“Whatisthematter？“askedherladyship，intheheavytoneofonehalf-roused；“Iwasnotasleep。“
“Ohdear，no，ma’am，nobodysuspectedyou!Well，Edmund，“
hecontinued，returningtotheformersubject，posture，andvoice，assoonasLadyBertrambegantonodagain，“but_this_I_will_maintain，thatweshallbedoingnoharm。“
“Icannotagreewithyou；Iamconvincedthatmyfatherwouldtotallydisapproveit。“
“AndIamconvincedtothecontrary。Nobodyisfonderoftheexerciseoftalentinyoungpeople，orpromotesitmore，thanmyfather，andforanythingoftheacting，spouting，recitingkind，Ithinkhehasalwaysadecidedtaste。
Iamsureheencourageditinusasboys。HowmanyatimehavewemournedoverthedeadbodyofJuliusCaesar，andto_be’d_andnot_to__be’d_，inthisveryroom，forhisamusement？AndIamsure，_my__name__was__Norval_，everyeveningofmylifethroughoneChristmasholidays。“
“Itwasaverydifferentthing。Youmustseethedifferenceyourself。Myfatherwishedus，asschoolboys，tospeakwell，buthewouldneverwishhisgrown-updaughterstobeactingplays。Hissenseofdecorumisstrict。“
“Iknowallthat，“saidTom，displeased。“Iknowmyfatheraswellasyoudo；andI’lltakecarethathisdaughtersdonothingtodistresshim。Manageyourownconcerns，Edmund，andI’lltakecareoftherestofthefamily。“
“Ifyouareresolvedonacting，“repliedtheperseveringEdmund，“Imusthopeitwillbeinaverysmallandquietway；
andIthinkatheatreoughtnottobeattempted。
Itwouldbetakinglibertieswithmyfather’shouseinhisabsencewhichcouldnotbejustified。“
“ForeverythingofthatnatureIwillbeanswerable，“
saidTom，inadecidedtone。“Hishouseshallnotbehurt。
Ihavequiteasgreataninterestinbeingcarefulofhishouseasyoucanhave；andastosuchalterationsasIwassuggestingjustnow，suchasmovingabookcase，orunlockingadoor，orevenasusingthebilliard-roomforthespaceofaweekwithoutplayingatbilliardsinit，youmightjustaswellsupposehewouldobjecttooursittingmoreinthisroom，andlessinthebreakfast-room，thanwedidbeforehewentaway，ortomysister’spianofortebeingmovedfromonesideoftheroomtotheother。
Absolutenonsense!“
“Theinnovation，ifnotwrongasaninnovation，willbewrongasanexpense。“
“Yes，theexpenseofsuchanundertakingwouldbeprodigious!
Perhapsitmightcostawholetwentypounds。Somethingofatheatrewemusthaveundoubtedly，butitwillbeonthesimplestplan：agreencurtainandalittlecarpenter’swork，andthat’sall；andasthecarpenter’sworkmaybealldoneathomebyChristopherJacksonhimself，itwillbetooabsurdtotalkofexpense；andaslongasJacksonisemployed，everythingwillberightwithSirThomas。
Don’timaginethatnobodyinthishousecanseeorjudgebutyourself。Don’tactyourself，ifyoudonotlikeit，butdon’texpecttogoverneverybodyelse。“
“No，astoactingmyself，“saidEdmund，“_that_I
absolutelyprotestagainst。“
Tomwalkedoutoftheroomashesaidit，andEdmundwaslefttositdownandstirthefireinthoughtfulvexation。
Fanny，whohadhearditall，andborneEdmundcompanyineveryfeelingthroughoutthewhole，nowventuredtosay，inheranxietytosuggestsomecomfort，“Perhapstheymaynotbeabletofindanyplaytosuitthem。Yourbrother’stasteandyoursisters’seemverydifferent。“
“Ihavenohopethere，Fanny。Iftheypersistinthescheme，theywillfindsomething。Ishallspeaktomysistersandtrytodissuade_them_，andthatisallIcando。“
“IshouldthinkmyauntNorriswouldbeonyourside。“
“Idaresayshewould，butshehasnoinfluencewitheitherTomormysistersthatcouldbeofanyuse；
andifIcannotconvincethemmyself，Ishallletthingstaketheircourse，withoutattemptingitthroughher。
Familysquabblingisthegreatestevilofall，andwehadbetterdoanythingthanbealtogetherbytheears。“
Hissisters，towhomhehadanopportunityofspeakingthenextmorning，werequiteasimpatientofhisadvice，quiteasunyieldingtohisrepresentation，quiteasdeterminedinthecauseofpleasure，asTom。Theirmotherhadnoobjectiontotheplan，andtheywerenotintheleastafraidoftheirfather’sdisapprobation。Therecouldbenoharminwhathadbeendoneinsomanyrespectablefamilies，andbysomanywomenofthefirstconsideration；anditmustbescrupulousnessrunmadthatcouldseeanythingtocensureinaplanliketheirs，comprehendingonlybrothersandsistersandintimatefriends，andwhichwouldneverbeheardofbeyondthemselves。Julia_did_seeminclinedtoadmitthatMaria’ssituationmightrequireparticularcautionanddelicacy——butthatcouldnotextendto_her_——
