All the agreeable of her speculation was over for that hour.It was time to have done with cards if sermons prevailed,and she was glad to find it necessary to come to a conclusion and be able to refresh her spirits by a change of place and neighbour.
The chief of the party were now collected irregularly round the fire,and waiting the final break up.William and Fanny were the most detached.They remained together at the otherwise deserted card-table,talking very comfortably and not thinking of the rest,till some of the rest began to think of them.Henry Crawford's chair was the first to be given a direction towards them,and he sat silently observing them for a few minutes;himself in the meanwhile observed by Sir Thomas,who was standing in chat with Dr Grant.
‘This is the Assembly night,’said William.‘If I were at Portsmouth,I should be at it perhaps.’
‘But you do not wish yourself at Portsmouth,William?’
‘No,Fanny,that I do not.I shall have enough of Portsmouth,and of dancing too,when I cannot have you.And I do not know that there would be any good in going to the Assembly,for I might not get a partner.The Portsmouth girls turn up their noses at anybody who has not a commission.One might as well be nothing as a midshipman.One is nothing indeed.You remember the Gregorys;they are grown up amazing fine girls,but they will hardly speak to me,because Lucy is courted by a lieutenant.’
‘Oh shame,shame!-But never mind it,William.’(Her own cheeks were in a glow of indignation as she spoke.)‘It is not worth minding.It is no reflection on you;it is no more than what the greatest admirals have all experienced,more or less,in their time.You must think of that;you must try to make up your mind to it as one of the hardships which fall to every sailor's share-like bad weather and hard living-only with this advantage,that there will be an end to it,that there will come a time when you will have nothing of that sort to endure.When you are a lieutenant!-only think,William,when you are a lieutenant,how little you will care for any nonsense of this kind.’
‘I begin to think I shall never be a lieutenant,Fanny.Everybody gets made but me.’
‘Oh my dear William,do not talk so,do not be so desponding.My uncle says nothing,but I am sure he will do everything in his power to get you made.He knows,as well as you do,of what consequence it is.’
She was checked by the sight of her uncle much nearer to them than she had any suspicion of,and each found it necessary to talk of something else.
‘Are you fond of dancing,Fanny?’
‘Yes,very;-only I am soon tired.’
‘I should like to go to a ball with you and see you dance.Have you never any balls at Northampton?-I should like to see you dance,and I'd dance with you if you would,for nobody would know who I was here,and I should like to be your partner once more.We used to jump about together many a time,did not we when the hand organ was in the street?I am a pretty good dancer in my way,but I dare say you are a better.’-And turning to his uncle,who was now close to them-‘Is not Fanny a very good dancer,sir?’
Fanny,in dismay at such an unprecedented question,did not know which way to look,or how to be prepared for the answer.Some very grave reproof,or at least the coldest expression of indifference must be coming to distress her brother,and sink her to the ground.But,on the contrary,it was no worse than,‘I am sorry to say that I am unable to answer your question.I have never seen Fanny dance since she was a little girl;but I trust we shall both think she acquits herself like a gentlewoman when we do see her,which perhaps we may have an opportunity of doing ere long.’
‘I have had the pleasure of seeing your sister dance,Mr Price,’said Henry Crawford,leaning forward,‘and will engage to answer every inquiry which you can make on the subject,to your entire satisfaction.But I believe’(seeing Fanny look distressed)‘it must be at some other time.There is one person in company who does not like to have Miss Price spoken of.’
True enough,he had once seen Fanny dance;and it was equally true that he would now have answered for her gliding about with quiet,light elegance,and in admirable time,but in fact he could not for the life of him recall what her dancing had been,and rather took it for granted that she had been present than remembered anything about her.
He passed,however,for an admirer of her dancing;and Sir Thomas,by no means displeased,prolonged the conversation on dancing in general,and was so well engaged in describing the balls of Antigua,and listening to what his nephew could relate of the different modes of dancing which had fallen within his observation,that he had not heard his carriage announced,and was first called to the knowledge of it by the bustle of Mrs Norris.
‘Come,Fanny,Fanny,what are you about?We are going.Do not you see your aunt is going?Quick,quick.I cannot bear to keep good old Wilcox waiting.You should always remember the coachman and horses.My dear Sir Thomas,we have settled it that the carriage should come back for you,and Edmund,and William.’
Sir Thomas could not dissent,as it had been his own arrangement,previously communicated to his wife and sister;but that seemed forgotten by Mrs Norris,who must fancy that she settled it all herself.
Fanny's last feeling in the visit was disappointment-for the shawl which Edmund was quietly taking from the servant to bring and put round her shoulders,was seized by Mr Crawford's quicker hand,and she was obliged to be indebted to his more prominent attention.
