 important
advantage to Mrs. Price resulted from it. Mrs. Norris was often observing to the
others, that she could not get her poor sister and her family out of her head,
and that much as they had all done for her, she seemed to be wanting to do more:
and at length she could not but own it to be her wish, that poor Mrs. Price
should be relieved from the charge and expense of one child entirely out of her
great number. »What if they were among them to undertake the care of her eldest
daughter, a girl now nine years old, of an age to require more attention than
her poor mother could possibly give? The trouble and expense of it to them,
would be nothing compared with the benevolence of the action.« Lady Bertram
agreed with her instantly. »I think we cannot do better,« said she, »let us send
for the child.«
    Sir Thomas could not give so instantaneous and unqualified a consent. He
debated and hesitated; - it was a serious charge; - a girl so brought up must be
adequately provided for, or there would be cruelty instead of kindness in taking
her from her family. He thought of his own four children - of his two sons - of
cousins in love, etc.; - but no sooner had he deliberately begun to state his
objections, than Mrs. Norris interrupted him with a reply to them all whether
stated or not.
    »My dear Sir Thomas, I perfectly comprehend you, and do justice to the
generosity and delicacy of your notions, which indeed are quite of a piece with
your general conduct; and I entirely agree with you in the main as to the
propriety of doing every thing one could by way of providing for a child one had
in a manner taken into one's own hands; and I am sure I should be the last
person in the world to withhold my mite upon such an occasion. Having no
children of my own, who should I look to in any little matter I may ever have to
bestow, but the children of my sisters? - and I am sure Mr. Norris is too just -
but you know I am a woman of few words and professions. Do not let us be
frightened from a good deed by a trifle. Give a girl an education, and introduce
her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling
well, without farther expense to any body. A niece of our's, Sir Thomas, I may
say, or, at least of
