
anything uncongenial in their characters, or anything unfriendly in their
situations; and positively declared, that he would still love, and still hope!
    Fanny knew her own meaning, but was no judge of her own manner. Her manner
was incurably gentle, and she was not aware how much it concealed the sternness
of her purpose. Her diffidence, gratitude, and softness, made every expression
of indifference seem almost an effort of self-denial; seem at least, to be
giving nearly as much pain to herself as to him. Mr. Crawford was no longer the
Mr. Crawford who, as the clandestine, insidious, treacherous admirer of Maria
Bertram, had been her abhorrence, whom she had hated to see or to speak to, in
whom she could believe no good quality to exist, and whose power, even of being
agreeable, she had barely acknowledged. He was now the Mr. Crawford who was
addressing herself with ardent, disinterested, love; whose feelings were
apparently become all that was honourable and upright, whose views of happiness
were all fixed on a marriage of attachment; who was pouring out his sense of her
merits, describing and describing again his affection, proving, as far as words
could prove it, and in the language, tone, and spirit of a man of talent too,
that he sought her for her gentleness, and her goodness; and to complete the
whole, he was now the Mr. Crawford who had procured William's promotion!
    Here was a change! and here were claims which could not but operate. She
might have disdained him in all the dignity of angry virtue, in the grounds of
Sotherton, or the theatre at Mansfield Park; but he approached her now with
rights that demanded different treatment. She must be courteous, and she must be
compassionate. She must have a sensation of being honoured, and whether thinking
of herself or her brother, she must have a strong feeling of gratitude. The
effect of the whole was a manner so pitying and agitated, and words intermingled
with her refusal so expressive of obligation and concern, that to a temper of
vanity and hope like Crawford's, the truth, or at least the strength of her
indifference, might well be questionable; and he was not so irrational as Fanny
considered him, in the professions of persevering, assiduous, and not desponding
attachment which closed the interview.
    It was with reluctance that he suffered her to go, but there was no look of
despair in parting to bely his words, or give her hopes of his being less
unreasonable than he professed himself.
