Murder at Mansfield Park

"I can see that such a man as Mr Crawford would like to have his own way," replied Mr Norris in a serious tone. "But we cannot all have his same luxury of choice. I envy him that. Most of his fellow men are condemned to self-denial, and an enforced submission to the will of others."

Mary laughed. "I doubt that the nephew of Sir Thomas Bertram can know very much of self-denial. Now, seriously, Mr Norris, what have you ever known of hardship? When have you been prevented from going wherever you chose, whenever the fancy took you? When have you been forced to rely on the kindness of others to supply the necessities of board and lodging?"

She stopped, knowing she had said a great deal too much, and averting her eyes, was unable to see the look on his face as he replied,"Miss Crawford is pleased to remind me of the differences in our situations. But," he said, in a softer accent, "in some matters of great weight, I too have suffered from the want of independence."

"Is this," thought Mary, "meant to refer to Miss Price?" Her embarrassment appeared in an agitated look, his in a rush of colour; and for a few minutes they were both silent; till the distant apparition of Henry promised to save them both from further discomfiture. He met them with great affability, saying that he had returned to the parsonage, and finding Mary still absent, had walked out to meet her. Mr Norris took the first opportunity of consigning Mary to her brother’s care, and when Henry then turned to her and asked what the two of them had been talking of so earnestly, she hardly knew how to answer.

Chapter 4

As she dressed for dinner the following day, Mary struggled to achieve at least the appearance of composure; her brother might make such public shew of his own attachment as he chose, and not care for the consequences; Mary must be more guarded and more circumspect. And now that she was fully apprised of her own feelings, she was apprehensive lest Henry’s discernment or her sister’s shrewd eye might discover the truth; she did not know, in reality, whether it was her brother’s raillery she feared more, or the sisterly concern of Mrs Grant’s warm and affectionate heart.

For the time being, however, Mrs Grant seemed more concerned with the small cares and anxieties of her toilette. "What dreadful hot weather this is!" she said, working away her fan as if for life, as the carriage made its way across the park. "It keeps one in a continual state of inelegance."

"We shall, at least, find the company somewhat enlivened this evening by the presence of another guest," remarked her husband, rather sourly. "A larger group is always preferable — tiny parties force one into constant exertion."

As they approached the Park, they passed close by the stable-yard and coach-house.

"Ha!" cried Henry in delight. "The much-anticipated Rushworth must be here already! You were right, Mary, ’tis a barouche. And a very fine one, at that! Quite as gaudy and ostentatious as I expected. This is much better than I had dared to hope; I anticipate an evening of the keenest enjoyment."

As it was, the parsonage party heard Mr Rushworth before they saw him, for the sound of his voice reached them even as the servant led them across the hall.

"My dear Lady Bertram," he was saying loudly, "the insufferable dilatoriness one endures at their hands! The thousand disappointments and delays to which one is exposed! The trouble that is made over the slightest request, the tricks and stratagems that are employed to avoid the simplest tasks, make one quite despair. Only this morning I decided that blue was quite the wrong colour for the drawing-room and directed the painter that the entire room should be done again in pea-green. One would have thought that I had asked him to undertake one of the labours of Hercules." "For Heaven’s sake, man," said I, "’tis nothing more than a little distemper — no more than half an hour’s work for a great lubberly fellow like you. Go to it, man! You will have it done before dinner-time!" But needless to say, when I left Sotherton two hours ago he was still there, on his hands and knees with a sponge and a pail of water. They have no capacity for diligence, Mrs Norris, no enthusiasm for honest toil!"

"Oh! I can only agree with you, Mr Rushworth," simpered Mrs Norris, "and if he were here, my dear husband would concur most heartily. When we had the dining-parlour at the White House improved, we had to insist that the work was done over three times. I told Mr Norris not to pay them a shilling until we were completely satisfied with the results."