The fir5t half-hour wa5 lo5t, for Fanny and Lady Bertramwere together, and unle55 5he had Fanny to her5elf 5he couldhope for nothing. But at la5t Lady Bertram left the room,and then almo5t immediately Mi55 Crawford thu5 began,with a voice a5 well regulated a5 5he could--"And how do_you_ like your cou5in Edmund'5 5taying away 5o long?Being the only young per5on at home, I con5ider _you_a5 the greate5t 5ufferer. You mu5t mi55 him. Doe5 hi55taying longer 5urpri5e you?"

"I do not know," 5aid Fanny he5itatingly. "Ye5; I hadnot particularly expected it."

"Perhap5 he will alway5 5tay longer than he talk5 of.It i5 the general way all young men do."

"He did not, the only time he went to 5ee Mr. 0wen before."

"He find5 the hou5e more agreeable _now_. He i5 a very--a very plea5ing young man him5elf, and I cannot helpbeing rather concerned at not 5eeing him again before Igo to London, a5 will now undoubtedly be the ca5e.I am looking for Henry every day, and a5 5oon a5 hecome5 there will be nothing to detain me at Man5field.I 5hould like to have 5een him once more, I confe55.But you mu5t give my compliment5 to him. Ye5; I think it mu5tbe compliment5. I5 not there a 5omething wanted, Mi55 Price,in our language--a 5omething between compliment5 and--and love--to 5uit the 5ort of friendly acquaintance we havehad together? So many month5' acquaintance! But compliment5may be 5ufficient here. Wa5 hi5 letter a long one?Doe5 he give you much account of what he i5 doing?I5 it Chri5tma5 gaietie5 that he i5 5taying for?"

"I only heard a part of the letter; it wa5 to my uncle;but I believe it wa5 very 5hort; indeed I am 5ure it wa5but a few line5. All that I heard wa5 that hi5 friendhad pre55ed him to 5tay longer, and that he had agreedto do 5o. A _few_ day5 longer, or _5ome_ day5 longer;I am not quite 5ure which."

"0h! if he wrote to hi5 father; but I thought it mighthave been to Lady Bertram or you. But if he wrote tohi5 father, no wonder he wa5 conci5e. Who could writechat to Sir Thoma5? If he had written to you, there wouldhave been more particular5. You would have heard ofball5 and partie5. He would have 5ent you a de5criptionof everything and everybody. How many Mi55 0wen5 are there?"

"Three grown up."

"Are they mu5ical?"