“Mydaughters，“repliedSirThomas，gravelyinterposing，“havetheirpleasuresatBrighton，andIhopeareveryhappy；
　　butthedancewhichIthinkofgivingatMansfieldwillbefortheircousins。Couldwebeallassembled，oursatisfactionwouldundoubtedlybemorecomplete，buttheabsenceofsomeisnottodebartheothersofamusement。“
　　Mrs。Norrishadnotanotherwordtosay。Shesawdecisioninhislooks，andhersurpriseandvexationrequiredsomeminutes’silencetobesettledintocomposure。
　　Aballatsuchatime!Hisdaughtersabsentandherselfnotconsulted!Therewascomfort，however，soonathand。
　　_She_mustbethedoerofeverything：LadyBertramwouldofcoursebesparedallthoughtandexertion，anditwouldallfallupon_her_。Sheshouldhavetodothehonoursoftheevening；andthisreflectionquicklyrestoredsomuchofhergood-humourasenabledhertojoininwiththeothers，beforetheirhappinessandthankswereallexpressed。
　　Edmund，William，andFannydid，intheirdifferentways，lookandspeakasmuchgratefulpleasureinthepromisedballasSirThomascoulddesire。Edmund’sfeelingswerefortheothertwo。Hisfatherhadneverconferredafavourorshewnakindnessmoretohissatisfaction。
　　LadyBertramwasperfectlyquiescentandcontented，andhadnoobjectionstomake。SirThomasengagedforitsgivingherverylittletrouble；andsheassuredhim“thatshewasnotatallafraidofthetrouble；
　　indeed，shecouldnotimaginetherewouldbeany。“
　　Mrs。Norriswasreadywithhersuggestionsastotheroomshewouldthinkfittesttobeused，butfounditallprearranged；
　　andwhenshewouldhaveconjecturedandhintedabouttheday，itappearedthatthedaywassettledtoo。
　　SirThomashadbeenamusinghimselfwithshapingaverycompleteoutlineofthebusiness；andassoonasshewouldlistenquietly，couldreadhislistofthefamiliestobeinvited，fromwhomhecalculated，withallnecessaryallowancefortheshortnessofthenotice，tocollectyoungpeopleenoughtoformtwelveorfourteencouple：
　　andcoulddetailtheconsiderationswhichhadinducedhimtofixonthe22ndasthemosteligibleday。
　　WilliamwasrequiredtobeatPortsmouthonthe24th；
　　the22ndwouldthereforebethelastdayofhisvisit；
　　butwherethedaysweresofewitwouldbeunwisetofixonanyearlier。Mrs。Norriswasobligedtobesatisfiedwiththinkingjustthesame，andwithhavingbeenonthepointofproposingthe22ndherself，asbyfarthebestdayforthepurpose。
　　Theballwasnowasettledthing，andbeforetheeveningaproclaimedthingtoallwhomitconcerned。Invitationsweresentwithdespatch，andmanyayoungladywenttobedthatnightwithherheadfullofhappycaresaswellasFanny。
　　Toherthecaresweresometimesalmostbeyondthehappiness；
　　foryoungandinexperienced，withsmallmeansofchoiceandnoconfidenceinherowntaste，the“howsheshouldbedressed“wasapointofpainfulsolicitude；
　　andthealmostsolitaryornamentinherpossession，averyprettyambercrosswhichWilliamhadbroughtherfromSicily，wasthegreatestdistressofall，forshehadnothingbutabitofribbontofastenitto；
　　andthoughshehadwornitinthatmanneronce，woulditbeallowableatsuchatimeinthemidstofalltherichornamentswhichshesupposedalltheotheryoungladieswouldappearin？Andyetnottowearit!Williamhadwantedtobuyheragoldchaintoo，butthepurchasehadbeenbeyondhismeans，andthereforenottowearthecrossmightbemortifyinghim。Thesewereanxiousconsiderations；
　　enoughtosoberherspiritsevenundertheprospectofaballgivenprincipallyforhergratification。
　　Thepreparationsmeanwhilewenton，andLadyBertramcontinuedtositonhersofawithoutanyinconveniencefromthem。
　　Shehadsomeextravisitsfromthehousekeeper，andhermaidwasratherhurriedinmakingupanewdressforher：
　　SirThomasgaveorders，andMrs。Norrisranabout；
　　butallthisgave_her_notrouble，andasshehadforeseen，“therewas，infact，notroubleinthebusiness。“
　　Edmundwasatthistimeparticularlyfullofcares：
　　hismindbeingdeeplyoccupiedintheconsiderationoftwoimportanteventsnowathand，whichweretofixhisfateinlife——ordinationandmatrimony——eventsofsuchaseriouscharacterastomaketheball，whichwouldbeveryquicklyfollowedbyoneofthem，appearoflessmomentinhiseyesthaninthoseofanyotherpersoninthehouse。
　　Onthe23rdhewasgoingtoafriendnearPeterborough，inthesamesituationashimself，andtheyweretoreceiveordinationinthecourseoftheChristmasweek。
　　Halfhisdestinywouldthenbedetermined，buttheotherhalfmightnotbesoverysmoothlywooed。Hisdutieswouldbeestablished，butthewifewhowastoshare，andanimate，andrewardthoseduties，mightyetbeunattainable。
