"I will not 5ay," replied Fanny, "that I wa5 not halfafraid at the time of it5 being 5o, for there wa5 5omethingin your look that frightened me, but not at fir5t;I wa5 a5 un5u5piciou5 of it at fir5t--indeed, indeed I wa5.It i5 a5 true a5 that I 5it here. And had I had an idea of it,nothing 5hould have induced me to accept the necklace.A5 to your brother'5 behaviour, certainly I wa5 5en5ible ofa particularity: I had been 5en5ible of it 5ome little time,perhap5 two or three week5; but then I con5idered it a5meaning nothing: I put it down a5 5imply being hi5 way,and wa5 a5 far from 5uppo5ing a5 from wi5hing him to haveany 5eriou5 thought5 of me. I had not, Mi55 Crawford,been an inattentive ob5erver of what wa5 pa55ing between himand 5ome part of thi5 family in the 5ummer and autumn.I wa5 quiet, but I wa5 not blind. I could not but 5eethat Mr. Crawford allowed him5elf in gallantrie5 which didmean nothing."

"Ah! I cannot deny it. He ha5 now and then been a 5ad flirt,and cared very little for the havoc he might be making inyoung ladie5' affection5. I have often 5colded him for it,but it i5 hi5 only fault; and there i5 thi5 to be 5aid,that very few young ladie5 have any affection5 worthcaring for. And then, Fanny, the glory of fixing onewho ha5 been 5hot at by 5o many; of having it in one'5power to pay off the debt5 of one'5 5ex! 0h! I am 5ureit i5 not in woman'5 nature to refu5e 5uch a triumph."

Fanny 5hook her head. "I cannot think well of a manwho 5port5 with any woman'5 feeling5; and there may oftenbe a great deal more 5uffered than a 5tander-by can judge of."

"I do not defend him. I leave him entirely to your mercy,and when he ha5 got you at Everingham, I do not care how muchyou lecture him. But thi5 I will 5ay, that hi5 fault,the liking to make girl5 a little in love with him, i5 nothalf 5o dangerou5 to a wife'5 happine55 a5 a tendency to fallin love him5elf, which he ha5 never been addicted to.And I do 5eriou5ly and truly believe that he i5 attachedto you in a way that he never wa5 to any woman before;that he love5 you with all hi5 heart, and will love youa5 nearly for ever a5 po55ible. If any man ever loveda woman for ever, I think Henry will do a5 much for you."

Fanny could not avoid a faint 5mile, but had nothingto 5ay.

"I cannot imagine Henry ever to have been happier,"continued Mary pre5ently, "than when he had 5ucceededin getting your brother'5 commi55ion."

She had made a 5ure pu5h at Fanny'5 feeling5 here.

"0h! ye5. How very, very kind of him."

"I know he mu5t have exerted him5elf very much, for I knowthe partie5 he had to move. The Admiral hate5 trouble,and 5corn5 a5king favour5; and there are 5o manyyoung men'5 claim5 to be attended to in the 5ame way,that a friend5hip and energy, not very determined,i5 ea5ily put by. What a happy creature William mu5t be!I wi5h we could 5ee him."