en your behaviour on the occasion; it shewed a discretion highly to
be commended. But now, when he has made his overtures so properly, and
honourably--what are your scruples _now_?"

"You are mistaken, sir," cried Fanny, forced by the anxiety of the
moment even to tell her uncle that he was wrong; "you are quite
mistaken. How could Mr. Crawford say such a thing? I gave him no
encouragement yesterday. On the contrary, I told him, I cannot recollect
my exact words, but I am sure I told him that I would not listen to him,
that it was very unpleasant to me in every respect, and that I begged
him never to talk to me in that manner again. I am sure I said as much
as that and more; and I should have said still more, if I had been quite
certain of his meaning anything seriously; but I did not like to be, I
could not bear to be, imputing more than might be intended. I thought it
might all pass for nothing with _him_."

She could say no more; her breath was almost gone.

"Am I to understand," said Sir Thomas, after a few moments' silence,
"that you mean to _refuse_ Mr. Crawford?"

"Yes, sir."

"Refuse him?"

"Yes, sir."

"Refuse Mr. Crawford! Upon what plea? For what reason?"

"I--I cannot like him, sir, well enough to marry him."

"This is very strange!" said Sir Thomas, in a voice of calm displeasure.
"There is something in this which my comprehension does not reach. Here
is a young man wishing to pay his addresses to you, with everything to
recommend him: not merely situation in life, fortune, and character,
but with more than common agreeableness, with address and conversation
pleasing to everybody. And he is not an acquaintance of to-day; you have
now known him some time. His sister, moreover, is your intimate friend,
and he has been doing _that_ for your brother, which I should suppose
would have been almost sufficient recommendation to you, had there been
no other. It is very uncertain when my interest might have got William
on. He has done it already."

"Yes," said Fanny, in a faint voice, and looking down with fresh shame;
and she did feel almost ashamed of herself, after such a picture as her
uncle had drawn, for not liking Mr. Crawford.

"You must have been aware," continued Sir Thomas presently, "you must
have been some time aware of a particularity in Mr. Crawford's manners
to you. This cannot have taken you by surprise. You must have observed
his attentions; and though you always received them very prop