CHAPTER XXIX

ethinkherbypraisinghertoherface,sheisnowaveryvaluablecompanion.Ifwehavebeenkindtoher,sheisnowquiteasnecessarytous.” “Yes,”saidLadyBertrampresently“anditisacomforttothinkthatweshallalwayshaveher.” SirThomaspaused,halfsmiled,glancedathisniece,andthengravelyreplied,“Shewillneverleaveus,Ihope,tillinvitedtosomeotherhomethatmayreasonablypromisehergreaterhappinessthansheknowshere.” “Andthatisnotverylikelytobe,SirThomas.Whoshouldinviteher?MariamightbeverygladtoseeheratSothertonnowandthen,butshewouldnotthinkofaskinghertolivethereandIamsuresheisbetteroffhereandbesides,Icannotdowithouther.” TheweekwhichpassedsoquietlyandpeaceablyatthegreathouseinMansfieldhadaverydifferentcharacterattheParsonage.Totheyounglady,atleast,ineachfamily,itbroughtverydifferentfeelings.WhatwastranquillityandcomforttoFannywastediousnessandvexationtoMary.Somethingarosefromdifferenceofdispositionandhabit:onesoeasilysatisfied,theothersounusedtoendurebutstillmoremightbeimputedtodifferenceofcircumstances.Insomepointsofinteresttheywereexactlyopposedtoeachother.ToFanny’smind,Edmund’sabsencewasreally,initscauseanditstendency,arelief.ToMaryitwaseverywaypainful.Shefeltthewantofhissocietyeveryday,almosteveryhour,andwastoomuchinwantofittoderiveanythingbutirritationfromconsideringtheobjectforwhichhewent.Hecouldnothavedevisedanythingmorelikelytoraisehisconsequencethanthisweek’sabsence,occurringasitdidattheverytimeofherbrother’sgoingaway,ofWilliamPrice’sgoingtoo,andcompletingthesortofgeneralbreak-upofapartywhichhadbeensoanimated.Shefeltitkeenly.Theywerenowamiserabletrio,confinedwithindoorsbyaseriesofrainandsnow,withnothingtodoandnovarietytohopefor.AngryasshewaswithEdmundforadheringtohisownnotions,andactingonthemindefianceofher(andshehadbeensoangrythattheyhadhardlypartedfriendsattheball),shecouldnothelpthinkingofhimcontinuallywhenabsent,dwellingonhismeritandaffection,andlongingagainforthealmostdailymeetingstheylatelyhad.Hisabsencewasunnecessarilylong.Heshouldnothaveplannedsuchanabsence—heshouldnothavelefthomeforaweek,whenherowndeparturefromMansfieldwassonear.Thenshebegantoblameherself.Shewishedshehadnotspokensowarmlyintheirlastconversation.Shewasafraidshehadusedsomestrong,somecontemptuousexpressionsinspeakingoftheclergy,andthatshouldnothavebeen.Itwasill-breditwaswrong.Shewishedsuchwordsunsaidwithallherheart. Hervexationdidnotendwiththeweek.Allthiswasbad,butshehadstillmoretofeelwhenFridaycameroundagainandbroughtnoEdmundwhenSaturdaycameandstillnoEdmundandwhen,throughtheslightcommunicationwiththeotherfamilywhichSundayproduced,shelearnedthathehadactuallywrittenhometodeferhisreturn,havingpromisedtoremainsom