CHAPTER XII

ofthewomanheisreallythinkingofmorethanthewomanherself.CrawfordhastoomuchsensetostayhereifhefoundhimselfinanydangerfromMariaandIamnotatallafraidforher,aftersuchaproofasshehasgiventhatherfeelingsarenotstrong.” Fannysupposedshemusthavebeenmistaken,andmeanttothinkdifferentlyinfuturebutwithallthatsubmissiontoEdmundcoulddo,andallthehelpofthecoincidinglooksandhintswhichsheoccasionallynoticedinsomeoftheothers,andwhichseemedtosaythatJuliawasMr.Crawford’schoice,sheknewnotalwayswhattothink.Shewasprivy,oneevening,tothehopesofherauntNorrisonthesubject,aswellastoherfeelings,andthefeelingsofMrs.Rushworth,onapointofsomesimilarity,andcouldnothelpwonderingasshelistenedandgladwouldshehavebeennottobeobligedtolisten,foritwaswhilealltheotheryoungpeopleweredancing,andshesitting,mostunwillingly,amongthechaperonsatthefire,longingforthere-entranceofhereldercousin,onwhomallherownhopesofapartnerthendepended.ItwasFanny’sfirstball,thoughwithoutthepreparationorsplendourofmanyayounglady’sfirstball,beingthethoughtonlyoftheafternoon,builtonthelateacquisitionofaviolinplayerintheservants’hall,andthepossibilityofraisingfivecouplewiththehelpofMrs.GrantandanewintimatefriendofMr.Bertram’sjustarrivedonavisit.Ithad,however,beenaveryhappyonetoFannythroughfourdances,andshewasquitegrievedtobelosingevenaquarterofanhour.Whilewaitingandwishing,lookingnowatthedancersandnowatthedoor,thisdialoguebetweenthetwoabove-mentionedladieswasforcedonher— “Ithink,ma’am,”saidMrs.Norris,hereyesdirectedtowardsMr.RushworthandMaria,whowerepartnersforthesecondtime,“weshallseesomehappyfacesagainnow.” “Yes,ma’am,indeed,”repliedtheother,withastatelysimper,“therewillbesomesatisfactioninlookingonnow,andIthinkitwasratherapitytheyshouldhavebeenobligedtopart.Youngfolksintheirsituationshouldbeexcusedcomplyingwiththecommonforms.Iwondermysondidnotproposeit.” “Idaresayhedid,ma’am.Mr.Rushworthisneverremiss.ButdearMariahassuchastrictsenseofpropriety,somuchofthattruedelicacywhichoneseldommeetswithnowadays,Mrs.Rushworth—thatwishofavoidingparticularity!Dearma’a