CHAPTER X

improvedandnothingofthatsort,youknow,canbesettledwithoutyou.” Shefoundherselfmoresuccessfulinsendingawaythaninretainingacompanion.Mr.Rushworthwasworkedon.“Well,”saidhe,“ifyoureallythinkIhadbettergo:itwouldbefoolishtobringthekeyfornothing.”Andlettinghimselfout,hewalkedoffwithoutfartherceremony. Fanny’sthoughtswerenowallengrossedbythetwowhohadlefthersolongago,andgettingquiteimpatient,sheresolvedtogoinsearchofthem.Shefollowedtheirstepsalongthebottomwalk,andhadjustturnedupintoanother,whenthevoiceandthelaughofMissCrawfordoncemorecaughtherearthesoundapproached,andafewmorewindingsbroughtthembeforeher.Theywerejustreturnedintothewildernessfromthepark,towhichasidegate,notfastened,hadtemptedthemverysoonaftertheirleavingher,andtheyhadbeenacrossaportionoftheparkintotheveryavenuewhichFannyhadbeenhopingthewholemorningtoreachatlast,andhadbeensittingdownunderoneofthetrees.Thiswastheirhistory.Itwasevidentthattheyhadbeenspendingtheirtimepleasantly,andwerenotawareofthelengthoftheirabsence.Fanny’sbestconsolationwasinbeingassuredthatEdmundhadwishedforherverymuch,andthatheshouldcertainlyhavecomebackforher,hadshenotbeentiredalreadybutthiswasnotquitesufficienttodoawaywiththepainofhavingbeenleftawholehour,whenhehadtalkedofonlyafewminutes,nortobanishthesortofcuriosityshefelttoknowwhattheyhadbeenconversingaboutallthattimeandtheresultofthewholewastoherdisappointmentanddepression,astheypreparedbygeneralagreementtoreturntothehouse. Onreachingthebottomofthestepstotheterrace,Mrs.RushworthandMrs.Norrispresentedthemselvesatthetop,justreadyforthewilderness,attheendofanhourandahalffromtheirleavingthehouse.Mrs.Norrishadbeentoowellemployedtomovefaster.Whatevercross-accidentshadoccurredtointerceptthepleasuresofhernieces,shehadfoundamorningofcompleteenjoymentforthehousekeeper,afteragreatmanycourtesiesonthesubjectofpheasants,hadtakenhertothedairy,toldherallabouttheircows,andgivenherthereceiptforafamouscreamcheeseandsinceJulia’sleavingthemtheyhadbeenmetbythegardener,withwhomshehadmadeamostsatisfactoryacquaintance,forshehadsethimrightastohisgrandson’sillness,convincedhimthatitwasanague,andpromisedhimacharmforitandhe,inreturn,hadshewnherallhischoicestnurseryofplants,andactuallypresentedherwithaverycuriousspecimenofheath. Onthisrencontretheyallreturnedtothehousetogether,theretoloungeawaythetimeastheycouldwithsofas,andchit-chat,andQuarterlyReviews,tillthereturnoftheothers,andthearrivalofdinner.ItwaslatebeforetheMissBertramsandthetwogentlemencamein,andtheirrambledidnotappeartohavebeenmorethanpartiallyagreeable,oratallproductiveofanythingusefulwithregardtotheobjectoftheday.Bytheirownaccountstheyhadbeenallwalkingaftereachother,andthejunctionwhichhadtakenplaceatlastseemed,toFanny’sobservation,tohavebeenasmuchtoolateforre-establishingharmony,asitconfessedlyhadbeenfordeterminingonanyalteration.Shefelt,asshelookedatJuliaandMr.Rushworth,thatherswasnottheonlydissatisfiedbosomamongstthem:therewasgloomonthefaceofeach.Mr.CrawfordandMissBertramweremuchmoregay,andshethoughtthathewastakin