uyyan998

@@@@@Crawford would certainly never address her so again: he must have seen how unwelcome it was to her; and in that case, how gratefully she could esteem him for his friendship to William! She would not stir farther from the East room than the head of the great staircase, till she had satisfied herself of MrCrawford?s having left the house; but when convinced of his being gone, she was eager to go down and be with her uncle, and have all the happiness of his joy as well as her own, and all the benefit of his information or his conjectures as to what would now be William?s destination Sir Thomas was as joyful as she could desire, and very kind and communicative; and she had so comfortable a talk with him about William as to make her feel as if nothing had occurred to vex her, till she found, towards the close, that MrCrawford was engaged to return and dine there that very dayThis was a most unwelcome hearing, for though he might think nothing of what had passed, it would be quite distressing to her to see him again so soon She tried to get the better of it; tried very hard, as the dinner hour approached, to feel and appear as usual; but it was quite impossible for her not to look most shy and uncomfortable when their visitor entered the roomShe could not have supposed it in the power of any concurrence of circumstances to give her so many painful sensations on the first day of hearing of William?s promotionCrawford was not only in the room?he was soon close to herHe had a note to deliver from his sisterFanny could not look at him, but there was no consciousness of past folly in his voiceShe opened her note immediately, glad to have anything to do, and happy, as she read it, to feel that the fidgetings of her aunt Norris, who was also to dine there, screened her a little from view ?My dear Fanny,?for so I may now always call you, to the infinite relief of a tongue that has been stumbling at Miss Price for at least the last six weeks?I cannot let my brother go without sending you a few 265 Jane Austen lines of general congratulation, and giving my most joyful consent and approvalGo on, my dear Fanny, and without fear; there can be no difficulties worth namingI chuse to suppose that the assurance of my consent will be something; so you may smile upon him with your sweetest smiles this afternoon, and send him back to me even happier than he goesYours affectionately, M These were not expressions to do Fanny any good; for though she read in too much haste and confusion to form the clearest judgment of Miss Crawford?s meaning, it was evident that she meant to compliment her on her brother?s attachment, and even to appear to believe it seriousShe did not know what to do, or what to think There was wretchedness in the idea of its being serious; there was perplexity and agitation every wayShe was distressed whenever Mr Crawford spoke to her, and he spoke to her much too often; and she was afraid there was a something in his voice and manner in addressing her very different from what they were when he talked to the othersHer comfort in that day?s dinner was quite destroyed: she could hardly eat anything; and when Sir Thomas goodhumouredly observed that joy had taken away her appetite, she was ready to sink with shame, from the dread of MrCrawford?s interpretation; for though nothing could have tempted her to turn her eyes to the right hand, where he sat, she felt that his were immediately directed towards her She was more silent than everShe would hardly join even when William was the subject, for his commission came all from the right hand too, and there was pain in the connexion She thought Lady Bertram sat longer than ever, and began to be in despair of ever getting away; but at last they were in the drawingroom, and she was able to think as she would, while her aunts finished the subject of William?s appointment in their own s