Her uncle and both her aunts were in the drawing-room when Fanny went
down. To the former she was an interesting object, and he saw with
pleasure the general elegance of her appearance, and her being in
remarkably good looks. The neatness and propriety of her dress was all
that he would allow himself to commend in her presence, but upon her
leaving the room again soon afterwards, he spoke of her beauty with
very decided praise.

"Yes," said Lady Bertram, "she looks very well. I sent Chapman to her."

"Look well! Oh, yes!" cried Mrs. Norris, "she has good reason to look
well with all her advantages: brought up in this family as she has
been, with all the benefit of her cousins' manners before her. Only
think, my dear Sir Thomas, what extraordinary advantages you and I have
been the means of giving her. The very gown you have been taking
notice of is your own generous present to her when dear Mrs. Rushworth
married. What would she have been if we had not taken her by the hand?"

Sir Thomas said no more; but when they sat down to table the eyes of
the two young men assured him that the subject might be gently touched
again, when the ladies withdrew, with more success. Fanny saw that she
was approved; and the consciousness of looking well made her look still
better. From a variety of causes she was happy, and she was soon made
still happier; for in following her aunts out of the room, Edmund, who
was holding open the door, said, as she passed him, "You must dance
with me, Fanny; you must keep two dances for me; any two that you like,
except the first." She had nothing more to wish for. She had hardly
ever been in a state so nearly approaching high spirits in her life.
Her cousins' former gaiety on the day of a ball was no longer
surprising to her; she felt it to be indeed very charming, and was
actually practising her steps about the drawing-room as long as she
could be safe from the notice of her aunt Norris, who was entirely
taken up at first in fresh arranging and injuring the noble fire which
the butler had prepared.