I thought I could understand youYou have now...
I thought I could understand youYou have
now given exactly the explanation which I ventured to make for
you to your friend and MrsGrant, and they were both better satisfied,
though your warm-hearted friend was still run away with a
little by the enthusiasm of her fondness for HenryI told them that
you were of all human creatures the one over whom habit had most
power and novelty least; and that the very circumstance of the novelty
of Crawford’s addresses was against himTheir being so new
and so recent was all in their disfavour; that you could tolerate nothing
that you were not used to; and a great deal more to the same
purpose, to give them a knowledge of your characterMiss Crawford
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made us laugh by her plans of encouragement for her brotherShe
meant to urge him to persevere in the hope of being loved in time,
and of having his addresses most kindly received at the end of about
ten years’ happy marriage
Fanny could with difficulty give the smile that was here asked for
Her feelings were all in revoltShe feared she had been doing wrong:
saying too much, overacting the caution which she had been fancying
necessary; in guarding against one evil, laying herself open to another;
and to have Miss Crawford’s liveliness repeated to her at such a
moment, and on such a subject, was a replica swiss rolex submariner bitter aggravation
Edmund saw weariness and distress in her face, and immediately
resolved to forbear all farther discussion; and not even to mention
the name of Crawford again, except as it might be connected with
what must be agreeable to herOn this principle, he soon afterwards
observed—”They go on MondayYou are sure, therefore, of seeing
your friend either to-morrow or SundayThey really go on Monday;
and I was within a trifle of being persuaded to stay at Lessingby
till that very day! I had almost promised itWhat a difference it
might have made! Those five or six days more at Lessingby might
have been felt all my life
“You were near staying there?”
“VeryI was most kindly pressed, and had nearly consentedHad
I received any letter from Mansfield, to tell me how you were all
going on, I believe I should certainly have staid; but I knew nothing
that had happened here for a fortnight, and felt that I had been
away long enough
“You spent your time pleasantly there?”
“Yes; that is, it was the fault of my own mind if I did notThey
were all very pleasantI doubt their finding me soI took uneasiness
with me, and there was no getting rid of it till I was in Mansfield
again
“The Miss Owens—you liked them, did not you?”
“Yes, very wellPleasant, good-humoured, unaffected girlsBut I
am spoilt, Fanny, for common chanel flap bag in canvas female societyGood-humoured,
unaffected girls will not do for a man who has been used to sensible
womenThey are two distinct orders of beingYou and Miss
Crawford have made me too nice
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Still, however, Fanny was oppressed and wearied; he saw it in her
looks, it could not be talked away; and attempting it no more, he
led her directly, with the kind authority of a privileged guardian,
into the house
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CHAPTER XXXVI
EDMUND NOW BELIEVED himself perfectly acquainted with all that
Fanny could tell, or could leave to be conjectured of her sentiments,
and he was satisfiedIt had been, as he before presumed, too hasty a
measure on Crawford’s side, and time must be given to make the
idea first familiar, and then agreeable to herShe must be used to
the consideration of his being in love with her, and then a return of
affection might not be very distant
He gave this opinion as the result of the conversation to his father;
and recommended there being nothing more said to her: no
farther attempts to influence or persuade; but that everything should
be left to Crawford’s assiduities, and the natural workings of her
own mind
Sir Thomas promised that it should be soEdmund’s account of
Fanny’s disposition he could believe to be just; he supposed she had
all those feelings, but he chanel pearl necklace must consider it as very unfortunate that
she had; for, less willing than his son to trust to the future, he could
not help fearing that if such very long allowances of time and habit
were necessary for her, she might not have persuaded herself into
receiving his addresses properly before the young man’s inclination
for paying them were overThere was nothing to be done, however,
but to submit quietly and hope the best
The promised visit from “her friend,” as Edmund called Miss
Crawford, was a formidable threat to Fanny, and she lived in continual
terror of itAs a sister, so partial and so angry, and so little
scrupulous of what she said, and in another light so triumphant and
secure, she was in every way an object of painful alarmHer displeasure,
her penetration, and her happiness were all fearful to encounter;
and the dependence of having others present when they met was
Fanny’s only support in looking forward to itShe absented herself as
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little as possible from Lady Bertram, kept away from the East room,
and took no solitary walk in the shrubbery, in her caution to avoid
any sudden attackShe was safe in the breakfast-room, with her aunt,
when Miss Crawford did come; and the first misery over, and Miss
Crawford looking and speaking with much less particularity of expression
than chanel bags for cheep she had anticipated, Fanny began to hope there would
be nothing worse to be endured than a half-hour of moderate agitation
But here she hoped too much; Miss Crawford was not the
slave of opportunityShe was determined to see Fanny alone, and
therefore said to her tolerably soon, in a low voice, “I must speak to
you for a few minutes somewhere”; words that Fanny felt all over
her, in all her pulses and all her nervesDenial was impossibleHer
habits of ready submission, on the contrary, made her almost instantly
rise and lead the way out of the roomShe did it with wretched
feelings, but it was inevitable
They were no sooner in the hall than all restraint of countenance
was over on Miss Crawford’s sideShe immediately shook her head
at Fanny with arch, yet affectionate reproach, and taking her hand,
seemed hardly able to help beginning directlyShe said nothing,
however, but, “Sad, sad girl! I do not know when I shall have done
scolding you,” and had discretion enough to reserve the rest till
they might be secure of having four walls to themselvesFanny naturally
turned upstairs, and took her guest to the apartment which
was now always fit for comfortable use; opening the door, however,
with a most aching heart, and feeling that she had a more distressing
scene before her than ever that spot had yet miu miu black handbag witnessed