Thisdreadfulcommunicationcouldnotbekeptfromtherestofthefamily。SirThomassetoff，Edmundwouldgowithhim，andtheothershadbeenleftinastateofwretchedness，inferioronlytowhatfollowedthereceiptofthenextlettersfromLondon。Everythingwasbythattimepublicbeyondahope。TheservantofMrs。Rushworth，themother，hadexposureinherpower，andsupportedbyhermistress，wasnottobesilenced。Thetwoladies，evenintheshorttimetheyhadbeentogether，haddisagreed；andthebitternessoftheelderagainstherdaughter-in-lawmightperhapsarisealmostasmuchfromthepersonaldisrespectwithwhichshehadherselfbeentreatedasfromsensibilityforherson。
Howeverthatmightbe，shewasunmanageable。Buthadshebeenlessobstinate，oroflessweightwithherson，whowasalwaysguidedbythelastspeaker，bythepersonwhocouldgetholdofandshuthimup，thecasewouldstillhavebeenhopeless，forMrs。Rushworthdidnotappearagain，andtherewaseveryreasontoconcludehertobeconcealedsomewherewithMr。Crawford，whohadquittedhisuncle’shouse，asforajourney，ontheverydayofherabsentingherself。
SirThomas，however，remainedyetalittlelongerintown，inthehopeofdiscoveringandsnatchingherfromfarthervice，thoughallwaslostonthesideofcharacter。
_His_presentstateFannycouldhardlybeartothinkof。
Therewasbutoneofhischildrenwhowasnotatthistimeasourceofmiserytohim。Tom’scomplaintshadbeengreatlyheightenedbytheshockofhissister’sconduct，andhisrecoverysomuchthrownbackbyit，thatevenLadyBertramhadbeenstruckbythedifference，andallheralarmswereregularlysentofftoherhusband；