CHAPTER XX

Edmund’sfirstobjectthenextmorningwastoseehisfatheralone,andgivehimafairstatementofthewholeactingscheme,defendinghisownshareinitasfaronlyashecouldthen,inasoberermoment,feelhismotivestodeserve,andacknowledging,withperfectingenuousness,thathisconcessionhadbeenattendedwithsuchpartialgoodastomakehisjudgmentinitverydoubtful.Hewasanxious,whilevindicatinghimself,tosaynothingunkindoftheothers:buttherewasonlyoneamongstthemwhoseconducthecouldmentionwithoutsomenecessityofdefenceorpalliation.“Wehaveallbeenmoreorlesstoblame,”saidhe,“everyoneofus,exceptingFanny.Fannyistheonlyonewhohasjudgedrightlythroughoutwhohasbeenconsistent.Herfeelingshavebeensteadilyagainstitfromfirsttolast.Sheneverceasedtothinkofwhatwasduetoyou.YouwillfindFannyeverythingyoucouldwish.” SirThomassawalltheimproprietyofsuchaschemeamongsuchaparty,andatsuchatime,asstronglyashissonhadeversupposedhemusthefeltittoomuch,indeed,formanywordsandhavingshakenhandswithEdmund,meanttotrytolosethedisagreeableimpression,andforgethowmuchhehadbeenforgottenhimselfassoonashecould,afterthehousehadbeenclearedofeveryobjectenforcingtheremembrance,andrestoredtoitsproperstate.Hedidnotenterintoanyremonstrancewithhisotherchildren:hewasmorewillingtobelievetheyfelttheirerrorthantoruntheriskofinvestigation.Thereproofofanimmediateconclusionofeverything,thesweepofeverypreparation,wouldbesufficient. Therewasoneperson,however,inthehouse,whomhecouldnotleavetolearnhissentimentsmerelythroughhisconduct.HecouldnothelpgivingMrs.Norrisahintofhishavinghopedthatheradvicemighthavebeeninterposedtopreventwhatherjudgmentmustcertainlyhavedisapproved.Theyoungpeoplehadbeenveryinconsiderateinformingtheplantheyoughttohavebeencapableofabetterdecisionthemselvesbuttheywereyoungand,exceptingEdmund,hebelieved,ofunsteadycharactersandwithgreatersurprise,therefore,hemustregardheracquiescenceintheirwrongmeasures,hercountenanceoftheirunsafeamusements,thanthatsuchmeasuresandsuchamusementsshouldhavebeensuggested.Mrs.NorriswasalittleconfoundedandasnearlybeingsilencedasevershehadbeeninherlifeforshewasashamedtoconfesshavingneverseenanyoftheimproprietywhichwassoglaringtoSirThomas,andwouldnothaveadmittedthatherinfluencewasinsufficient—thatshemighthavetalkedinvain.Heronlyresourcewastogetoutofthesubjectasfastaspossible,andturnthecurrentofSirThomas’sideasintoahappierchannel.Shehadagreatdealtoinsinuateinherownpraiseastogeneralattentiontotheinterestandcomfortofhisfamily,muchexertionandmanysacrificestoglanceatintheformofhurriedwalksandsuddenremovalsfromherownfireside,andmanyexcellenthintsofdistrustandeconomytoLadyBertramandEdmundtodetail,wherebyamostconsiderablesavinghadalwaysarisen,andmorethanonebadservantb