Aug112010
In this more placid state of things William...
In this more placid state of things William reentered, followed
not far behind by his mother and BetseyHe, complete in his
lieutenant?s uniform, looking and moving all the taller, firmer, and
more graceful for it, and with the happiest smile over his face, walked
up directly to Fanny, who, rising from her seat, looked at him for a
moment in speechless admiration, and then threw her arms round
his neck to sob out her various emotions of pain and pleasure
Anxious not to appear unhappy, she soon recovered herself; and
wiping away her tears, was able to notice and admire all the striking
parts of his dress; listening with reviving spirits to his cheerful hopes
of being on shore some part of every day before they sailed, and
even of getting her to Spithead to see the sloop
The next bustle brought in MrCampbell, the surgeon of the
Thrush, a very well-behaved young man, who came to call for his
friend, and for whom there was with some contrivance found a chair,
and with some hasty washing of the young tea-maker?s, a cup and
saucer; and after another quarter of an hour of earnest talk between
the gentlemen, noise rising upon noise, and bustle upon bustle, men
and boys at last all in motion together, the moment came for setting
off; everything was ready, William took leave, and all of them were
gone; for the three boys, in spite of their mother?s entreaty, determined
to see their brother and MrCampbell to the sally-port; and
MrPrice walked off at the same knock off chanel time to carry back his neighbour?s
newspaper
Something like tranquillity might now be hoped for; and accordingly,
when Rebecca had been prevailed on to carry away the teathings,
and MrsPrice had walked about the room some time looking
for a shirt-sleeve, which Betsey at last hunted out from a drawer
in the kitchen, the small party of females were pretty well composed,
and the mother having lamented again over the impossibility
of getting Sam ready in time, was at leisure to think of her eldest
335
Jane Austen
daughter and the friends she had come from
A few inquiries began: but one of the earliest??How did sister
Bertram manage about her servants? ?Was she as much plagued as
herself to get tolerable servants???soon led her mind away from
Northamptonshire, and fixed it on her own domestic grievances, and
the shocking character of all the Portsmouth servants, of whom she
believed her own two were the very worst, engrossed her completely
The Bertrams were all forgotten in detailing the faults of Rebecca,
against whom Susan had also much to depose, and little Betsey a
great deal more, and who did seem so thoroughly without a single
recommendation, that Fanny could not help modestly presuming that
her mother meant to part with her when her year was up
?Her year!? cried MrsPrice; ?I am sure I hope I shall be rid of her
before she has staid a year, for that will not be up till November
Servants are come to such a pass, my dear, in Portsmouth, that it chanel quilted bags is
quite a miracle if one keeps them more than half a yearI have no
hope of ever being settled; and if I was to part with Rebecca, I should
only get something worseAnd yet I do not think I am a very difficult
mistress to please; and I am sure the place is easy enough, for there is
always a girl under her, and I often do half the work myself
Fanny was silent; but not from being convinced that there might
not be a remedy found for some of these evilsAs she now sat looking
at Betsey, she could not but think particularly of another sister,
a very pretty little girl, whom she had left there not much younger
when she went into Northamptonshire, who had died a few years
afterwardsThere had been something remarkably amiable about
herFanny in those early days had preferred her to Susan; and when
the news of her death had at last reached Mansfield, had for a short
time been quite afflictedThe sight of Betsey brought the image of
little Mary back again, but she would not have pained her mother
by alluding to her for the worldWhile considering her with these
ideas, Betsey, at a small distance, was holding out something to catch
her eyes, meaning to screen it at the same time from Susan?s
?What have you got there, my love?? said Fanny; ?come and shew
it to me
It was a silver knifeUp jumped Susan, claiming it as her own,
and trying to get it away; but the child ran to her mother?s protec336
Mansfield Park
tion, and Susan could only reproach, which she did very cartier love warmly,
and evidently hoping to interest Fanny on her side?It was very
hard that she was not to have her own knife; it was her own knife;
little sister Mary had left it to her upon her deathbed, and she ought
to have had it to keep herself long agoBut mama kept it from her,
and was always letting Betsey get hold of it; and the end of it would
be that Betsey would spoil it, and get it for her own, though mama
had promised her that Betsey should not have it in her own hands
