“AndIlongedtodoit——buttherewassuchadeadsilence!
Andwhilemycousinsweresittingbywithoutspeakingaword，orseemingatallinterestedinthesubject，Ididnotlike——
IthoughtitwouldappearasifIwantedtosetmyselfoffattheirexpense，byshewingacuriosityandpleasureinhisinformationwhichhemustwishhisowndaughterstofeel。“
“MissCrawfordwasveryrightinwhatshesaidofyoutheotherday：thatyouseemedalmostasfearfulofnoticeandpraiseasotherwomenwereofneglect。WeweretalkingofyouattheParsonage，andthosewereherwords。
Shehasgreatdiscernment。Iknownobodywhodistinguishescharactersbetter。Forsoyoungawomanitisremarkable!
Shecertainlyunderstands_you_betterthanyouareunderstoodbythegreaterpartofthosewhohaveknownyousolong；andwithregardtosomeothers，Icanperceive，fromoccasionallivelyhints，theunguardedexpressionsofthemoment，thatshecoulddefine_many_asaccurately，didnotdelicacyforbidit。Iwonderwhatshethinksofmyfather!Shemustadmirehimasafine-lookingman，withmostgentlemanlike，dignified，consistentmanners；
butperhaps，havingseenhimsoseldom，hisreservemaybealittlerepulsive。Couldtheybemuchtogether，Ifeelsureoftheirlikingeachother。Hewouldenjoyherlivelinessandshehastalentstovaluehispowers。
Iwishtheymetmorefrequently!Ihopeshedoesnotsupposethereisanydislikeonhisside。“
“Shemustknowherselftoosecureoftheregardofalltherestofyou，“saidFanny，withhalfasigh，“tohaveanysuchapprehension。AndSirThomas’swishingjustatfirsttobeonlywithhisfamily，issoverynatural，thatshecanarguenothingfromthat。Afteralittlewhile，Idaresay，weshallbemeetingagaininthesamesortofway，allowingforthedifferenceofthetimeofyear。“
“ThisisthefirstOctoberthatshehaspassedinthecountrysinceherinfancy。IdonotcallTunbridgeorCheltenhamthecountry；andNovemberisastillmoreseriousmonth，andIcanseethatMrs。GrantisveryanxiousforhernotfindingMansfielddullaswintercomeson。“
Fannycouldhavesaidagreatdeal，butitwassafertosaynothing，andleaveuntouchedallMissCrawford’sresources——
heraccomplishments，herspirits，herimportance，herfriends，lestitshouldbetrayherintoanyobservationsseeminglyunhandsome。MissCrawford’skindopinionofherselfdeservedatleastagratefulforbearance，andshebegantotalkofsomethingelse。
“To-morrow，Ithink，myuncledinesatSotherton，andyouandMr。Bertramtoo。Weshallbequiteasmallpartyathome。
IhopemyunclemaycontinuetolikeMr。Rushworth。“
“Thatisimpossible，Fanny。Hemustlikehimlessafterto-morrow’svisit，forweshallbefivehoursinhiscompany。Ishoulddreadthestupidityoftheday，iftherewerenotamuchgreatereviltofollow——
theimpressionitmustleaveonSirThomas。Hecannotmuchlongerdeceivehimself。Iamsorryforthemall，andwouldgivesomethingthatRushworthandMariahadnevermet。“
Inthisquarter，indeed，disappointmentwasimpendingoverSirThomas。Notallhisgood-willforMr。Rushworth，notallMr。Rushworth’sdeferenceforhim，couldpreventhimfromsoondiscerningsomepartofthetruth——
thatMr。Rushworthwasaninferioryoungman，asignorantinbusinessasinbooks，withopinionsingeneralunfixed，andwithoutseemingmuchawareofithimself。
Hehadexpectedaverydifferentson-in-law；andbeginningtofeelgraveonMaria’saccount，triedtounderstand_her_feelings。Littleobservationtherewasnecessarytotellhimthatindifferencewasthemostfavourablestatetheycouldbein。HerbehaviourtoMr。Rushworthwascarelessandcold。Shecouldnot，didnotlikehim。
SirThomasresolvedtospeakseriouslytoher。
Advantageousaswouldbethealliance，andlongstandingandpublicaswastheengagement，herhappinessmustnotbesacrificedtoit。Mr。Rushworthhad，perhaps，beenacceptedontooshortanacquaintance，and，onknowinghimbetter，shewasrepenting。
WithsolemnkindnessSirThomasaddressedher：toldherhisfears，inquiredintoherwishes，entreatedhertobeopenandsincere，andassuredherthateveryinconvenienceshouldbebraved，andtheconnexionentirelygivenup，ifshefeltherselfunhappyintheprospectofit。
Hewouldactforherandreleaseher。Mariahadamoment’sstruggleasshelistened，andonlyamoment’s：whenherfatherceased，shewasabletogiveheranswerimmediately，decidedly，andwithnoapparentagitation。Shethankedhimforhisgreatattention，hispaternalkindness，buthewasquitemistakeninsupposingshehadthesmallestdesireofbreakingthroughherengagement，orwassensibleofanychangeofopinionorinclinationsinceherformingit。
