebeenexactlyaquarterofanhourhere,”saidEdmund,takingouthiswatch.“Doyouthinkwearewalkingfourmilesanhour?” “Oh!donotattackmewithyourwatch.Awatchisalwaystoofastortooslow.Icannotbedictatedtobyawatch.” Afewstepsfartherbroughtthemoutatthebottomoftheverywalktheyhadbeentalkingofandstandingback,wellshadedandsheltered,andlookingoveraha-haintothepark,wasacomfortable-sizedbench,onwhichtheyallsatdown. “Iamafraidyouareverytired,Fanny,”saidEdmund,observingher“whywouldnotyouspeaksooner?Thiswillbeabadday’samusementforyouifyouaretobeknockedup.Everysortofexercisefatigueshersosoon,MissCrawford,exceptriding.” “Howabominableinyou,then,toletmeengrossherhorseasIdidalllastweek!Iamashamedofyouandofmyself,butitshallneverhappenagain.” “Yourattentivenessandconsiderationmakesmemoresensibleofmyownneglect.Fanny’sinterestseemsinsaferhandswithyouthanwithme.” “Thatsheshouldbetirednow,however,givesmenosurpriseforthereisnothinginthecourseofone’sdutiessofatiguingaswhatwehavebeendoingthismorning:seeingagreathouse,dawdlingfromoneroomtoanother,strainingone’seyesandone’sattention,hearingwhatonedoesnotunderstand,admiringwhatonedoesnotcarefor.Itisgenerallyallowedtobethegreatestboreintheworld,andMissPricehasfounditso,thoughshedidnotknowit.” “Ishallsoonberested,”saidFanny“tositintheshadeonafineday,andlookuponverdure,isthemostperfectrefreshment.” AftersittingalittlewhileMissCrawfordwasupagain.“Imustmove,”saidshe“restingfatiguesme.Ihavelookedacrosstheha-hatillIamweary.Imustgoandlookthroughthatirongateatthesameview,withoutbeingabletoseeitsowell.” Edmundlefttheseatlikewise.“Now,MissCrawford,ifyouwilllookupthewalk,youwillconvinceyourselfthatitcannotbehalfamilelong,orhalfhalfamile.” “Itisanimmensedistance,”saidshe“Iseethatwithaglance.” Hestillreasonedwithher,butinvain.Shewouldnotcalculate,shewouldnotcompare.Shewouldonlysmileandassert.Thegreatestdegreeofrationalconsistencycouldnothavebeenmoreengaging,andtheytalkedwithmutualsatisfaction.Atlastitwasagreedthattheyshouldendeavourtodeterminethedimensionsofthewoodbywalkingalittlemoreaboutit.Theywouldgotooneendofit,inthelinetheywerethenin—fortherewasastraightgreenwalkalongthebottombythesideoftheha-ha—andperhapsturnalittlewayinsomeotherdirection,ifitseemedlikelytoassistthem,andbebackinafewminutes.Fannysaidshewasrested,andwouldhavemovedtoo,butthiswasnotsuffered.Edmundurgedherremainingwhereshewaswithanearnestnesswhichshecouldnotresist,andshewasleftonthebenchtothinkwithpleasureofhercousin’scare,butwithgreatregretthatshewasnotstronger.Shewatchedthemtilltheyhadturnedthecorner,andlistenedtillallsoundofthemhadceased.