andthoughLordRavenshawofferedtoresignhistome，itwasimpossibletotakeit，youknow。Iwassorryfor_him_thatheshouldhavesomistakenhispowers，forhewasnomoreequaltotheBaron——alittlemanwithaweakvoice，alwayshoarseafterthefirsttenminutes。Itmusthaveinjuredthepiecematerially；
but_I_wasresolvedtomakenodifficulties。
SirHenrythoughtthedukenotequaltoFrederick，butthatwasbecauseSirHenrywantedtheparthimself；
whereasitwascertainlyinthebesthandsofthetwo。
IwassurprisedtoseeSirHenrysuchastick。
Luckilythestrengthofthepiecedidnotdependuponhim。
OurAgathawasinimitable，andthedukewasthoughtverygreatbymany。Anduponthewhole，itwouldcertainlyhavegoneoffwonderfully。“
“Itwasahardcase，uponmyword“；and，“Idothinkyouwereverymuchtobepitied，“werethekindresponsesoflisteningsympathy。
“Itisnotworthcomplainingabout；buttobesurethepoorolddowagercouldnothavediedataworsetime；
anditisimpossibletohelpwishingthatthenewscouldhavebeensuppressedforjustthethreedayswewanted。
Itwasbutthreedays；andbeingonlyagrandmother，andallhappeningtwohundredmilesoff，Ithinktherewouldhavebeennogreatharm，anditwassuggested，Iknow；
butLordRavenshaw，whoIsupposeisoneofthemostcorrectmeninEngland，wouldnothearofit。“
“Anafterpieceinsteadofacomedy，“saidMr。Bertram。
“Lovers’Vowswereatanend，andLordandLadyRavenshawlefttoactMyGrandmotherbythemselves。Well，thejointuremaycomfort_him_；andperhaps，betweenfriends，hebegantotrembleforhiscreditandhislungsintheBaron，andwasnotsorrytowithdraw；andtomake_you_amends，Yates，IthinkwemustraisealittletheatreatMansfield，andaskyoutobeourmanager。“
This，thoughthethoughtofthemoment，didnotendwiththemoment；fortheinclinationtoactwasawakened，andinnoonemorestronglythaninhimwhowasnowmasterofthehouse；andwho，havingsomuchleisureastomakealmostanynoveltyacertaingood，hadlikewisesuchadegreeoflivelytalentsandcomictaste，aswereexactlyadaptedtothenoveltyofacting。
Thethoughtreturnedagainandagain。“OhfortheEcclesfordtheatreandscenerytotrysomethingwith。“
Eachsistercouldechothewish；andHenryCrawford，towhom，inalltheriotofhisgratificationsitwasyetanuntastedpleasure，wasquitealiveattheidea。
“Ireallybelieve，“saidhe，“Icouldbefoolenoughatthismomenttoundertakeanycharacterthateverwaswritten，fromShylockorRichardIIIdowntothesingingheroofafarceinhisscarletcoatandcockedhat。
IfeelasifIcouldbeanythingoreverything；
asifIcouldrantandstorm，orsighorcutcapers，inanytragedyorcomedyintheEnglishlanguage。Letusbedoingsomething。Beitonlyhalfaplay，anact，ascene；
whatshouldpreventus？Notthesecountenances，Iamsure，“
lookingtowardstheMissBertrams；“andforatheatre，whatsignifiesatheatre？Weshallbeonlyamusingourselves。
Anyroominthishousemightsuffice。“
“Wemusthaveacurtain，“saidTomBertram；“afewyardsofgreenbaizeforacurtain，andperhapsthatmaybeenough。“
“Oh，quiteenough，“criedMr。Yates，“withonlyjustasidewingortworunup，doorsinflat，andthreeorfourscenestobeletdown；nothingmorewouldbenecessaryonsuchaplanasthis。
Formereamusementamongourselvesweshouldwantnothingmore。“
“Ibelievewemustbesatisfiedwith_less_，“saidMaria。
“Therewouldnotbetime，andotherdifficultieswouldarise。WemustratheradoptMr。Crawford’sviews，andmakethe_performance_，notthe_theatre_，ourobject。
Manypartsofourbestplaysareindependentofscenery。“
“Nay，“saidEdmund，whobegantolistenwithalarm。
“Letusdonothingbyhalves。Ifwearetoact，letitbeinatheatrecompletelyfittedupwithpit，boxes，andgallery，andletushaveaplayentirefrombeginningtoend；soasitbeaGermanplay，nomatterwhat，withagoodtricking，shiftingafterpiece，andafigure-dance，andahornpipe，andasongbetweentheacts。IfwedonotoutdoEcclesford，wedonothing。“
“Now，Edmund，donotbedisagreeable，“saidJulia。
