CHAPTER XLVII

gagooddealtoalarmhiminthatquarter,wrotetorecommendSirThomas’scomingtoLondonhimself,andusinghisinfluencewithhisdaughtertoputanendtotheintimacywhichwasalreadyexposinghertounpleasantremarks,andevidentlymakingMr.Rushworthuneasy. SirThomaswaspreparingtoactuponthisletter,withoutcommunicatingitscontentstoanycreatureatMansfield,whenitwasfollowedbyanother,sentexpressfromthesamefriend,tobreaktohimthealmostdesperatesituationinwhichaffairsthenstoodwiththeyoungpeople.Mrs.Rushworthhadleftherhusband’shouse:Mr.Rushworthhadbeeningreatangeranddistresstohim(Mr.Harding)forhisadviceMr.Hardingfearedtherehadbeenatleastveryflagrantindiscretion.ThemaidservantofMrs.Rushworth,senior,threatenedalarmingly.Hewasdoingallinhispowertoquieteverything,withthehopeofMrs.Rushworth’sreturn,butwassomuchcounteractedinWimpoleStreetbytheinfluenceofMr.Rushworth’smother,thattheworstconsequencesmightbeapprehended. Thisdreadfulcommunicationcouldnotbekeptfromtherestofthefamily.SirThomassetoff,Edmundwouldgowithhim,andtheothershadbeenleftinastateofwretchedness,inferioronlytowhatfollowedthereceiptofthenextlettersfromLondon.Everythingwasbythattimepublicbeyondahope.TheservantofMrs.Rushworth,themother,hadexposureinherpower,andsupportedbyhermistress,wasnottobesilenced.Thetwoladies,evenintheshorttimetheyhadbeentogether,haddisagreedandthebitternessoftheelderagainstherdaughter-in-lawmightperhapsarisealmostasmuchfromthepersonaldisrespectwithwhichshehadherselfbeentreatedasfromsensibilityforherson. Howeverthatmightbe,shewasunmanageable.Buthadshebeenlessobstinate,oroflessweightwithherson,whowasalwaysguidedbythelastspeaker,bythepersonwhocouldgetholdofandshuthimup,thecasewouldstillhavebeenhopeless,forMrs.Rushworthdidnotappearagain,andtherewaseveryreasontoconcludehertobeconcealedsomewherewithMr.Crawford,whohadquittedhisuncle’shouse,asforajourney,ontheverydayofherabsentingherself. SirThomas,however,remainedyetalittlelongerintown,inthehopeofdiscoveringandsnatchingherfromfarthervice,thoughallwaslostonthesideofcharacter. HispresentstateFannycouldhardlybeartothinkof.Therewasbutoneofhischildrenwhowasnotatthistimeasourceofmiserytohim.Tom’scomplaintshadbeengreatlyheightenedbytheshockofhissister’sconduct,andhisrecoverysomuchthrownbackbyit,thatevenLadyBertramhadbeenstruckbythedifference,andallheralarmswereregularlysentofftoherhusbandandJulia’selopement,theadditionalblowwhichhadmethimonhisarrivalinLondon,thoughitsforcehadbeendeadenedatthemoment,must,sheknew,besorelyfelt.Shesawthatitwas.Hislettersexpressedhowmuchhedeploredit.Underanycircumstancesitwouldhavebeenanunwelcomealliancebuttohaveitsoclandestinelyformed,andsuchaperiodchosenforitscompletion,placedJulia’sfeelingsinamostunfavourablelight,andseverelyaggravatedthefollyofherchoice.Hecalleditabadthing,doneintheworstmanner,andattheworsttimeandthoughJuliawasyetasmorepardonablethanMariaasfollythanvice,hecouldnotbutregardthestepshehadtakenasopeningtheworstprobabilitiesofaconclusionhereafterlikehersister’s.Suchwashisopinionofthesetintowhichshehadthrownherself. Fannyfeltforhimmostacutely.HecouldhavenocomfortbutinEdmund.Everyotherchildmustberackinghisheart.Hisdispleasureagainstherselfshetrusted,reasoningdifferentlyfromMrs.Norris,wouldnowbedoneaway.Sheshouldbejustified.Mr.Crawfordwouldhavefullyacquittedherconductinrefusinghimbutthis,thoughmostmaterialtoherself,wouldbepoorconsolationtoSirThomas.Heruncle’sdispleasurewasterribletoherbutwhatcouldherjustificationorhergratitudeandattachmentdoforhim?HisstaymustbeonEdmundalone. Shewasmistaken,however,insupposingthatEdmundgavehisfathernopresentpain.ItwasofamuchlesspoignantnaturethanwhattheothersexcitedbutSirThomaswasconsideringhishappinessasverydeeplyinvolvedintheoffenceofhissisterandfriendcutoffbyit,ashemustbe,fromthewomanwhomhehadbeenpursuingwithundoubtedattachmentandstrongprobabilityofsuccessandwho,ineverythingbutthisdespicablebrother,wouldhavebeensoeligibleaconnexion.HewasawareofwhatEdmundmustbesufferingonhisownbehalf,inadditiontoalltherest,whentheywereintown:hehadseenorconjecturedhisfeelingsand,havingreasontothinkthatoneinterviewwithMissCrawfordhadtakenplace,fromwhichEdmundde