Chapter 10 Summary

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Edmund Bertrom and Mary Crawford have left Fanny sitting on a bench in the woods. Fanny was tired and needed to rest. Edmund told her that he and Mary would return in just a few minutes. But an hour later, Fanny has not seen them.

Henry and Maria approach her. Mr. Rushworth is with them. Henry has been making suggestions about how Rushworth might transform his acreage. They notice an iron gate nearby and look beyond it to a knoll. From that small raised hill, Henry suggests, they could gain a better view of the land. But when they attempt to open the gate, they find it is locked.

Rushworth had meant to bring the key with him but had forgotten it back at the house. He volunteers to retrieve it so that they can proceed to the knoll. While Rushworth is gone, Maria questions Henry about his relationship to Julia, her sister. Julia had sat next to Henry on the ride from Mansfield Park to Sotherton. Maria asks what Henry and Julia were laughing at while they were traveling. Henry tells her that he was telling Julia silly stories. Maria wants to know how Henry views the differences between herself and her sister. Henry says he finds Julia easy to entertain. Maria is more serious. He insinuates that Maria is like the gated land and that she seems to be waiting for Mr. Rushworth to bring the key to open it.

Maria then sees a way to get beyond the gate and not have to wait for Mr. Rushworth to return. Fanny objects, telling Maria that she might hurt herself or ruin her clothing. However, Maria manages quite well and is pleased that she and Henry can go forth. Fanny reminds Maria that Mr. Rushworth will expect her to wait and might be disappointed when he returns to find her gone. But Maria does not change her decision. She will not be far, she declares, and Mr. Rushworth will be able to easily find her.

Henry and Maria walk far enough away that Fanny has problems seeing them in the distance. After a while, she hears footsteps coming toward her. Julia appears and says that her sister has committed a neat trick to have Henry all to herself. Fanny asks that Julia wait for Mr. Rushmore, but Julia declares that Mr. Rushmore is her sister's responsibility.

When Mr. Rushworth appears, he is mortified and so dejected that Maria has not waited for him that he sits down next to Fanny and decides not to look for Maria. Fanny, however, encourages him to follow Maria. Before Mr. Rushworth leaves, he admits his dislike for the Crawfords. He finds that he could have done without them in his company, he says.

At dinner, Fanny ponders the gloom that she feels at the table. She is disappointed with Edmund's lack of concern for her. Julia is sad that Henry has been paying attention to Maria. And Mr. Rushworth is still not over his depressed feelings caused by Maria having abandoned him.

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