TomandCharles。CharleshadbeenbornsinceFanny’sgoingaway，butTomshehadoftenhelpedtonurse，andnowfeltaparticularpleasureinseeingagain。
　　Bothwerekissedverytenderly，butTomshewantedtokeepbyher，totrytotracethefeaturesofthebabyshehadloved，andtalkedto，ofhisinfantpreferenceofherself。Tom，however，hadnomindforsuchtreatment：
　　hecamehomenottostandandbetalkedto，buttorunaboutandmakeanoise；andbothboyshadsoonburstfromher，andslammedtheparlour-doortillhertemplesached。
　　Shehadnowseenallthatwereathome；thereremainedonlytwobrothersbetweenherselfandSusan，oneofwhomwasaclerkinapublicofficeinLondon，andtheothermidshipmanonboardanIndiaman。
　　Butthoughshehad_seen_allthemembersofthefamily，shehadnotyet_heard_allthenoisetheycouldmake。
　　Anotherquarterofanhourbroughtheragreatdealmore。
　　Williamwassooncallingoutfromthelanding-placeofthesecondstoryforhismotherandforRebecca。
　　Hewasindistressforsomethingthathehadleftthere，anddidnotfindagain。Akeywasmislaid，Betseyaccusedofhavinggotathisnewhat，andsomeslight，butessentialalterationofhisuniformwaistcoat，whichhehadbeenpromisedtohavedoneforhim，entirelyneglected。
　　Mrs。Price，Rebecca，andBetseyallwentuptodefendthemselves，alltalkingtogether，butRebeccaloudest，andthejobwastobedoneaswellasitcouldinagreathurry；
　　WilliamtryinginvaintosendBetseydownagain，orkeepherfrombeingtroublesomewhereshewas；thewholeofwhich，asalmosteverydoorinthehousewasopen，couldbeplainlydistinguishedintheparlour，exceptwhendrownedatintervalsbythesuperiornoiseofSam，Tom，andCharleschasingeachotherupanddownstairs，andtumblingaboutandhallooing。
　　Fannywasalmoststunned。Thesmallnessofthehouseandthinnessofthewallsbroughteverythingsoclosetoher，that，addedtothefatigueofherjourney，andallherrecentagitation，shehardlyknewhowtobearit。
　　_Within_theroomallwastranquilenough，forSusanhavingdisappearedwiththeothers，thereweresoononlyherfatherandherselfremaining；andhe，takingoutanewspaper，theaccustomaryloanofaneighbour，appliedhimselftostudyingit，withoutseemingtorecollectherexistence。
　　Thesolitarycandlewasheldbetweenhimselfandthepaper，withoutanyreferencetoherpossibleconvenience；
　　butshehadnothingtodo，andwasgladtohavethelightscreenedfromherachinghead，asshesatinbewildered，broken，sorrowfulcontemplation。
　　Shewasathome。But，alas!itwasnotsuchahome，shehadnotsuchawelcome，as——shecheckedherself；
　　shewasunreasonable。Whatrighthadshetobeofimportancetoherfamily？Shecouldhavenone，solonglostsightof!
　　William’sconcernsmustbedearest，theyalwayshadbeen，andhehadeveryright。Yettohavesolittlesaidoraskedaboutherself，tohavescarcelyaninquirymadeafterMansfield!ItdidpainhertohaveMansfieldforgotten；
　　thefriendswhohaddonesomuch——thedear，dearfriends!
　　Buthere，onesubjectswallowedupalltherest。
　　Perhapsitmustbeso。ThedestinationoftheThrushmustbenowpreeminentlyinteresting。Adayortwomightshewthedifference。_She_onlywastoblame。
　　YetshethoughtitwouldnothavebeensoatMansfield。
　　No，inheruncle’shousetherewouldhavebeenaconsiderationoftimesandseasons，aregulationofsubject，apropriety，anattentiontowardseverybodywhichtherewasnothere。
　　Theonlyinterruptionwhichthoughtslikethesereceivedfornearlyhalfanhourwasfromasuddenburstofherfather’s，notatallcalculatedtocomposethem。Atamorethanordinarypitchofthumpingandhallooinginthepassage，heexclaimed，“Deviltakethoseyoungdogs!Howtheyaresingingout!Ay，Sam’svoicelouderthanalltherest!
　　Thatboyisfitforaboatswain。Holla，youthere!
