Chapter XII

by Jane Austen

　　Sir Thomas was to return in November, and his eldestson had duties to call him earlier home. The approachof September brought tidings of Mr. Bertram, first in aletter to the gamekeeper and then in a letter to Edmund;and by the end of August he arrived himself, to be gay,agreeable, and gallant again as occasion served,or Miss Crawford demanded; to tell of races and Weymouth,and parties and friends, to which she might have listenedsix weeks before with some interest, and altogetherto give her the fullest conviction, by the powerof actual comparison, of her preferring his younger brother.It was very vexatious, and she was heartily sorry for it;but so it was; and so far from now meaning to marrythe elder, she did not even want to attract him beyondwhat the simplest claims of conscious beauty required:his lengthened absence from Mansfield, without anythingbut pleasure in view, and his own will to consult, made itperfectly clear that he did not care about her; and hisindifference was so much more than equalled by her own,that were he now to step forth the owner of Mansfield Park,the Sir Thomas complete, which he was to be in time, she didnot believe she could accept him.The season and duties which brought Mr. Bertram back toMansfield took Mr. Crawford into Norfolk. Everingham couldnot do without him in the beginning of September. He wentfor a fortnight--a fortnight of such dullness to the MissBertrams as ought to have put them both on their guard,and made even Julia admit, in her jealousy of her sister,the absolute necessity of distrusting his attentions,and wishing him not to return; and a fortnight of sufficientleisure, in the intervals of shooting and sleeping, to haveconvinced the gentleman that he ought to keep longer away,had he been more in the habit of examining his own motives,and of reflecting to what the indulgence of his idle vanitywas tending; but, thoughtless and selfish from prosperityand bad example, he would not look beyond the present moment.The sisters, handsome, clever, and encouraging, were anamusement to his sated mind; and finding nothing in Norfolkto equal the social pleasures of Mansfield, he gladlyreturned to it at the time appointed, and was welcomedthither quite as gladly by those whom he came to trifle withfurther.Maria, with only Mr. Rushworth to attend to her, and doomedto the repeated details of his day's sport, good or bad,his boast of his dogs, his jealousy of his neighbours,his doubts of their qualifications, and his zeal after poachers,subjects which will not find their way to female feelingswithout some talent on one side or some attachment onthe other, had missed Mr. Crawford grievously; and Julia,unengaged and unemployed, felt all the right of missing himmuch more. Each sister believed herself the favourite.Julia might be justified in so doing by the hintsof Mrs. Grant, inclined to credit what she wished,and Maria by the hints of Mr. Crawford himself.Everything returned into the same channel as before his absence;his manners being to each so animated and agreeableas to lose no ground with either, and just stopping shortof the consistence, the steadiness, the solicitude,and the warmth which might excite general notice.Fanny was the only one of the party who found anythingto dislike; but since the day at Sotherton, she could neversee Mr. Crawford with either sister without observation,and seldom without wonder or censure; and had herconfidence in her own judgment been equal to her exerciseof it in every other respect, had she been sure that shewas seeing clearly, and judging candidly, she wouldprobably have made some important communications to herusual confidant. As it was, however, she only hazardeda hint, and the hint was lost. "I am rather surprised,"said she, "that Mr. Crawford should come back again so soon,after being here so long before, full seven weeks;for I had understood he was so very fond of change andmoving about, that I thought something would certainlyoccur, when he was once gone, to take him elsewhere.He is used to much gayer places than Mansfield.""It is to his credit," was Edmund's answer; "and I daresay it gives his sister pleasure. She does not like hisunsettled habits.""What a favourite he is with my cousins!""Yes, his manners to women are such as must please.Mrs. Grant, I believe, suspects him of a preference for Julia;I have never seen much symptom of it, but I wish it maybe so. He has no faults but what a serious attachmentwould remove.""If Miss Bertram were not engaged," said Fanny cautiously,"I could sometimes almost think that he admired her morethan Julia.""Which is, perhaps, more in favour of his likingJulia best, than you, Fanny, may be aware; for I believeit often happens that a man, before he has quite made uphis own mind, will distinguish the sister or intimatefriend of the woman he is really thinking of more thanthe woman herself Crawford has too much sense to stayhere if he found himself in any danger from Maria;and I am not at all afraid for her, after such a proofas she has given that her feelings are not strong."Fanny supposed she must have been mistaken, and meant tothink differently in future; but with all that submissionto Edmund could do, and all the help of the coincidinglooks and hints which she occasionally noticed in someof the others, and which seemed to say that Julia wasMr. Crawford's choice, she knew not always what to think.She was privy, one evening, to the hopes of her auntNorris on the subject, as well as to her feelings,and the feelings of Mrs. Rushworth, on a point of somesimilarity, and could not help wondering as she listened;and glad would she have been not to be obliged to listen,for it was while all the other young people were dancing,and she sitting, most unwillingly, among the chaperons atthe fire, longing for the re-entrance of her elder cousin,on whom all her own hopes of a partner then depended.It was Fanny's first ball, though without the preparationor splendour of many a young lady's first ball, being thethought