CHAPTER I

About thirty years ago Miss Maria Ward, of Huntingdon, with only seven

thousand pounds, had the good luck to captivate Sir Thomas Bertram, of

Mansfield Park, in the county of Northampton, and to be thereby raised

to the rank of a baronet's lady, with all the comforts and consequences

of an handsome house and large income. All Huntingdon exclaimed on the

greatness of the match, and her uncle, the lawyer, himself, allowed her

to be at least three thousand pounds short of any equitable claim to it.

She had two sisters to be benefited by her elevation; and such of their

acquaintance as thought Miss Ward and Miss Frances quite as handsome as

Miss Maria, did not scruple to predict their marrying with almost equal

advantage. But there certainly are not so many men of large fortune in

the world as there are pretty women to deserve them. Miss Ward, at the

end of half a dozen years, found herself obliged to be attached to

the Rev. Mr. Norris, a friend of her brother-in-law, with scarcely any

private fortune, and Miss Frances fared yet worse. Miss Ward's match,

indeed, when it came to the point, was not contemptible: Sir Thomas

being happily able to give his friend an income in the living of

Mansfield; and Mr. and Mrs. Norris began their career of conjugal

felicity with very little less than a thousand a year. But Miss Frances

married, in the common phrase, to disoblige her family, and by fixing on

a lieutenant of marines, without education, fortune, or connexions, did

it very thoroughly. She could hardly have made a more untoward choice.

Sir Thomas Bertram had interest, which, from principle as well as

pride--from a general wish of doing right, and a desire of seeing all

that were connected with him in situations of respectability, he would

have been glad to exert for the advantage of Lady Bertram's sister; but

her husband's profession was such as no interest could reach; and before

he had time to devise any other method of assisting them, an absolute

breach between the sisters had taken place. It was the natural result of

the conduct of each party, and such as a very imprudent marriage almost

always produces. To save herself from useless remonstrance, Mrs. Price

never wrote to her family on the subject till actually married. Lady

Bertram, who was a woman of very tranquil feelings, and a temper

remarkably easy and indolent, would have contented herself with merely

giving up her sister, and thinking no more of the matter; but Mrs.

Norris had a spirit of activity, which could not be satisfied till she

had written a long and angry letter to Fanny, to point out the folly of

her conduct, and threaten her with all its possible ill consequences.

Mrs. Price, in her turn, was injured and angry; and an answer, which

comprehended each sister in its bitterness, and bestowed such very

disrespectful reflections on the pride of Sir Thomas as Mrs. Norris

could not possibly keep to herself, put an end to all intercourse

between them for a considerable period.

Their homes were so distant, and the circles in which they moved so

distinct, as almost to preclude the means of ever hearing of each

other's existence during the eleven following years, or, at least, to

make it very wonderful to Sir Thomas that Mrs. Norris should ever have

it in her power to tell them, as she now and then did, in an angry

voice, that Fanny had got another child. By the end of eleven years,

however, Mrs. Price could no longer afford to cherish pride or

resentment, or to lose one connexion that might possibly assist her.

A large and still increasing family, an husband disabled for active

service, but not the less equal to company and good liquor, and a very

small income to supply their wants, made her eager to regain the friends

she had so carelessly sacrificed; and she addressed Lady Bertram in

a letter which spoke so much contrition and despondence, such a

superfluity of children, and such a want of almost everything else, as

could not but dispose them all to a reconciliation. She was preparing

for her ninth lying-in; and after bewailing the circumstance, and

imploring their countenance as sponsors to the expected child, she

could not conceal how important she felt they might be to the future

maintenance of the eight already in being. Her eldest was a boy of ten

years old, a fine spirited fellow, who longed to be out in the world;

but what could she do? Was there any chance of his being hereafter

useful to Sir Thomas in the concerns of his West Indian property?

No situation would be beneath him; or what did Sir Thomas think of

Woolwich? or how could a boy be sent out to the East?

The letter was not unproductive. It re-established peace and kindness.

Sir Thomas sent friendly advice and professions, Lady Bertram dispatched

money and baby-linen, and Mrs. Norris wrote the letters.

Such were its immediate effects, and within a twelvemonth a more

important advantage to Mrs. Price resulted from it. Mrs. Norris was

often observing to the others that she could not get her poor sister and

her family out of her head, and that, much as they had all done for her,

she seemed to be wanting to do more; and at length she could not but

own it to be her wish that poor Mrs. Price should be relieved from the

charge and expense of one child entirely out of her great number. "What

if they were among them to undertake the care of her eldest daughter,

a girl now nine years old, of an age to require more attention than her

poor mother could possibly give? The trouble and expense of it to them

would be nothing, compared with the benevolence of the action." Lady

Bertram agreed with her instantly. "I think we cannot do better," said

she; "let us send for the child."

