CHAPTER XXIV

HenryCrawfordhadquitemadeuphismindbythenextmorningtogiveanotherfortnighttoMansfield,andhavingsentforhishunters,andwrittenafewlinesofexplanationtotheAdmiral,helookedroundathissisterashesealedandthrewtheletterfromhim,andseeingthecoastclearoftherestofthefamily,said,withasmile,“AndhowdoyouthinkImeantoamusemyself,Mary,onthedaysthatIdonothunt?IamgrowntoooldtogooutmorethanthreetimesaweekbutIhaveaplanfortheintermediatedays,andwhatdoyouthinkitis?” “Towalkandridewithme,tobesure.” “Notexactly,thoughIshallbehappytodoboth,butthatwouldbeexerciseonlytomybody,andImusttakecareofmymind.Besides,thatwouldbeallrecreationandindulgence,withoutthewholesomealloyoflabour,andIdonotliketoeatthebreadofidleness.No,myplanistomakeFannyPriceinlovewithme.” “FannyPrice!Nonsense!No,no.Yououghttobesatisfiedwithhertwocousins.” “ButIcannotbesatisfiedwithoutFannyPrice,withoutmakingasmallholeinFannyPrice’sheart.Youdonotseemproperlyawareofherclaimstonotice.Whenwetalkedofherlastnight,younoneofyouseemedsensibleofthewonderfulimprovementthathastakenplaceinherlookswithinthelastsixweeks.Youseehereveryday,andthereforedonotnoticeitbutIassureyousheisquiteadifferentcreaturefromwhatshewasintheautumn.Shewasthenmerelyaquiet,modest,notplain-lookinggirl,butsheisnowabsolutelypretty.Iusedtothinkshehadneithercomplexionnorcountenancebutinthatsoftskinofhers,sofrequentlytingedwithablushasitwasyesterday,thereisdecidedbeautyandfromwhatIobservedofhereyesandmouth,Idonotdespairoftheirbeingcapableofexpressionenoughwhenshehasanythingtoexpress.Andthen,herair,hermanner,hertoutensemble,issoindescribablyimproved!Shemustbegrowntwoinches,atleast,sinceOctober.” “Phoo!phoo!Thisisonlybecausetherewerenotallwomentocompareherwith,andbecauseshehasgotanewgown,andyouneversawhersowelldressedbefore.SheisjustwhatshewasinOctober,believeme.Thetruthis,thatshewastheonlygirlincompanyforyoutonotice,andyoumusthaveasomebody.Ihavealwaysthoughtherpretty—notstrikinglypretty—but‘prettyenough,’aspeoplesayasortofbeautythatgrowsonone.Hereyesshouldbedarker,butshehasasweetsmilebutasforthiswonderfuldegreeofimprovement,Iamsureitmayallberesolvedintoabetterstyleofdress,andyourhavingnobodyelsetolookatandtherefore,ifyoudosetaboutaflirtationwithher,youneverwillpersuademethatitisincomplimenttoherbeauty,orthatitproceedsfromanythingbutyourownidlenessandfolly.” Herbrothergaveonlyasmiletothisaccusation,andsoonafterwardssaid,“IdonotquiteknowwhattomakeofMissFanny.Idonotunderstandher.Icouldnottellwhatshewouldbeatyesterday.Whatishercharacter?Isshesolemn?Isshequeer?Issheprudish?Whydidshedrawbackandlooksograveatme?Icouldhardlygethertospeak.Ineverwassolongincompanywithagirlinmylife,tryingtoentertainher,andsucceedsoill!Nevermetwithagirlwholookedsograveonme!Imusttrytogetthebetterofthis.Herlookssay,‘Iwillnotlikeyou,Iamdeterminednottolikeyou’andIsaysheshall.” “Foolishfellow!Andsothisisherattractionafterall!T