CHAPTER XLI

forwardwiththehopeofspendingmuch,verymuch,ofhistimetherealwaysthere,orintheneighbourhood.Heparticularlybuiltuponaveryhappysummerandautumntherethisyearhefeltthatitwouldbeso:hedependeduponitasummerandautumninfinitelysuperiortothelast.Asanimated,asdiversified,associal,butwithcircumstancesofsuperiorityundescribable. “Mansfield,Sotherton,ThorntonLacey,”hecontinued“whatasocietywillbecomprisedinthosehouses!AndatMichaelmas,perhaps,afourthmaybeadded:somesmallhunting-boxinthevicinityofeverythingsodearforastoanypartnershipinThorntonLacey,asEdmundBertramoncegood-humouredlyproposed,IhopeIforeseetwoobjections:twofair,excellent,irresistibleobjectionstothatplan.” Fannywasdoublysilencedherethoughwhenthemomentwaspassed,couldregretthatshehadnotforcedherselfintotheacknowledgedcomprehensionofonehalfofhismeaning,andencouragedhimtosaysomethingmoreofhissisterandEdmund.Itwasasubjectwhichshemustlearntospeakof,andtheweaknessthatshrunkfromitwouldsoonbequiteunpardonable. WhenMr.Priceandhisfriendhadseenallthattheywished,orhadtimefor,theotherswerereadytoreturnandinthecourseoftheirwalkback,Mr.Crawfordcontrivedaminute’sprivacyfortellingFannythathisonlybusinessinPortsmouthwastoseeherthathewascomedownforacoupleofdaysonheraccount,andhersonly,andbecausehecouldnotendurealongertotalseparation.Shewassorry,reallysorryandyetinspiteofthisandthetwoorthreeotherthingswhichshewishedhehadnotsaid,shethoughthimaltogetherimprovedsinceshehadseenhimhewasmuchmoregentle,obliging,andattentivetootherpeople’sfeelingsthanhehadeverbeenatMansfieldshehadneverseenhimsoagreeable—sonearbeingagreeablehisbehaviourtoherfathercouldnotoffend,andtherewassomethingparticularlykindandproperinthenoticehetookofSusan.Hewasdecidedlyimproved.Shewishedthenextdayover,shewishedhehadcomeonlyforonedaybutitwasnotsoverybadasshewouldhaveexpected:thepleasureoftalkingofMansfieldwassoverygreat! Beforetheyparted,shehadtothankhimforanotherpleasure,andoneofnotrivialkind.Herfatheraskedhimtodothemthehonouroftakinghismuttonwiththem,andFannyhadtimeforonlyonethrillofhorror,beforehedeclaredhimselfpreventedbyapriorengagement.HewasengagedtodinneralreadybothforthatdayandthenexthehadmetwithsomeacquaintanceattheCrownwhowouldnotbedeniedheshouldhavethehonour,however,ofwaitingonthemagainonthemorrow,etc.,andsotheyparted—Fannyinastateofactualfelicityfromescapingsohorribleanevil! Tohavehadhimjointheirfamilydinner-party,andseealltheirdeficiencies,wouldhavebeendreadful!Rebecca’scookeryandRebecca’swaiting,andBetsey’seatingattablewithoutrestraint,andpullingeverythingaboutasshechose,werewhatFannyherselfwasnotyetenoughinuredtoforheroftentomakeatolerablemeal.Shewasniceonlyfromnaturaldelicacy,buthehadbeenbroughtupinaschoolofluxuryandepicurism.