heheardsomuchofmymiseryaboutit。Andyoumaysay,ifyouplease,thatIshallpreparemymostplaintiveairsagainsthisreturn,incompassiontohisfeelings,asIknowhishorsewilllose。“
“IfIwrite,Iwillsaywhateveryouwishme;butIdonot,atpresent,foreseeanyoccasionforwriting。“
“No,Idaresay,norifheweretobegoneatwelvemonth,wouldyoueverwritetohim,norhetoyou,ifitcouldbehelped。Theoccasionwouldneverbeforeseen。
Whatstrangecreaturesbrothersare!Youwouldnotwritetoeachotherbutuponthemosturgentnecessityintheworld;
andwhenobligedtotakeupthepentosaythatsuchahorseisill,orsucharelationdead,itisdoneinthefewestpossiblewords。Youhavebutonestyleamongyou。
Iknowitperfectly。Henry,whoisineveryotherrespectexactlywhatabrothershouldbe,wholovesme,consultsme,confidesinme,andwilltalktomebythehourtogether,hasneveryetturnedthepageinaletter;andveryoftenitisnothingmorethan——’DearMary,Iamjustarrived。
Bathseemsfull,andeverythingasusual。Yourssincerely。’
Thatisthetruemanlystyle;thatisacompletebrother’sletter。“
“Whentheyareatadistancefromalltheirfamily,“
saidFanny,colouringforWilliam’ssake,“theycanwritelongletters。“
“MissPricehasabrotheratsea,“saidEdmund,“whoseexcellenceasacorrespondentmakesherthinkyoutoosevereuponus。“
“Atsea,hasshe?Intheking’sservice,ofcourse?“
FannywouldratherhavehadEdmundtellthestory,buthisdeterminedsilenceobligedhertorelateherbrother’ssituation:hervoicewasanimatedinspeakingofhisprofession,andtheforeignstationshehadbeenon;
butshecouldnotmentionthenumberofyearsthathehadbeenabsentwithouttearsinhereyes。MissCrawfordcivillywishedhimanearlypromotion。
“Doyouknowanythingofmycousin’scaptain?“saidEdmund;
“CaptainMarshall?Youhavealargeacquaintanceinthenavy,Iconclude?“
“Amongadmirals,largeenough;but,“withanairofgrandeur,“weknowverylittleoftheinferiorranks。Post-captainsmaybeverygoodsortofmen,buttheydonotbelongto_us_。
OfvariousadmiralsIcouldtellyouagreatdeal:
ofthemandtheirflags,andthegradationoftheirpay,andtheirbickeringsandjealousies。But,ingeneral,Icanassureyouthattheyareallpassedover,andallveryillused。Certainly,myhomeatmyuncle’sbroughtmeacquaintedwithacircleofadmirals。Of_Rears_and_Vices_Isawenough。Nowdonotbesuspectingmeofapun,Ientreat。“
Edmundagainfeltgrave,andonlyreplied,“Itisanobleprofession。“
“Yes,theprofessioniswellenoughundertwocircumstances:
ifitmakethefortune,andtherebediscretioninspendingit;
but,inshort,itisnotafavouriteprofessionofmine。
Ithasneverwornanamiableformto_me_。“
Edmundrevertedtotheharp,andwasagainveryhappyintheprospectofhearingherplay。
Thesubjectofimprovinggrounds,meanwhile,wasstillunderconsiderationamongtheothers;andMrs。Grantcouldnothelpaddressingherbrother,thoughitwascallinghisattentionfromMissJuliaBertram。
“MydearHenry,have_you_nothingtosay?Youhavebeenanimproveryourself,andfromwhatIhearofEveringham,itmayviewithanyplaceinEngland。Itsnaturalbeauties,Iamsure,aregreat。Everingham,asit_used_tobe,wasperfectinmyestimation:suchahappyfallofground,andsuchtimber!WhatwouldInotgivetoseeitagain?“
“Nothingcouldbesogratifyingtomeastohearyouropinionofit,“washisanswer;“butIfeartherewouldbesomedisappointment:youwouldnotfinditequaltoyourpresentideas。Inextent,itisamerenothing;
youwouldbesurprisedatitsinsignificance;and,asforimprovement,therewasverylittleformetodo——
toolittle:Ishouldliketohavebeenbusymuchlonger。“
“Youarefondofthesortofthing?“saidJulia。
