“MissBertramthoughtyouwouldfollowher。“
　　“Ishouldnothavehadtofollowherifshehadstaid。“
　　Thiscouldnotbedenied，andFannywassilenced。
　　Afteranotherpause，hewenton——“Pray，MissPrice，areyousuchagreatadmirerofthisMr。Crawfordassomepeopleare？Formypart，Icanseenothinginhim。“
　　“Idonotthinkhimatallhandsome。“
　　“Handsome!Nobodycancallsuchanundersizedmanhandsome。
　　Heisnotfivefootnine。Ishouldnotwonderifheisnotmorethanfivefooteight。Ithinkheisanill-lookingfellow。
　　Inmyopinion，theseCrawfordsarenoadditionatall。
　　Wedidverywellwithoutthem。“
　　AsmallsighescapedFannyhere，andshedidnotknowhowtocontradicthim。
　　“IfIhadmadeanydifficultyaboutfetchingthekey，theremighthavebeensomeexcuse，butIwenttheverymomentshesaidshewantedit。“
　　“Nothingcouldbemoreobligingthanyourmanner，Iamsure，andIdaresayyouwalkedasfastasyoucould；butstillitissomedistance，youknow，fromthisspottothehouse，quiteintothehouse；andwhenpeoplearewaiting，theyarebadjudgesoftime，andeveryhalfminuteseemslikefive。“
　　Hegotupandwalkedtothegateagain，and“wishedhehadhadthekeyabouthimatthetime。“Fannythoughtshediscernedinhisstandingthereanindicationofrelenting，whichencouragedhertoanotherattempt，andshesaid，therefore，“Itisapityyoushouldnotjointhem。
　　Theyexpectedtohaveabetterviewofthehousefromthatpartofthepark，andwillbethinkinghowitmaybeimproved；andnothingofthatsort，youknow，canbesettledwithoutyou。“
　　Shefoundherselfmoresuccessfulinsendingawaythaninretainingacompanion。Mr。Rushworthwasworkedon。
　　“Well，“saidhe，“ifyoureallythinkIhadbettergo：
　　itwouldbefoolishtobringthekeyfornothing。“
　　Andlettinghimselfout，hewalkedoffwithoutfartherceremony。
　　Fanny’sthoughtswerenowallengrossedbythetwowhohadlefthersolongago，andgettingquiteimpatient，sheresolvedtogoinsearchofthem。Shefollowedtheirstepsalongthebottomwalk，andhadjustturnedupintoanother，whenthevoiceandthelaughofMissCrawfordoncemorecaughtherear；thesoundapproached，andafewmorewindingsbroughtthembeforeher。
　　Theywerejustreturnedintothewildernessfromthepark，towhichasidegate，notfastened，hadtemptedthemverysoonaftertheirleavingher，andtheyhadbeenacrossaportionoftheparkintotheveryavenuewhichFannyhadbeenhopingthewholemorningtoreachatlast，andhadbeensittingdownunderoneofthetrees。
　　Thiswastheirhistory。Itwasevidentthattheyhadbeenspendingtheirtimepleasantly，andwerenotawareofthelengthoftheirabsence。Fanny’sbestconsolationwasinbeingassuredthatEdmundhadwishedforherverymuch，andthatheshouldcertainlyhavecomebackforher，hadshenotbeentiredalready；butthiswasnotquitesufficienttodoawaywiththepainofhavingbeenleftawholehour，whenhehadtalkedofonlyafewminutes，nortobanishthesortofcuriosityshefelttoknowwhattheyhadbeenconversingaboutallthattime；
　　andtheresultofthewholewastoherdisappointmentanddepression，astheypreparedbygeneralagreementtoreturntothehouse。
　　Onreachingthebottomofthestepstotheterrace，Mrs。RushworthandMrs。Norrispresentedthemselvesatthetop，justreadyforthewilderness，attheendofanhourandahalffromtheirleavingthehouse。
　　Mrs。Norrishadbeentoowellemployedtomovefaster。
　　Whatevercross-accidentshadoccurredtointerceptthepleasuresofhernieces，shehadfoundamorningofcompleteenjoyment；
　　forthehousekeeper，afteragreatmanycourtesiesonthesubjectofpheasants，hadtakenhertothedairy，toldherallabouttheircows，andgivenherthereceiptforafamouscreamcheese；andsinceJulia’sleavingthemtheyhadbeenmetbythegardener，withwhomshehadmadeamostsatisfactoryacquaintance，forshehadsethimrightastohisgrandson’sillness，convincedhimthatitwasanague，andpromisedhimacharmforit；andhe，inreturn，hadshewnherallhischoicestnurseryofplants，andactuallypresentedherwithaverycuriousspecimenofheath。