ShehadthehighestesteemforMr。Rushworth’scharacteranddisposition，andcouldnothaveadoubtofherhappinesswithhim。
SirThomaswassatisfied；toogladtobesatisfied，perhaps，tourgethematterquitesofarashisjudgmentmighthavedictatedtoothers。Itwasanalliancewhichhecouldnothaverelinquishedwithoutpain；andthushereasoned。Mr。Rushworthwasyoungenoughtoimprove。
Mr。Rushworthmustandwouldimproveingoodsociety；
andifMariacouldnowspeaksosecurelyofherhappinesswithhim，speakingcertainlywithouttheprejudice，theblindnessoflove，sheoughttobebelieved。
Herfeelings，probably，werenotacute；hehadneversupposedthemtobeso；buthercomfortsmightnotbelessonthataccount；andifshecoulddispensewithseeingherhusbandaleading，shiningcharacter，therewouldcertainlybeeverythingelseinherfavour。
Awell-disposedyoungwoman，whodidnotmarryforlove，wasingeneralbutthemoreattachedtoherownfamily；
andthenearnessofSothertontoMansfieldmustnaturallyholdoutthegreatesttemptation，andwould，inallprobability，beacontinualsupplyofthemostamiableandinnocentenjoyments。
Suchandsuch-likewerethereasoningsofSirThomas，happytoescapetheembarrassingevilsofarupture，thewonder，thereflections，thereproachthatmustattendit；happytosecureamarriagewhichwouldbringhimsuchanadditionofrespectabilityandinfluence，andveryhappytothinkanythingofhisdaughter’sdispositionthatwasmostfavourableforthepurpose。
Tohertheconferenceclosedassatisfactorilyastohim。
Shewasinastateofmindtobegladthatshehadsecuredherfatebeyondrecall：thatshehadpledgedherselfanewtoSotherton；thatshewassafefromthepossibilityofgivingCrawfordthetriumphofgoverningheractions，anddestroyingherprospects；andretiredinproudresolve，determinedonlytobehavemorecautiouslytoMr。Rushworthinfuture，thatherfathermightnotbeagainsuspectingher。
HadSirThomasappliedtohisdaughterwithinthefirstthreeorfourdaysafterHenryCrawford’sleavingMansfield，beforeherfeelingswereatalltranquillised，beforeshehadgivenupeveryhopeofhim，orabsolutelyresolvedonenduringhisrival，heranswermighthavebeendifferent；
butafteranotherthreeorfourdays，whentherewasnoreturn，noletter，nomessage，nosymptomofasoftenedheart，nohopeofadvantagefromseparation，hermindbecamecoolenoughtoseekallthecomfortthatprideandselfrevengecouldgive。
HenryCrawfordhaddestroyedherhappiness，butheshouldnotknowthathehaddoneit；heshouldnotdestroyhercredit，herappearance，herprosperity，too。
HeshouldnothavetothinkofheraspiningintheretirementofMansfieldfor_him_，rejectingSothertonandLondon，independenceandsplendour，for_his_sake。
Independencewasmoreneedfulthanever；thewantofitatMansfieldmoresensiblyfelt。Shewaslessandlessabletoenduretherestraintwhichherfatherimposed。
Thelibertywhichhisabsencehadgivenwasnowbecomeabsolutelynecessary。ShemustescapefromhimandMansfieldassoonaspossible，andfindconsolationinfortuneandconsequence，bustleandtheworld，forawoundedspirit。
Hermindwasquitedetermined，andvariednot。
Tosuchfeelingsdelay，eventhedelayofmuchpreparation，wouldhavebeenanevil，andMr。Rushworthcouldhardlybemoreimpatientforthemarriagethanherself。
Inalltheimportantpreparationsofthemindshewascomplete：beingpreparedformatrimonybyanhatredofhome，restraint，andtranquillity；bythemiseryofdisappointedaffection，andcontemptofthemanshewastomarry。Therestmightwait。ThepreparationsofnewcarriagesandfurnituremightwaitforLondonandspring，whenherowntastecouldhavefairerplay。
Theprincipalsbeingallagreedinthisrespect，itsoonappearedthataveryfewweekswouldbesufficientforsucharrangementsasmustprecedethewedding。
Mrs。Rushworthwasquitereadytoretire，andmakewayforthefortunateyoungwomanwhomherdearsonhadselected；
andveryearlyinNovemberremovedherself，hermaid，herfootman，andherchariot，withtruedowagerpropriety，toBath，theretoparadeoverthewondersofSothertoninhereveningparties；enjoyingthemasthoroughly，perhaps，intheanimationofacard-table，asshehadeverdoneonthespot；andbeforethemiddleofthesamemonththeceremonyhadtakenplacewhichgaveSothertonanothermistress。
Itwasaveryproperwedding。Thebridewaselegantlydressed；
thetwobridesmaidsweredulyinferior；herfathergaveheraway；hermotherstoodwithsaltsinherhand，expectingtobeagitated；heraunttriedtocry；