“Theerrorisplainenough，“saidthelesscourteousEdmund；
　　“suchgirlsareillbroughtup。Theyaregivenwrongnotionsfromthebeginning。Theyarealwaysactinguponmotivesofvanity，andthereisnomorerealmodestyintheirbehaviour_before_theyappearinpublicthanafterwards。“
　　“Idonotknow，“repliedMissCrawfordhesitatingly。
　　“Yes，Icannotagreewithyouthere。Itiscertainlythemodestestpartofthebusiness。Itismuchworsetohavegirlsnotoutgivethemselvesthesameairsandtakethesamelibertiesasiftheywere，whichIhaveseendone。
　　Thatisworsethananything——quitedisgusting!“
　　“Yes，_that_isveryinconvenientindeed，“saidMr。Bertram。
　　“Itleadsoneastray；onedoesnotknowwhattodo。
　　Theclosebonnetanddemureairyoudescribesowellandnothingwaseverjuster，tellonewhatisexpected；
　　butIgotintoadreadfulscrapelastyearfromthewantofthem。IwentdowntoRamsgateforaweekwithafriendlastSeptember，justaftermyreturnfromtheWestIndies。
　　MyfriendSneyd——youhaveheardmespeakofSneyd，Edmund——
　　hisfather，andmother，andsisters，werethere，allnewtome。WhenwereachedAlbionPlacetheywereout；
　　wewentafterthem，andfoundthemonthepier：Mrs。andthetwoMissSneyds，withothersoftheiracquaintance。
　　Imademybowinform；andasMrs。Sneydwassurroundedbymen，attachedmyselftooneofherdaughters，walkedbyhersideallthewayhome，andmademyselfasagreeableasIcould；theyoungladyperfectlyeasyinhermanners，andasreadytotalkastolisten。
　　IhadnotasuspicionthatIcouldbedoinganythingwrong。
　　Theylookedjustthesame：bothwell-dressed，withveilsandparasolslikeothergirls；butIafterwardsfoundthatIhadbeengivingallmyattentiontotheyoungest，whowasnot_out_，andhadmostexcessivelyoffendedtheeldest。MissAugustaoughtnottohavebeennoticedforthenextsixmonths；andMissSneyd，Ibelieve，hasneverforgivenme。“
　　“Thatwasbadindeed。PoorMissSneyd。“ThoughIhavenoyoungersister，Ifeelforher。Tobeneglectedbeforeone’stimemustbeveryvexatious；butitwasentirelythemother’sfault。MissAugustashouldhavebeenwithhergoverness。Suchhalf-and-halfdoingsneverprosper。
　　ButnowImustbesatisfiedaboutMissPrice。
　　Doesshegotoballs？Doesshedineouteverywhere，aswellasatmysister’s？“
　　“No，“repliedEdmund；“Idonotthinkshehaseverbeentoaball。Mymotherseldomgoesintocompanyherself，anddinesnowherebutwithMrs。Grant，andFannystaysathomewith_her_。“
　　“Oh!thenthepointisclear。MissPriceisnotout。“
　　Mr。Bertramsetofffor，andMissCrawfordwaspreparedtofindagreatchasmintheirsociety，andtomisshimdecidedlyinthemeetingswhichwerenowbecomingalmostdailybetweenthefamilies；andontheiralldiningtogetherattheParksoonafterhisgoing，sheretookherchosenplacenearthebottomofthetable，fullyexpectingtofeelamostmelancholydifferenceinthechangeofmasters。Itwouldbeaveryflatbusiness，shewassure。Incomparisonwithhisbrother，Edmundwouldhavenothingtosay。Thesoupwouldbesentroundinamostspiritlessmanner，winedrankwithoutanysmilesoragreeabletrifling，andthevenisoncutupwithoutsupplyingonepleasantanecdoteofanyformerhaunch，orasingleentertainingstory，about“myfriendsuchaone。“
　　Shemusttrytofindamusementinwhatwaspassingattheupperendofthetable，andinobservingMr。Rushworth，whowasnowmakinghisappearanceatMansfieldforthefirsttimesincetheCrawfords’arrival。Hehadbeenvisitingafriendintheneighbouringcounty，andthatfriendhavingrecentlyhadhisgroundslaidoutbyanimprover，Mr。Rushworthwasreturnedwithhisheadfullofthesubject，andveryeagertobeimprovinghisownplaceinthesameway；
　　andthoughnotsayingmuchtothepurpose，couldtalkofnothingelse。Thesubjecthadbeenalreadyhandledinthedrawing-room；itwasrevivedinthedining-parlour。
　　MissBertram’sattentionandopinionwasevidentlyhischiefaim；andthoughherdeportmentshowedratherconscioussuperioritythananysolicitudetoobligehim，thementionofSothertonCourt，andtheideasattachedtoit，gaveherafeelingofcomplacency，whichpreventedherfrombeingveryungracious。
