Mansfield Park Revisited Read Online Free PDF

even heard of before that day, to be communicating such a particularly delicate and distressing piece of news! “Good heaven, Edmund, what can you be thinking of? This Mrs. Osborne is, I daresay, well enough in her way, a decent enough sort of woman—but for an outsider to be meddling in a matter such as this, is not to be thought of!”
    â€œThen you had best do it yourself, Tom,” said Edmund calmly.
    Tom hemmed and hawed at this.—He was not on such confidential terms with his mother as to justify his being the one to make such a revelation—thought in any case the information would be best imparted by a female—a female would know best how to break the disagreeable news without imparting too much of a shock. Without any doubt—thinking the matter over—Fanny would be the most suitable person for such a task. Yes, Fanny had better do it. She was the right, the only person.
    The only drawback to this scheme being that Fanny and Edmund were due to quit Mansfield at eight o’clock the following morning, long before Lady Bertram had even left her chamber.
    â€œWell then,” said Tom, when finally brought to accept this inconvenient fact, “there is nothing for it. Julia must tell my mother. Yes, that will be best. Julia, after all, is Maria’s own sister, she must be thought to have the greatest interest in the matter. I will send a note over to Shawcross, and ask Julia to come tomorrow. I daresay my mother will be glad of a visit from her tomorrow, in any case; she must be missing Fanny.”
    Having thus satisfied himself, Tom went away to write the note.
    The other two were less convinced that Julia would be the right person, but, knowing Tom would not be happy unless he felt the decision was left to him, were content to leave it so, since both of them had many affairs of their own to attend to, Edmund the last details of his packing, and Susan the arrangements for the reception of her little niece.—They bade each other an affectionate farewell and swiftly separated.
    Tom’s note to his sister, imparting the news of the disgraced Maria’s removal to London, and asking Julia to divulge it to Lady Bertram, met with an extremely curt refusal. Mrs. Yates had no interest in her sister’s present position or whereabouts, and saw no reason why she should be saddled with the task of disclosing the matter to her mother. Let Susan do it if the thing must be done; for which, on her part, she saw not the slightest necessity.
    In the end, therefore, it was Susan, who, handing back her aunt’s netting with all the tangles straightened out, ready to be retangled, said calmly,
    â€œAunt Bertram, I have a piece of news to give you.”
    â€œWhat is that, my dear? Nothing dreadful has happened to Edmund and Fanny and dear little William?”
    â€œNo, ma’am, nothing of that kind. It relates to my cousin Maria. Since Aunt Norris died, she has sold the house in Cumberland which my uncle bought her, and has removed to London.”
    â€œIndeed?” remarked Maria’s mother languidly. “To what part of London?”
    â€œTo Upper Seymour Street, Edmund told me.”
    â€œAh. I am not familiar with that street. When the children were small, and Sir Thomas was in Parliament, we were used, in the season, to take a house in Grosvenor Square; but I found the journeys to London too tiring; I began to find it too tiring; and so we gave up the habit. I take no pleasure in London. There are too many strangers. We go on far better in the country, seeing only those we know. Ring the bell, Susan, I want my dinner. Tom must be dressed by this time.”
    Susan smiled to herself, as she obeyed her aunt, recalling all the foresight and caution that had been wasted on this slight exchange.

Chapter 2
    Susan thought it proper, so soon as Mrs. Yates paid her next visit to Mansfield, and she could be spared from an hour’s attendance on Lady Bertram, to