Mansfield Park - Chapter 46

As Fanny could not doubt that her answer was conveying a real disappointment, she was rather in expectation, from her knowledge of Miss Crawford's temper, of being urged again; and though no second letter arrived for the space of a week, she had still the same feeling when it did come., ,On receiving it, she could instantly decide on its containing little writing, and was persuaded of its having the air of a letter of haste and business. Its object was unquestionable; and two moments were enough to start the probability of its being merely to give her notice that they should be in Portsmouth that very day, and to throw her into all the agitation ² of doubting what she ought to do in such a case. If two moments, however, can surround with difficulties, a third can disperse ³ them; and before she had opened the letter, the possibility of Mr. and Miss Crawford's having applied ⁴ to her uncle and obtained his permission was giving her ease. This was the letter--, ,"A most scandalous, ill-natured rumour ⁵ has just reached me, and I write, dear Fanny, to warn you against giving the least credit to it, should it spread into the country. Depend upon it, there is some mistake, and that a day or two will clear it up; at any rate, that Henry is blameless, and in spite of a moment's etourderie, thinks of nobody but you. Say not a word of it; hear nothing, surmise ⁶ nothing, whisper nothing till I write again. I am sure it will be all hushed up, and nothing proved but Rushworth's folly ⁷. If they are gone, I would lay my life they are only gone to Mansfield Park, and Julia with them. But why would not you let us come for you? I wish you may not repent ⁸ it.--Yours, etc.", , ,As to Mr. Crawford, she hoped it might give him a knowledge of his own disposition ¹², convince him that he was not capable of being steadily ¹³ attached to any one woman in the world, and shame him from persisting any longer in addressing herself., ,It was very strange! She had begun to think he really loved her, and to fancy his affection for her something more than common; and his sister still said that he cared for nobody else. Yet there must have been some marked display of attentions to her cousin, there must have been some strong indiscretion, since her correspondent was not of a sort to regard a slight one., ,Could this at last be a good omen for peace?这是否终于可以视作和平的吉兆了？,Small shopkeepers carried on a long agitation against the big department stores.小店主们长期以来一直在煽动人们反对大型百货商店。