CHAPTER XLIII

somebusinessthatyouapprovebutthiscannotpossiblybepermittedbeforethemiddleofnextweekthatis,hecannotanyhowbesparedtillafterthe14th,forwehaveapartythatevening.ThevalueofamanlikeHenry,onsuchanoccasion,iswhatyoucanhavenoconceptionofsoyoumusttakeituponmywordtobeinestimable.HewillseetheRushworths,whichIownIamnotsorryfor—havingalittlecuriosity,andsoIthinkhashe—thoughhewillnotacknowledgeit.” Thiswasalettertoberunthrougheagerly,tobereaddeliberately,tosupplymatterformuchreflection,andtoleaveeverythingingreatersuspensethanever.Theonlycertaintytobedrawnfromitwas,thatnothingdecisivehadyettakenplace.Edmundhadnotyetspoken.HowMissCrawfordreallyfelt,howshemeanttoact,ormightactwithoutoragainsthermeaningwhetherhisimportancetoherwerequitewhatithadbeenbeforethelastseparationwhether,iflessened,itwerelikelytolessenmore,ortorecoveritself,weresubjectsforendlessconjecture,andtobethoughtofonthatdayandmanydaystocome,withoutproducinganyconclusion.TheideathatreturnedtheoftenestwasthatMissCrawford,afterprovingherselfcooledandstaggeredbyareturntoLondonhabits,wouldyetproveherselfintheendtoomuchattachedtohimtogivehimup.Shewouldtrytobemoreambitiousthanherheartwouldallow.Shewouldhesitate,shewouldtease,shewouldcondition,shewouldrequireagreatdeal,butshewouldfinallyaccept. ThiswasFanny’smostfrequentexpectation.Ahouseintown—that,shethought,mustbeimpossible.YettherewasnosayingwhatMissCrawfordmightnotask.Theprospectforhercousingrewworseandworse.Thewomanwhocouldspeakofhim,andspeakonlyofhisappearance!Whatanunworthyattachment!TobederivingsupportfromthecommendationsofMrs.Fraser!Shewhohadknownhimintimat