These races were to call him away not long after their acquaintance began (indeed, sparing him an unspeakable fate). As the family did not, from his usual goings on, expect him back again for many weeks, it would be prudent to bring his passion to an early proof. Much was said on his side to induce her to attend the races and “see his little striped African marvel win,” schemes were made for a large party to attend them, but it was only talk.

And Fanny, what was she doing and thinking all this while? and what was her opinion of the newcomers? Few young ladies of eighteen could be less called on to speak their opinion than Fanny. In a quiet way, very little attended to, she paid her tribute of admiration to Miss Crawford’s beauty, coupled with a measure of caution and suspicion, for she could sense something different about her. But as she still continued to think Mr. Crawford very plain, in spite of her two cousins repeatedly insisting the contrary, she never mentioned him. The notice, which she excited herself, was to this effect.

“I begin now to understand you all, except Miss Price,” said Miss Crawford, as she was walking with the Mr. Bertrams. “Pray, is she out, or is she not? I am puzzled. She dined at the Parsonage, with the rest of you, which seemed like being out; and yet she says so little, that I can hardly suppose she is.”

Edmund, to whom this was chiefly addressed, replied, “I believe I know what you mean, but I will not undertake to answer the question. My cousin is grown up. She has the age and sense of a woman, but the outs and not outs are beyond me.”

“And yet, in general, nothing can be more easily ascertained. The distinction is so broad. Manners as well as appearance are, generally speaking, so totally different. Till now, I could not have supposed it possible to be mistaken as to a girl’s being out or not.”

And then Miss Crawford proceeded to impart her vigorous opinion on the subject at some great length, discussing the fine delicacies of the female condition of being out in society, with examples of scandalous behavior and drastic change in personality before and after the fact.

“But now I must be satisfied about Miss Price,” she concluded. “Does she go to balls? Does she dine out every where, as well as at my sister’s?”

“No,” replied Edmund; “I do not think she has ever been to a ball. My mother seldom goes into company herself, and dines nowhere but with Mrs. Grant, and Fanny stays at home with her.”

“Oh! then the point is clear. Miss Price is not out.”

Chapter VI