Aquarterofanhour，twentyminutes，passedaway，andFannywasstillthinkingofEdmund，MissCrawford，andherself，withoutinterruptionfromanyone。Shebegantobesurprisedatbeingleftsolong，andtolistenwithananxiousdesireofhearingtheirstepsandtheirvoicesagain。Shelistened，andatlengthsheheard；
　　sheheardvoicesandfeetapproaching；butshehadjustsatisfiedherselfthatitwasnotthoseshewanted，whenMissBertram，Mr。Rushworth，andMr。Crawfordissuedfromthesamepathwhichshehadtrodherself，andwerebeforeher。
　　“MissPriceallalone“and“MydearFanny，howcomesthis？“
　　werethefirstsalutations。Shetoldherstory。
　　“PoordearFanny，“criedhercousin，“howillyouhavebeenusedbythem!Youhadbetterhavestaidwithus。“
　　Thenseatingherselfwithagentlemanoneachside，sheresumedtheconversationwhichhadengagedthembefore，anddiscussedthepossibilityofimprovementswithmuchanimation。Nothingwasfixedon；butHenryCrawfordwasfullofideasandprojects，and，generallyspeaking，whateverheproposedwasimmediatelyapproved，firstbyher，andthenbyMr。Rushworth，whoseprincipalbusinessseemedtobetoheartheothers，andwhoscarcelyriskedanoriginalthoughtofhisownbeyondawishthattheyhadseenhisfriendSmith’splace。
　　Aftersomeminutesspentinthisway，MissBertram，observingtheirongate，expressedawishofpassingthroughitintothepark，thattheirviewsandtheirplansmightbemorecomprehensive。Itwastheverythingofallotherstobewished，itwasthebest，itwastheonlywayofproceedingwithanyadvantage，inHenryCrawford’sopinion；andhedirectlysawaknollnothalfamileoff，whichwouldgivethemexactlytherequisitecommandofthehouse。Gothereforetheymusttothatknoll，andthroughthatgate；butthegatewaslocked。
　　Mr。Rushworthwishedhehadbroughtthekey；hehadbeenverynearthinkingwhetherheshouldnotbringthekey；
　　hewasdeterminedhewouldnevercomewithoutthekeyagain；
　　butstillthisdidnotremovethepresentevil。Theycouldnotgetthrough；andasMissBertram’sinclinationforsodoingdidbynomeanslessen，itendedinMr。Rushworth’sdeclaringoutrightthathewouldgoandfetchthekey。
　　Hesetoffaccordingly。
　　“Itisundoubtedlythebestthingwecandonow，aswearesofarfromthehousealready，“saidMr。Crawford，whenhewasgone。
　　“Yes，thereisnothingelsetobedone。Butnow，sincerely，donotyoufindtheplacealtogetherworsethanyouexpected？“
　　“No，indeed，farotherwise。Ifinditbetter，grander，morecompleteinitsstyle，thoughthatstylemaynotbethebest。
　　Andtotellyouthetruth，“speakingratherlower，“Idonotthinkthat_I_shalleverseeSothertonagainwithsomuchpleasureasIdonow。Anothersummerwillhardlyimproveittome。“
　　Afteramoment’sembarrassmenttheladyreplied，“Youaretoomuchamanoftheworldnottoseewiththeeyesoftheworld。IfotherpeoplethinkSothertonimproved，Ihavenodoubtthatyouwill。“
　　“IamafraidIamnotquitesomuchthemanoftheworldasmightbegoodformeinsomepoints。Myfeelingsarenotquitesoevanescent，normymemoryofthepastundersucheasydominionasonefindstobethecasewithmenoftheworld。“
　　Thiswasfollowedbyashortsilence。MissBertrambeganagain。“Youseemedtoenjoyyourdrivehereverymuchthismorning。Iwasgladtoseeyousowellentertained。
　　YouandJuliawerelaughingthewholeway。“
　　“Werewe？Yes，Ibelievewewere；butIhavenottheleastrecollectionatwhat。Oh!IbelieveIwasrelatingtohersomeridiculousstoriesofanoldIrishgroomofmyuncle’s。Yoursisterlovestolaugh。“
　　“Youthinkhermorelight-heartedthanIam？“
　　“Moreeasilyamused，“hereplied；“consequently，youknow，“
　　smiling，“bettercompany。IcouldnothavehopedtoentertainyouwithIrishanecdotesduringatenmiles’drive。“
　　“Naturally，Ibelieve，IamaslivelyasJulia，butI
　　havemoretothinkofnow。“
　　“Youhave，undoubtedly；andtherearesituationsinwhichveryhighspiritswoulddenoteinsensibility。
　　Yourprospects，however，aretoofairtojustifywantofspirits。Youhaveaverysmilingscenebeforeyou。“
　　“Doyoumeanliterallyorfiguratively？Literally，Iconclude。Yes，certainly，thesunshines，andtheparklooksverycheerful。Butunluckilythatirongate，thatha-ha，givemeafeelingofrestraintandhardship。
　　“Icannotgetout，asthestarlingsaid。“Asshespoke，anditwaswithexpression，shewalkedtothegate：
　　hefollowedher。“Mr。Rushworthissolongfetchingthiskey!“
