“Your uncle thinks you very pretty, dear Fanny—and that is the long and the short of the matter. Anybody but myself would have made something more of it, and anybody but you would resent that you had not been thought very pretty before. But the truth is, your uncle never did admire you till now—and now he does. Your complexion is so improved!—and you have gained so much countenance!—and your figure—nay, Fanny, do not turn away about it—it is but an uncle. If you cannot bear an uncle’s admiration[18], what is to become of you? You must really begin to harden yourself to the idea of being worth looking at. You must try not to mind growing up into a pretty woman.”

“Oh! don’t talk so!” cried Fanny, distressed by more feelings than he was aware of. So flustered was she that she did not notice how, in that moment, Lord Eastwind was watching their exchange with an even more steady gaze than ever before.

Edmund saw her distress, and added, more seriously—

“Your uncle is disposed to be pleased with you in every respect; and I only wish you would talk to him more. You are one of those who are too silent in the evening circle.”

“But I do talk to him more than I used. I am sure I do. Did not you hear me ask him about the slave-trade last night?”

“I did—and was hoping the question would be followed by others. It would have pleased your uncle to be inquired of farther.”

“And I longed to do it—but there was such a dead silence! My cousins were sitting without speaking a word. I did not want to set myself off at their expense by shewing the interest which he must wish his own daughters to feel.”

“Miss Crawford was very right in what she said of you the other day: that you seemed almost as fearful of notice and praise as other women were of neglect. She has great discernment. I know nobody who distinguishes characters better.”

“Edmund, she is a vam—”

But he would not let her finish, would not hear of it, and continued, “For so young a woman she is remarkable! And, I wonder what she thinks of my father! She must admire him, I feel sure of their liking each other. He would enjoy her liveliness.”

“Liveliness is not quite the word one might use—”

“Oh Fanny, stop it, I entreat you.”

“Indeed. She must know herself too secure of the regard of all the rest of you,” said Fanny, with half a sigh, “to have any apprehension of being disliked by Sir Thomas. And, after Sir Thomas settles in and decides once more to open the family circle to outside company, I dare say, we shall be meeting again in the same sort of way.”