Mr. Crawford did not mean to be in any danger! …he began with no object but of making them like him. He did not want them to die of love; but with sense and temper which ought to have made him judge and feel better, he allowed himself great latitude on such points. (5)

I don’t think there is a defense for Henry’s sporting with the Miss Bertrams’ affections. The visit to Sotherton does show off his talents very well. (:D) The ladies rapturous admiration of Henry and their willingness to backstab each other makes his task an easy one. Mrs. Grant places Julia on the coveted barouche-box next to Henry but I cannot believe it was a surprise—he is aware of her matchmaking. He entertains Julia to much laughter and she lords her happy situation over Maria with delights on verdure and offers to exchange seats only with Miss Crawford. In the Sotherton chapel Julia jokes Maria by raising the specter of her pending marriage but rather than securing Henry’s attentions to her it focuses them on her sister:

Mr. Crawford smiled his acquiescence, and stepping forward to Maria, said, in a voice which she only could hear, “I do not like to see Miss Bertram so near the altar.”

Starting, the lady instinctively moved a step or two, but recovering herself in a moment, affected to laugh, and asked him, in a tone not much louder, “If he would give her away?”

“I am afraid I should do it very awkwardly,” was his reply, with a look of meaning. (9)

Maria is startled by Henry’s confession, it is an admission of regard for her but she is not too startled to forget to encourage him to repeat it. His look of meaning must affect her. The party finds the outdoors and Henry completely abandons Julia to the matrons and attends Maria and Mr. Rushworth towards the wilderness. At the gate to the ha-ha Maria trumps Mr. Rushworth in quick agreement with Henry’s improvements and when a locked gate obstructs fiancé is sent to fetch the key. As soon as he disappears Henry returns to his clandestine courtship:

And to tell you the truth,” speaking rather lower, “I do not think that I shall ever see Sotherton again with so much pleasure as I do now. Another summer will hardly improve it to me.”

After a moment’s embarrassment the lady replied, “You are too much a man of the world not to see with the eyes of the world. If other people think Sotherton improved, I have no doubt that you will.”

“I am afraid I am not quite so much the man of the world as might be good for me in some points. My feelings are not quite so evanescent, nor my memory of the past under such easy dominion as one finds to be the case with men of the world.” This was followed by a short silence. (10)

Henry’s meaning is clear; he claims sincerity and lowers his voice for intimacy. He finds no pleasure at the thought of Maria married. Embarrassed, she suggests he is a man of the world thus displeasure short-lived but he assures his feelings are not so fleeting or as easily forgotten as those of worldly men. He even relieves her envious heart by confessing her sister was easily amused on the barouche-box and smilingly suggests she would be a tougher audience in the same situation. Maria claims equal liveliness with her sister but raises the subject of her engagement as a qualifier on her spirits which Henry promptly uses to entice her to abandon the wait for Mr. Rushworth:

“…there are situations in which very high spirits would denote insensibility. Your prospects, however, are too fair to justify want of spirits.”

“…Literally, I conclude. Yes, certainly, the sun shines, and the park looks very cheerful. But unluckily that iron gate, that ha–ha, give me a feeling of restraint and hardship. ‘I cannot get out,’ as the starling said.” As she spoke, and it was with expression…”

“And for the world you would not get out without the key and without Mr. Rushworth’s authority and protection… you might with little difficulty pass round the edge of the gate… with my assistance… if you really wished to be more at large… , could… think it not prohibited.”

“Prohibited! nonsense! I certainly can get out that way, and I will. …we shall not be out of sight.” (10)

Henry pushes all the right buttons of a lady who “does not care three straws” (5) for her fiancé and is now restlessly chaffing at the bit. The assertion her situation is too fair to justify a want of spirits seems to suggest just the opposite to her and her frustration is echoed in her feelings of restraint and hardship against the poor ha-ha. Henry challenges her to abandon the wait for her master and Maria meets it by slipping through the gate into the wilderness with him leaving Fanny to deal with her ill-used fiancé and envious sister. At the house only Henry takes “particular pains, during dinner, to do away any little resentment of the other two, and restore general good–humour” (10) and later surprises Maria by seeking the easy task of amusing Julia on the trip home:

Mr. Crawford, approaching Julia, said, “I hope I am not to lose my companion, unless she is afraid of the evening air in so exposed a seat.” The request had not been foreseen, but was very graciously received, and Julia’s day was likely to end almost as well as it began. Miss Bertram had made up her mind to something different, and was a little disappointed; but her conviction of being really the one preferred… (10)