“Excessively;butwhatwiththenaturaladvantagesoftheground,whichpointedout,eventoaveryyoungeye,whatlittleremainedtobedone,andmyownconsequentresolutions,IhadnotbeenofagethreemonthsbeforeEveringhamwasallthatitisnow。MyplanwaslaidatWestminster,alittlealtered,perhaps,atCambridge,andatone-and-twentyexecuted。IaminclinedtoenvyMr。Rushworthforhavingsomuchhappinessyetbeforehim。
Ihavebeenadevourerofmyown。“
“Thosewhoseequickly,willresolvequickly,andactquickly,“
saidJulia。“_You_canneverwantemployment。
InsteadofenvyingMr。Rushworth,youshouldassisthimwithyouropinion。“
Mrs。Grant,hearingthelatterpartofthisspeech,enforceditwarmly,persuadedthatnojudgmentcouldbeequaltoherbrother’s;andasMissBertramcaughtattheidealikewise,andgaveitherfullsupport,declaringthat,inheropinion,itwasinfinitelybettertoconsultwithfriendsanddisinterestedadvisers,thanimmediatelytothrowthebusinessintothehandsofaprofessionalman,Mr。RushworthwasveryreadytorequestthefavourofMr。Crawford’sassistance;andMr。Crawford,afterproperlydepreciatinghisownabilities,wasquiteathisserviceinanywaythatcouldbeuseful。Mr。RushworththenbegantoproposeMr。Crawford’sdoinghimthehonourofcomingovertoSotherton,andtakingabedthere;
whenMrs。Norris,asifreadinginhertwonieces’
mindstheirlittleapprobationofaplanwhichwastotakeMr。Crawfordaway,interposedwithanamendment。
“TherecanbenodoubtofMr。Crawford’swillingness;
butwhyshouldnotmoreofusgo?Whyshouldnotwemakealittleparty?Herearemanythatwouldbeinterestedinyourimprovements,mydearMr。Rushworth,andthatwouldliketohearMr。Crawford’sopiniononthespot,andthatmightbeofsomesmallusetoyouwith_their_opinions;and,formyownpart,Ihavebeenlongwishingtowaituponyourgoodmotheragain;nothingbuthavingnohorsesofmyowncouldhavemademesoremiss;
butnowIcouldgoandsitafewhourswithMrs。Rushworth,whiletherestofyouwalkedaboutandsettledthings,andthenwecouldallreturntoalatedinnerhere,ordineatSotherton,justasmightbemostagreeabletoyourmother,andhaveapleasantdrivehomebymoonlight。
IdaresayMr。Crawfordwouldtakemytwoniecesandmeinhisbarouche,andEdmundcangoonhorseback,youknow,sister,andFannywillstayathomewithyou。“
LadyBertrammadenoobjection;andeveryoneconcernedinthegoingwasforwardinexpressingtheirreadyconcurrence,exceptingEdmund,whohearditallandsaidnothing。
“Well,Fanny,andhowdoyoulikeMissCrawford_now_?“
saidEdmundthenextday,afterthinkingsometimeonthesubjecthimself。“Howdidyoulikeheryesterday?“
“Verywell——verymuch。Iliketohearhertalk。
Sheentertainsme;andsheissoextremelypretty,thatI
havegreatpleasureinlookingather。“
“Itishercountenancethatissoattractive。Shehasawonderfulplayoffeature!Butwastherenothinginherconversationthatstruckyou,Fanny,asnotquiteright?“
“Ohyes!sheoughtnottohavespokenofheruncleasshedid。
Iwasquiteastonished。Anunclewithwhomshehasbeenlivingsomanyyears,andwho,whateverhisfaultsmaybe,issoveryfondofherbrother,treatinghim,theysay,quitelikeason。Icouldnothavebelievedit!“
“Ithoughtyouwouldbestruck。Itwasverywrong;
veryindecorous。“
“Andveryungrateful,Ithink。“
“Ungratefulisastrongword。Idonotknowthatherunclehasanyclaimtoher_gratitude_;hiswifecertainlyhad;
anditisthewarmthofherrespectforheraunt’smemorywhichmisleadsherhere。Sheisawkwardlycircumstanced。
WithsuchwarmfeelingsandlivelyspiritsitmustbedifficulttodojusticetoheraffectionforMrs。Crawford,withoutthrowingashadeontheAdmiral。Idonotpretendtoknowwhichwasmosttoblameintheirdisagreements,thoughtheAdmiral’spresentconductmightinclineonetothesideofhiswife;butitisnaturalandamiablethatMissCrawfordshouldacquitherauntentirely。
Idonotcensureher_opinions_;buttherecertainly_is_
第12章