Fannywasdoublysilencedhere；thoughwhenthemomentwaspassed，couldregretthatshehadnotforcedherselfintotheacknowledgedcomprehensionofonehalfofhismeaning，andencouragedhimtosaysomethingmoreofhissisterandEdmund。Itwasasubjectwhichshemustlearntospeakof，andtheweaknessthatshrunkfromitwouldsoonbequiteunpardonable。
　　WhenMr。Priceandhisfriendhadseenallthattheywished，orhadtimefor，theotherswerereadytoreturn；
　　andinthecourseoftheirwalkback，Mr。Crawfordcontrivedaminute’sprivacyfortellingFannythathisonlybusinessinPortsmouthwastoseeher；thathewascomedownforacoupleofdaysonheraccount，andhersonly，andbecausehecouldnotendurealongertotalseparation。
　　Shewassorry，reallysorry；andyetinspiteofthisandthetwoorthreeotherthingswhichshewishedhehadnotsaid，shethoughthimaltogetherimprovedsinceshehadseenhim；
　　hewasmuchmoregentle，obliging，andattentivetootherpeople’sfeelingsthanhehadeverbeenatMansfield；
　　shehadneverseenhimsoagreeable——so_near_beingagreeable；
　　hisbehaviourtoherfathercouldnotoffend，andtherewassomethingparticularlykindandproperinthenoticehetookofSusan。Hewasdecidedlyimproved。Shewishedthenextdayover，shewishedhehadcomeonlyforoneday；
　　butitwasnotsoverybadasshewouldhaveexpected：
　　thepleasureoftalkingofMansfieldwassoverygreat!
　　Beforetheyparted，shehadtothankhimforanotherpleasure，andoneofnotrivialkind。Herfatheraskedhimtodothemthehonouroftakinghismuttonwiththem，andFannyhadtimeforonlyonethrillofhorror，beforehedeclaredhimselfpreventedbyapriorengagement。Hewasengagedtodinneralreadybothforthatdayandthenext；hehadmetwithsomeacquaintanceattheCrownwhowouldnotbedenied；
　　heshouldhavethehonour，however，ofwaitingonthemagainonthemorrow，etc。，andsotheyparted——Fannyinastateofactualfelicityfromescapingsohorribleanevil!
　　Tohavehadhimjointheirfamilydinner-party，andseealltheirdeficiencies，wouldhavebeendreadful!
　　Rebecca’scookeryandRebecca’swaiting，andBetsey’seatingattablewithoutrestraint，andpullingeverythingaboutasshechose，werewhatFannyherselfwasnotyetenoughinuredtoforheroftentomakeatolerablemeal。
　　_She_wasniceonlyfromnaturaldelicacy，but_he_hadbeenbroughtupinaschoolofluxuryandepicurism。
　　ThePriceswerejustsettingoffforchurchthenextdaywhenMr。Crawfordappearedagain。Hecame，nottostop，buttojointhem；hewasaskedtogowiththemtotheGarrisonchapel，whichwasexactlywhathehadintended，andtheyallwalkedthithertogether。
　　Thefamilywerenowseentoadvantage。Naturehadgiventhemnoinconsiderableshareofbeauty，andeverySundaydressedthemintheircleanestskinsandbestattire。
　　SundayalwaysbroughtthiscomforttoFanny，andonthisSundayshefeltitmorethanever。HerpoormothernowdidnotlooksoveryunworthyofbeingLadyBertram’ssisterasshewasbuttooapttolook。Itoftengrievedhertothehearttothinkofthecontrastbetweenthem；
　　tothinkthatwherenaturehadmadesolittledifference，circumstancesshouldhavemadesomuch，andthathermother，ashandsomeasLadyBertram，andsomeyearsherjunior，shouldhaveanappearancesomuchmorewornandfaded，socomfortless，soslatternly，soshabby。ButSundaymadeheraverycreditableandtolerablycheerful-lookingMrs。Price，comingabroadwithafinefamilyofchildren，feelingalittlerespiteofherweeklycares，andonlydiscomposedifshesawherboysrunintodanger，orRebeccapassbywithaflowerinherhat。
　　Inchapeltheywereobligedtodivide，butMr。Crawfordtookcarenottobedividedfromthefemalebranch；
　　andafterchapelhestillcontinuedwiththem，andmadeoneinthefamilypartyontheramparts。
　　Mrs。PricetookherweeklywalkontherampartseveryfineSundaythroughouttheyear，alwaysgoingdirectlyaftermorningserviceandstayingtilldinner-time。Itwasherpublicplace：thereshemetheracquaintance，heardalittlenews，talkedoverthebadnessofthePortsmouthservants，andwoundupherspiritsforthesixdaysensuing。
　　Thithertheynowwent；Mr。CrawfordmosthappytoconsidertheMissPricesashispeculiarcharge；andbeforetheyhadbeentherelong，somehoworother，therewasnosayinghow，Fannycouldnothavebelievedit，buthewaswalkingbetweenthemwithanarmofeachunderhis，andshedidnotknowhowtopreventorputanendtoit。