Fanny was quite shockedEvery feeling of duty, honour, and tenderness
was wounded by her sister?s speech and her mother?s reply
?Now, Susan,? cried MrsPrice, in a complaining voice, ?now,
how can you be so cross? You are always quarrelling about that knife
I wish you would not be so quarrelsomePoor little Betsey; how
cross Susan is to you! But you should not have taken it out, my dear,
when I sent you to the drawerYou know I told you not to touch it,
because Susan is so cross about itI must hide it another time, Betsey
Poor Mary little thought it would be such a bone of contention
when she gave it me to keep, only two hours before she diedPoor
little soul! she could but just speak to be heard, and she said so
prettily, ?Let sister Susan have my knife, mama, when I am dead
and buried Poor little dear! she was so fond of it, Fanny, that she
would have it lay by her in bed, all through her illnessIt was the
gift of her good godmother, old MrsAdmiral Maxwell, only six
weeks before she was omega replica watches taken for deathPoor little sweet creature! Well,
she was taken away from evil to comeMy own Betsey? (fondling
her), ?you have not the luck of such a good godmotherAunt Norris
lives too far off to think of such little people as you
Fanny had indeed nothing to convey from aunt Norris, but a
message to say she hoped that her god-daughter was a good girl,
and learnt her bookThere had been at one moment a slight murmur
in the drawing-room at Mansfield Park about sending her a
prayer-book; but no second sound had been heard of such a purposeNorris, however, had gone home and taken down two
old prayer-books of her husband with that idea; but, upon examination,
the ardour of generosity went offOne was found to have
too small a print for a child?s eyes, and the other to be too cumbersome
for her to carry about
337
Jane Austen
Fanny, fatigued and fatigued again, was thankful to accept the
first invitation of going to bed; and before Betsey had finished her
cry at being allowed to sit up only one hour extraordinary in honour
of sister, she was off, leaving all below in confusion and noise again;
the boys begging for toasted cheese, her father calling out for his
rum and water, and Rebecca never where she ought to be
There was nothing to raise her spirits in the confined and scantily
furnished chamber that she was to share with SusanThe smallness of
the rooms above and below, indeed, and the narrowness of the passage
and staircase, struck her beyond her gucci g watch imagina
In this more placid state of things William reentered, followed
not far behind by his mother and BetseyHe, complete in his
lieutenant?s uniform, looking and moving all the taller, firmer, and
more graceful for it, and with the happiest smile over his face, walked
up directly to Fanny, who, rising from her seat, looked at him for a
moment in speechless admiration, and then threw her arms round
his neck to sob out her various emotions of pain and pleasure
Anxious not to appear unhappy, she soon recovered herself; and
wiping away her tears, was able to notice and admire all the striking
parts of his dress; listening with reviving spirits to his cheerful hopes
of being on shore some part of every day before they sailed, and
even of getting her to Spithead to see the sloop
The next bustle brought in MrCampbell, the surgeon of the
Thrush, a very well-behaved young man, who came to call for his
friend, and for whom there was with some contrivance found a chair,
and with some hasty washing of the young tea-maker?s, a cup and
saucer; and after another quarter of an hour of earnest talk between
the gentlemen, noise rising upon noise, and bustle upon bustle, men
and boys at last all in motion together, the moment came for setting
off; everything was ready, William took leave, and all of them were
gone; for the three boys, in spite of their mother?s entreaty, determined
to see their brother and MrCampbell to the sally-port; and
MrPrice walked off at the same knock off chanel time to carry back his neighbour?s
newspaper
Something like tranquillity might now be hoped for; and accordingly,
when Rebecca had been prevailed on to carry away the teathings,
and MrsPrice had walked about the room some time looking
for a shirt-sleeve, which Betsey at last hunted out from a drawer
in the kitchen, the small party of females were pretty well composed,
and the mother having lamented again over the impossibility
of getting Sam ready in time, was at leisure to think of her eldest
335
Jane Austen
daughter and the friends she had come from
A few inquiries began: but one of the earliest??How did sister
Bertram manage about her servants? ?Was she as much plagued as
herself to get tolerable servants???soon led her mind away from
Northamptonshire, and fixed it on her own domestic grievances, and
the shocking character of all the Portsmouth servants, of whom she
believed her own two were the very worst, engrossed her completely
The Bertrams were all forgotten in detailing the faults of Rebecca,
