Chapter 41 Summary

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Fanny has been in Portsmouth for almost a month when one day she hears a knock on her parents’ door. Henry Crawford has come to visit. Fanny is embarrassed that he is there—both because she does not wish Henry to see the state of her family home and because she does not want her family to meet Henry. She cannot make eye contact with Henry for the first few minutes. Fanny feels that if she does, she will surely faint.

Henry is extremely cordial with Mrs. Price; he asks about her and listens intently. Their conversation lasts long enough for Fanny to catch her breath before Henry actually looks at her. Then Henry suggests they all take a walk, hoping to find an opportunity to talk to Fanny alone. Mrs. Price cannot afford the time, so she sends Susan and Fanny out to buy some supplies.

Henry, Fanny, and Susan have not gone far when they run into Mr. Price. Fanny is ashamed of the way her father looks but is later surprised to hear her father speak civilly to Henry. There is no cursing, and Mr. Price shows great respect for Henry. Mr. Price asks if Henry would like to visit the docks. Even though Henry has been to the docks on several other occasions, he makes it sound as if this will be his first opportunity.

The two men talk while Fanny and Susan stop at several shops to make their purchases. When Fanny returns, she hears Henry explaining what he has been doing recently. He has been to Norfolk to take care of business. There had been a disagreement with some of his renters and rather than let someone else straighten out the matter, he decided to visit them so they might come to an agreeable conclusion.

Fanny is impressed. Here is a new version of Henry than the one she had known at Mansfield Park. Henry is acting like a proper businessman, one who is willing to take the time to converse with and look after the poor and the oppressed. However, as Henry continues his conversation with Fanny’s father, Henry makes a mistake in Fanny’s eyes. He says that one day he hopes to have a fine assistant who will travel with him and help him with his business. Fanny knows that Henry is once again insinuating a possible future marriage.

Before leaving, Henry finds a chance to speak to Fanny alone. He tells her he came to Portsmouth purposefully to see her. He had no other business in the town. He could no longer stand their separation. This makes Fanny uncomfortable again. She had begun to see him more pleasantly. He was more gentlemanly while talking to her father, but now he is pressing her to commit to him.

Fanny’s parents ask Henry to stay to dinner, but he refuses because he had already made other appointments. Fanny is relieved. She does not think she could have endured his seeing how uncouth her family is at the dinner table.

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