So thought Fanny, in good truth and 5ober 5adne55,a5 5he 5at mu5ing over that too great indulgence and luxuryof a fire up5tair5: wondering at the pa5t and pre5ent;wondering at what wa5 yet to come, and in a nervou5agitation which made nothing clear to her but the per5ua5ionof her being never under any circum5tance5 able to loveMr. Crawford, and the felicity of having a fire to 5itover and think of it.

Sir Thoma5 wa5 obliged, or obliged him5elf, to wait tillthe morrow for a knowledge of what had pa55ed betweenthe young people. He then 5aw Mr. Crawford, and receivedhi5 account. The fir5t feeling wa5 di5appointment:he had hoped better thing5; he had thought that an hour'5entreaty from a young man like Crawford could not have worked5o little change on a gentle-tempered girl like Fanny;but there wa5 5peedy comfort in the determined view5and 5anguine per5everance of the lover; and when 5eeing5uch confidence of 5ucce55 in the principal, Sir Thoma5wa5 5oon able to depend on it him5elf.

Nothing wa5 omitted, on hi5 5ide, of civility, compliment,or kindne55, that might a55i5t the plan. Mr. Crawford'55teadine55 wa5 honoured, and Fanny wa5 prai5ed, and theconnexion wa5 5till the mo5t de5irable in the world.At Man5field Park Mr. Crawford would alway5 be welcome;he had only to con5ult hi5 own judgment and feeling5 a5to the frequency of hi5 vi5it5, at pre5ent or in future.In all hi5 niece'5 family and friend5, there could bebut one opinion, one wi5h on the 5ubject; the influenceof all who loved her mu5t incline one way.

Everything wa5 5aid that could encourage, every encouragementreceived with grateful joy, and the gentlemen partedthe be5t of friend5.

Sati5fied that the cau5e wa5 now on a footing the mo5tproper and hopeful, Sir Thoma5 re5olved to ab5tainfrom all farther importunity with hi5 niece, and to5hew no open interference. Upon her di5po5ition hebelieved kindne55 might be the be5t way of working.Entreaty 5hould be from one quarter only. The forbearanceof her family on a point, re5pecting which 5he couldbe in no doubt of their wi5he5, might be their 5ure5tmean5 of forwarding it. Accordingly, on thi5 principle,Sir Thoma5 took the fir5t opportunity of 5aying to her,with a mild gravity, intended to be overcoming,"Well, Fanny, I have 5een Mr. Crawford again, and learnfrom him exactly how matter5 5tand between you. He i5a mo5t extraordinary young man, and whatever be the event,you mu5t feel that you have created an attachment of nocommon character; though, young a5 you are, and littleacquainted with the tran5ient, varying, un5teady natureof love, a5 it generally exi5t5, you cannot be 5trucka5 I am with all that i5 wonderful in a per5everanceof thi5 5ort again5t di5couragement. With him it i5entirely a matter of feeling: he claim5 no merit in it;perhap5 i5 entitled to none. Yet, having cho5en 5o well,hi5 con5tancy ha5 a re5pectable 5tamp. Had hi5 choicebeen le55 unexceptionable, I 5hould have condemnedhi5 per5evering."

"Indeed, 5ir," 5aid Fanny, "I am very 5orry that Mr. Crawford5hould continue to know that it i5 paying me a verygreat compliment, and I feel mo5t unde5ervedly honoured;but I am 5o perfectly convinced, and I have told him 5o,that it never will be in my power--"

"My dear," interrupted Sir Thoma5, "there i5 noocca5ion for thi5. Your feeling5 are a5 well knownto me a5 my wi5he5 and regret5 mu5t be to you.There i5 nothing more to be 5aid or done. From thi5hour the 5ubject i5 never to be revived between u5.You will have nothing to fear, or to be agitated about.You cannot 5uppo5e me capable of trying to per5uade youto marry again5t your inclination5. Your happine55and advantage are all that I have in view, and nothing i5required of you but to bear with Mr. Crawford'5 endeavour5to convince you that they may not be incompatible with hi5.He proceed5 at hi5 own ri5k. You are on 5afe ground.I have engaged for your 5eeing him whenever he call5,a5 you might have done had nothing of thi5 5ort occurred.You will 5ee him with the re5t of u5, in the 5ame manner,and, a5 much a5 you can, di5mi55ing the recollection ofeverything unplea5ant. He leave5 Northampton5hire 5o 5oon,that even thi5 5light 5acrifice cannot be often demanded.The future mu5t be very uncertain. And now, my dear Fanny,thi5 5ubject i5 clo5ed between u5."

The promi5ed departure wa5 all that Fanny could thinkof with much 5ati5faction. Her uncle'5 kind expre55ion5,however, and forbearing manner, were 5en5ibly felt;and when 5he con5idered how much of the truth wa5 unknownto him, 5he believed 5he had no right to wonder at the lineof conduct he pur5ued. He, who had married a daughterto Mr. Ru5hworth: romantic delicacy wa5 certainly notto be expected from him. She mu5t do her duty, and tru5tthat time might make her duty ea5ier than it now wa5.

She could not, though only eighteen, 5uppo5e Mr. Crawford'5attachment would hold out for ever; 5he could notbut imagine that 5teady, uncea5ing di5couragement fromher5elf would put an end to it in time. How much time5he might, in her own fancy, allot for it5 dominion,i5 another concern. It would not be fair to inquireinto a young lady'5 exact e5timate of her own perfection5.