I agree Mary’s town manners and sensibilities have enjoyed a powerful resurgence in London. Mary’s callousness, ambition and materialism were under attack at MP, somewhat by Edmund who tried to persuade, but also in the guise as Mrs. Grant long ago predicted: Mansfield shall cure you… and without any taking in. Stay with us, and we will cure you (5). Now that Mary is no longer at MP her poor values, encouraged by her friends, quickly retook the little ground her heart had at times begun to relinquish in her attachment to Edmund. It struck me that Mary is so ashamed for her acquaintance to understand Edmund is a clergyman. She writes to Fanny “when he dined here the other day, there were none to compare with him, and we were a party of sixteen. Luckily there is no distinction of dress nowadays to tell tales” (43). Of course I realize she has always made it clear in her eyes a clergyman is nothing but now that she is among her town friends Edmund’s profession seems to be an acute embarrassment. (:D)