Mansfield Park: Full Text

About thirty years ago Miss Maria Ward, of Huntingdon, with only seven thousandpounds, 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 abaronet’s lady, with all the comforts and consequences of an handsomehouse 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 thousandpounds short of any equitable claim to it. She had two sisters to be benefitedby her elevation; and such of their acquaintance as thought Miss Ward and MissFrances quite as handsome as Miss Maria, did not scruple to predict theirmarrying with almost equal advantage. But there certainly are not so many menof large fortune in the world as there are pretty women to deserve them. MissWard, at the end of half a dozen years, found herself obliged to be attached tothe Rev. Mr. Norris, a friend of her brother-in-law, with scarcely any privatefortune, and Miss Frances fared yet worse. Miss Ward’s match, indeed,when it came to the point, was not contemptible: Sir Thomas being happily ableto 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 athousand a year. But Miss Frances married, in the common phrase, to disobligeher family, and by fixing on a lieutenant of marines, without education,fortune, or connexions, did it very thoroughly. She could hardly have made amore untoward choice. Sir Thomas Bertram had interest, which, from principle aswell as pride—from a general wish of doing right, and a desire of seeingall that were connected with him in situations of respectability, he would havebeen glad to exert for the advantage of Lady Bertram’s sister; but herhusband’s profession was such as no interest could reach; and before hehad time to devise any other method of assisting them, an absolute breachbetween the sisters had taken place. It was the natural result of the conductof each party, and such as a very imprudent marriage almost always produces. Tosave herself from useless remonstrance, Mrs. Price never wrote to her family onthe subject till actually married. Lady Bertram, who was a woman of verytranquil feelings, and a temper remarkably easy and indolent, would havecontented herself with merely giving up her sister, and thinking no more of thematter; but Mrs. Norris had a spirit of activity, which could not be satisfiedtill she had written a long and angry letter to Fanny, to point out the follyof her conduct, and threaten her with all its possible ill consequences. Mrs.Price, in her turn, was injured and angry; and an answer, which comprehendedeach sister in its bitterness, and bestowed such very disrespectful reflectionson 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 existenceduring the eleven following years, or, at least, to make it very wonderful toSir Thomas that Mrs. Norris should ever have it in her power to tell them, asshe now and then did, in an angry voice, that Fanny had got another child. Bythe end of eleven years, however, Mrs. Price could no longer afford to cherishpride or resentment, or to lose one connexion that might possibly assist her. Alarge and still increasing family, an husband disabled for active service, butnot the less equal to company and good liquor, and a very small income tosupply their wants, made her eager to regain the friends she had so carelesslysacrificed; and she addressed Lady Bertram in a letter which spoke so muchcontrition and despondence, such a superfluity of children, and such a want ofalmost 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 couldnot conceal how important she felt they might be to the future maintenance ofthe eight already in being. Her eldest was a boy of ten years old, a finespirited fellow, who longed to be out in the world; but what could she do? Wasthere any chance of his being hereafter useful to Sir Thomas in the concerns ofhis West Indian property? No situation would be beneath him; or what did SirThomas 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. SirThomas sent friendly advice and professions, Lady Bertram dispatched money andbaby-linen, and Mrs. Norris wrote the letters.

Such were its immediate effects, and within a twelvemonth a more importantadvantage to Mrs. Price resulted from it. Mrs. Norris was often observing tothe others that she could not get her poor sister and her family out of herhead, and that, much as they had all done for her, she seemed to be wanting todo 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 outof her great number. “What if they were among them to undertake the careof her eldest daughter, a girl now nine years old, of an age to require moreattention than her poor mother could possibly give? The trouble and expense ofit to them would be nothing, compared with the benevolence of theaction.” Lady Bertram agreed with her instantly. “I think we cannotdo better,” said she; “let us send for the child.”

Sir Thomas could not give so instantaneous and unqualified a consent. Hedebated and hesitated;—it was a serious charge;—a girl so broughtup must be adequately provided for, or there would be cruelty instead ofkindness in taking her from her family. He thought of his own four children, ofhis two sons, of cousins in love, etc.;—but no sooner had he deliberatelybegun to state his objections, than Mrs. Norris interrupted him with a reply tothem all, whether stated or not.

“My dear Sir Thomas, I perfectly comprehend you, and do justice to thegenerosity and delicacy of your notions, which indeed are quite of a piece withyour general conduct; and I entirely agree with you in the main as to thepropriety of doing everything one could by way of providing for a child one hadin a manner taken into one’s own hands; and I am sure I should be thelast person in the world to withhold my mite upon such an occasion. Having nochildren of my own, who should I look to in any little matter I may ever haveto bestow, but the children of my sisters?—and I am sure Mr. Norris istoo just—but you know I am a woman of few words and professions. Do notlet 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 meansof settling well, without farther expense to anybody. A niece of ours, SirThomas, I may say, or at least of yours, would not grow up in thisneighbourhood without many advantages. I don’t say she would be sohandsome as her cousins. I dare say she would not; but she would be introducedinto the society of this country under such very favourable circumstances as,in all human probability, would get her a creditable establishment. You arethinking 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, alwaystogether like brothers and sisters? It is morally impossible. I never knew aninstance of it. It is, in fact, the only sure way of providing against theconnexion. Suppose her a pretty girl, and seen by Tom or Edmund for the firsttime seven years hence, and I dare say there would be mischief. The very ideaof her having been suffered to grow up at a distance from us all in poverty andneglect, would be enough to make either of the dear, sweet-tempered boys inlove with her. But breed her up with them from this time, and suppose her evento have the beauty of an angel, and she will never be more to either than asister.”

