Shehad，moreover，tocontendwithonedisagreeableemotionentirelynewtoher——jealousy。HisfriendMr。Owenhadsisters；
　　hemightfindthemattractive。But，atanyrate，hisstayingawayatatimewhen，accordingtoallprecedingplans，shewastoremovetoLondon，meantsomethingthatshecouldnotbear。HadHenryreturned，ashetalkedofdoing，attheendofthreeorfourdays，sheshouldnowhavebeenleavingMansfield。ItbecameabsolutelynecessaryforhertogettoFannyandtrytolearnsomethingmore。
　　Shecouldnotliveanylongerinsuchsolitarywretchedness；
　　andshemadeherwaytothePark，throughdifficultiesofwalkingwhichshehaddeemedunconquerableaweekbefore，forthechanceofhearingalittleinaddition，forthesakeofatleasthearinghisname。
　　Thefirsthalf-hourwaslost，forFannyandLadyBertramweretogether，andunlessshehadFannytoherselfshecouldhopefornothing。ButatlastLadyBertramlefttheroom，andthenalmostimmediatelyMissCrawfordthusbegan，withavoiceaswellregulatedasshecould——“Andhowdo_you_likeyourcousinEdmund’sstayingawaysolong？
　　Beingtheonlyyoungpersonathome，Iconsider_you_
　　asthegreatestsufferer。Youmustmisshim。Doeshisstayinglongersurpriseyou？“
　　“Idonotknow，“saidFannyhesitatingly。“Yes；Ihadnotparticularlyexpectedit。“
　　“Perhapshewillalwaysstaylongerthanhetalksof。
　　Itisthegeneralwayallyoungmendo。“
　　“Hedidnot，theonlytimehewenttoseeMr。Owenbefore。“
　　“Hefindsthehousemoreagreeable_now_。Heisavery——
　　averypleasingyoungmanhimself，andIcannothelpbeingratherconcernedatnotseeinghimagainbeforeI
　　gotoLondon，aswillnowundoubtedlybethecase。
　　IamlookingforHenryeveryday，andassoonashecomestherewillbenothingtodetainmeatMansfield。
　　Ishouldliketohaveseenhimoncemore，Iconfess。
　　Butyoumustgivemycomplimentstohim。Yes；Ithinkitmustbecompliments。Isnotthereasomethingwanted，MissPrice，inourlanguage——asomethingbetweencomplimentsand——
　　andlove——tosuitthesortoffriendlyacquaintancewehavehadtogether？Somanymonths’acquaintance!Butcomplimentsmaybesufficienthere。Washisletteralongone？
　　Doeshegiveyoumuchaccountofwhatheisdoing？
　　IsitChristmasgaietiesthatheisstayingfor？“
　　“Ionlyheardapartoftheletter；itwastomyuncle；
　　butIbelieveitwasveryshort；indeedIamsureitwasbutafewlines。AllthatIheardwasthathisfriendhadpressedhimtostaylonger，andthathehadagreedtodoso。A_few_dayslonger，or_some_dayslonger；
　　Iamnotquitesurewhich。“
　　“Oh!ifhewrotetohisfather；butIthoughtitmighthavebeentoLadyBertramoryou。Butifhewrotetohisfather，nowonderhewasconcise。WhocouldwritechattoSirThomas？Ifhehadwrittentoyou，therewouldhavebeenmoreparticulars。Youwouldhaveheardofballsandparties。Hewouldhavesentyouadescriptionofeverythingandeverybody。HowmanyMissOwensarethere？“
　　“Threegrownup。“
　　“Aretheymusical？“
　　“Idonotatallknow。Ineverheard。“
　　“Thatisthefirstquestion，youknow，“saidMissCrawford，tryingtoappeargayandunconcerned，“whicheverywomanwhoplaysherselfissuretoaskaboutanother。
　　Butitisveryfoolishtoaskquestionsaboutanyyoungladies——aboutanythreesistersjustgrownup；
　　foroneknows，withoutbeingtold，exactlywhattheyare：
　　allveryaccomplishedandpleasing，andoneverypretty。
　　Thereisabeautyineveryfamily；itisaregularthing。
　　Twoplayonthepianoforte，andoneontheharp；
　　andallsing，orwouldsingiftheyweretaught，orsingallthebetterfornotbeingtaught；orsomethinglikeit。“
　　“IknownothingoftheMissOwens，“saidFannycalmly。
　　“Youknownothingandyoucareless，aspeoplesay。
