Edmund agreed to this. »The air of a
gentleman's residence, therefore, you cannot but give it, if you do any thing.
But it is capable of much more. (Let me see, Mary; Lady Bertram bids a dozen for
that queen; no, no, a dozen is more than it is worth. Lady Bertram does not bid
a dozen. She will have nothing to say to it. Go on, go on.) By some such
improvements as I have suggested, (I do not really require you to proceed upon
my plan, though by the bye I doubt any body's striking out a better) - you may
give it a higher character. You may raise it into a place. From being the mere
gentleman's residence, it becomes, by judicious improvement, the residence of a
man of education, taste, modern manners, good connections. All this may be
stamped on it; and that house receive such an air as to make its owner be set
down as the great land-holder of the parish, by every creature travelling the
road; especially as there is no real squire's house to dispute the point; a
circumstance between ourselves to enhance the value of such a situation in point
of privilege and independence beyond all calculation. You think with me, I hope
- (turning with a softened voice to Fanny). - Have you ever seen the place?«
    Fanny gave a quick negative, and tried to hide her interest in the subject
by an eager attention to her brother, who was driving as hard a bargain and
imposing on her as much as he could; but Crawford pursued with »No, no, you must
not part with the queen. You have bought her too dearly, and your brother does
not offer half her value. No, no, sir, hands off - hands off. Your sister does
not part with the queen. She is quite determined. The game will be yours,
turning to her again - it will certainly be yours.«
    »And Fanny had much rather it were William's,« said Edmund, smiling at her.
»Poor Fanny! not allowed to cheat herself as she wishes!«
    »Mr. Bertram,« said Miss Crawford, a few minutes afterwards, »you know Henry
to be such a capital improver, that you cannot possibly engage in any thing of
the sort at Thornton Lacey, without accepting his help. Only think how useful he
was at Sotherton! Only think what grand things were produced there by our all
going with