CHAPTER XIII

i>Iabsolutelyprotestagainst.” Tomwalkedoutoftheroomashesaidit,andEdmundwaslefttositdownandstirthefireinthoughtfulvexation. Fanny,whohadhearditall,andborneEdmundcompanyineveryfeelingthroughoutthewhole,nowventuredtosay,inheranxietytosuggestsomecomfort,“Perhapstheymaynotbeabletofindanyplaytosuitthem.Yourbrother’stasteandyoursisters’seemverydifferent.” “Ihavenohopethere,Fanny.Iftheypersistinthescheme,theywillfindsomething.Ishallspeaktomysistersandtrytodissuadethem,andthatisallIcando.” “IshouldthinkmyauntNorriswouldbeonyourside.” “Idaresayshewould,butshehasnoinfluencewitheitherTomormysistersthatcouldbeofanyuseandifIcannotconvincethemmyself,Ishallletthingstaketheircourse,withoutattemptingitthroughher.Familysquabblingisthegreatestevilofall,andwehadbetterdoanythingthanbealtogetherbytheears.” Hissisters,towhomhehadanopportunityofspeakingthenextmorning,werequiteasimpatientofhisadvice,quiteasunyieldingtohisrepresentation,quiteasdeterminedinthecauseofpleasure,asTom.Theirmotherhadnoobjectiontotheplan,andtheywerenotintheleastafraidoftheirfather’sdisapprobation.Therecouldbenoharminwhathadbeendoneinsomanyrespectablefamilies,andbysomanywomenofthefirstconsiderationanditmustbescrupulousnessrunmadthatcouldseeanythingtocensureinaplanliketheirs,comprehendingonlybrothersandsistersandintimatefriends,andwhichwouldneverbeheardofbeyondthemselves.JuliadidseeminclinedtoadmitthatMaria’ssituationmightrequireparticularcautionanddelicacy—butthatcouldnotextendtoher—shewasatlibertyandMariaevidentlyconsideredherengagementasonlyraisinghersomuchmoreaboverestraint,andleavingherlessoccasionthanJuliatoconsulteitherfatherormother.Edmundhadlittletohope,buthewasstillurgingthesubjectwhenHenryCrawfordenteredtheroom,freshfromtheParsonage,callingout,“Nowantofhandsinourtheatre,MissBertram.Nowantofunderstrappers:mysisterdesiresherlove,andhopestobeadmittedintothecompany,andwillbehappytotakethepartofanyoldduennaortameconfidante,thatyoumaynotliketodoyourselves.” MariagaveEdmundaglance,whichmeant,“Whatsayyounow?CanwebewrongifMaryCrawfordfeelsthesame?”AndEdmund,silenced,wasobligedtoacknowledgethatthecharmofactingmightwellcarryfascinationtothemindofgeniusandwiththeingenuityoflove,todwellmoreontheobliging,accommodatingpurportofthemessagethanonanythingelse. Theschemeadvanced.OppositionwasvainandastoMrs.Norris,hewasmistakeninsupposingshewouldwishtomakeany.Shestartednodifficultiesthatwerenottalkeddowninfiveminutesbyhereldestnephewandniece,whowereall-powerfulwithherandasthewholearrangementwastobringverylittleexpensetoanybody,andnoneatalltoherself,assheforesawinitallthecomfortsofhurry,bustle,andimportance,andderivedtheimmediateadvantageoffancyingherselfobligedtoleaveherownhouse,whereshehadbeenlivingamonthatherowncost,andtakeupherabodeintheirs,thateveryhourmightbespentintheirservice,shewas,infact,exceedinglydelightedwiththeproject.