I  shall  get  the  dairymaid  to  set  them  under  the  first
spare  hen,  and  if  they  come  to  good  I  can  have  them
moved  to  my  own  house  and  borrow  a  coop ;  and  it


Mansfield  Park  iii

will  be  a  great  delight  to  me  in  my  lonely  hours  to
attend  to  them.  And  if  I  have  good  luck,  yoiK*  mother
shall  have  some."

It  was  a  beautifiil  evening,  mild  and  still,  and  the
drive  was  as  pleasant  as  the  serenity  of  Nature  could
make  it ;  but  when  Mrs  Norris  ceased  speaking,  it  was
altogether  a  silent  drive  to  those  within.  Their  spirits
were  in  general  exhausted ;  and  to  determip^  whether
the  day  had  afforded  most  pleasure  or  paijftflmght  occupy
the  meditations  of  almost  all.
C()apter  %%

THE  day  at  Sotherton,  with  all  its  imperfections,
afforded  the  Miss  Bertrams  much  more  agreeable
feelings  than  were  derived  from  the  letters  fhnn
Antigua,  which  soon  afterwards  reached  Mansfield.  It
was  much  pleasanter  to  think  of  Hennr  Crawford  than
of  their  father ;  and  to  think  of  their  ^ther  in  England
again  within  a  certain  period,  which  these  letters  obliged
them  to  do,  was  a  most  unwelcome  exercise.
November  was  the  black  mcmth  fixed  for  his  return.
Sir  Thomas  wrote  of  it  with  as  much  decision  as  ex-
perience and  anxiety  could  authorize.  His  busmeas
was  so  nearly  concluded  as  to  justify  him  in  proposing
to  take  his  passage  in  the  September  packet,  and  he
consequently  looked  forward  with  the  hope  of  being
with  his  beloved  family  again  early  in  November.
