andIamnotatallafraidforher，aftersuchaproofasshehasgiventhatherfeelingsarenotstrong。“
　　Fannysupposedshemusthavebeenmistaken，andmeanttothinkdifferentlyinfuture；butwithallthatsubmissiontoEdmundcoulddo，andallthehelpofthecoincidinglooksandhintswhichsheoccasionallynoticedinsomeoftheothers，andwhichseemedtosaythatJuliawasMr。Crawford’schoice，sheknewnotalwayswhattothink。
　　Shewasprivy，oneevening，tothehopesofherauntNorrisonthesubject，aswellastoherfeelings，andthefeelingsofMrs。Rushworth，onapointofsomesimilarity，andcouldnothelpwonderingasshelistened；
　　andgladwouldshehavebeennottobeobligedtolisten，foritwaswhilealltheotheryoungpeopleweredancing，andshesitting，mostunwillingly，amongthechaperonsatthefire，longingforthere-entranceofhereldercousin，onwhomallherownhopesofapartnerthendepended。
　　ItwasFanny’sfirstball，thoughwithoutthepreparationorsplendourofmanyayounglady’sfirstball，beingthethoughtonlyoftheafternoon，builtonthelateacquisitionofaviolinplayerintheservants’hall，andthepossibilityofraisingfivecouplewiththehelpofMrs。GrantandanewintimatefriendofMr。Bertram’sjustarrivedonavisit。
　　Ithad，however，beenaveryhappyonetoFannythroughfourdances，andshewasquitegrievedtobelosingevenaquarterofanhour。Whilewaitingandwishing，lookingnowatthedancersandnowatthedoor，thisdialoguebetweenthetwoabove-mentionedladieswasforcedonher——
　　“Ithink，ma’am，“saidMrs。Norris，hereyesdirectedtowardsMr。RushworthandMaria，whowerepartnersforthesecondtime，“weshallseesomehappyfacesagainnow。“
　　“Yes，ma’am，indeed，“repliedtheother，withastatelysimper，“therewillbesomesatisfactioninlookingon_now_，andIthinkitwasratherapitytheyshouldhavebeenobligedtopart。Youngfolksintheirsituationshouldbeexcusedcomplyingwiththecommonforms。
　　Iwondermysondidnotproposeit。“
　　“Idaresayhedid，ma’am。Mr。Rushworthisneverremiss。
　　ButdearMariahassuchastrictsenseofpropriety，somuchofthattruedelicacywhichoneseldommeetswithnowadays，Mrs。Rushworth——thatwishofavoidingparticularity!
　　Dearma’am，onlylookatherfaceatthismoment；
　　howdifferentfromwhatitwasthetwolastdances!“
　　MissBertramdidindeedlookhappy，hereyesweresparklingwithpleasure，andshewasspeakingwithgreatanimation，forJuliaandherpartner，Mr。Crawford，wereclosetoher；theywereallinaclustertogether。
　　Howshehadlookedbefore，Fannycouldnotrecollect，forshehadbeendancingwithEdmundherself，andhadnotthoughtabouther。
　　Mrs。Norriscontinued，“Itisquitedelightful，ma’am，toseeyoungpeoplesoproperlyhappy，sowellsuited，andsomuchthething!IcannotbutthinkofdearSirThomas’sdelight。Andwhatdoyousay，ma’am，tothechanceofanothermatch？Mr。Rushworthhassetagoodexample，andsuchthingsareverycatching。“
　　Mrs。Rushworth，whosawnothingbutherson，wasquiteataloss。
　　“Thecoupleabove，ma’am。Doyouseenosymptomsthere？“
　　“Ohdear!MissJuliaandMr。Crawford。Yes，indeed，averyprettymatch。Whatishisproperty？“
　　“Fourthousandayear。“
　　“Verywell。Thosewhohavenotmoremustbesatisfiedwithwhattheyhave。Fourthousandayearisaprettyestate，andheseemsaverygenteel，steadyyoungman，soIhopeMissJuliawillbeveryhappy。“
　　“Itisnotasettledthing，ma’am，yet。Weonlyspeakofitamongfriends。ButIhaveverylittledoubtit_will_be。
　　Heisgrowingextremelyparticularinhisattentions。“
　　Fannycouldlistennofarther。Listeningandwonderingwereallsuspendedforatime，forMr。Bertramwasintheroomagain；
　　andthoughfeelingitwouldbeagreathonourtobeaskedbyhim，shethoughtitmusthappen。Hecametowardstheirlittlecircle；butinsteadofaskinghertodance，drewachairnearher，andgaveheranaccountofthepresentstateofasickhorse，andtheopinionofthegroom，fromwhomhehadjustparted。Fannyfoundthatitwasnottobe，andinthemodestyofhernatureimmediatelyfeltthatshehadbeenunreasonableinexpectingit。
　　Whenhehadtoldofhishorse，hetookanewspaperfromthetable，andlookingoverit，saidinalanguidway，“Ifyouwanttodance，Fanny，Iwillstandupwithyou。“
　　Withmorethanequalcivilitytheofferwasdeclined；
　　shedidnotwishtodance。“Iamgladofit，“saidhe，inamuchbriskertone，andthrowingdownthenewspaperagain，“forIamtiredtodeath。Ionlywonderhowthegoodpeoplecankeepitupsolong。Theyhadneedbe_all_inlove，tofindanyamusementinsuchfolly；