　　“IwishyoucouldseeCompton，“saidhe；“itisthemostcompletething!Ineversawaplacesoalteredinmylife。
　　ItoldSmithIdidnotknowwhereIwas。Theapproach_now_，isoneofthefinestthingsinthecountry：youseethehouseinthemostsurprisingmanner。Ideclare，whenI
　　gotbacktoSothertonyesterday，itlookedlikeaprison——
　　quiteadismaloldprison。“
　　“Oh，forshame!“criedMrs。Norris。“Aprisonindeed？
　　SothertonCourtisthenoblestoldplaceintheworld。“
　　“Itwantsimprovement，ma’am，beyondanything。Ineversawaplacethatwantedsomuchimprovementinmylife；
　　anditissoforlornthatIdonotknowwhatcanbedonewithit。“
　　“NowonderthatMr。Rushworthshouldthinksoatpresent，“
　　saidMrs。GranttoMrs。Norris，withasmile；“butdependuponit，Sothertonwillhave_every_improvementintimewhichhisheartcandesire。“
　　“Imusttrytodosomethingwithit，“saidMr。Rushworth，“butIdonotknowwhat。IhopeIshallhavesomegoodfriendtohelpme。“
　　“Yourbestfrienduponsuchanoccasion，“saidMissBertramcalmly，“wouldbeMr。Repton，Iimagine。“
　　“ThatiswhatIwasthinkingof。AshehasdonesowellbySmith，IthinkIhadbetterhavehimatonce。
　　Histermsarefiveguineasaday。“
　　“Well，andiftheywere_ten_，“criedMrs。Norris，“Iamsure_you_neednotregardit。Theexpenseneednotbeanyimpediment。IfIwereyou，Ishouldnotthinkoftheexpense。Iwouldhaveeverythingdoneinthebeststyle，andmadeasniceaspossible。
　　SuchaplaceasSothertonCourtdeserveseverythingthattasteandmoneycando。Youhavespacetoworkuponthere，andgroundsthatwillwellrewardyou。Formyownpart，ifIhadanythingwithinthefiftiethpartofthesizeofSotherton，Ishouldbealwaysplantingandimproving，fornaturallyIamexcessivelyfondofit。ItwouldbetooridiculousformetoattemptanythingwhereIamnow，withmylittlehalfacre。Itwouldbequiteaburlesque。
　　ButifIhadmoreroom，Ishouldtakeaprodigiousdelightinimprovingandplanting。WedidavastdealinthatwayattheParsonage：wemadeitquiteadifferentplacefromwhatitwaswhenwefirsthadit。Youyoungonesdonotremembermuchaboutit，perhaps；butifdearSirThomaswerehere，hecouldtellyouwhatimprovementswemade：andagreatdealmorewouldhavebeendone，butforpoorMr。Norris’ssadstateofhealth。Hecouldhardlyevergetout，poorman，toenjoyanything，and_that_
　　disheartenedmefromdoingseveralthingsthatSirThomasandIusedtotalkof。Ifithadnotbeenfor_that_，weshouldhavecarriedonthegardenwall，andmadetheplantationtoshutoutthechurchyard，justasDr。Granthasdone。Wewerealwaysdoingsomethingasitwas。
　　ItwasonlythespringtwelvemonthbeforeMr。Norris’sdeaththatweputintheapricotagainstthestablewall，whichisnowgrownsuchanobletree，andgettingtosuchperfection，sir，“addressingherselfthentoDr。Grant。
　　“Thetreethriveswell，beyondadoubt，madam，“repliedDr。Grant。
　　“Thesoilisgood；andIneverpassitwithoutregrettingthatthefruitshouldbesolittleworththetroubleofgathering。“
　　“Sir，itisaMoorPark，weboughtitasaMoorPark，anditcostus——thatis，itwasapresentfromSirThomas，butIsawthebill——andIknowitcostsevenshillings，andwaschargedasaMoorPark。“
　　“Youwereimposedon，ma’am，“repliedDr。Grant：
　　“thesepotatoeshaveasmuchtheflavourofaMoorParkapricotasthefruitfromthattree。Itisaninsipidfruitatthebest；butagoodapricotiseatable，whichnonefrommygardenare。“
　　“Thetruthis，ma’am，“saidMrs。Grant，pretendingtowhisperacrossthetabletoMrs。Norris，“thatDr。Granthardlyknowswhatthenaturaltasteofourapricotis：
　　heisscarcelyeverindulgedwithone，foritissovaluableafruit；withalittleassistance，andoursissucharemarkablylarge，fairsort，thatwhatwithearlytartsandpreserves，mycookcontrivestogetthemall。“
　　Mrs。Norris，whohadbeguntoredden，wasappeased；
　　and，foralittlewhile，othersubjectstookplaceoftheimprovementsofSotherton。Dr。GrantandMrs。Norriswereseldomgoodfriends；theiracquaintancehadbegunindilapidations，andtheirhabitsweretotallydissimilar。