“There is a great deal of truth in what you say,” replied SirThomas, “and far be it from me to throw any fanciful impediment in theway of a plan which would be so consistent with the relative situations ofeach. I only meant to observe that it ought not to be lightly engaged in, andthat 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 herhereafter, as circumstances may arise, the provision of a gentlewoman, if nosuch establishment should offer as you are so sanguine in expecting.”

“I thoroughly understand you,” cried Mrs. Norris, “you areeverything that is generous and considerate, and I am sure we shall neverdisagree on this point. Whatever I can do, as you well know, I am always readyenough to do for the good of those I love; and, though I could never feel forthis little girl the hundredth part of the regard I bear your own dearchildren, nor consider her, in any respect, so much my own, I should hatemyself 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? Mydear 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, andmake the proposal; and, as soon as matters are settled, I will engage toget the child to Mansfield; you shall have no trouble about it. My owntrouble, you know, I never regard. I will send Nanny to London on purpose, andshe may have a bed at her cousin the saddler’s, and the child beappointed to meet her there. They may easily get her from Portsmouth to town bythe 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 goingup.”

Except to the attack on Nanny’s cousin, Sir Thomas no longer made anyobjection, and a more respectable, though less economical rendezvous beingaccordingly substituted, everything was considered as settled, and thepleasures of so benevolent a scheme were already enjoyed. The division ofgratifying sensations ought not, in strict justice, to have been equal; for SirThomas was fully resolved to be the real and consistent patron of the selectedchild, and Mrs. Norris had not the least intention of being at any expensewhatever in her maintenance. As far as walking, talking, and contrivingreached, she was thoroughly benevolent, and nobody knew better how to dictateliberality 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; andwhat was begun as a matter of prudence, soon grew into a matter of choice, asan 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 hermoney; but having no care of that kind, there was nothing to impede herfrugality, or lessen the comfort of making a yearly addition to an income whichthey had never lived up to. Under this infatuating principle, counteracted byno real affection for her sister, it was impossible for her to aim at more thanthe credit of projecting and arranging so expensive a charity; though perhapsshe might so little know herself as to walk home to the Parsonage, after thisconversation, in the happy belief of being the most liberal-minded sister andaunt in the world.

When the subject was brought forward again, her views were more fullyexplained; and, in reply to Lady Bertram’s calm inquiry of “Whereshall the child come to first, sister, to you or to us?” Sir Thomas heardwith some surprise that it would be totally out of Mrs. Norris’s power totake any share in the personal charge of her. He had been considering her as aparticularly welcome addition at the Parsonage, as a desirable companion to anaunt 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, atleast as things then were, was quite out of the question. Poor Mr.Norris’s indifferent state of health made it an impossibility: he couldno more bear the noise of a child than he could fly; if, indeed, he should everget well of his gouty complaints, it would be a different matter: she shouldthen be glad to take her turn, and think nothing of the inconvenience; but justnow, poor Mr. Norris took up every moment of her time, and the very mention ofsuch a thing she was sure would distract him.

“Then she had better come to us,” said Lady Bertram, with theutmost 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 byher, 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 veryimportant considerations; and it will be just the same to Miss Lee whether shehas three girls to teach, or only two—there can be no difference. I onlywish I could be more useful; but you see I do all in my power. I am not one ofthose that spare their own trouble; and Nanny shall fetch her, however it mayput me to inconvenience to have my chief counsellor away for three days. Isuppose, sister, you will put the child in the little white attic, near the oldnurseries. It will be much the best place for her, so near Miss Lee, and notfar from the girls, and close by the housemaids, who could either of them helpto dress her, you know, and take care of her clothes, for I suppose you wouldnot 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 suchfriends.”

“Should her disposition be really bad,” said Sir Thomas, “wemust not, for our own children’s sake, continue her in the family; butthere is no reason to expect so great an evil. We shall probably see much towish altered in her, and must prepare ourselves for gross ignorance, somemeanness of opinions, and very distressing vulgarity of manner; but these arenot incurable faults; nor, I trust, can they be dangerous for her associates.Had my daughters been younger than herself, I should have considered theintroduction of such a companion as a matter of very serious moment; but, as itis, I hope there can be nothing to fear for them, and everything to hopefor her, from the association.”

“That is exactly what I think,” cried Mrs. Norris, “and whatI 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 wouldlearn 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,” observedSir Thomas, “as to the distinction proper to be made between the girls asthey grow up: how to preserve in the minds of my daughters theconsciousness of what they are, without making them think too lowly of theircousin; and how, without depressing her spirits too far, to make her rememberthat she is not a Miss Bertram. I should wish to see them very goodfriends, and would, on no account, authorise in my girls the smallest degree ofarrogance towards their relation; but still they cannot be equals. Their rank,fortune, rights, and expectations will always be different. It is a point ofgreat delicacy, and you must assist us in our endeavours to choose exactly theright line of conduct.”

Mrs. Norris was quite at his service; and though she perfectly agreed with himas to its being a most difficult thing, encouraged him to hope that betweenthem it would be easily managed.

It will be readily believed that Mrs. Norris did not write to her sister invain. Mrs. Price seemed rather surprised that a girl should be fixed on, whenshe had so many fine boys, but accepted the offer most thankfully, assuringthem 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 herfarther as somewhat delicate and puny, but was sanguine in the hope of herbeing materially better for change of air. Poor woman! she probably thoughtchange of air might agree with many of her children.