A tour of the Rushworths' estate begins with a walk through the mansion. Mrs. Rushworth leads her visitors through various rooms, describes the furnishings and their origins, and discusses the history of the mansion. The tour ends at the family's chapel.

Fanny is disappointed with the chapel, which is very plain and unadorned in comparison to what she had imagined from stories she has read. Fanny lets her disappointment be known. Mrs. Rushworth explains the difference between public chapels, which are often filled with banners and relics, and private family chapels, which are provided for more personal meditations.

Mary Crawford comments somewhat sarcastically that private chapels in mansions such as the Rushworths' were used to force servants to cluster together to say prayers multiple times a day when they probably would have rather stayed in bed an hour longer in the morning. Mary's views are then extended into an overview of the practice of religion. She goes so far as to criticize the clergy. She is stopped, however, when the conversation takes another turn.

The group notices Mr. Rushworth and Maria Bertram standing side by side in front of the altar. Comments are made about how appropriate this image is, considering that they will soon be married. Henry reacts to the comments by pressing close to Maria and whispering in her ear that he does not like seeing her standing so close to the altar with her intended. In this way, Henry is subtly inferring that he does not want Maria to marry.

Julia, Maria's younger sister who has fixed her intentions on Henry, dislikes seeing Henry attentive to her older sister. The tension between the two sisters has been mounting. After all, Maria is engaged and should not entertain Henry's flirtations. So Julia reminds everyone of the planned wedding by exclaiming that it is a shame that Edmund has not yet been ordained. If Edmund were a pastor, how nice it would be for him to perform the future wedding ceremony.

At this statement, Mary Crawford is caught off guard. She did not know that Edmund wants to be a clergyman. She turns to him and questions his choice of vocation. Usually, she states, a younger son only turns to this profession when there is no other choice available. Why does Edmund not choose to be a lawyer instead? The choice of clergyman is a weak one, she suggests.

Edmund asks why Mary has not considered that he has experienced a calling to the church: he has made his selection not from a lack of choices but rather from a preference for the vocation.

Later, as they are surveying the fields and woods around the estate, Mary and Edmund exhibit other differences in their perceptions, thus drawing attention to how they are dissimilar. Mary argues that they have walked at least a mile through the woods and that is why Fanny has grown tired. Edmund points out that the distance was more like a quarter mile, relying on the time that has passed and the image of the paths that they had earlier seen from a terrace. Edmund's perceptions are based on facts, this suggests. Mary's perceptions, on the other hand, are based on feelings.