“Why，astothat，Mr。Rushworthisaverygoodsortofyoungman，anditisagreatmatchforher。“
　　“ButMissBertramdoesnotcarethreestrawsforhim；
　　_that_isyouropinionofyourintimatefriend。_I_donotsubscribetoit。IamsureMissBertramisverymuchattachedtoMr。Rushworth。Icouldseeitinhereyes，whenhewasmentioned。IthinktoowellofMissBertramtosupposeshewouldevergiveherhandwithoutherheart。“
　　“Mary，howshallwemanagehim？“
　　“Wemustleavehimtohimself，Ibelieve。Talkingdoesnogood。Hewillbetakeninatlast。“
　　“ButIwouldnothavehim_taken__in_；Iwouldnothavehimduped；Iwouldhaveitallfairandhonourable。“
　　“Ohdear!lethimstandhischanceandbetakenin。
　　Itwilldojustaswell。Everybodyistakeninatsomeperiodorother。“
　　“Notalwaysinmarriage，dearMary。“
　　“Inmarriageespecially。Withallduerespecttosuchofthepresentcompanyaschancetobemarried，mydearMrs。Grant，thereisnotoneinahundredofeithersexwhoisnottakeninwhentheymarry。LookwhereIwill，Iseethatit_is_so；andIfeelthatit_must_beso，whenIconsiderthatitis，ofalltransactions，theoneinwhichpeopleexpectmostfromothers，andareleasthonestthemselves。“
　　“Ah!Youhavebeeninabadschoolformatrimony，inHillStreet。“
　　“Mypooraunthadcertainlylittlecausetolovethestate；but，however，speakingfrommyownobservation，itisamanoeuvringbusiness。Iknowsomanywhohavemarriedinthefullexpectationandconfidenceofsomeoneparticularadvantageintheconnexion，oraccomplishment，orgoodqualityintheperson，whohavefoundthemselvesentirelydeceived，andbeenobligedtoputupwithexactlythereverse。Whatisthisbutatakein？“
　　“Mydearchild，theremustbealittleimaginationhere。
　　Ibegyourpardon，butIcannotquitebelieveyou。
　　Dependuponit，youseebuthalf。Youseetheevil，butyoudonotseetheconsolation。Therewillbelittlerubsanddisappointmentseverywhere，andweareallapttoexpecttoomuch；butthen，ifoneschemeofhappinessfails，humannatureturnstoanother；
　　ifthefirstcalculationiswrong，wemakeasecondbetter：
　　wefindcomfortsomewhere——andthoseevil-mindedobservers，dearestMary，whomakemuchofalittle，aremoretakeninanddeceivedthanthepartiesthemselves。“
　　“Welldone，sister!Ihonouryour_esprit__du__corps_。
　　WhenIamawife，Imeantobejustasstaunchmyself；
　　andIwishmyfriendsingeneralwouldbesotoo。Itwouldsavememanyaheartache。“
　　“Youareasbadasyourbrother，Mary；butwewillcureyouboth。Mansfieldshallcureyouboth，andwithoutanytakingin。Staywithus，andwewillcureyou。“
　　TheCrawfords，withoutwantingtobecured，wereverywillingtostay。MarywassatisfiedwiththeParsonageasapresenthome，andHenryequallyreadytolengthenhisvisit。Hehadcome，intendingtospendonlyafewdayswiththem；butMansfieldpromisedwell，andtherewasnothingtocallhimelsewhere。ItdelightedMrs。Granttokeepthembothwithher，andDr。Grantwasexceedinglywellcontentedtohaveitso：atalkingprettyyoungwomanlikeMissCrawfordisalwayspleasantsocietytoanindolent，stay-at-homeman；andMr。Crawford’sbeinghisguestwasanexcusefordrinkingclareteveryday。
　　TheMissBertrams’admirationofMr。CrawfordwasmorerapturousthananythingwhichMissCrawford’shabitsmadeherlikelytofeel。Sheacknowledged，however，thattheMr。Bertramswereveryfineyoungmen，thattwosuchyoungmenwerenotoftenseentogethereveninLondon，andthattheirmanners，particularlythoseoftheeldest，wereverygood。_He_hadbeenmuchinLondon，andhadmorelivelinessandgallantrythanEdmund，andmust，therefore，bepreferred；and，indeed，hisbeingtheeldestwasanotherstrongclaim。Shehadfeltanearlypresentimentthatshe_should_liketheeldestbest。
　　Sheknewitwasherway。
　　TomBertrammusthavebeenthoughtpleasant，indeed，atanyrate；
　　hewasthesortofyoungmantobegenerallyliked，hisagreeablenesswasofthekindtobeoftenerfoundagreeablethansomeendowmentsofahigherstamp，forhehadeasymanners，excellentspirits，alargeacquaintance，andagreatdealtosay；andthereversionofMansfieldPark，andabaronetcy，didnoharmtoallthis。MissCrawfordsoonfeltthatheandhissituationmightdo。Shelookedaboutherwithdueconsideration，andfoundalmosteverythinginhisfavour：apark，arealpark，fivemilesround，aspaciousmodern-builthouse，sowellplacedandwellscreenedastodeservetobeinanycollectionofengravingsofgentlemen’sseatsinthekingdom，andwantingonlytobecompletelynewfurnished——pleasantsisters，aquietmother，andanagreeablemanhimself——withtheadvantageofbeingtiedupfrommuchgamingatpresentbyapromisetohisfather，andofbeingSirThomashereafter。