　　Sam，stopyourconfoundedpipe，orIshallbeafteryou。“
　　Thisthreatwassopalpablydisregarded，thatthoughwithinfiveminutesafterwardsthethreeboysallburstintotheroomtogetherandsatdown，Fannycouldnotconsideritasaproofofanythingmorethantheirbeingforthetimethoroughlyfagged，whichtheirhotfacesandpantingbreathsseemedtoprove，especiallyastheywerestillkickingeachother’sshins，andhallooingoutatsuddenstartsimmediatelyundertheirfather’seye。
　　Thenextopeningofthedoorbroughtsomethingmorewelcome：
　　itwasforthetea-things，whichshehadbegunalmosttodespairofseeingthatevening。Susanandanattendantgirl，whoseinferiorappearanceinformedFanny，tohergreatsurprise，thatshehadpreviouslyseentheupperservant，broughtineverythingnecessaryforthemeal；
　　Susanlooking，assheputthekettleonthefireandglancedathersister，asifdividedbetweentheagreeabletriumphofshewingheractivityandusefulness，andthedreadofbeingthoughttodemeanherselfbysuchanoffice。
　　“Shehadbeenintothekitchen，“shesaid，“tohurrySallyandhelpmakethetoast，andspreadthebreadandbutter，orshedidnotknowwhentheyshouldhavegottea，andshewassurehersistermustwantsomethingafterherjourney。“
　　Fannywasverythankful。Shecouldnotbutownthatsheshouldbeverygladofalittletea，andSusanimmediatelysetaboutmakingit，asifpleasedtohavetheemploymentalltoherself；andwithonlyalittleunnecessarybustle，andsomefewinjudiciousattemptsatkeepingherbrothersinbetterorderthanshecould，acquittedherselfverywell。
　　Fanny’sspiritwasasmuchrefreshedasherbody；herheadandheartweresoonthebetterforsuchwell-timedkindness。
　　Susanhadanopen，sensiblecountenance；shewaslikeWilliam，andFannyhopedtofindherlikehimindispositionandgoodwilltowardsherself。
　　InthismoreplacidstateofthingsWilliamreentered，followednotfarbehindbyhismotherandBetsey。
　　He，completeinhislieutenant’suniform，lookingandmovingallthetaller，firmer，andmoregracefulforit，andwiththehappiestsmileoverhisface，walkedupdirectlytoFanny，who，risingfromherseat，lookedathimforamomentinspeechlessadmiration，andthenthrewherarmsroundhisnecktosobouthervariousemotionsofpainandpleasure。
　　Anxiousnottoappearunhappy，shesoonrecoveredherself；
　　andwipingawayhertears，wasabletonoticeandadmireallthestrikingpartsofhisdress；listeningwithrevivingspiritstohischeerfulhopesofbeingonshoresomepartofeverydaybeforetheysailed，andevenofgettinghertoSpitheadtoseethesloop。
　　ThenextbustlebroughtinMr。Campbell，thesurgeonoftheThrush，averywell-behavedyoungman，whocametocallforhisfriend，andforwhomtherewaswithsomecontrivancefoundachair，andwithsomehastywashingoftheyoungtea-maker’s，acupandsaucer；andafteranotherquarterofanhourofearnesttalkbetweenthegentlemen，noiserisinguponnoise，andbustleuponbustle，menandboysatlastallinmotiontogether，themomentcameforsettingoff；everythingwasready，Williamtookleave，andallofthemweregone；forthethreeboys，inspiteoftheirmother’sentreaty，determinedtoseetheirbrotherandMr。Campbelltothesally-port；andMr。Pricewalkedoffatthesametimetocarrybackhisneighbour’snewspaper。
　　Somethingliketranquillitymightnowbehopedfor；
　　andaccordingly，whenRebeccahadbeenprevailedontocarryawaythetea-things，andMrs。Pricehadwalkedabouttheroomsometimelookingforashirt-sleeve，whichBetseyatlasthuntedoutfromadrawerinthekitchen，thesmallpartyoffemaleswereprettywellcomposed，andthemotherhavinglamentedagainovertheimpossibilityofgettingSamreadyintime，wasatleisuretothinkofhereldestdaughterandthefriendsshehadcomefrom。
　　Afewinquiriesbegan：butoneoftheearliest——“HowdidsisterBertrammanageaboutherservants？“Wassheasmuchplaguedasherselftogettolerableservants？“——
　　soonledhermindawayfromNorthamptonshire，andfixeditonherowndomesticgrievances，andtheshockingcharacterofallthePortsmouthservants，ofwhomshebelievedherowntwoweretheveryworst，engrossedhercompletely。
　　TheBertramswereallforgottenindetailingthefaultsofRebecca，againstwhomSusanhadalsomuchtodepose，andlittleBetseyagreatdealmore，andwhodidseemsothoroughlywithoutasinglerecommendation，thatFannycouldnothelpmodestlypresumingthathermothermeanttopartwithherwhenheryearwasup。
　　“Heryear!“criedMrs。Price；“IamsureIhopeI
　　shallberidofherbeforeshehasstaidayear，forthatwillnotbeuptillNovember。Servantsarecometosuchapass，mydear，inPortsmouth，thatitisquiteamiracleifonekeepsthemmorethanhalfayear。
　　Ihavenohopeofeverbeingsettled；andifIwastopartwithRebecca，Ishouldonlygetsomethingworse。
　　AndyetIdonotthinkIamaverydifficultmistresstoplease；andIamsuretheplaceiseasyenough，forthereisalwaysagirlunderher，andIoftendohalftheworkmyself。“
　　Fannywassilent；butnotfrombeingconvincedthattheremightnotbearemedyfoundforsomeoftheseevils。
　　AsshenowsatlookingatBetsey，shecouldnotbutthinkparticularlyofanothersister，averyprettylittlegirl，whomshehadlefttherenotmuchyoungerwhenshewentintoNorthamptonshire，whohaddiedafewyearsafterwards。