With a significant smile, which made Fanny quite hate him, he said, "So! Rushworth and his fair bride are at Brighton, I understand; happy man!" "Yes, they have been there about a fortnight, Miss Price, have they not?
And Julia is with them." "And Mr.Yates, I presume, is not far off." "Mr.Yates! Oh! we hear nothing of Mr.Yates.I do not imagine he figures much in the letters to Mansfield Park; do you, Miss Price?
I think my friend Julia knows better than to entertain her father with Mr.
Yates." "Poor Rushworth and his two-and-forty speeches!" continued Crawford.
"Nobody can ever forget them.

Poor fellow! I see him now--his toil and his despair.

Well, I am much mistaken if his lovely Maria will ever want him to make two-and-forty speeches to her"; adding, with a momentary seriousness, "She is too good for him--much too good." And then changing his tone again to one of gentle gallantry, and addressing Fanny, he said, "You were Mr.Rushworth's best friend.

Your kindness and patience can never be forgotten, your indefatigable patience in trying to make it possible for him to learn his part--in trying to give him a brain which nature had denied--to mix up an understanding for him out of the superfluity of your own! _He_ might not have sense enough himself to estimate your kindness, but I may venture to say that it had honour from all the rest of the party." Fanny coloured, and said nothing.
"It is as a dream, a pleasant dream!" he exclaimed, breaking forth again, after a few minutes' musing.

"I shall always look back on our theatricals with exquisite pleasure.