Was his letter a long one? Does he give you much...
Was his letter
a long one? Does he give you much account of what he is doing?
Is it Christmas gaieties that he is staying for?”
“I only heard a part of the letter; it was to my uncle; but I believe
it was very short; indeed I am sure it was but a few linesAll that I
heard was that his friend had pressed him to stay longer, and that he
had agreed to do soA few days longer, or some days longer; I am not
quite sure which
“Oh! if he wrote to his father; but I thought it might have been to
Lady Bertram or youBut if he wrote to his father, no wonder he
was conciseWho could write chat to Sir Thomas? If he had written
to you, there would have been more particularsYou would have
heard of balls and partiesHe would have sent you a description of
everything and everybodyHow many Miss Owens are there?”
“Three grown up
“Are they musical?”
“I do not at all know
“That is the first question, you know,” said Miss Crawford, trying
to appear gay and unconcerned, “which every woman who plays
herself is sure to ask about anotherBut it is very foolish to swiss replica rolex ask
questions about any young ladies—about any three sisters just grown
up; for one knows, without being told, exactly what they are: all
very accomplished and pleasing, and one very prettyThere is a beauty
in every family; it is a regular thingTwo play on the pianoforte, and
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one on the harp; and all sing, or would sing if they were taught, or
sing all the better for not being taught; or something like it
“I know nothing of the Miss Owens,” said Fanny calmly
“You know nothing and you care less, as people sayNever did
tone express indifference plainerIndeed, how can one care for those
one has never seen? Well, when your cousin comes back, he will
find Mansfield very quiet; all the noisy ones gone, your brother and
mine and myself I do not like the idea of leaving MrsGrant now
the time draws nearShe does not like my going
Fanny felt obliged to speak“‘You cannot doubt your being missed
by many,” said she“You will be very much missed
Miss Crawford turned her eye on her, as if wanting to hear or see
more, and then gucci purses laughingly said, “Oh yes! missed as every noisy evil
is missed when it is taken away; that is, there is a great difference
feltBut I am not fishing; don’t compliment meIf I am missed, it
will appearI may be discovered by those who want to see meI
shall not be in any doubtful, or distant, or unapproachable region
Now Fanny could not bring herself to speak, and Miss Crawford
was disappointed; for she had hoped to hear some pleasant assurance
of her power from one who she thought must know, and her
spirits were clouded again
“The Miss Owens,” said she, soon afterwards; “suppose you were
to have one of the Miss Owens settled at Thornton Lacey; how
should you like it? Stranger things have happenedI dare say they
are trying for itAnd they are quite in the light, for it would be a
very pretty establishment for themI do not at all wonder or blame
themIt is everybody’s duty to do as well for themselves as they can
Sir Thomas Bertram’s son is somebody; and now he is in their own
lineTheir father is a clergyman, and their brother is a clergyman,
and they louis vuitton brown canvas handbag are all clergymen togetherHe is their lawful property; he
fairly belongs to themYou don’t speak, Fanny; Miss Price, you don’t
speakBut honestly now, do not you rather expect it than otherwise?”
“No,” said Fanny stoutly, “I do not expect it at all
“Not at all!” cried Miss Crawford with alacrity
But I dare say you know exactly—I always imagine you are—perhaps
you do not think him likely to marry at all—or not at present
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“No, I do not,” said Fanny softly, hoping she did not err either in
the belief or the acknowledgment of it
Her companion looked at her keenly; and gathering greater spirit
from the blush soon produced from such a look, only said, “He is
best off as he is,” and turned the subject
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CHAPTER XXX
MISS CRAWFORD’S UNEASINESS was much lightened by this conversation,
and she walked home again in spirits which might have defied
almost another week of the same small party in the same bad weather,
had they been put to the proof; but as that very evening brought her
brother down from London again in cartier ballon blue quite, or more than quite, his
usual cheerfulness, she had nothing farther to try her ownHis still
refusing to tell her what he had gone for was but the promotion of
gaiety; a day before it might have irritated, but now it was a pleasant
joke—suspected only of concealing something planned as a pleasant
surprise to herselfAnd the next day did bring a surprise to her
Henry had said he should just go and ask the Bertrams how they
did, and be back in ten minutes, but he was gone above an hour;
and when his sister, who had been waiting for him to walk with her
in the garden, met him at last most impatiently in the sweep, and
cried out, “My dear Henry, where can you have been all this time?”
he had only to say that he had been sitting with Lady Bertram and
Fanny
“Sitting with them an hour and a half!” exclaimed Mary
But this was only the beginning of her surprise
“Yes, Mary,” said he, drawing her arm within his, and walking
along the sweep as if not knowing where he was: “I could not get
away sooner; Fanny looked so lovely! I am quite determined, dolce & gabbana bag M