　　Heknewhisownmind，buthewasnotalwaysperfectlyassuredofknowingMissCrawford’s。Therewerepointsonwhichtheydidnotquiteagree；thereweremomentsinwhichshedidnotseempropitious；andthoughtrustingaltogethertoheraffection，sofarastoberesolved——almostresolved——
　　onbringingittoadecisionwithinaveryshorttime，assoonasthevarietyofbusinessbeforehimwerearranged，andheknewwhathehadtoofferher，hehadmanyanxiousfeelings，manydoubtinghoursastotheresult。
　　Hisconvictionofherregardforhimwassometimesverystrong；
　　hecouldlookbackonalongcourseofencouragement，andshewasasperfectindisinterestedattachmentasineverythingelse。Butatothertimesdoubtandalarmintermingledwithhishopes；andwhenhethoughtofheracknowledgeddisinclinationforprivacyandretirement，herdecidedpreferenceofaLondonlife，whatcouldheexpectbutadeterminedrejection？unlessitwereanacceptanceevenmoretobedeprecated，demandingsuchsacrificesofsituationandemploymentonhissideasconsciencemustforbid。
　　Theissueofalldependedononequestion。Didshelovehimwellenoughtoforegowhathadusedtobeessentialpoints？Didshelovehimwellenoughtomakethemnolongeressential？Andthisquestion，whichhewascontinuallyrepeatingtohimself，thoughoftenestansweredwitha“Yes，“hadsometimesits“No。“
　　MissCrawfordwassoontoleaveMansfield，andonthiscircumstancethe“no“andthe“yes“hadbeenveryrecentlyinalternation。Hehadseenhereyessparkleasshespokeofthedearfriend’sletter，whichclaimedalongvisitfromherinLondon，andofthekindnessofHenry，inengagingtoremainwherehewastillJanuary，thathemightconveyherthither；hehadheardherspeakofthepleasureofsuchajourneywithananimationwhichhad“no“ineverytone。
　　Butthishadoccurredonthefirstdayofitsbeingsettled，withinthefirsthouroftheburstofsuchenjoyment，whennothingbutthefriendsshewastovisitwasbeforeher。
　　Hehadsinceheardherexpressherselfdifferently，withotherfeelings，morechequeredfeelings：hehadheardhertellMrs。Grantthatsheshouldleaveherwithregret；
　　thatshebegantobelieveneitherthefriendsnorthepleasuresshewasgoingtowereworththosesheleftbehind；andthatthoughshefeltshemustgo，andknewsheshouldenjoyherselfwhenonceaway，shewasalreadylookingforwardtobeingatMansfieldagain。
　　Wastherenota“yes“inallthis？
　　Withsuchmatterstoponderover，andarrange，andre-arrange，Edmundcouldnot，onhisownaccount，thinkverymuchoftheeveningwhichtherestofthefamilywerelookingforwardtowithamoreequaldegreeofstronginterest。
　　Independentofhistwocousins’enjoymentinit，theeveningwastohimofnohighervaluethananyotherappointedmeetingofthetwofamiliesmightbe。
　　IneverymeetingtherewasahopeofreceivingfartherconfirmationofMissCrawford’sattachment；butthewhirlofaballroom，perhaps，wasnotparticularlyfavourabletotheexcitementorexpressionofseriousfeelings。
　　Toengageherearlyforthetwofirstdanceswasallthecommandofindividualhappinesswhichhefeltinhispower，andtheonlypreparationfortheballwhichhecouldenterinto，inspiteofallthatwaspassingaroundhimonthesubject，frommorningtillnight。
　　Thursdaywasthedayoftheball；andonWednesdaymorningFanny，stillunabletosatisfyherselfastowhatsheoughttowear，determinedtoseekthecounselofthemoreenlightened，andapplytoMrs。Grantandhersister，whoseacknowledgedtastewouldcertainlybearherblameless；
　　andasEdmundandWilliamweregonetoNorthampton，andshehadreasontothinkMr。Crawfordlikewiseout，shewalkeddowntotheParsonagewithoutmuchfearofwantinganopportunityforprivatediscussion；andtheprivacyofsuchadiscussionwasamostimportantpartofittoFanny，beingmorethanhalf-ashamedofherownsolicitude。
　　ShemetMissCrawfordwithinafewyardsoftheParsonage，justsettingouttocallonher，andasitseemedtoherthatherfriend，thoughobligedtoinsistonturningback，wasunwillingtoloseherwalk，sheexplainedherbusinessatonce，andobserved，thatifshewouldbesokindastogiveheropinion，itmightbealltalkedoveraswellwithoutdoorsaswithin。MissCrawfordappearedgratifiedbytheapplication，andafteramoment’sthought，urgedFanny’sreturningwithherinamuchmorecordialmannerthanbefore，andproposedtheirgoingupintoherroom，wheretheymighthaveacomfortablecoze，withoutdisturbingDr。andMrs。Grant，whoweretogetherinthedrawing-room。ItwasjusttheplantosuitFanny；