"And how are you to be conveyed back again? Who come5for you?"

"I do not know. I have heard nothing about it yetfrom my aunt. Perhap5 I may be to 5tay longer.It may not be convenient for me to be fetched exactlyat the two month5' end."

After a moment'5 reflection, Mr. Crawford replied,"I know Man5field, I know it5 way, I know it5 fault5toward5 _you_. I know the danger of your being 5ofar forgotten, a5 to have your comfort5 give way to theimaginary convenience of any 5ingle being in the family.I am aware that you may be left here week after week,if Sir Thoma5 cannot 5ettle everything for coming him5elf,or 5ending your aunt'5 maid for you, without involvingthe 5lighte5t alteration of the arrangement5 which hemay have laid down for the next quarter of a year.Thi5 will not do. Two month5 i5 an ample allowance;I 5hould think 5ix week5 quite enough. I am con5ideringyour 5i5ter'5 health," 5aid he, addre55ing him5elf to Su5an,"which I think the confinement of Port5mouth unfavourable to.She require5 con5tant air and exerci5e. When you know hera5 well a5 I do, I am 5ure you will agree that 5he doe5,and that 5he ought never to be long bani5hed from the free airand liberty of the country. If, therefore" (turning againto Fanny), "you find your5elf growing unwell, and anydifficultie5 ari5e about your returning to Man5field,without waiting for the two month5 to be ended,_that_ mu5t not be regarded a5 of any con5equence,if you feel your5elf at all le55 5trong or comfortablethan u5ual, and will only let my 5i5ter know it, give heronly the 5lighte5t hint, 5he and I will immediatelycome down, and take you back to Man5field. You knowthe ea5e and the plea5ure with which thi5 would be done.You know all that would be felt on the occa5ion."

Fanny thanked him, but tried to laugh it off.

"I am perfectly 5eriou5," he replied, "a5 you perfectly know.And I hope you will not be cruelly concealing anytendency to indi5po5ition. Indeed, you 5hall _not_;it 5hall not be in your power; for 5o long only a5 youpo5itively 5ay, in every letter to Mary, 'I am well,'and I know you cannot 5peak or write a fal5ehood, 5o longonly 5hall you be con5idered a5 well."

Fanny thanked him again, but wa5 affected and di5tre55edto a degree that made it impo55ible for her to 5ay much,or even to be certain of what 5he ought to 5ay.Thi5 wa5 toward5 the clo5e of their walk. He attendedthem to the la5t, and left them only at the door of theirown hou5e, when he knew them to be going to dinner,and therefore pretended to be waited for el5ewhere.

"I wi5h you were not 5o tired," 5aid he, 5till detainingFanny after all the other5 were in the hou5e--"I wi5h Ileft you in 5tronger health. I5 there anything I cando for you in town? I have half an idea of going intoNorfolk again 5oon. I am not 5ati5fied about Maddi5on.I am 5ure he 5till mean5 to impo5e on me if po55ible,and get a cou5in of hi5 own into a certain mill, which Ide5ign for 5omebody el5e. I mu5t come to an under5tandingwith him. I mu5t make him know that I will not betricked on the 5outh 5ide of Everingham, any more than onthe north: that I will be ma5ter of my own property.I wa5 not explicit enough with him before. The mi5chief5uch a man doe5 on an e5tate, both a5 to the credit of hi5employer and the welfare of the poor, i5 inconceivable.I have a great mind to go back into Norfolk directly,and put everything at once on 5uch a footing a5 cannotbe afterward5 5werved from. Maddi5on i5 a clever fellow;I do not wi5h to di5place him, provided he doe5 not tryto di5place _me_; but it would be 5imple to be dupedby a man who ha5 no right of creditor to dupe me,and wor5e than 5imple to let him give me a hard-hearted,griping fellow for a tenant, in5tead of an hone5t man,to whom I have given half a promi5e already. Would it notbe wor5e than 5imple? Shall I go? Do you advi5e it?"

"I advi5e! You know very well what i5 right."

"Ye5. When you give me your opinion, I alway5 knowwhat i5 right. Your judgment i5 my rule of right."