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You will not want to be talked toLet us have the luxury of silence
Fanny would hardly even speak her agreementA weariness, arising
probably, in great measure, from the same feelings which he had
acknowledged in the morning, was peculiarly to be respected, and
they went down their two dances together with such sober tranquillity
as might satisfy any looker-on that Sir Thomas had been bringing
up no wife for his younger son
The evening had afforded Edmund little pleasureMiss Crawford
had been in gay spirits when they first danced together, but it was
not her gaiety that could do him good: it rather sank than raised his
comfort; and afterwards, for he found himself still impelled to seek
her again, she had absolutely pained him by her manner of speaking
of the profession to which he was now on the point of belonging
They had talked, and they had been silent; he had reasoned,
she had ridiculed; and they had parted at last with mutual vexation
Fanny, not able to refrain entirely from observing them, had seen
enough to be tolerably satisfiedIt was barbarous to be happy when
Edmund was sufferingYet some happiness must and would arise
from the very conviction that he did suffer
When her two dances with him were over, her inclination and
strength for more were pretty well at an end; and Sir Thomas, balenciaga bag made with goat leather having
seen her walk rather than dance down the shortening set, breathless,
and with her hand at her side, gave his orders for her sitting
down entirelyCrawford sat down likewise
?Poor Fanny!? cried William, coming for a moment to visit her,
and working away his partner?s fan as if for life, ?how soon she is
knocked up! Why, the sport is but just begunI hope we shall keep
it up these two hoursHow can you be tired so soon??
?So soon! my good friend,? said Sir Thomas, producing his watch
with all necessary caution; ?it is three o?clock, and your sister is not
used to these sort of hours
?Well, then, Fanny, you shall not get up to-morrow before I go
Sleep as long as you can, and never mind me
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Jane Austen
?What! Did she think of being up before you set off??
?Oh! yes, sir,? cried Fanny, rising eagerly from her seat to be nearer
her uncle; ?I must get up and breakfast with himIt will be the last
time, you know; the last morning
?You had better notHe is to have breakfasted and be gone by
half-past nineCrawford, I think you call for him at half-past
nine??
Fanny was too urgent, however, and had too many tears in her
eyes for denial; and it ended in a gracious ?Well, well!? which was
permission
?Yes, half-past nine,? said Crawford to William as the latter was
leaving them, ?and I shall be louis vuitton brown canvas handbag punctual, for there will be no kind
sister to get up for me And in a lower tone to Fanny, ?I shall have
only a desolate house to hurry fromYour brother will find my ideas
of time and his own very different to-morrow
After a short consideration, Sir Thomas asked Crawford to join
the early breakfast party in that house instead of eating alone: he
should himself be of it; and the readiness with which his invitation
was accepted convinced him that the suspicions whence, he must
confess to himself, this very ball had in great measure sprung, were
well foundedCrawford was in love with FannyHe had a pleasing
anticipation of what would beHis niece, meanwhile, did not
thank him for what he had just doneShe had hoped to have William
all to herself the last morningIt would have been an unspeakable
indulgenceBut though her wishes were overthrown, there was
no spirit of murmuring within herOn the contrary, she was so
totally unused to have her pleasure consulted, or to have anything
take place at all in the way she could desire, that she was more disposed
to wonder and rejoice in having carried her point so far, than
to repine at the counteraction which followed
Shortly afterward, Sir Thomas was again interfering a little with
her inclination, by advising her to go immediately to bed?Advise?
was his fendi black leatrher spy bag word, but it was the advice of absolute power, and she had
only to rise, and, with MrCrawford?s very cordial adieus, pass quietly
away; stopping at the entrance-door, like the Lady of Branxholm
Hall, ?one moment and no more,? to view the happy scene, and
take a last look at the five or six determined couple who were still
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Mansfield Park
hard at work; and then, creeping slowly up the principal staircase,
pursued by the ceaseless country-dance, feverish with hopes and
fears, soup and negus, sore-footed and fatigued, restless and agitated,
yet feeling, in spite of everything, that a ball was indeed delightful
In thus sending her away, Sir Thomas perhaps might not be thinking
merely of her healthIt might occur to him that MrCrawford
had been sitting by her long enough, or he might mean to recommend
her as a wife by shewing her persuadableness
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CHAPTER XXIX
THE BALL WAS OVER, and the breakfast was soon over too; the last kiss
was given, and William was goneCrawford had, as he foretold,
been very punctual, and short and pleasant had been the meal
After seeing William to the last moment, Fanny walked back to
the breakfast-room with a very saddened heart to grieve over the
melancholy change; and there her uncle kindly left her to cry in
peace, conceiving, perhaps, that the discount tiffany's necklace deserted chair of each young
man might exercise her tender enthusiasm, and that the remaining
cold pork bones and mustard in William?s plate might but divide
her feelings with the broken egg-shells in MrShe sat
and cried con amore as her uncle intended, but it was con amore
fraternal and no otherWilliam was gone, and she now felt as if she
had wasted half his visit in idle cares and selfish solicitudes unconnected
with him
Fanny?s disposition was such that she could never even think of
her aunt Norris in the meagreness and cheerlessness of her own
small house, without reproaching herself for some little want of attention
to her when they had been last together; much less could
her feelings acquit her of having done and said and thought everything
by William that was due to him for a whole fortnight
It was a heavy, melancholy daySoon after the second breakfast,
Edmund bade them good-bye for a week, and mounted his horse
for Peterborough, and then all were goneNothing remained of last
night but remembrances, which she had nobody to share inShe
talked to her aunt Bertram?she must talk to somebody of the ball;
but her aunt had seen so little of what had passed, and had so little
curiosity, that it was heavy workLady Bertram was not certain of
anybody?s dress or anybody?s place at supper but her mulberry bags china own |
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