Sir Thomas could not give so instantaneous and unqualified a consent. He

debated and hesitated;--it was a serious charge;--a girl so brought up

must be adequately provided for, or there would be cruelty instead

of kindness in taking her from her family. He thought of his own four

children, of his two sons, of cousins in love, etc.;--but no sooner

had he deliberately begun to state his objections, than Mrs. Norris

interrupted him with a reply to them all, whether stated or not.

"My dear Sir Thomas, I perfectly comprehend you, and do justice to the

generosity and delicacy of your notions, which indeed are quite of a

piece with your general conduct; and I entirely agree with you in

the main as to the propriety of doing everything one could by way of

providing for a child one had in a manner taken into one's own hands;

and I am sure I should be the last person in the world to withhold my

mite upon such an occasion. Having no children of my own, who should I

look to in any little matter I may ever have to bestow, but the children

of my sisters?--and I am sure Mr. Norris is too just--but you know I am

a woman of few words and professions. Do not let us be frightened from

a good deed by a trifle. Give a girl an education, and introduce

her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of

settling well, without farther expense to anybody. A niece of ours, Sir

Thomas, I may say, or at least of _yours_, would not grow up in this

neighbourhood without many advantages. I don't say she would be so

handsome as her cousins. I dare say she would not; but she would be

introduced into the society of this country under such very favourable

circumstances as, in all human probability, would get her a creditable

establishment. You are thinking of your sons--but do not you know that,

of all things upon earth, _that_ is the least likely to happen, brought

up as they would be, always together like brothers and sisters? It is

morally impossible. I never knew an instance of it. It is, in fact, the

only sure way of providing against the connexion. Suppose her a pretty

girl, and seen by Tom or Edmund for the first time seven years hence,

and I dare say there would be mischief. The very idea of her having been

suffered to grow up at a distance from us all in poverty and neglect,

would be enough to make either of the dear, sweet-tempered boys in love

with her. But breed her up with them from this time, and suppose her

even to have the beauty of an angel, and she will never be more to

either than a sister."

"There is a great deal of truth in what you say," replied Sir Thomas,

"and far be it from me to throw any fanciful impediment in the way of a

plan which would be so consistent with the relative situations of each.

I only meant to observe that it ought not to be lightly engaged in,

and that to make it really serviceable to Mrs. Price, and creditable to

ourselves, we must secure to the child, or consider ourselves engaged to

secure to her hereafter, as circumstances may arise, the provision of

a gentlewoman, if no such establishment should offer as you are so

sanguine in expecting."

"I thoroughly understand you," cried Mrs. Norris, "you are everything

that is generous and considerate, and I am sure we shall never disagree

on this point. Whatever I can do, as you well know, I am always ready

enough to do for the good of those I love; and, though I could never

feel for this little girl the hundredth part of the regard I bear your

own dear children, nor consider her, in any respect, so much my own,

I should hate myself if I were capable of neglecting her. Is not she a

sister's child? and could I bear to see her want while I had a bit of

bread to give her? My dear Sir Thomas, with all my faults I have a warm

heart; and, poor as I am, would rather deny myself the necessaries of

life than do an ungenerous thing. So, if you are not against it, I will

write to my poor sister tomorrow, and make the proposal; and, as soon

as matters are settled, _I_ will engage to get the child to Mansfield;

_you_ shall have no trouble about it. My own trouble, you know, I never

regard. I will send Nanny to London on purpose, and she may have a bed

at her cousin the saddler's, and the child be appointed to meet her

there. They may easily get her from Portsmouth to town by the coach,

under the care of any creditable person that may chance to be going. I

dare say there is always some reputable tradesman's wife or other going

up."

Except to the attack on Nanny's cousin, Sir Thomas no longer made any

objection, and a more respectable, though less economical rendezvous

being accordingly substituted, everything was considered as settled,

and the pleasures of so benevolent a scheme were already enjoyed. The

division of gratifying sensations ought not, in strict justice, to

have been equal; for Sir Thomas was fully resolved to be the real and

consistent patron of the selected child, and Mrs. Norris had not the

least intention of being at any expense whatever in her maintenance.

As far as walking, talking, and contriving reached, she was thoroughly

benevolent, and nobody knew better how to dictate liberality to others;

but her love of money was equal to her love of directing, and she knew

quite as well how to save her own as to spend that of her friends.

