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Chapter 2

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 December 2020

John Wiltshire
Affiliation:
La Trobe University, Victoria
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Summary

THE conference was neither so short, nor so conclusive, as the lady had designed. The gentleman was not so easily satisfied. He had all the disposition to persevere that Sir Thomas could wish him. He had vanity, which strongly inclined him, in the first place, to think she did love him, though she might not know it herself; and which, secondly, when constrained at last to admit that she did know her own present feelings, convinced him that he should be able in time to make those feelings what he wished.

He was in love, very much in love; and it was a love which, operating on an active, sanguine spirit, of more warmth than delicacy, made her affection appear of greater consequence, because it was withheld, and determined him to have the glory, as well as the felicity, of forcing her to love him.

He would not despair: he would not desist. He had every well grounded reason for solid attachment; he knew her to have all the worth that could justify the warmest hopes of lasting happiness with her; her conduct at this very time, by speaking the disinterestedness and delicacy of her character (qualities which he believed most rare indeed), was of a sort to heighten all his wishes, and confirm all his resolutions. He knew not that he had a pre-engaged heart to attack. Of that, he had no suspicion. He considered her rather as one who had never thought on the subject enough to be in danger; who had been guarded by youth, a youth of mind as lovely as of person; whose modesty had prevented her from understanding his attentions, and who was still overpowered by the suddenness of addresses so wholly unexpected, and the novelty of a situation which her fancy had never taken into account.

Must it not follow of course, that when he was understood, he should succeed?—he believed it fully. Love such as his, in a man like himself, must with perseverance secure a return, and at no great distance; and he had so much delight in the idea of obliging her to love him in a very short time, that her not loving him now was scarcely regretted. A little difficulty to be overcome, was no evil to Henry Crawford.

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Mansfield Park , pp. 376 - 385
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2005

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  • Chapter 2
  • Jane Austen
  • Edited by John Wiltshire, La Trobe University, Victoria
  • Book: Mansfield Park
  • Online publication: 18 December 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108993470.037
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  • Chapter 2
  • Jane Austen
  • Edited by John Wiltshire, La Trobe University, Victoria
  • Book: Mansfield Park
  • Online publication: 18 December 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108993470.037
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Chapter 2
  • Jane Austen
  • Edited by John Wiltshire, La Trobe University, Victoria
  • Book: Mansfield Park
  • Online publication: 18 December 2020
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108993470.037
Available formats
×