　　Neverdidtoneexpressindifferenceplainer。Indeed，howcanonecareforthoseonehasneverseen？Well，whenyourcousincomesback，hewillfindMansfieldveryquiet；
　　allthenoisyonesgone，yourbrotherandmineandmyselfIdonotliketheideaofleavingMrs。Grantnowthetimedrawsnear。Shedoesnotlikemygoing。“
　　Fannyfeltobligedtospeak。“’Youcannotdoubtyourbeingmissedbymany，“saidshe。“Youwillbeverymuchmissed。“
　　MissCrawfordturnedhereyeonher，asifwantingtohearorseemore，andthenlaughinglysaid，“Ohyes!missedaseverynoisyevilismissedwhenitistakenaway；
　　thatis，thereisagreatdifferencefelt。ButIamnotfishing；don’tcomplimentme。IfI_am_missed，itwillappear。Imaybediscoveredbythosewhowanttoseeme。Ishallnotbeinanydoubtful，ordistant，orunapproachableregion。“
　　NowFannycouldnotbringherselftospeak，andMissCrawfordwasdisappointed；forshehadhopedtohearsomepleasantassuranceofherpowerfromonewhoshethoughtmustknow，andherspiritswerecloudedagain。
　　“TheMissOwens，“saidshe，soonafterwards；“supposeyouweretohaveoneoftheMissOwenssettledatThorntonLacey；
　　howshouldyoulikeit？Strangerthingshavehappened。
　　Idaresaytheyaretryingforit。Andtheyarequiteinthelight，foritwouldbeaveryprettyestablishmentforthem。Idonotatallwonderorblamethem。Itiseverybody’sdutytodoaswellforthemselvesastheycan。
　　SirThomasBertram’ssonissomebody；andnowheisintheirownline。Theirfatherisaclergyman，andtheirbrotherisaclergyman，andtheyareallclergymentogether。
　　Heistheirlawfulproperty；hefairlybelongstothem。
　　Youdon’tspeak，Fanny；MissPrice，youdon’tspeak。
　　Buthonestlynow，donotyouratherexpectitthanotherwise？“
　　“No，“saidFannystoutly，“Idonotexpectitatall。“
　　“Notatall!“criedMissCrawfordwithalacrity。
　　“Iwonderatthat。ButIdaresayyouknowexactly——
　　Ialwaysimagineyouare——perhapsyoudonotthinkhimlikelytomarryatall——ornotatpresent。“
　　“No，Idonot，“saidFannysoftly，hopingshedidnoterreitherinthebeliefortheacknowledgmentofit。
　　Hercompanionlookedatherkeenly；andgatheringgreaterspiritfromtheblushsoonproducedfromsuchalook，onlysaid，“Heisbestoffasheis，“andturnedthesubject。
　　MissCrawford’suneasinesswasmuchlightenedbythisconversation，andshewalkedhomeagaininspiritswhichmighthavedefiedalmostanotherweekofthesamesmallpartyinthesamebadweather，hadtheybeenputtotheproof；butasthatveryeveningbroughtherbrotherdownfromLondonagaininquite，ormorethanquite，hisusualcheerfulness，shehadnothingfarthertotryherown。Hisstillrefusingtotellherwhathehadgoneforwasbutthepromotionofgaiety；adaybeforeitmighthaveirritated，butnowitwasapleasantjoke——
　　suspectedonlyofconcealingsomethingplannedasapleasantsurprisetoherself。Andthenextday_did_bringasurprisetoher。HenryhadsaidheshouldjustgoandasktheBertramshowtheydid，andbebackintenminutes，buthewasgoneaboveanhour；andwhenhissister，whohadbeenwaitingforhimtowalkwithherinthegarden，methimatlastmostimpatientlyinthesweep，andcriedout，“MydearHenry，wherecanyouhavebeenallthistime？“
　　hehadonlytosaythathehadbeensittingwithLadyBertramandFanny。
　　“Sittingwiththemanhourandahalf!“exclaimedMary。
　　Butthiswasonlythebeginningofhersurprise。
　　“Yes，Mary，“saidhe，drawingherarmwithinhis，andwalkingalongthesweepasifnotknowingwherehewas：
　　“Icouldnotgetawaysooner；Fannylookedsolovely!
　　Iamquitedetermined，Mary。Mymindisentirelymadeup。
　　Willitastonishyou？No：youmustbeawarethatIamquitedeterminedtomarryFannyPrice。“