　　“AndfortheworldyouwouldnotgetoutwithoutthekeyandwithoutMr。Rushworth’sauthorityandprotection，orIthinkyoumightwithlittledifficultypassroundtheedgeofthegate，here，withmyassistance；Ithinkitmightbedone，ifyoureallywishedtobemoreatlarge，andcouldallowyourselftothinkitnotprohibited。“
　　“Prohibited!nonsense!Icertainlycangetoutthatway，andIwill。Mr。Rushworthwillbehereinamoment，youknow；weshallnotbeoutofsight。“
　　“Orifweare，MissPricewillbesogoodastotellhimthathewillfindusnearthatknoll：thegroveofoakontheknoll。“
　　Fanny，feelingallthistobewrong，couldnothelpmakinganefforttopreventit。“Youwillhurtyourself，MissBertram，“shecried；“youwillcertainlyhurtyourselfagainstthosespikes；youwilltearyourgown；
　　youwillbeindangerofslippingintotheha-ha。Youhadbetternotgo。“
　　Hercousinwassafeontheothersidewhilethesewordswerespoken，and，smilingwithallthegood-humourofsuccess，shesaid，“Thankyou，mydearFanny，butIandmygownarealiveandwell，andsogood-bye。“
　　Fannywasagainlefttohersolitude，andwithnoincreaseofpleasantfeelings，forshewassorryforalmostallthatshehadseenandheard，astonishedatMissBertram，andangrywithMr。Crawford。Bytakingacircuitousroute，and，asitappearedtoher，veryunreasonabledirectiontotheknoll，theyweresoonbeyondhereye；
　　andforsomeminuteslongersheremainedwithoutsightorsoundofanycompanion。Sheseemedtohavethelittlewoodalltoherself。ShecouldalmosthavethoughtthatEdmundandMissCrawfordhadleftit，butthatitwasimpossibleforEdmundtoforgethersoentirely。
　　Shewasagainrousedfromdisagreeablemusingsbysuddenfootsteps：
　　somebodywascomingataquickpacedowntheprincipalwalk。
　　SheexpectedMr。Rushworth，butitwasJulia，who，hotandoutofbreath，andwithalookofdisappointment，criedoutonseeingher，“Heyday!Wherearetheothers？
　　IthoughtMariaandMr。Crawfordwerewithyou。“
　　Fannyexplained。
　　“Aprettytrick，uponmyword!Icannotseethemanywhere，“
　　lookingeagerlyintothepark。“Buttheycannotbeveryfaroff，andIthinkIamequaltoasmuchasMaria，evenwithouthelp。“
　　“But，Julia，Mr。Rushworthwillbehereinamomentwiththekey。DowaitforMr。Rushworth。“
　　“NotI，indeed。Ihavehadenoughofthefamilyforonemorning。Why，child，Ihavebutthismomentescapedfromhishorriblemother。SuchapenanceasIhavebeenenduring，whileyouweresittingheresocomposedandsohappy!
　　Itmighthavebeenaswell，perhaps，ifyouhadbeeninmyplace，butyoualwayscontrivetokeepoutofthesescrapes。“
　　Thiswasamostunjustreflection，butFannycouldallowforit，andletitpass：Juliawasvexed，andhertemperwashasty；butshefeltthatitwouldnotlast，andtherefore，takingnonotice，onlyaskedherifshehadnotseenMr。Rushworth。
　　“Yes，yes，wesawhim。Hewaspostingawayasifuponlifeanddeath，andcouldbutjustsparetimetotellushiserrand，andwhereyouallwere。“
　　“Itisapityheshouldhavesomuchtroublefornothing。“
　　“_That_isMissMaria’sconcern。Iamnotobligedtopunishmyselffor_her_sins。ThemotherIcouldnotavoid，aslongasmytiresomeauntwasdancingaboutwiththehousekeeper，butthesonI_can_getawayfrom。“
　　Andsheimmediatelyscrambledacrossthefence，andwalkedaway，notattendingtoFanny’slastquestionofwhethershehadseenanythingofMissCrawfordandEdmund。
　　ThesortofdreadinwhichFannynowsatofseeingMr。Rushworthpreventedherthinkingsomuchoftheircontinuedabsence，however，asshemighthavedone。
　　Shefeltthathehadbeenveryill-used，andwasquiteunhappyinhavingtocommunicatewhathadpassed。
　　HejoinedherwithinfiveminutesafterJulia’sexit；
　　andthoughshemadethebestofthestory，hewasevidentlymortifiedanddispleasedinnocommondegree。Atfirsthescarcelysaidanything；hislooksonlyexpressedhisextremesurpriseandvexation，andhewalkedtothegateandstoodthere，withoutseemingtoknowwhattodo。
　　“Theydesiredmetostay——mycousinMariachargedmetosaythatyouwouldfindthematthatknoll，orthereabouts。“
　　“IdonotbelieveIshallgoanyfarther，“saidhesullenly；
　　“Iseenothingofthem。BythetimeIgettotheknolltheymaybegonesomewhereelse。Ihavehadwalkingenough。“
　　AndhesatdownwithamostgloomycountenancebyFanny。
　　“Iamverysorry，“saidshe；“itisveryunlucky。“Andshelongedtobeabletosaysomethingmoretothepurpose。
　　Afteranintervalofsilence，“Ithinktheymightaswellhavestaidforme，“saidhe。