“Nobodylovesaplaybetterthanyoudo，orcanhavegonemuchfarthertoseeone。“
“True，toseerealacting，goodhardenedrealacting；
butIwouldhardlywalkfromthisroomtothenexttolookattheraweffortsofthosewhohavenotbeenbredtothetrade：asetofgentlemenandladies，whohaveallthedisadvantagesofeducationanddecorumtostrugglethrough。“
Afterashortpause，however，thesubjectstillcontinued，andwasdiscussedwithunabatedeagerness，everyone’sinclinationincreasingbythediscussion，andaknowledgeoftheinclinationoftherest；andthoughnothingwassettledbutthatTomBertramwouldpreferacomedy，andhissistersandHenryCrawfordatragedy，andthatnothingintheworldcouldbeeasierthantofindapiecewhichwouldpleasethemall，theresolutiontoactsomethingorotherseemedsodecidedastomakeEdmundquiteuncomfortable。Hewasdeterminedtopreventit，ifpossible，thoughhismother，whoequallyheardtheconversationwhichpassedattable，didnotevincetheleastdisapprobation。
Thesameeveningaffordedhimanopportunityoftryinghisstrength。Maria，Julia，HenryCrawford，andMr。Yateswereinthebilliard-room。Tom，returningfromthemintothedrawing-room，whereEdmundwasstandingthoughtfullybythefire，whileLadyBertramwasonthesofaatalittledistance，andFannyclosebesideherarrangingherwork，thusbeganasheentered——“Suchahorriblyvilebilliard-tableasoursisnottobemetwith，Ibelieve，aboveground。Icanstanditnolonger，andIthink，Imaysay，thatnothingshallevertemptmetoitagain；
butonegoodthingIhavejustascertained：itistheveryroomforatheatre，preciselytheshapeandlengthforit；
andthedoorsatthefartherend，communicatingwitheachother，astheymaybemadetodoinfiveminutes，bymerelymovingthebookcaseinmyfather’sroom，istheverythingwecouldhavedesired，ifwehadsatdowntowishforit；
andmyfather’sroomwillbeanexcellentgreenroom。
Itseemstojointhebilliard-roomonpurpose。“
“Youarenotserious，Tom，inmeaningtoact？“saidEdmund，inalowvoice，ashisbrotherapproachedthefire。
“Notserious!nevermoreso，Iassureyou。Whatistheretosurpriseyouinit？“
“Ithinkitwouldbeverywrong。Ina_general_light，privatetheatricalsareopentosomeobjections，butas_we_
arecircumstanced，Imustthinkitwouldbehighlyinjudicious，andmorethaninjudicioustoattemptanythingofthekind。
Itwouldshewgreatwantoffeelingonmyfather’saccount，absentasheis，andinsomedegreeofconstantdanger；
anditwouldbeimprudent，Ithink，withregardtoMaria，whosesituationisaverydelicateone，consideringeverything，extremelydelicate。“
“Youtakeupathingsoseriously!asifweweregoingtoactthreetimesaweektillmyfather’sreturn，andinviteallthecountry。Butitisnottobeadisplayofthatsort。Wemeannothingbutalittleamusementamongourselves，justtovarythescene，andexerciseourpowersinsomethingnew。Wewantnoaudience，nopublicity。Wemaybetrusted，Ithink，inchusingsomeplaymostperfectlyunexceptionable；
andIcanconceivenogreaterharmordangertoanyofusinconversingintheelegantwrittenlanguageofsomerespectableauthorthaninchatteringinwordsofourown。
Ihavenofearsandnoscruples。Andastomyfather’sbeingabsent，itissofarfromanobjection，thatI
consideritratherasamotive；fortheexpectationofhisreturnmustbeaveryanxiousperiodtomymother；
andifwecanbethemeansofamusingthatanxiety，andkeepingupherspiritsforthenextfewweeks，Ishallthinkourtimeverywellspent，andso，Iamsure，willhe。
Itisa_very_anxiousperiodforher。“
Ashesaidthis，eachlookedtowardstheirmother。
LadyBertram，sunkbackinonecornerofthesofa，thepictureofhealth，wealth，ease，andtranquillity，wasjustfallingintoagentledoze，whileFannywasgettingthroughthefewdifficultiesofherworkforher。
Edmundsmiledandshookhishead。
“ByJove!thiswon’tdo，“criedTom，throwinghimselfintoachairwithaheartylaugh。“Tobesure，mydearmother，youranxiety——Iwasunluckythere。“