At the end of August Mr Tom Bertram arrived, to be gay, agreeable, and gallant as Miss Crawford demanded; to tell of races and parties and friends, to which she might have listened six weeks before with some interest, and altogether to convince her that she preferred his younger brother.
It was very vexatious, and she was heartily sorry for it; but so it was; and far from now meaning to marry the elder, she did not even want to attract him beyond what the simplest claims of conscious beauty required. His long absence from Mansfield made it clear that he did not care about her; and were he now the owner of Mansfield Park, she did not believe she could accept him.
The season which brought Mr. Bertram back to Mansfield took Mr. Crawford into Norfolk. He went for a fortnight—a fortnight of such dullness to the Miss Bertrams as ought to have put them on their guard, and made even Julia see the need to distrust his attentions; and a fortnight of sufficient leisure, between shooting and sleeping, to have convinced the gentleman that he ought to keep longer away; but, thoughtless and selfish from prosperity and bad example, he would not look beyond the present. The sisters, handsome, clever, and encouraging, were an amusement to his sated mind; and he gladly returned to Mansfield, to be welcomed quite as gladly by those whom he came to trifle with.
Maria, with only Mr. Rushworth to attend to her, and doomed to hear repeated details of his day's sport, his dogs, his neighbours’ jealousy, and his zeal after poachers, had missed Mr. Crawford grievously; and Julia felt all the right of missing him much more. Each sister believed herself the favourite. Julia might be justified in so doing by the hints of Mrs. Grant, and Maria by the hints of Mr. Crawford himself. Everything returned into the same channel as before his absence. His manners to each were so agreeable as to lose no ground with either, and just stopped short of the warmth which might excite general notice.
Only Fanny found anything to dislike; but since the day at Sotherton, she could never see Mr. Crawford with either sister without wonder or censure. Had her confidence in her own judgment been greater, she would probably have spoken of it to Edmund. As it was, she only hazarded a hint, and the hint was lost. "I am surprised," said she, "that Mr. Crawford should come back again so soon; for I had understood he was so very fond of change that he would go elsewhere. He is used to much gayer places than Mansfield."
"It is to his credit," was Edmund's answer; "His sister does not like his unsettled habits."
"What a favourite he is with my cousins!"
"Yes, his manners to women are such as must please. Mrs. Grant, I believe, suspects him of a preference for Julia; I wish it may be so."
"If Miss Bertram were not engaged," said Fanny cautiously, "I could sometimes almost think that he admired her more than Julia."
"Which is, perhaps, in favour of his liking Julia best; for I believe it often happens that a man, before he has quite made up his own mind, will distinguish the sister or friend of the woman he is thinking of more than the woman herself. Crawford has too much sense to stay here if he found himself in any danger from Maria; and she has given proof by her engagement that her feelings are not strong."
Fanny supposed she must have been mistaken; but she knew not always what to think. Hearing the hopes of her aunt Norris on the subject, she could not help wondering. It was while all the other young people were dancing, and she was sitting unwillingly among the chaperons, longing for the re-entrance of her elder cousin, on whom all her own hopes of a partner depended.
It was Fanny's first ball, though without the preparation or splendour of many a young lady's first ball. It had been thought of only that afternoon, on the strength of a violin player in the servants' hall; and five couples were found with the help of a new intimate friend of Mr. Bertram's just arrived on a visit. Fanny, however, had been very happy through four dances, and was grieved to be losing even a quarter of an hour. While waiting and wishing, she heard this dialogue between Mrs Norris and Mrs Rushworth—
"I think, ma'am," said Mrs. Norris, watching Mr. Rushworth and Maria, "we shall see some happy faces again now."
"Yes, indeed," replied the other, with a stately simper, "I think it was a pity they should have had to part. Young folks in their situation should be excused complying with custom."
"Dear Maria has such a strict sense of propriety, so much of that true delicacy which one seldom meets with nowadays, Mrs. Rushworth. Only look at her face; how different from what it was the two last dances!"
Miss Bertram did indeed look happy; her eyes were sparkling with pleasure, for Julia and her partner, Mr. Crawford, were close to her. How she had looked before, Fanny could not recollect, for she had been dancing with Edmund.
Mrs. Norris continued, "It is quite delightful, ma'am, to see young people so well suited! And what do you say, ma'am, to the chance of another match? Such things are very catching."
Mrs. Rushworth, who saw nothing but her son, was at a loss.
"The couple above, ma'am."
"Oh! Miss Julia and Mr. Crawford. Yes, a very pretty match. What is his property?"
"Four thousand a year."
"Very well. He seems a genteel, steady young man, so I hope Miss Julia will be very happy."
"It is not a settled thing, ma'am, yet. But I have very little doubt it will be. He is growing extremely particular in his attentions."
Fanny could listen no farther. Mr. Bertram was in the room; and though feeling it would be a great honour to be asked to dance by him, she thought it must happen. He came towards their little circle; but instead of asking her to dance, drew up a chair, and gave her an account of the present state of a sick horse. Fanny found that it was not to be, and immediately felt that she had been unreasonable in expecting it. Next, he took a newspaper from the table, and said in a languid way, "If you want to dance, Fanny, I will stand up with you." With equal civility the offer was declined; she did not wish to dance.
"I am glad," said he, more briskly, "for I am tired to death. I only wonder how people can keep it up so long. They must be all in love, to find any amusement in such folly."
"My dear Tom," cried his aunt, "as you are not dancing, you will have no objection to join us at cards; shall you?" She added in a whisper, "We want to make a table for Mrs. Rushworth, you know. You and I and Dr. Grant; and you know, you may bet half-guineas with him."
"I should be most happy," replied he, jumping up with alacrity, "but I am this moment going to dance. Come, Fanny," taking her hand, "do not be dawdling any longer, or the dance will be over."
Fanny was led off very willingly, though it was impossible for her to feel much gratitude towards her cousin.
"Upon my word," he exclaimed as they walked away. "To want to nail me to a card-table for the next two hours with that poking old woman. And to ask me in such a way too! so as to leave me no possibility of refusing! I hate the pretence of being given a choice, and at the same time obliged to do the very thing! If I had not luckily thought of standing up with you I could not have got out of it. But when my aunt has got a fancy in her head, nothing can stop her."
CHAPTER 13