only of the afternoon, built on the late acquisitionof a violin player in the servants' hall, and the possibilityof raising five couple with the help of Mrs. Grant and a newintimate friend of Mr. Bertram's just arrived on a visit.It had, however, been a very happy one to Fanny throughfour dances, and she was quite grieved to be losingeven a quarter of an hour. While waiting and wishing,looking now at the dancers and now at the door, this dialoguebetween the two above-mentioned ladies was forced on her--"I think, ma'am," said Mrs. Norris, her eyes directedtowards Mr. Rushworth and Maria, who were partners forthe second time, "we shall see some happy faces again now.""Yes, ma'am, indeed," replied the other, with a stately simper,"there will be some satisfaction in looking on _now_,and I think it was rather a pity they should have beenobliged to part. Young folks in their situationshould be excused complying with the common forms.I wonder my son did not propose it.""I dare say he did, ma'am. Mr. Rushworth is never remiss.But dear Maria has such a strict sense of propriety, so muchof that true delicacy which one seldom meets with nowadays,Mrs. Rushworth--that wish of avoiding particularity!Dear ma'am, only look at her face at this moment;how different from what it was the two last dances!"Miss Bertram did indeed look happy, her eyes weresparkling with pleasure, and she was speaking withgreat animation, for Julia and her partner, Mr. Crawford,were close to her; they were all in a cluster together.How she had looked before, Fanny could not recollect,for she had been dancing with Edmund herself, and hadnot thought about her.Mrs. Norris continued, "It is quite delightful, ma'am, tosee young people so properly happy, so well suited,and so much the thing! I cannot but think of dear SirThomas's delight. And what do you say, ma'am, to the chanceof another match? Mr. Rushworth has set a good example,and such things are very catching."Mrs. Rushworth, who saw nothing but her son, was quiteat a loss."The couple above, ma'am. Do you see no symptoms there?""Oh dear! Miss Julia and Mr. Crawford. Yes, indeed,a very pretty match. What is his property?""Four thousand a year.""Very well. Those who have not more must be satisfied withwhat they have. Four thousand a year is a pretty estate,and he seems a very genteel, steady young man, so I hopeMiss Julia will be very happy.""It is not a settled thing, ma'am, yet. We only speak of itamong friends. But I have very little doubt it _will_ be.He is growing extremely particular in his attentions."Fanny could listen no farther. Listening and wondering were allsuspended for a time, for Mr. Bertram was in the room again;and though feeling it would be a great honour to be askedby him, she thought it must happen. He came towardstheir little circle; but instead of asking her to dance,drew a chair near her, and gave her an account of the presentstate of a sick horse, and the opinion of the groom,from whom he had just parted. Fanny found that it wasnot to be, and in the modesty of her nature immediatelyfelt that she had been unreasonable in expecting it.When he had told of his horse, he took a newspaper fromthe table, and looking over it, said in a languid way,"If you want to dance, Fanny, I will stand up with you."With more than equal civility the offer was declined;she did not wish to dance. "I am glad of it," said he,in a much brisker tone, and throwing down the newspaperagain, "for I am tired to death. I only wonder howthe good people can keep it up so long. They had needbe _all_ in love, to find any amusement in such folly;and so they are, I fancy. If you look at them you maysee they are so many couple of lovers--all but Yatesand Mrs. Grant--and, between ourselves, she, poor woman,must want a lover as much as any one of them. A desperatedull life hers must be with the doctor," making a sly faceas he spoke towards the chair of the latter, who proving,however, to be close at his elbow, made so instantaneousa change of expression and subject necessary, as Fanny,in spite of everything, could hardly help laughing at."A strange business this in America, Dr. Grant! What isyour opinion? I always come to you to know what I am tothink of public matters.""My dear Tom," cried his aunt soon afterwards, "as youare not dancing, I dare say you will have no objectionto join us in a rubber; shall you?" Then leaving her seat,and coming to him to enforce the proposal, added ina whisper, "We want to make a table for Mrs. Rushworth,you know. Your mother is quite anxious about it,but cannot very well spare time to sit down herself,because of her fringe. Now, you and I and Dr. Grant willjust do; and though _we_ play but half-crowns, you know,you may bet half-guineas with _him_.""I should be most happy," replied he aloud, and jumping upwith alacrity, "it would give me the greatest pleasure;but that I am this moment going to dance." Come, Fanny,taking her hand, "do not be dawdling any longer,or the dance will be over."Fanny was led off very willingly, though it was impossiblefor her to feel much gratitude towards her cousin,or distinguish, as he certainly did, between the selfishnessof another person and his own."A pretty modest request upon my word," he indignantlyexclaimed as they walked away. "To want to nail meto a card-table for the next two hours with herself andDr. Grant, who are always quarrelling, and that pokingold woman, who knows no more of whist than of algebra.I wish my good aunt would be a little less busy! And to askme in such a way too! without ceremony, before them all,so as to leave me no possibility of refusing. _That_ iswhat I dislike most particularly. It raises my spleenmore than anything, to have the pretence of being asked,of being given a choice, and at the same time addressedin such a way as to oblige one to do the very thing,whatever it be! If I had not luckily thought of standingup with you I could not have got out of it. It is a greatdeal too bad. But when my aunt has got a fancy in her head,nothing can stop her."