Thisdreadfulcommunicationcouldnotbekeptfromtherestofthefamily。SirThomassetoff，Edmundwouldgowithhim，andtheothershadbeenleftinastateofwretchedness，inferioronlytowhatfollowedthereceiptofthenextlettersfromLondon。Everythingwasbythattimepublicbeyondahope。TheservantofMrs。Rushworth，themother，hadexposureinherpower，andsupportedbyhermistress，wasnottobesilenced。Thetwoladies，evenintheshorttimetheyhadbeentogether，haddisagreed；andthebitternessoftheelderagainstherdaughter-in-lawmightperhapsarisealmostasmuchfromthepersonaldisrespectwithwhichshehadherselfbeentreatedasfromsensibilityforherson。
　　Howeverthatmightbe，shewasunmanageable。Buthadshebeenlessobstinate，oroflessweightwithherson，whowasalwaysguidedbythelastspeaker，bythepersonwhocouldgetholdofandshuthimup，thecasewouldstillhavebeenhopeless，forMrs。Rushworthdidnotappearagain，andtherewaseveryreasontoconcludehertobeconcealedsomewherewithMr。Crawford，whohadquittedhisuncle’shouse，asforajourney，ontheverydayofherabsentingherself。
　　SirThomas，however，remainedyetalittlelongerintown，inthehopeofdiscoveringandsnatchingherfromfarthervice，thoughallwaslostonthesideofcharacter。
　　_His_presentstateFannycouldhardlybeartothinkof。
　　Therewasbutoneofhischildrenwhowasnotatthistimeasourceofmiserytohim。Tom’scomplaintshadbeengreatlyheightenedbytheshockofhissister’sconduct，andhisrecoverysomuchthrownbackbyit，thatevenLadyBertramhadbeenstruckbythedifference，andallheralarmswereregularlysentofftoherhusband；
　　andJulia’selopement，theadditionalblowwhichhadmethimonhisarrivalinLondon，thoughitsforcehadbeendeadenedatthemoment，must，sheknew，besorelyfelt。
　　Shesawthatitwas。Hislettersexpressedhowmuchhedeploredit。Underanycircumstancesitwouldhavebeenanunwelcomealliance；buttohaveitsoclandestinelyformed，andsuchaperiodchosenforitscompletion，placedJulia’sfeelingsinamostunfavourablelight，andseverelyaggravatedthefollyofherchoice。
　　Hecalleditabadthing，doneintheworstmanner，andattheworsttime；andthoughJuliawasyetasmorepardonablethanMariaasfollythanvice，hecouldnotbutregardthestepshehadtakenasopeningtheworstprobabilitiesofaconclusionhereafterlikehersister’s。
　　Suchwashisopinionofthesetintowhichshehadthrownherself。
　　Fannyfeltforhimmostacutely。HecouldhavenocomfortbutinEdmund。Everyotherchildmustberackinghisheart。
　　Hisdispleasureagainstherselfshetrusted，reasoningdifferentlyfromMrs。Norris，wouldnowbedoneaway。
　　_She_shouldbejustified。Mr。Crawfordwouldhavefullyacquittedherconductinrefusinghim；butthis，thoughmostmaterialtoherself，wouldbepoorconsolationtoSirThomas。Heruncle’sdispleasurewasterribletoher；
　　butwhatcouldherjustificationorhergratitudeandattachmentdoforhim？HisstaymustbeonEdmundalone。
　　Shewasmistaken，however，insupposingthatEdmundgavehisfathernopresentpain。Itwasofamuchlesspoignantnaturethanwhattheothersexcited；butSirThomaswasconsideringhishappinessasverydeeplyinvolvedintheoffenceofhissisterandfriend；cutoffbyit，ashemustbe，fromthewomanwhomhehadbeenpursuingwithundoubtedattachmentandstrongprobabilityofsuccess；
　　andwho，ineverythingbutthisdespicablebrother，wouldhavebeensoeligibleaconnexion。HewasawareofwhatEdmundmustbesufferingonhisownbehalf，inadditiontoalltherest，whentheywereintown：
　　hehadseenorconjecturedhisfeelings；and，havingreasontothinkthatoneinterviewwithMissCrawfordhadtakenplace，fromwhichEdmundderivedonlyincreaseddistress，hadbeenasanxiousonthataccountasonotherstogethimoutoftown，andhadengagedhimintakingFannyhometoheraunt，withaviewtohisreliefandbenefit，nolessthantheirs。
　　Fannywasnotinthesecretofheruncle’sfeelings，SirThomasnotinthesecretofMissCrawford’scharacter。
　　Hadhebeenprivytoherconversationwithhisson，hewouldnothavewishedhertobelongtohim，thoughhertwentythousandpoundshadbeenforty。
　　ThatEdmundmustbeforeverdividedfromMissCrawforddidnotadmitofadoubtwithFanny；andyet，tillsheknewthathefeltthesame，herownconvictionwasinsufficient。
　　Shethoughthedid，butshewantedtobeassuredofit。
　　Ifhewouldnowspeaktoherwiththeunreservewhichhadsometimesbeentoomuchforherbefore，itwouldbemostconsoling；but_that_shefoundwasnottobe。
　　Sheseldomsawhim：neveralone。Heprobablyavoidedbeingalonewithher。Whatwastobeinferred？Thathisjudgmentsubmittedtoallhisownpeculiarandbittershareofthisfamilyaffliction，butthatitwastookeenlyfelttobeasubjectoftheslightestcommunication。
