She acknowledged it to be right. Miss Crawford had a claim; and when it no longer interfered with the stronger claims, the truer kindness of another, she could do her justice even with pleasure to herself. The necklace really looked very well; and Fanny left her room at last, comfortably satisfied with herself and all about her.

Her aunt Bertram had remembered her on this occasion with an unusual degree of wakefulness. As though all Egypt were momentarily knocked out of her by a bit of sense, it had really occurred to her, unprompted, that Fanny, preparing for a ball, might be glad of better help than the upper housemaid’s. Thus, when dressed herself, Lady Bertram actually sent her own maid to assist her—too late, of course, to be of any use. Mrs. Chapman had just reached the attic floor, unaccosted by any undead hungry things, when Miss Price came out of her room completely dressed, and only civilities were necessary. But Fanny felt her aunt’s attention almost as much as Lady Bertram or Mrs. Chapman could do themselves.

Chapter XXVIII

Her uncle and both her aunts were in the drawing-room when Fanny went down. To the former she was an interesting object, and he saw with pleasure the general elegance of her appearance, and her being in remarkably good looks. The neatness and propriety of her dress was all that he would allow himself to commend in her presence, but upon her leaving the room again soon afterwards, he spoke of her beauty with very decided praise.

“Yes,” said Lady Bertram, “she looks very well, befitting a Royal Consort of the Nile. I sent Chapman to her.”

“Look well! Oh, yes!” cried Mrs. Norris (glancing only once at the large outside windows upon which the curtains were still not drawn and the evening progressed to moonrise), “she has good reason to look well with all her advantages: brought up in this family as she has been, with all the benefit of her cousins’ manners before her. Only think, my dear Sir Thomas, what extraordinary advantages you and I have been the means of giving her. The very gown you have been taking notice of is your own generous present to her when dear Mrs. Rushworth married. What would she have been if we had not taken her by the hand?”

Sir Thomas said no more. But when they sat down to table the eyes of the two young men assured him that the subject might be gently touched again, when the ladies withdrew, with more success.

Fanny saw that she was approved; and the awareness of looking well made her look still better. Already happy, she was soon made happier still. . . .

Edmund, holding open the door when she was following her aunts out of the room, said, as she passed him, “You must dance with me, Fanny; you must keep two dances for me; any two that you like, except the first.”

Her heart sang!