(it's from a previous chapter, but I joined very recently, so... :-) ).

When Sir Thomas went to the East Room, he told Fanny: "I know he [Henry] spoke to you yesterday and (as far as I understand)" -oh, no you don't!- "received as much encouragement to proceed as a well-judging young woman could permit herself to give."

What?! (Excuse the bluntness, there really is no better way to put it.) There is a double objection there: first, Fanny did NOT give Henry encouragement. Second, he had no right to apply to her guardian with total disregard to how much distress his iterference would cause to the woman he "loved".

In fact, when Sir Thomas was talking to Fanny, he ought to have thought: "Wait a minute. Henry Crawford told me yesterday that Fanny had encouraged him. Fanny tells me now she had NOT encouraged him. I suppose I should believe her, since I know her to be sincere and she has nothing to earn from lying in this case. But this makes Henry Crawford either a liar, or completely oblivious to other people's feelings. And, certainly, asking me to excercise my influence, which is huge, so that my niece will not be able to deny him, does not seem so very delicate."