Mrs. Rushworth was quite ready to make way for the fortunate young woman whom her dear son had selected; very early in November she removed herself to Bath. And before the middle of the same month, the ceremony took place which gave Sotherton another mistress.

It was a very proper wedding. The bride was elegantly dressed; the two bridesmaids were duly inferior; her father gave her away; her mother stood with salts in one hand and an imported palm-frond fan in the other; her aunt tried to cry but yelped instead; and the service was impressively read by Dr. Grant.

It was done, and they were gone. Sir Thomas felt as an anxious father must feel; Lady Bertram felt very little of anything. Mrs. Norris, happy to assist in the duties of the day, by spending it at the Park to support her sister’s spirits, and drinking the health of Mr. and Mrs. Rushworth, was all joyous delight and suppressed howling.

The plan of the young couple was to proceed, after a few days, to Brighton, then on to the wider amusements of London.

Julia was to go with them to Brighton. Since rivalry between the sisters had ceased, they had been gradually recovering much of their former good understanding. Some other companion than Mr. Rushworth was of the first consequence to his lady; and Julia was quite as eager for novelty and pleasure as Maria.

Their departure made another material change at Mansfield, a chasm which required some time to fill up. While over the months the household had picked up a discreet yet inordinate amount of supernatural residents, mostly of deceased Egyptian origin, the family circle became greatly contracted. And though the Miss Bertrams had latterly added little to its gaiety, they could not but be missed. Even their generally unaware mother missed them. And how much more their tenderhearted cousin, who wandered about the quiet mummy-infested house, and thought of them, and felt for them, with a degree of affectionate regret which they had never done much to deserve!

Chapter XXII

Fanny’s consequence increased on the departure of her cousins. As the only young woman in the drawing-room, it was impossible for her not to be more noticed than she had ever been before; and “Where is Fanny?” became no uncommon question, even without her being wanted for any one’s convenience.

Many evenings were spent with Lady Bertram pulling Fanny in as a third in discussions with the ever-present Lord Eastwind who spoke in a quiet voice of remarkable clarity and intensity of faraway lands, ancient times, and golden palaces filled with wonders. Fanny listened reluctantly at first, but then was gradually enchanted, unable to help her own curiosity. And she came to regard those comfortable evenings with an odd pleasure, almost looking forward to the strange extravagant tales and the sound of his voice.