CHAPTER XXXVII

ea. Allthecomfortoftheircomfortablejourneywouldbedestroyedatonce.Withwoefulcountenancestheylookedateachother.Theirsuspenselastedanhourortwo.Nooneinterferedtoencourageordissuade.Mrs.Norriswaslefttosettlethematterbyherselfanditended,totheinfinitejoyofhernephewandniece,intherecollectionthatshecouldnotpossiblybesparedfromMansfieldParkatpresentthatshewasagreatdealtoonecessarytoSirThomasandLadyBertramforhertobeabletoanswerittoherselftoleavethemevenforaweek,andthereforemustcertainlysacrificeeveryotherpleasuretothatofbeingusefultothem. Ithad,infact,occurredtoher,thatthoughtakentoPortsmouthfornothing,itwouldbehardlypossibleforhertoavoidpayingherownexpensesbackagain.SoherpoordearsisterPricewaslefttoallthedisappointmentofhermissingsuchanopportunity,andanothertwentyyears’absence,perhaps,begun. Edmund’splanswereaffectedbythisPortsmouthjourney,thisabsenceofFanny’s.HetoohadasacrificetomaketoMansfieldParkaswellashisaunt.Hehadintended,aboutthistime,tobegoingtoLondonbuthecouldnotleavehisfatherandmotherjustwheneverybodyelseofmostimportancetotheircomfortwasleavingthemandwithaneffort,feltbutnotboastedof,hedelayedforaweekortwolongerajourneywhichhewaslookingforwardtowiththehopeofitsfixinghishappinessforever. HetoldFannyofit.Sheknewsomuchalready,thatshemustknoweverything.ItmadethesubstanceofoneotherconfidentialdiscourseaboutMissCrawfordandFannywasthemoreaffectedfromfeelingittobethelasttimeinwhichMissCrawford’snamewouldeverbementionedbetweenthemwithanyremainsofliberty.Onceafterwardsshewasalludedtobyhim.LadyBertramhadbeentellinghernieceintheeveningtowritetohersoonandoften,andpromisingtobeagoodcorrespondentherselfandEdmund,ataconvenientmoment,thenaddedinawhisper,“AndIshallwritetoyou,Fanny,whenIhaveanythingworthwritingabout,anythingtosaythatIthinkyouwillliketohear,andthatyouwillnothearsosoonfromanyotherquarter.”Hadshedoubtedhismeaningwhileshelistened,theglowinhisface,whenshelookedupathim,wouldhavebeendecisive. Forthislettershemusttrytoarmherself.ThataletterfromEdmundshouldbeasubjectofterror!Shebegantofeelthatshehadnotyetgonethroughallthechangesofopinionandsentimentwhichtheprogressoftimeandvariationofcircumstancesoccasioninthisworldofchanges.Thevicissitudesofthehumanmindhadnotyetbeenexhaustedbyher. PoorFanny!thoughgoingasshedidwillinglyandeagerly,thelasteveningatMansfieldParkmuststillbewretchedness.Herheartwascompletelysadatparting.Shehadtearsforeveryroominthehouse,muchmoreforeverybelovedinhabitant.Sheclungtoheraunt,becauseshewouldmisshershekissedthehandofherunclewithstrugglingsobs,becauseshehaddispleasedhimandasforEdmund,shecouldneitherspeak,norlook,northink,whenthelastmomentcamewithhimanditwasnottillitwasoverthatsheknewhewasgivinghertheaffectionatefarewellofabrother. Allthispassedovernight,forthejourneywastobeginveryearlyinthemorningandwhenthesmall,diminishedpartymetatbreakfast,WilliamandFannyweretalkedofasalreadyadvancedonestage.