On this _rencontre_ they all returned to the house together,
there to lounge away the time as they could with sofas,
and chit-chat, and Quarterly Reviews, till the return
of the others, and the arrival of dinner. It was late
before the Miss Bertrams and the two gentlemen came in,
and their ramble did not appear to have been more than
partially agreeable, or at all productive of anything
useful with regard to the object of the day. By their
own accounts they had been all walking after each other,
and the junction which had taken place at last seemed,
to Fanny's observation, to have been as much too late
for re-establishing harmony, as it confessedly had
been for determining on any alteration. She felt,
as she looked at Julia and Mr. Rushworth, that hers
was not the only dissatisfied bosom amongst them:
there was gloom on the face of each. Mr. Crawford
and Miss Bertram were much more gay, and she thought
that he was taking particular pains, during dinner,
to do away any little resentment of the other two,
and restore general good-humour.

Dinner was soon followed by tea and coffee, a ten miles'
drive home allowed no waste of hours; and from the time
of their sitting down to table, it was a quick succession
of busy nothings till the carriage came to the door,
and Mrs. Norris, having fidgeted about, and obtained a
few pheasants' eggs and a cream cheese from the housekeeper,
and made abundance of civil speeches to Mrs. Rushworth,
was ready to lead the way. At the same moment Mr. Crawford,