Having married on a narrower income than she had been used to look

forward to, she had, from the first, fancied a very strict line of

economy necessary; and what was begun as a matter of prudence, soon grew

into a matter of choice, as an object of that needful solicitude which

there were no children to supply. Had there been a family to provide

for, Mrs. Norris might never have saved her money; but having no care

of that kind, there was nothing to impede her frugality, or lessen the

comfort of making a yearly addition to an income which they had never

lived up to. Under this infatuating principle, counteracted by no real

affection for her sister, it was impossible for her to aim at more than

the credit of projecting and arranging so expensive a charity; though

perhaps she might so little know herself as to walk home to the

Parsonage, after this conversation, in the happy belief of being the

most liberal-minded sister and aunt in the world.

When the subject was brought forward again, her views were more fully

explained; and, in reply to Lady Bertram's calm inquiry of "Where shall

the child come to first, sister, to you or to us?" Sir Thomas heard with

some surprise that it would be totally out of Mrs. Norris's power to

take any share in the personal charge of her. He had been considering

her as a particularly welcome addition at the Parsonage, as a desirable

companion to an aunt who had no children of her own; but he found

himself wholly mistaken. Mrs. Norris was sorry to say that the little

girl's staying with them, at least as things then were, was quite out of

the question. Poor Mr. Norris's indifferent state of health made it an

impossibility: he could no more bear the noise of a child than he could

fly; if, indeed, he should ever get well of his gouty complaints, it

would be a different matter: she should then be glad to take her turn,

and think nothing of the inconvenience; but just now, poor Mr. Norris

took up every moment of her time, and the very mention of such a thing

she was sure would distract him.

"Then she had better come to us," said Lady Bertram, with the utmost

composure. After a short pause Sir Thomas added with dignity, "Yes, let

her home be in this house. We will endeavour to do our duty by her, and

she will, at least, have the advantage of companions of her own age, and

of a regular instructress."

"Very true," cried Mrs. Norris, "which are both very important

considerations; and it will be just the same to Miss Lee whether she has

three girls to teach, or only two--there can be no difference. I only

wish I could be more useful; but you see I do all in my power. I am not

one of those that spare their own trouble; and Nanny shall fetch her,

however it may put me to inconvenience to have my chief counsellor away

for three days. I suppose, sister, you will put the child in the little

white attic, near the old nurseries. It will be much the best place

for her, so near Miss Lee, and not far from the girls, and close by the

housemaids, who could either of them help to dress her, you know, and

take care of her clothes, for I suppose you would not think it fair to

expect Ellis to wait on her as well as the others. Indeed, I do not see

that you could possibly place her anywhere else."

Lady Bertram made no opposition.

"I hope she will prove a well-disposed girl," continued Mrs. Norris,

"and be sensible of her uncommon good fortune in having such friends."

"Should her disposition be really bad," said Sir Thomas, "we must not,

for our own children's sake, continue her in the family; but there is

no reason to expect so great an evil. We shall probably see much to wish

altered in her, and must prepare ourselves for gross ignorance, some

meanness of opinions, and very distressing vulgarity of manner; but

these are not incurable faults; nor, I trust, can they be dangerous for

her associates. Had my daughters been _younger_ than herself, I should

have considered the introduction of such a companion as a matter of very

serious moment; but, as it is, I hope there can be nothing to fear for

_them_, and everything to hope for _her_, from the association."

"That is exactly what I think," cried Mrs. Norris, "and what I was

saying to my husband this morning. It will be an education for the

child, said I, only being with her cousins; if Miss Lee taught her

nothing, she would learn to be good and clever from _them_."

"I hope she will not tease my poor pug," said Lady Bertram; "I have but

just got Julia to leave it alone."

"There will be some difficulty in our way, Mrs. Norris," observed Sir

Thomas, "as to the distinction proper to be made between the girls

as they grow up: how to preserve in the minds of my _daughters_ the

consciousness of what they are, without making them think too lowly of

their cousin; and how, without depressing her spirits too far, to make

her remember that she is not a _Miss Bertram_. I should wish to see them

very good friends, and would, on no account, authorise in my girls the

smallest degree of arrogance towards their relation; but still they

cannot be equals. Their rank, fortune, rights, and expectations will

always be different. It is a point of great delicacy, and you must

assist us in our endeavours to choose exactly the right line of

conduct."

Mrs. Norris was quite at his service; and though she perfectly agreed

with him as to its being a most difficult thing, encouraged him to hope

that between them it would be easily managed.

It will be readily believed that Mrs. Norris did not write to her sister

in vain. Mrs. Price seemed rather surprised that a girl should be

fixed on, when she had so many fine boys, but accepted the offer most

thankfully, assuring them of her daughter's being a very well-disposed,

good-humoured girl, and trusting they would never have cause to throw

her off. She spoke of her farther as somewhat delicate and puny, but was

sanguine in the hope of her being materially better for change of air.

Poor woman! she probably thought change of air might agree with many of

her children.