　　Itmadeheruncomfortableforatime，butyettherewereenjoymentsinthedayandintheviewwhichwouldbefelt。
　　Thedaywasuncommonlylovely。ItwasreallyMarch；
　　butitwasAprilinitsmildair，brisksoftwind，andbrightsun，occasionallycloudedforaminute；
　　andeverythinglookedsobeautifulundertheinfluenceofsuchasky，theeffectsoftheshadowspursuingeachotherontheshipsatSpitheadandtheislandbeyond，withtheever-varyinghuesofthesea，nowathighwater，dancinginitsgleeanddashingagainsttherampartswithsofineasound，producedaltogethersuchacombinationofcharmsforFanny，asmadehergraduallyalmostcarelessofthecircumstancesunderwhichshefeltthem。Nay，hadshebeenwithouthisarm，shewouldsoonhaveknownthatsheneededit，forshewantedstrengthforatwohours’
　　saunterofthiskind，coming，asitgenerallydid，uponaweek’spreviousinactivity。Fannywasbeginningtofeeltheeffectofbeingdebarredfromherusualregularexercise；shehadlostgroundastohealthsinceherbeinginPortsmouth；andbutforMr。Crawfordandthebeautyoftheweatherwouldsoonhavebeenknockedupnow。
　　Thelovelinessoftheday，andoftheview，hefeltlikeherself。Theyoftenstoptwiththesamesentimentandtaste，leaningagainstthewall，someminutes，tolookandadmire；andconsideringhewasnotEdmund，Fannycouldnotbutallowthathewassufficientlyopentothecharmsofnature，andverywellabletoexpresshisadmiration。Shehadafewtenderreveriesnowandthen，whichhecouldsometimestakeadvantageoftolookinherfacewithoutdetection；andtheresultoftheselookswas，thatthoughasbewitchingasever，herfacewaslessbloomingthanitoughttobe。She_said_shewasverywell，anddidnotliketobesupposedotherwise；
　　buttakeitallinall，hewasconvincedthatherpresentresidencecouldnotbecomfortable，andthereforecouldnotbesalutaryforher，andhewasgrowinganxiousforherbeingagainatMansfield，whereherownhappiness，andhisinseeingher，mustbesomuchgreater。
　　“Youhavebeenhereamonth，Ithink？“saidhe。
　　“No；notquiteamonth。Itisonlyfourweeksto-morrowsinceIleftMansfield。“
　　“Youareamostaccurateandhonestreckoner。Ishouldcallthatamonth。“
　　“IdidnotarriveheretillTuesdayevening。“
　　“Anditistobeatwomonths’visit，isnot？“
　　“Yes。Myuncletalkedoftwomonths。Isupposeitwillnotbeless。“
　　“Andhowareyoutobeconveyedbackagain？Whocomesforyou？“
　　“Idonotknow。Ihaveheardnothingaboutityetfrommyaunt。PerhapsImaybetostaylonger。
　　Itmaynotbeconvenientformetobefetchedexactlyatthetwomonths’end。“
　　Afteramoment’sreflection，Mr。Crawfordreplied，“IknowMansfield，Iknowitsway，Iknowitsfaultstowards_you_。Iknowthedangerofyourbeingsofarforgotten，astohaveyourcomfortsgivewaytotheimaginaryconvenienceofanysinglebeinginthefamily。
　　Iamawarethatyoumaybelefthereweekafterweek，ifSirThomascannotsettleeverythingforcominghimself，orsendingyouraunt’smaidforyou，withoutinvolvingtheslightestalterationofthearrangementswhichhemayhavelaiddownforthenextquarterofayear。
　　Thiswillnotdo。Twomonthsisanampleallowance；
　　Ishouldthinksixweeksquiteenough。Iamconsideringyoursister’shealth，“saidhe，addressinghimselftoSusan，“whichIthinktheconfinementofPortsmouthunfavourableto。
　　Sherequiresconstantairandexercise。WhenyouknowheraswellasIdo，Iamsureyouwillagreethatshedoes，andthatsheoughtnevertobelongbanishedfromthefreeairandlibertyofthecountry。If，therefore“turningagaintoFanny，“youfindyourselfgrowingunwell，andanydifficultiesariseaboutyourreturningtoMansfield，withoutwaitingforthetwomonthstobeended，_that_mustnotberegardedasofanyconsequence，ifyoufeelyourselfatalllessstrongorcomfortablethanusual，andwillonlyletmysisterknowit，giveheronlytheslightesthint，sheandIwillimmediatelycomedown，andtakeyoubacktoMansfield。Youknowtheeaseandthepleasurewithwhichthiswouldbedone。
　　Youknowallthatwouldbefeltontheoccasion。“
　　Fannythankedhim，buttriedtolaughitoff。
　　“Iamperfectlyserious，“hereplied，“asyouperfectlyknow。
　　AndIhopeyouwillnotbecruellyconcealinganytendencytoindisposition。Indeed，youshall_not_；
　　itshallnotbeinyourpower；forsolongonlyasyoupositivelysay，ineverylettertoMary，’Iamwell，’