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Norris, ?and what I was saying to my husband...
11:48 PM, Tuesday, May 4, 2010
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Norris, ?and what I was
saying to my husband this morningIt will be an education for the
child, said I, only being with her cousins; if Miss Lee taught her
nothing, she would learn to be good and clever from them
?I hope she will not tease my poor pug,? said Lady Bertram; ?I
have but just got Julia to leave it alone
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Mansfield Park
?There will be some difficulty in our way, MrsNorris,? observed
Sir Thomas, ?as to the distinction proper to be made between the
girls as they grow up: how to preserve in the minds of my daughters
the consciousness of what they are, without making them think too
lowly of their cousin; and how, without depressing her spirits too
far, to make her remember that she is not a Miss BertramI should
wish to see them very good friends, and would, on no account,
authorise in my girls the smallest degree of arrogance towards their
relation; but still they cannot be equalsTheir rank, fortune, rights,
and expectations will always be differentIt is a point of great delicacy,
and you must assist us in our endeavours to choose exactly the
right line of conductNorris was quite at his service; and though she perfectly
agreed with him as to its being a most difficult thing, encouraged
him to hope that between them it would be easily managed
It will be readily believed that MrsNorris did not write to her
sister in vainPrice seemed rather surprised that a girl should
be fixed on, when she had so many fine boys, but accepted the offer
most thankfully, assuring them of her daughter?s being a very welldisposed,
good-humoured girl, and trusting they would never have
cause to throw her offShe spoke of her farther as somewhat delicate
and puny, but was sanguine in the hope of her being materially
better for change of airPoor woman! she chanel handbags large classic shopping bag probably thought change
of air might agree with many of her children
11
Jane Austen
CHAPTER II
THE LITTLE GIRL performed her long journey in safety; and at
Northampton was met by MrsNorris, who thus regaled in the
credit of being foremost to welcome her, and in the importance of
leading her in to the others, and recommending her to their kindness
Fanny Price was at this time just ten years old, and though there
might not be much in her first appearance to captivate, there was, at
least, nothing to disgust her relationsShe was small of her age, with
no glow of complexion, nor any other striking beauty; exceedingly
timid and shy, and shrinking from notice; but her air, though awkward,
was not vulgar, her voice was sweet, and when she spoke her
countenance was prettySir Thomas and Lady Bertram received her
very kindly; and Sir Thomas, seeing how much she needed encouragement,
tried to be all that was conciliating: but he had to work
against a most untoward gravity of deportment; and Lady Bertram,
without taking half so much trouble, or speaking one word where
he spoke ten, by the mere aid of a good-humoured smile, became
immediately the less awful character of the two
The young people were all at home, and sustained their share in
the introduction very well, with much good humour, and no embarrassment,
at least on the part of the sons, who, at seventeen and
sixteen, and tall of their age, had all the grandeur of men in the eyes
of their little cousinThe two girls were more at a loss from being
younger and in greater awe of their father, who addressed them on
the occasion with rather an injudicious particularityBut they were
too much used to company and praise to have anything like natural
shyness; and their confidence increasing from their cousin?s chanel purse styles total
want of it, they were soon able to take a full survey of her face and
her frock in easy indifference
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Mansfield Park
They were a remarkably fine family, the sons very well-looking,
the daughters decidedly handsome, and all of them well-grown and
forward of their age, which produced as striking a difference between
the cousins in person, as education had given to their address;
and no one would have supposed the girls so nearly of an age
as they really wereThere were in fact but two years between the
youngest and FannyJulia Bertram was only twelve, and Maria but
a year olderThe little visitor meanwhile was as unhappy as possible
Afraid of everybody, ashamed of herself, and longing for the
home she had left, she knew not how to look up, and could scarcely
speak to be heard, or without cryingNorris had been talking
to her the whole way from Northampton of her wonderful good
fortune, and the extraordinary degree of gratitude and good
behaviour which it ought to produce, and her consciousness of misery
was therefore increased by the idea of its being a wicked thing for
her not to be happyThe fatigue, too, of so long a journey, became
soon no trifling evilIn vain were the well-meant condescensions of
Sir Thomas, and all the officious prognostications of MrsNorris that
she would be a good girl; in vain did Lady Bertram smile and make
her sit on the sofa with herself and pug, and vain was even the sight of
a gooseberry tart towards giving her comfort; she could scarcely swallow
two mouthfuls before tears interrupted her, and sleep seeming to
be her likeliest friend, she was taken to finish her sorrows in bed
?This is not a very promising beginning,? said MrsNorris, when
Fanny had left the room?After all that I said to her as we came
along, I thought she chanel tote bag would have behaved better; I told her how
much might depend upon her acquitting herself well at firstI wish
there may not be a little sulkiness of temper?her poor mother had
a good deal; but we must make allowances for such a child?and I
do not know that her being sorry to leave her home is really against
her, for, with all its faults, it was her home, and she cannot as yet
understand how much she has changed for the better; but then there
is moderation in all things
It required a longer time, however, than MrsNorris was inclined
to allow, to reconcile Fanny to the novelty of Mansfield Park, and
the separation from everybody she had been used toHer feelings
were very acute, and too little understood to be properly attended
13
Jane Austen
toNobody meant to be unkind, but nobody put themselves out of
their way to secure her comfort
The holiday allowed to the Miss Bertrams the next day, on purpose
to afford leisure for getting acquainted with, and entertaining
their young cousin, produced little unionThey could not but hold
her cheap on finding that she had but two sashes, and had never
learned French; and when they perceived her to be little struck with
the duet they were so good as to play, they could do no more than
make her a generous present of some of their least valued toys, and
leave her to herself, while they adjourned to whatever might be the
favourite holiday sport of the moment, making artificial flowers or
wasting gold paper
Fanny, whether near or from her cousins, whether in the schoolroom,
the drawing-room, or the shrubbery, was equally forlorn, finding
something to fear in every person and placeShe was disheartened
by Lady Bertram?s silence, awed by Sir Thomas?s grave looks,
and quite overcome by MrsHer elder cousins
mortified her wholesale rolex watches by reflections on her size, and abashed her by noticing
her shyness: Miss Lee wondered at her ignorance, and the
maid-servants sneered at her clothes; and when to these sorrows was
added the idea of the brothers and sisters among whom she had
always been important as playfellow, instructress, and nurse, the
despondence that sunk her little heart was severe
The grandeur of the house astonished, but could not console her
The rooms were too large for her to move in with ease: whatever she
touched she expected to injure, and she crept about in constant
terror of something or other; often retreating towards her own chamber
to cry; and the little girl who was spoken of in the drawingroom
when she left it at night as seeming so desirably sensible of her
peculiar good fortune, ended every day?s sorrows by sobbing herself
to sleepA week had passed in this way, and no suspicion of it conveyed
by her quiet passive manner, when she was found one morning
by her cousin Edmund, the youngest of the sons, sitting crying
on the attic stairs
?My dear little cousin,? said he, with all the gentleness of an excellent
nature, ?what can be the matter?? And sitting down by her,
he was at great pains to overcome her shame in being so surprised,
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Mansfield Park
and persuade her to speak openly?Was she ill? or was anybody
angry with her? or had she quarrelled with Maria and Julia? or was
she puzzled about anything in her lesson that he could explain? Did
she, in short, want anything he could possibly get her, or do for her?
For a long while no answer could be obtained beyond a ?no, no?
not at all?no, thank you?; but he still persevered; and no sooner
had he begun to revert to her own home, than her increased sobs
explained to him where the grievance layHe tried to console prada bag metal her
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