　　Itmightdoverywell；shebelievedsheshouldaccepthim；
　　andshebeganaccordinglytointerestherselfalittleaboutthehorsewhichhehadtorunattheB——races。
　　Theseracesweretocallhimawaynotlongaftertheiracquaintancebegan；andasitappearedthatthefamilydidnot，fromhisusualgoingson，expecthimbackagainformanyweeks，itwouldbringhispassiontoanearlyproof。Muchwassaidonhissidetoinducehertoattendtheraces，andschemesweremadeforalargepartytothem，withalltheeagernessofinclination，butitwouldonlydotobetalkedof。
　　AndFanny，whatwas_she_doingandthinkingallthiswhile？andwhatwas_her_opinionofthenewcomers？
　　FewyoungladiesofeighteencouldbelesscalledontospeaktheiropinionthanFanny。Inaquietway，verylittleattendedto，shepaidhertributeofadmirationtoMissCrawford’sbeauty；butasshestillcontinuedtothinkMr。Crawfordveryplain，inspiteofhertwocousinshavingrepeatedlyprovedthecontrary，shenevermentioned_him_。Thenotice，whichsheexcitedherself，wastothiseffect。“Ibeginnowtounderstandyouall，exceptMissPrice，“saidMissCrawford，asshewaswalkingwiththeMr。Bertrams。“Pray，issheout，orisshenot？Iampuzzled。ShedinedattheParsonage，withtherestofyou，whichseemedlikebeing_out_；
　　andyetshesayssolittle，thatIcanhardlysupposeshe_is_。“
　　Edmund，towhomthiswaschieflyaddressed，replied，“IbelieveIknowwhatyoumean，butIwillnotundertaketoanswerthequestion。Mycousinisgrownup。Shehastheageandsenseofawoman，buttheoutsandnotoutsarebeyondme。“
　　“Andyet，ingeneral，nothingcanbemoreeasilyascertained。
　　Thedistinctionissobroad。Mannersaswellasappearanceare，generallyspeaking，sototallydifferent。
　　Tillnow，Icouldnothavesupposeditpossibletobemistakenastoagirl’sbeingoutornot。Agirlnotouthasalwaysthesamesortofdress：aclosebonnet，forinstance；looksverydemure，andneversaysaword。
　　Youmaysmile，butitisso，Iassureyou；andexceptthatitissometimescarriedalittletoofar，itisallveryproper。Girlsshouldbequietandmodest。
　　Themostobjectionablepartis，thatthealterationofmannersonbeingintroducedintocompanyisfrequentlytoosudden。Theysometimespassinsuchverylittletimefromreservetoquitetheopposite——toconfidence!
　　_That_isthefaultypartofthepresentsystem。
　　Onedoesnotliketoseeagirlofeighteenornineteensoimmediatelyuptoeverything——andperhapswhenonehasseenherhardlyabletospeaktheyearbefore。
　　Mr。Bertram，Idaresay_you_havesometimesmetwithsuchchanges。“
　　“IbelieveIhave，butthisishardlyfair；Iseewhatyouareat。YouarequizzingmeandMissAnderson。“
　　“No，indeed。MissAnderson!Idonotknowwhoorwhatyoumean。Iamquiteinthedark。ButI_will_quizyouwithagreatdealofpleasure，ifyouwilltellmewhatabout。“
　　“Ah!youcarryitoffverywell，butIcannotbequitesofarimposedon。YoumusthavehadMissAndersoninyoureye，indescribinganalteredyounglady。
　　Youpainttooaccuratelyformistake。Itwasexactlyso。
　　TheAndersonsofBakerStreet。Wewerespeakingofthemtheotherday，youknow。Edmund，youhaveheardmementionCharlesAnderson。Thecircumstancewaspreciselyasthisladyhasrepresentedit。WhenAndersonfirstintroducedmetohisfamily，abouttwoyearsago，hissisterwasnot_out_，andIcouldnotgethertospeaktome。
　　IsatthereanhouronemorningwaitingforAnderson，withonlyherandalittlegirlortwointheroom，thegovernessbeingsickorrunaway，andthemotherinandouteverymomentwithlettersofbusiness，andI
　　couldhardlygetawordoralookfromtheyounglady——
　　nothinglikeacivilanswer——shescreweduphermouth，andturnedfrommewithsuchanair!Ididnotseeheragainforatwelvemonth。Shewasthen_out_。
　　ImetheratMrs。Holford’s，anddidnotrecollecther。
　　Shecameuptome，claimedmeasanacquaintance，staredmeoutofcountenance；andtalkedandlaughedtillIdidnotknowwhichwaytolook。IfeltthatImustbethejestoftheroomatthetime，andMissCrawford，itisplain，hasheardthestory。“
　　“Andaveryprettystoryitis，andwithmoretruthinit，Idaresay，thandoescredittoMissAnderson。
　　Itistoocommonafault。Motherscertainlyhavenotyetgotquitetherightwayofmanagingtheirdaughters。
　　Idonotknowwheretheerrorlies。Idonotpretendtosetpeopleright，butIdoseethattheyareoftenwrong。“
　　“Thosewhoareshowingtheworldwhatfemalemanners_should_be，“saidMr。Bertramgallantly，“aredoingagreatdealtosetthemright。“