CHAPTER XLVIII

Letotherpensdwellonguiltandmisery.IquitsuchodioussubjectsassoonasIcan,impatienttorestoreeverybody,notgreatlyinfaultthemselves,totolerablecomfort,andtohavedonewithalltherest. MyFanny,indeed,atthisverytime,Ihavethesatisfactionofknowing,musthavebeenhappyinspiteofeverything.Shemusthavebeenahappycreatureinspiteofallthatshefelt,orthoughtshefelt,forthedistressofthosearoundher.Shehadsourcesofdelightthatmustforcetheirway.ShewasreturnedtoMansfieldPark,shewasuseful,shewasbelovedshewassafefromMr.CrawfordandwhenSirThomascamebackshehadeveryproofthatcouldbegiveninhisthenmelancholystateofspirits,ofhisperfectapprobationandincreasedregardandhappyasallthismustmakeher,shewouldstillhavebeenhappywithoutanyofit,forEdmundwasnolongerthedupeofMissCrawford. ItistruethatEdmundwasveryfarfromhappyhimself.Hewassufferingfromdisappointmentandregret,grievingoverwhatwas,andwishingforwhatcouldneverbe.Sheknewitwasso,andwassorrybutitwaswithasorrowsofoundedonsatisfaction,sotendingtoease,andsomuchinharmonywitheverydearestsensation,thattherearefewwhomightnothavebeengladtoexchangetheirgreatestgaietyforit. SirThomas,poorSirThomas,aparent,andconsciousoferrorsinhisownconductasaparent,wasthelongesttosuffer.Hefeltthatheoughtnottohaveallowedthemarriagethathisdaughter’ssentimentshadbeensufficientlyknowntohimtorenderhimculpableinauthorisingitthatinsodoinghehadsacrificedtherighttotheexpedient,andbeengovernedbymotivesofselfishnessandworldlywisdom.ThesewerereflectionsthatrequiredsometimetosoftenbuttimewilldoalmosteverythingandthoughlittlecomfortaroseonMrs.Rushworth’ssideforthemiseryshehadoccasioned,comfortwastobefoundgreaterthanhehadsupposedinhisotherchildren.Julia’smatchbecamealessdesperatebusinessthanhehadconsidereditatfirst.Shewashumble,andwishingtobeforgivenandMr.Yates,desirousofbeingreallyreceivedintothefamily,wasdisposedtolookuptohimandbeguided.Hewasnotverysolidbuttherewasahopeofhisbecominglesstrifling,ofhisbeingatleasttolerablydomesticandquietandatanyrate,therewascomfortinfindinghisestaterathermore,andhisdebtsmuchless,thanhehadfeared,andinbeingconsultedandtreatedasthefriendbestworthattendingto.TherewascomfortalsoinTom,whograduallyregainedhishealth,withoutregainingthethoughtlessnessandselfishnessofhisprevioushabits.Hewasthebetterforeverforhisillness.Hehadsuffered,andhehadlearnedtothink:twoadvantagesthathehadneverknownbeforeandtheself-reproacharisingfromthedeplorableeventinWimpoleStreet,towhichhefelthimselfaccessorybyallthedangerousintimacyofhisunjustifiabletheatre,madeanimpressiononhismindwhich,attheageofsix-and-twenty,withnowantofsenseorgoodcompanions,wasdurableinitshappyeffects.Hebecamewhatheoughttobe:usefultohisfather,steadyandquiet,andnotlivingmerelyforhimself. Herewascomfortindeed!andquiteassoonasSirThomascouldplacedependenceonsuchsourcesofgood,Edmundwascontributingtohisfather’seasebyimprovementintheonlypointinwhichhehadgivenhimpainbefore—improvementinhisspirits.AfterwanderingaboutandsittingundertreeswithFannyallthesummerevenings,hehadsowelltalkedhismindintosubmissionastobeverytolerablycheerfulagain. ThesewerethecircumstancesandthehopeswhichgraduallybroughttheiralleviationtoSirThomas,deadeninghissenseofwhatwaslost,andinpartreconcilinghimtohimselfthoughtheanguisharisingfromtheconvictionofhisownerrorsintheeducationofhisdaughterswasnevertobeentirelydoneaway. ToolatehebecameawarehowunfavourabletothecharacterofanyyoungpeoplemustbethetotallyoppositetreatmentwhichMariaandJuliahadbeenalwaysexperiencingathome,wheretheexcessiveindulgenceandflatteryoftheiraunthadbeencontinuallycontrastedwithhisownseverity.Hesawhowillhehadjudged,inexpectingtocounteractwhatwaswronginMrs.Norrisbyitsreverseinhimselfclearlysawthathehadbutincreasedtheevilbyteachingthemtorepresstheirspiritsinhispresencesoastomaketheirrealdispositionunknowntohim,andsendingthemforalltheirindulgencestoapersonwhohadbeenabletoattachthemonlybytheblindnessofheraffection,andtheexcessofherpraise. Herehadbeengrievousmismanagementbut,badasitwas,hegraduallygrewtofeelthatithadnotbeenthemostdirefulmistakeinhisplanofeducation.Somethingmusthavebeenwantingwithin,ortimewouldhavewornawaymuchofitsilleffect.Hefearedthatprinciple,activeprinciple,hadbeenwantingthattheyhadneverbeenproperlytaughttogoverntheirinclinationsandtempersbythatsenseofdutywhichcanalonesuffice.Theyhadbeeninstructedtheoreticallyintheir