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Shortly afterward, Sir Thomas was again interfering a little with
her inclination, by advising her to go immediately to bed?Advise?
was his word, but it was the advice of absolute power, and she had
only to rise, and, with MrCrawford?s very cordial adieus, pass quietly
away; stopping at the entrance-door, like the Lady of Branxholm
Hall, ?one moment and no more,? to view the happy scene, and
take a last look at the five or six determined couple who were still
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hard at work; and then, creeping slowly up the principal staircase,
pursued by the ceaseless country-dance, feverish with hopes and
fears, soup and negus, sore-footed and fatigued, restless and agitated,
yet feeling, in spite of everything, that a ball was indeed delightful
In thus sending her away, Sir Thomas perhaps might not be thinking
merely of her healthIt might occur to him that MrCrawford
had been sitting by her long enough, or he might mean to recommend
her as a wife by shewing her persuadableness
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Jane Austen
CHAPTER XXIX
THE BALL WAS OVER, and the breakfast was soon over too; the last kiss
was given, and William was goneCrawford had, as he foretold,
been very punctual, and short and pleasant had been the meal
After seeing William to the last moment, Fanny walked back to
the breakfast-room with a very saddened heart to grieve over the
melancholy change; and there her uncle kindly left her to cry in
peace, conceiving, shop prada handbags perhaps, that the deserted chair of each young
man might exercise her tender enthusiasm, and that the remaining
cold pork bones and mustard in William?s plate might but divide
her feelings with the broken egg-shells in MrShe sat
and cried con amore as her uncle intended, but it was con amore
fraternal and no otherWilliam was gone, and she now felt as if she
had wasted half his visit in idle cares and selfish solicitudes unconnected
with him
Fanny?s disposition was such that she could never even think of
her aunt Norris in the meagreness and cheerlessness of her own
small house, without reproaching herself for some little want of attention
to her when they had been last together; much less could
her feelings acquit her of having done and said and thought everything
by William that was due to him for a whole fortnight
It was a heavy, melancholy daySoon after the second breakfast,
Edmund bade them good-bye for a week, and mounted his horse
for Peterborough, and then all were goneNothing remained of last
night but remembrances, which she had nobody to share inShe
talked to her aunt Bertram?she must talk to somebody of the ball;
but her aunt had seen so little of what had passed, and had so little
curiosity, that it was heavy workLady Bertram was not certain of
anybody?s dress or anybody?s place at supper but her own?She could
not recollect what it was that she had heard about one of the Miss
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Mansfield louis vuitton brown canvas handbag Park
Maddoxes, or what it was that Lady Prescott had noticed in Fanny:
she was not sure whether Colonel Harrison had been talking of Mr
Crawford or of William when he said he was the finest young man
in the room?somebody had whispered something to her; she had
forgot to ask Sir Thomas what it could be And these were her
longest speeches and clearest communications: the rest was only a
languid ?Yes, yes; very well; did you? did he? I did not see that; I
should not know one from the otherIt was only
better than MrsNorris?s sharp answers would have been; but she
being gone home with all the supernumerary jellies to nurse a sick
maid, there was peace and good-humour in their little party, though
it could not boast much beside
The evening was heavy like the day?I cannot think what is the
matter with me,? said Lady Bertram, when the tea-things were removed
?I feel quite stupidIt must be sitting up so late last night
Fanny, you must do something to keep me awake
Fetch the cards; I feel so very stupid
The cards were brought, and Fanny played at cribbage with her
aunt till bedtime; and as Sir Thomas was reading to himself, no
sounds were heard in the room for the next two hours beyond the
reckonings of the game??And that makes thirty-one; four in hand
and eight in cribYou are to deal, ma?am; shall I deal for you??
Fanny thought and thought again of the difference which twentyfour
hours had made in that room, and all that chanel pearl necklace part of the house
Last night it had been hope and smiles, bustle and motion, noise
and brilliancy, in the drawing-room, and out of the drawing-room,
and everywhereNow it was languor, and all but solitude
A good night?s rest improved her spiritsShe could think of William
the next day more cheerfully; and as the morning afforded her an
opportunity of talking over Thursday night with MrsGrant and Miss
Crawford, in a very handsome style, with all the heightenings of imagination,
and all the laughs of playfulness which are so essential to the
shade of a departed ball, she could afterwards bring her mind without
much effort into its everyday state, and easily conform to the tranquillity
of the present quiet week
They were indeed a smaller party than she had ever known there
for a whole day together, and he was gone on whom the comfort
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and cheerfulness of every family meeting and every meal chiefly
dependedBut this must be learned to be enduredHe would soon
be always gone; and she was thankful that she could now sit in the
same room with her uncle, hear his voice, receive his questions, and
even answer them, without such wretched feelings as she had formerly
known
?We miss our two young men,? was Sir Thomas?s observation on
both the first and second day, as they formed their very reduced
circle after dinner; and in consideration of Fanny?s swimming eyes,
nothing more was said on the first day than to chanel big bags drink their good
health; but on the second it led to something fartherWilliam was
kindly commended and his promotion hoped for?And there is no
reason to suppose,? added Sir Thomas, ?but that his visits to us may
now be tolerably frequentAs to Edmund, we must learn to do
without himThis will be the last winter of his belonging to us, as
he has done
?Yes,? said Lady Bertram, ?but I wish he was not going away
They are all going away, I thinkI wish they would stay at home
This wish was levelled principally at Julia, who had just applied
for permission to go to town with Maria; and as Sir Thomas thought
it best for each daughter that the permission should be granted,
Lady Bertram, though in her own good-nature she would not have
prevented it, was lamenting the change it made in the prospect of
Julia?s return, which would otherwise have taken place about this
timeA great deal of good sense followed on Sir Thomas?s side, tending
to reconcile his wife to the arrangementEverything that a considerate
parent ought to feel was advanced for her use; and everything
that an affectionate mother must feel in promoting her
children?s enjoyment was attributed to her natureLady Bertram
agreed to it all with a calm ?Yes?; and at the end of a quarter of an
hour?s silent consideration spontaneously observed, ?Sir Thomas, I
have been thinking?and I am very glad we took Fanny as we did,
for now the others are away we feel the good newest dior bag o |
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