　　andsotheyare，Ifancy。Ifyoulookatthemyoumayseetheyaresomanycoupleoflovers——allbutYatesandMrs。Grant——and，betweenourselves，she，poorwoman，mustwantaloverasmuchasanyoneofthem。Adesperatedulllifehersmustbewiththedoctor，“makingaslyfaceashespoketowardsthechairofthelatter，whoproving，however，tobecloseathiselbow，madesoinstantaneousachangeofexpressionandsubjectnecessary，asFanny，inspiteofeverything，couldhardlyhelplaughingat。
　　“AstrangebusinessthisinAmerica，Dr。Grant!Whatisyouropinion？IalwayscometoyoutoknowwhatIamtothinkofpublicmatters。“
　　“MydearTom，“criedhisauntsoonafterwards，“asyouarenotdancing，Idaresayyouwillhavenoobjectiontojoinusinarubber；shallyou？“Thenleavingherseat，andcomingtohimtoenforcetheproposal，addedinawhisper，“WewanttomakeatableforMrs。Rushworth，youknow。Yourmotherisquiteanxiousaboutit，butcannotverywellsparetimetositdownherself，becauseofherfringe。Now，youandIandDr。Grantwilljustdo；andthough_we_playbuthalf-crowns，youknow，youmaybethalf-guineaswith_him_。“
　　“Ishouldbemosthappy，“repliedhealoud，andjumpingupwithalacrity，“itwouldgivemethegreatestpleasure；
　　butthatIamthismomentgoingtodance。“Come，Fanny，takingherhand，“donotbedawdlinganylonger，orthedancewillbeover。“
　　Fannywasledoffverywillingly，thoughitwasimpossibleforhertofeelmuchgratitudetowardshercousin，ordistinguish，ashecertainlydid，betweentheselfishnessofanotherpersonandhisown。
　　“Aprettymodestrequestuponmyword，“heindignantlyexclaimedastheywalkedaway。“Towanttonailmetoacard-tableforthenexttwohourswithherselfandDr。Grant，whoarealwaysquarrelling，andthatpokingoldwoman，whoknowsnomoreofwhistthanofalgebra。
　　Iwishmygoodauntwouldbealittlelessbusy!Andtoaskmeinsuchawaytoo!withoutceremony，beforethemall，soastoleavemenopossibilityofrefusing。_That_iswhatIdislikemostparticularly。Itraisesmyspleenmorethananything，tohavethepretenceofbeingasked，ofbeinggivenachoice，andatthesametimeaddressedinsuchawayastoobligeonetodotheverything，whateveritbe!IfIhadnotluckilythoughtofstandingupwithyouIcouldnothavegotoutofit。Itisagreatdealtoobad。Butwhenmyaunthasgotafancyinherhead，nothingcanstopher。“
　　TheHonourableJohnYates，thisnewfriend，hadnotmuchtorecommendhimbeyondhabitsoffashionandexpense，andbeingtheyoungersonofalordwithatolerableindependence；andSirThomaswouldprobablyhavethoughthisintroductionatMansfieldbynomeansdesirable。
　　Mr。Bertram’sacquaintancewithhimhadbegunatWeymouth，wheretheyhadspenttendaystogetherinthesamesociety，andthefriendship，iffriendshipitmightbecalled，hadbeenprovedandperfectedbyMr。Yates’sbeinginvitedtotakeMansfieldinhisway，wheneverhecould，andbyhispromisingtocome；andhedidcomeratherearlierthanhadbeenexpected，inconsequenceofthesuddenbreaking-upofalargepartyassembledforgaietyatthehouseofanotherfriend，whichhehadleftWeymouthtojoin。
　　Hecameonthewingsofdisappointment，andwithhisheadfullofacting，forithadbeenatheatricalparty；
　　andtheplayinwhichhehadborneapartwaswithintwodaysofrepresentation，whenthesuddendeathofoneofthenearestconnexionsofthefamilyhaddestroyedtheschemeanddispersedtheperformers。
　　Tobesonearhappiness，sonearfame，sonearthelongparagraphinpraiseoftheprivatetheatricalsatEcclesford，theseatoftheRightHon。LordRavenshaw，inCornwall，whichwouldofcoursehaveimmortalisedthewholepartyforatleastatwelvemonth!andbeingsonear，toloseitall，wasaninjurytobekeenlyfelt，andMr。Yatescouldtalkofnothingelse。Ecclesfordanditstheatre，withitsarrangementsanddresses，rehearsalsandjokes，washisnever-failingsubject，andtoboastofthepasthisonlyconsolation。
　　Happilyforhim，aloveofthetheatreissogeneral，anitchforactingsostrongamongyoungpeople，thathecouldhardlyout-talktheinterestofhishearers。
　　Fromthefirstcastingofthepartstotheepilogueitwasallbewitching，andtherewerefewwhodidnotwishtohavebeenapartyconcerned，orwouldhavehesitatedtotrytheirskill。TheplayhadbeenLovers’
　　Vows，andMr。YateswastohavebeenCountCassel。
　　“Atriflingpart，“saidhe，“andnotatalltomytaste，andsuchaoneasIcertainlywouldnotacceptagain；
　　butIwasdeterminedtomakenodifficulties。
　　LordRavenshawandthedukehadappropriatedtheonlytwocharactersworthplayingbeforeIreachedEcclesford；