But his vanity and joy of hunting ruined his chances:

"...but without presuming to look forward to a juster appointment hereafter, we may fairly consider a man of sense like Henry Crawford, to be providing for himself no small portion of vexation and regret - vexation that must rise sometimes to self-reproach, and regret to wretchedness - in having so requited hospitality, so injured family peace, so forfeited his best, most estimable and endeared acquaintance, and so lost the woman whom he had rationally, as well as passionately loved." (Ch.48)

We also know that he is still thinking of Fanny a few months after he eloped with Maria (48), and that if he could have been happy with "conquering" Fanny instead of trying for Maria too, "there would have been every probability of success and felicity for him" (also ch. 48).