It was presumed that Mr. Crawford was travelling back, to London, on
the morrow, for nothing more was seen of him at Mr. Price's; and two
days afterwards, it was a fact ascertained to Fanny by the following
letter from his sister, opened and read by her, on another account,
with the most anxious curiosity:-

"I have to inform you, my dearest Fanny, that Henry has been down to
Portsmouth to see you; that he had a delightful walk with you to the
dockyard last Saturday, and one still more to be dwelt on the next day,
on the ramparts; when the balmy air, the sparkling sea, and your sweet
looks and conversation were altogether in the most delicious harmony,
and afforded sensations which are to raise ecstasy even in retrospect.
This, as well as I understand, is to be the substance of my
information. He makes me write, but I do not know what else is to be
communicated, except this said visit to Portsmouth, and these two said
walks, and his introduction to your family, especially to a fair sister
of yours, a fine girl of fifteen, who was of the party on the ramparts,
taking her first lesson, I presume, in love. I have not time for
writing much, but it would be out of place if I had, for this is to be
a mere letter of business, penned for the purpose of conveying
necessary information, which could not be delayed without risk of evil.
My dear, dear Fanny, if I had you here, how I would talk to you! You
should listen to me till you were tired, and advise me till you were
still tired more; but it is impossible to put a hundredth part of my
great mind on paper, so I will abstain altogether, and leave you to
guess what you like. I have no news for you. You have politics, of
course; and it would be too bad to plague you with the names of people
and parties that fill up my time. I ought to have sent you an account
of your cousin's first party, but I was lazy, and now it is too long
ago; suffice it, that everything was just as it ought to be, in a style
that any of her connexions must have been gratified to witness, and
that her own dress and manners did her the greatest credit. My friend,
Mrs. Fraser, is mad for such a house, and it would not make me
miserable.