against whom Susan had also much to depose, and little Betsey a
great deal more, and who did seem so thoroughly without a single
recommendation, that Fanny could not help modestly presuming that
her mother meant to part with her when her year was up
?Her year!? cried MrsPrice; ?I am sure I hope I shall be rid of her
before she has staid a year, for that will not be up till November
Servants are come to such a pass, my dear, in Portsmouth, that it chanel quilted bags is
quite a miracle if one keeps them more than half a yearI have no
hope of ever being settled; and if I was to part with Rebecca, I should
only get something worseAnd yet I do not think I am a very difficult
mistress to please; and I am sure the place is easy enough, for there is
always a girl under her, and I often do half the work myself
Fanny was silent; but not from being convinced that there might
not be a remedy found for some of these evilsAs she now sat looking
at Betsey, she could not but think particularly of another sister,
a very pretty little girl, whom she had left there not much younger
when she went into Northamptonshire, who had died a few years
afterwardsThere had been something remarkably amiable about
herFanny in those early days had preferred her to Susan; and when
the news of her death had at last reached Mansfield, had for a short
time been quite afflictedThe sight of Betsey brought the image of
little Mary back again, but she would not have pained her mother
by alluding to her for the worldWhile considering her with these
ideas, Betsey, at a small distance, was holding out something to catch
her eyes, meaning to screen it at the same time from Susan?s
?What have you got there, my love?? said Fanny; ?come and shew
it to me
It was a silver knifeUp jumped Susan, claiming it as her own,
and trying to get it away; but the child ran to her mother?s protec336
Mansfield Park
tion, and Susan could only reproach, which she did very cartier love warmly,
and evidently hoping to interest Fanny on her side?It was very
hard that she was not to have her own knife; it was her own knife;
little sister Mary had left it to her upon her deathbed, and she ought
to have had it to keep herself long agoBut mama kept it from her,
and was always letting Betsey get hold of it; and the end of it would
be that Betsey would spoil it, and get it for her own, though mama
had promised her that Betsey should not have it in her own hands
Fanny was quite shockedEvery feeling of duty, honour, and tenderness
was wounded by her sister?s speech and her mother?s reply
?Now, Susan,? cried MrsPrice, in a complaining voice, ?now,
how can you be so cross? You are always quarrelling about that knife
I wish you would not be so quarrelsomePoor little Betsey; how
cross Susan is to you! But you should not have taken it out, my dear,
when I sent you to the drawerYou know I told you not to touch it,
because Susan is so cross about itI must hide it another time, Betsey
Poor Mary little thought it would be such a bone of contention
when she gave it me to keep, only two hours before she diedPoor
little soul! she could but just speak to be heard, and she said so
prettily, ?Let sister Susan have my knife, mama, when I am dead
and buried Poor little dear! she was so fond of it, Fanny, that she
would have it lay by her in bed, all through her illnessIt was the
gift of her good godmother, old MrsAdmiral Maxwell, only six
weeks before she was omega replica watches taken for deathPoor little sweet creature! Well,
she was taken away from evil to comeMy own Betsey? (fondling
her), ?you have not the luck of such a good godmotherAunt Norris
lives too far off to think of such little people as you
Fanny had indeed nothing to convey from aunt Norris, but a
message to say she hoped that her god-daughter was a good girl,
and learnt her bookThere had been at one moment a slight murmur
in the drawing-room at Mansfield Park about sending her a
prayer-book; but no second sound had been heard of such a purposeNorris, however, had gone home and taken down two
old prayer-books of her husband with that idea; but, upon examination,
the ardour of generosity went offOne was found to have
too small a print for a child?s eyes, and the other to be too cumbersome
for her to carry about
337
Jane Austen
Fanny, fatigued and fatigued again, was thankful to accept the
first invitation of going to bed; and before Betsey had finished her
cry at being allowed to sit up only one hour extraordinary in honour
of sister, she was off, leaving all below in confusion and noise again;
the boys begging for toasted cheese, her father calling out for his
rum and water, and Rebecca never where she ought to be
There was nothing to raise her spirits in the confined and scantily
furnished chamber that she was to share with SusanThe smallness of
the rooms above and below, indeed, and the narrowness of the passage
and staircase, struck her beyond her gucci g watch imagina
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