shewasatliberty；andMariaevidentlyconsideredherengagementasonlyraisinghersomuchmoreaboverestraint，andleavingherlessoccasionthanJuliatoconsulteitherfatherormother。Edmundhadlittletohope，buthewasstillurgingthesubjectwhenHenryCrawfordenteredtheroom，freshfromtheParsonage，callingout，“Nowantofhandsinourtheatre，MissBertram。
Nowantofunderstrappers：mysisterdesiresherlove，andhopestobeadmittedintothecompany，andwillbehappytotakethepartofanyoldduennaortameconfidante，thatyoumaynotliketodoyourselves。“
MariagaveEdmundaglance，whichmeant，“Whatsayyounow？
CanwebewrongifMaryCrawfordfeelsthesame？“
AndEdmund，silenced，wasobligedtoacknowledgethatthecharmofactingmightwellcarryfascinationtothemindofgenius；andwiththeingenuityoflove，todwellmoreontheobliging，accommodatingpurportofthemessagethanonanythingelse。
Theschemeadvanced。Oppositionwasvain；andastoMrs。Norris，hewasmistakeninsupposingshewouldwishtomakeany。Shestartednodifficultiesthatwerenottalkeddowninfiveminutesbyhereldestnephewandniece，whowereall-powerfulwithher；andasthewholearrangementwastobringverylittleexpensetoanybody，andnoneatalltoherself，assheforesawinitallthecomfortsofhurry，bustle，andimportance，andderivedtheimmediateadvantageoffancyingherselfobligedtoleaveherownhouse，whereshehadbeenlivingamonthatherowncost，andtakeupherabodeintheirs，thateveryhourmightbespentintheirservice，shewas，infact，exceedinglydelightedwiththeproject。
FannyseemednearerbeingrightthanEdmundhadsupposed。
Thebusinessoffindingaplaythatwouldsuiteverybodyprovedtobenotrifle；andthecarpenterhadreceivedhisordersandtakenhismeasurements，hadsuggestedandremovedatleasttwosetsofdifficulties，andhavingmadethenecessityofanenlargementofplanandexpensefullyevident，wasalreadyatwork，whileaplaywasstilltoseek。Otherpreparationswerealsoinhand。
AnenormousrollofgreenbaizehadarrivedfromNorthampton，andbeencutoutbyMrs。Norriswithasavingbyhergoodmanagementoffullthree-quartersofayard，andwasactuallyformingintoacurtainbythehousemaids，andstilltheplaywaswanting；andastwoorthreedayspassedawayinthismanner，Edmundbeganalmosttohopethatnonemighteverbefound。
Therewere，infact，somanythingstobeattendedto，somanypeopletobepleased，somanybestcharactersrequired，and，aboveall，suchaneedthattheplayshouldbeatoncebothtragedyandcomedy，thattheredidseemaslittlechanceofadecisionasanythingpursuedbyyouthandzealcouldholdout。
OnthetragicsideweretheMissBertrams，HenryCrawford，andMr。Yates；onthecomic，TomBertram，not_quite_alone，becauseitwasevidentthatMaryCrawford’swishes，thoughpolitelykeptback，inclinedthesameway：buthisdeterminatenessandhispowerseemedtomakealliesunnecessary；
and，independentofthisgreatirreconcilabledifference，theywantedapiececontainingveryfewcharactersinthewhole，buteverycharacterfirst-rate，andthreeprincipalwomen。Allthebestplayswererunoverinvain。
NeitherHamlet，norMacbeth，norOthello，norDouglas，norTheGamester，presentedanythingthatcouldsatisfyeventhetragedians；andTheRivals，TheSchoolforScandal，WheelofFortune，HeiratLaw，andalongetcetera，weresuccessivelydismissedwithyetwarmerobjections。
Nopiececouldbeproposedthatdidnotsupplysomebodywithadifficulty，andononesideortheotheritwasacontinualrepetitionof，“Ohno，_that_willneverdo!
Letushavenorantingtragedies。Toomanycharacters。
Notatolerablewoman’spartintheplay。Anythingbut_that_，mydearTom。Itwouldbeimpossibletofillitup。
Onecouldnotexpectanybodytotakesuchapart。
Nothingbutbuffooneryfrombeginningtoend。
_That_mightdo，perhaps，butforthelowparts。IfI
_must_givemyopinion，IhavealwaysthoughtitthemostinsipidplayintheEnglishlanguage。_I_donotwishtomakeobjections；Ishallbehappytobeofanyuse，butI
thinkwecouldnotchuseworse。“
Fannylookedonandlistened，notunamusedtoobservetheselfishnesswhich，moreorlessdisguised，seemedtogovernthemall，andwonderinghowitwouldend。Forherowngratificationshecouldhavewishedthatsomethingmightbeacted，forshehadneverseenevenhalfaplay，buteverythingofhigherconsequencewasagainstit。
“Thiswillneverdo，“saidTomBertramatlast。“Wearewastingtimemostabominably。Somethingmustbefixedon。