　　Onthis_rencontre_theyallreturnedtothehousetogether，theretoloungeawaythetimeastheycouldwithsofas，andchit-chat，andQuarterlyReviews，tillthereturnoftheothers，andthearrivalofdinner。ItwaslatebeforetheMissBertramsandthetwogentlemencamein，andtheirrambledidnotappeartohavebeenmorethanpartiallyagreeable，oratallproductiveofanythingusefulwithregardtotheobjectoftheday。Bytheirownaccountstheyhadbeenallwalkingaftereachother，andthejunctionwhichhadtakenplaceatlastseemed，toFanny’sobservation，tohavebeenasmuchtoolateforre-establishingharmony，asitconfessedlyhadbeenfordeterminingonanyalteration。Shefelt，asshelookedatJuliaandMr。Rushworth，thatherswasnottheonlydissatisfiedbosomamongstthem：
　　therewasgloomonthefaceofeach。Mr。CrawfordandMissBertramweremuchmoregay，andshethoughtthathewastakingparticularpains，duringdinner，todoawayanylittleresentmentoftheothertwo，andrestoregeneralgood-humour。
　　Dinnerwassoonfollowedbyteaandcoffee，atenmiles’
　　drivehomeallowednowasteofhours；andfromthetimeoftheirsittingdowntotable，itwasaquicksuccessionofbusynothingstillthecarriagecametothedoor，andMrs。Norris，havingfidgetedabout，andobtainedafewpheasants’eggsandacreamcheesefromthehousekeeper，andmadeabundanceofcivilspeechestoMrs。Rushworth，wasreadytoleadtheway。AtthesamemomentMr。Crawford，approachingJulia，said，“IhopeIamnottolosemycompanion，unlesssheisafraidoftheeveningairinsoexposedaseat。“Therequesthadnotbeenforeseen，butwasverygraciouslyreceived，andJulia’sdaywaslikelytoendalmostaswellasitbegan。MissBertramhadmadeuphermindtosomethingdifferent，andwasalittledisappointed；butherconvictionofbeingreallytheonepreferredcomfortedherunderit，andenabledhertoreceiveMr。Rushworth’spartingattentionsassheought。
　　Hewascertainlybetterpleasedtohandherintothebarouchethantoassistherinascendingthebox，andhiscomplacencyseemedconfirmedbythearrangement。
　　“Well，Fanny，thishasbeenafinedayforyou，uponmyword，“
　　saidMrs。Norris，astheydrovethroughthepark。
　　“Nothingbutpleasurefrombeginningtoend!IamsureyououghttobeverymuchobligedtoyourauntBertramandmeforcontrivingtoletyougo。Aprettygoodday’samusementyouhavehad!“
　　Mariawasjustdiscontentedenoughtosaydirectly，“Ithink_you_havedoneprettywellyourself，ma’am。Yourlapseemsfullofgoodthings，andhereisabasketofsomethingbetweenuswhichhasbeenknockingmyelbowunmercifully。“
　　“Mydear，itisonlyabeautifullittleheath，whichthatniceoldgardenerwouldmakemetake；butifitisinyourway，Iwillhaveitinmylapdirectly。
　　There，Fanny，youshallcarrythatparcelforme；
　　takegreatcareofit：donotletitfall；itisacreamcheese，justliketheexcellentonewehadatdinner。
　　NothingwouldsatisfythatgoodoldMrs。Whitaker，butmytakingoneofthecheeses。IstoodoutaslongasIcould，tillthetearsalmostcameintohereyes，andIknewitwasjustthesortthatmysisterwouldbedelightedwith。ThatMrs。Whitakerisatreasure!
　　ShewasquiteshockedwhenIaskedherwhetherwinewasallowedatthesecondtable，andshehasturnedawaytwohousemaidsforwearingwhitegowns。Takecareofthecheese，Fanny。
　　NowIcanmanagetheotherparcelandthebasketverywell。“
　　“Whatelsehaveyoubeenspunging？“saidMaria，half-pleasedthatSothertonshouldbesocomplimented。
　　“Spunging，mydear!Itisnothingbutfourofthosebeautifulpheasants’eggs，whichMrs。Whitakerwouldquiteforceuponme：shewouldnottakeadenial。
　　Shesaiditmustbesuchanamusementtome，assheunderstoodIlivedquitealone，tohaveafewlivingcreaturesofthatsort；andsotobesureitwill。
　　Ishallgetthedairymaidtosetthemunderthefirstsparehen，andiftheycometogoodIcanhavethemmovedtomyownhouseandborrowacoop；anditwillbeagreatdelighttomeinmylonelyhourstoattendtothem。
　　AndifIhavegoodluck，yourmothershallhavesome。“
　　Itwasabeautifulevening，mildandstill，andthedrivewasaspleasantastheserenityofNaturecouldmakeit；butwhenMrs。Norrisceasedspeaking，itwasaltogetherasilentdrivetothosewithin。
　　Theirspiritswereingeneralexhausted；andtodeterminewhetherthedayhadaffordedmostpleasureorpain，mightoccupythemeditationsofalmostall。