　　Thismustbehisstate。Heyielded，butitwaswithagonieswhichdidnotadmitofspeech。Long，longwoulditbeereMissCrawford’snamepassedhislipsagain，orshecouldhopeforarenewalofsuchconfidentialintercourseashadbeen。
　　It_was_long。TheyreachedMansfieldonThursday，anditwasnottillSundayeveningthatEdmundbegantotalktoheronthesubject。SittingwithheronSundayevening——awetSundayevening——theverytimeofallotherswhen，ifafriendisathand，theheartmustbeopened，andeverythingtold；nooneelseintheroom，excepthismother，who，afterhearinganaffectingsermon，hadcriedherselftosleep，itwasimpossiblenottospeak；
　　andso，withtheusualbeginnings，hardlytobetracedastowhatcamefirst，andtheusualdeclarationthatifshewouldlistentohimforafewminutes，heshouldbeverybrief，andcertainlynevertaxherkindnessinthesamewayagain；sheneednotfeararepetition；
　　itwouldbeasubjectprohibitedentirely：heenteredupontheluxuryofrelatingcircumstancesandsensationsofthefirstinteresttohimself，tooneofwhoseaffectionatesympathyhewasquiteconvincedHowFannylistened，withwhatcuriosityandconcern，whatpainandwhatdelight，howtheagitationofhisvoicewaswatched，andhowcarefullyherowneyeswerefixedonanyobjectbuthimself，maybeimagined。
　　Theopeningwasalarming。HehadseenMissCrawford。
　　Hehadbeeninvitedtoseeher。HehadreceivedanotefromLadyStornawaytobeghimtocall；andregardingitaswhatwasmeanttobethelast，lastinterviewoffriendship，andinvestingherwithallthefeelingsofshameandwretchednesswhichCrawford’ssisteroughttohaveknown，hehadgonetoherinsuchastateofmind，sosoftened，sodevoted，asmadeitforafewmomentsimpossibletoFanny’sfearsthatitshouldbethelast。
　　Butasheproceededinhisstory，thesefearswereover。
　　Shehadmethim，hesaid，withaserious——certainlyaserious——
　　evenanagitatedair；butbeforehehadbeenabletospeakoneintelligiblesentence，shehadintroducedthesubjectinamannerwhichheownedhadshockedhim。
　　“’Iheardyouwereintown，’saidshe；’Iwantedtoseeyou。
　　Letustalkoverthissadbusiness。Whatcanequalthefollyofourtworelations？’Icouldnotanswer，butIbelievemylooksspoke。Shefeltreproved。Sometimeshowquicktofeel!Withagraverlookandvoiceshethenadded，’IdonotmeantodefendHenryatyoursister’sexpense。’
　　Soshebegan，buthowshewenton，Fanny，isnotfit，ishardlyfittoberepeatedtoyou。Icannotrecallallherwords。IwouldnotdwelluponthemifIcould。
　　Theirsubstancewasgreatangeratthe_folly_ofeach。
　　Shereprobatedherbrother’sfollyinbeingdrawnonbyawomanwhomhehadnevercaredfor，todowhatmustlosehimthewomanheadored；butstillmorethefollyofpoorMaria，insacrificingsuchasituation，plungingintosuchdifficulties，undertheideaofbeingreallylovedbyamanwhohadlongagomadehisindifferenceclear。
　　GuesswhatImusthavefelt。Tohearthewomanwhom——
　　noharshernamethanfollygiven!Sovoluntarily，sofreely，socoollytocanvassit!Noreluctance，nohorror，nofeminine，shallIsay，nomodestloathings？
　　Thisiswhattheworlddoes。Forwhere，Fanny，shallwefindawomanwhomnaturehadsorichlyendowed？Spoilt，spoilt!“
　　Afteralittlereflection，hewentonwithasortofdesperatecalmness。“Iwilltellyoueverything，andthenhavedoneforever。Shesawitonlyasfolly，andthatfollystampedonlybyexposure。Thewantofcommondiscretion，ofcaution：hisgoingdowntoRichmondforthewholetimeofherbeingatTwickenham；herputtingherselfinthepowerofaservant；itwasthedetection，inshort——oh，Fanny!itwasthedetection，nottheoffence，whichshereprobated。Itwastheimprudencewhichhadbroughtthingstoextremity，andobligedherbrothertogiveupeverydearerplaninordertoflywithher。“
　　Hestopt。“Andwhat，“saidFannybelievingherselfrequiredtospeak，“whatcouldyousay？“
　　“Nothing，nothingtobeunderstood。Iwaslikeamanstunned。
　　Shewenton，begantotalkofyou；yes，thenshebegantotalkofyou，regretting，aswellshemight，thelossofsucha。Thereshespokeveryrationally。Butshehasalwaysdonejusticetoyou。’Hehasthrownaway，’
　　saidshe，’suchawomanashewillneverseeagain。
　　Shewouldhavefixedhim；shewouldhavemadehimhappyforever。’MydearestFanny，Iamgivingyou，Ihope，morepleasurethanpainbythisretrospectofwhatmighthavebeen——butwhatnevercanbenow。Youdonotwishmetobesilent？Ifyoudo，givemebutalook，aword，andI
　　havedone。“
　　Nolookorwordwasgiven。
　　“ThankGod，“saidhe。“Wewerealldisposedtowonder，butitseemstohavebeenthemercifulappointmentofProvidencethattheheartwhichknewnoguileshouldnotsuffer。Shespokeofyouwithhighpraiseandwarmaffection；yet，evenhere，therewasalloy，adashofevil；forinthemidstofitshecouldexclaim，’Whywouldnotshehavehim？Itisallherfault。