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@@@@@ The entrance of the Grants and Crawfords was a favourable epoch The stiffness of the meeting soon gave way before their popular manners and more diffused intimacies: little groups were formed, and everybody grew comfortableFanny felt the advantage; and, drawing back from the toils of civility, would have been again most happy, could she have kept her eyes from wandering between Edmund and Mary CrawfordShe looked all loveliness?and what might not be the end of it? Her own musings were brought to an end on perceiving MrCrawford before her, and her thoughts were put into another channel by his engaging her almost instantly for the first two dancesHer happiness on this occasion was very much 238 Mansfield Park a la mortal, finely chequeredTo be secure of a partner at first was a most essential good?for the moment of beginning was now growing seriously near; and she so little understood her own claims as to think that if MrCrawford had not asked her, she must have been the last to be sought after, and should have received a partner only through a series of inquiry, and bustle, and interference, which would have been terrible; but at the same time there was a pointedness in his manner of asking her which she did not like, and she saw his eye glancing for a moment at her necklace, with a smile?she thought there was a smile?which made her blush and feel wretchedAnd though there was no second glance to disturb her, though his object seemed then to be only quietly agreeable, she could not get the better of her embarrassment, heightened as it was by the idea of his perceiving it, and had no composure till he turned away to some one elseThen she could gradually rise up to the genuine satisfaction of having a partner, a voluntary partner, secured against the dancing began When the company were moving into the ballroom, she found herself for the first time near Miss Crawford, whose eyes and smiles were immediately and more unequivocally directed as her brother?s had been, and who was beginning to speak on the subject, when Fanny, anxious to get the story over, hastened to give the explanation of the second necklace: the real chainMiss Crawford listened; and all her intended compliments and insinuations to Fanny were forgotten: she felt only one thing; and her eyes, bright as they had been before, shewing they could yet be brighter, she exclaimed with eager pleasure, ?Did he? Did Edmund? That was like himselfNo other man would have thought of itI honour him beyond expression And she looked around as if longing to tell him soHe was not near, he was attending a party of ladies out of the room; and MrsGrant coming up to the two girls, and taking an arm of each, they followed with the rest Fanny?s heart sunk, but there was no leisure for thinking long even of Miss Crawford?s feelingsThey were in the ballroom, the violins were playing, and her mind was in a flutter that forbade its fixing on anything seriousShe must watch the general arrangements, and see how everything was done 239 Jane Austen In a few minutes Sir Thomas came to her, and asked if she were engaged; and the ?Yes, sir; to MrCrawford,? was exactly what he had intended to hearCrawford was not far off; Sir Thomas brought him to her, saying something which discovered to Fanny, that she was to lead the way and open the ball; an idea that had never occurred to her beforeWhenever she had thought of the minutiae of the evening, it had been as a matter of course that Edmund would begin with Miss Crawford; and the impression was so strong, that though her uncle spoke the contrary, she could not help an exclamation of surprise, a hint of her unfitness, an entreaty even to be excusedTo be urging her opinion against Sir Thomas?s was a proof of the extremity of the case; but such was her horror at the first suggestion, that she could actually look him in the face and say that she hoped it might be settled otherwise; in vain, however: Sir Thomas smiled, tried to encourage her, and then looked too serious, and said too decidedly, ?It must be so, my dear,? for her to hazard another word; and she found herself the next moment conducted by M