Must it not follow of course, that, when he was understood, he should
succeed? He believed it fully. Love such as his, in a man like
himself, must with perseverance secure a return, and at no great
distance; and he had so much delight in the idea of obliging her to
love him in a very short time, that her not loving him now was scarcely
regretted. A little difficulty to be overcome was no evil to Henry
Crawford. He rather derived spirits from it. He had been apt to gain
hearts too easily. His situation was new and animating.

To Fanny, however, who had known too much opposition all her life to
find any charm in it, all this was unintelligible. She found that he
did mean to persevere; but how he could, after such language from her
as she felt herself obliged to use, was not to be understood. She told
him that she did not love him, could not love him, was sure she never
should love him; that such a change was quite impossible; that the
subject was most painful to her; that she must entreat him never to
mention it again, to allow her to leave him at once, and let it be
considered as concluded for ever. And when farther pressed, had added,
that in her opinion their dispositions were so totally dissimilar as to
make mutual affection incompatible; and that they were unfitted for
each other by nature, education, and habit. All this she had said, and
with the earnestness of sincerity; yet this was not enough, for he
immediately denied there being anything uncongenial in their
characters, or anything unfriendly in their situations; and positively
declared, that he would still love, and still hope!