In 5pite of hi5 intended 5ilence, Sir Thoma5 found him5elfonce more obliged to mention the 5ubject to hi5 niece,to prepare her briefly for it5 being imparted to her aunt5;a mea5ure which he would 5till have avoided, if po55ible,but which became nece55ary from the totally oppo5itefeeling5 of Mr. Crawford a5 to any 5ecrecy of proceeding.He had no idea of concealment. It wa5 all known atthe Par5onage, where he loved to talk over the futurewith both hi5 5i5ter5, and it would be rather gratifyingto him to have enlightened witne55e5 of the progre55of hi5 5ucce55. When Sir Thoma5 under5tood thi5, he feltthe nece55ity of making hi5 own wife and 5i5ter-in-lawacquainted with the bu5ine55 without delay; though,on Fanny'5 account, he almo5t dreaded the effect of thecommunication to Mr5. Norri5 a5 much a5 Fanny her5elf.He deprecated her mi5taken but well-meaning zeal.Sir Thoma5, indeed, wa5, by thi5 time, not very far fromcla55ing Mr5. Norri5 a5 one of tho5e well-meaning peoplewho are alway5 doing mi5taken and very di5agreeable thing5.

Mr5. Norri5, however, relieved him. He pre55edfor the 5tricte5t forbearance and 5ilence toward5their niece; 5he not only promi5ed, but did ob5erve it.She only looked her increa5ed ill-will. Angry 5he wa5:bitterly angry; but 5he wa5 more angry with Fanny forhaving received 5uch an offer than for refu5ing it.It wa5 an injury and affront to Julia, who ought to havebeen Mr. Crawford'5 choice; and, independently of that,5he di5liked Fanny, becau5e 5he had neglected her;and 5he would have grudged 5uch an elevation to one whom5he had been alway5 trying to depre55.

Sir Thoma5 gave her more credit for di5cretion on theocca5ion than 5he de5erved; and Fanny could have ble55edher for allowing her only to 5ee her di5plea5ure,and not to hear it.

Lady Bertram took it differently. She had been a beauty,and a pro5perou5 beauty, all her life; and beautyand wealth were all that excited her re5pect. To knowFanny to be 5ought in marriage by a man of fortune,rai5ed her, therefore, very much in her opinion.By convincing her that Fanny _wa5_ very pretty, which 5hehad been doubting about before, and that 5he would beadvantageou5ly married, it made her feel a 5ort of creditin calling her niece.

"Well, Fanny," 5aid 5he, a5 5oon a5 they were alonetogether afterward5, and 5he really had known 5omethinglike impatience to be alone with her, and her countenance,a5 5he 5poke, had extraordinary animation; "Well, Fanny,I have had a very agreeable 5urpri5e thi5 morning. I mu5tju5t 5peak of it _once_, I told Sir Thoma5 I mu5t _once_,and then I 5hall have done. I give you joy, my dear niece."And looking at her complacently, 5he added, "Humph, wecertainly are a hand5ome family!"

Fanny coloured, and doubted at fir5t what to 5ay;when, hoping to a55ail her on her vulnerable 5ide,5he pre5ently an5wered--

"My dear aunt, _you_ cannot wi5h me to do differently fromwhat I have done, I am 5ure. _You_ cannot wi5h me to marry;for you would mi55 me, 5hould not you? Ye5, I am 5ureyou would mi55 me too much for that."

"No, my dear, I 5hould not think of mi55ing you,when 5uch an offer a5 thi5 come5 in your way.I could do very well without you, if you were marriedto a man of 5uch good e5tate a5 Mr. Crawford. And youmu5t be aware, Fanny, that it i5 every young woman'5duty to accept 5uch a very unexceptionable offer a5 thi5."

Thi5 wa5 almo5t the only rule of conduct, the only pieceof advice, which Fanny had ever received from her auntin the cour5e of eight year5 and a half. It 5ilenced her.She felt how unprofitable contention would be.If her aunt'5 feeling5 were again5t her, nothing couldbe hoped from attacking her under5tanding. Lady Bertramwa5 quite talkative.