Nomatterwhat，sothatsomethingischosen。Wemustnotbesonice。Afewcharacterstoomanymustnotfrightenus。
Wemust_double_them。Wemustdescendalittle。
Ifapartisinsignificant，thegreaterourcreditinmakinganythingofit。FromthismomentImakenodifficulties。
Itakeanypartyouchusetogiveme，soasitbecomic。
Letitbutbecomic，Iconditionfornothingmore。“
ForaboutthefifthtimehethenproposedtheHeiratLaw，doubtingonlywhethertopreferLordDuberleyorDr。Panglossforhimself；andveryearnestly，butveryunsuccessfully，tryingtopersuadetheothersthatthereweresomefinetragicpartsintherestofthedramatispersonae。
Thepausewhichfollowedthisfruitlesseffortwasendedbythesamespeaker，who，takinguponeofthemanyvolumesofplaysthatlayonthetable，andturningitover，suddenlyexclaimed——“Lovers’Vows!
AndwhyshouldnotLovers’Vowsdofor_us_aswellasfortheRavenshaws？Howcameitnevertobethoughtofbefore？Itstrikesmeasifitwoulddoexactly。
Whatsayyouall？HerearetwocapitaltragicpartsforYatesandCrawford，andhereistherhymingButlerforme，ifnobodyelsewantsit；atriflingpart，butthesortofthingIshouldnotdislike，and，asIsaidbefore，Iamdeterminedtotakeanythinganddomybest。
Andasfortherest，theymaybefilledupbyanybody。
ItisonlyCountCasselandAnhalt。“
Thesuggestionwasgenerallywelcome。Everybodywasgrowingwearyofindecision，andthefirstideawitheverybodywas，thatnothinghadbeenproposedbeforesolikelytosuitthemall。Mr。Yateswasparticularlypleased：hehadbeensighingandlongingtodotheBaronatEcclesford，hadgrudgedeveryrantofLordRavenshaw’s，andbeenforcedtore-rantitallinhisownroom。ThestormthroughBaronWildenheimwastheheightofhistheatricalambition；
andwiththeadvantageofknowinghalfthescenesbyheartalready，hedidnow，withthegreatestalacrity，offerhisservicesforthepart。Todohimjustice，however，hedidnotresolvetoappropriateit；
forrememberingthattherewassomeverygoodranting-groundinFrederick，heprofessedanequalwillingnessforthat。
HenryCrawfordwasreadytotakeeither。WhicheverMr。Yatesdidnotchusewouldperfectlysatisfyhim，andashortparleyofcomplimentensued。MissBertram，feelingalltheinterestofanAgathainthequestion，tookonhertodecideit，byobservingtoMr。Yatesthatthiswasapointinwhichheightandfigureoughttobeconsidered，andthat_his_beingthetallest，seemedtofithimpeculiarlyfortheBaron。Shewasacknowledgedtobequiteright，andthetwopartsbeingacceptedaccordingly，shewascertainoftheproperFrederick。Threeofthecharacterswerenowcast，besidesMr。Rushworth，whowasalwaysansweredforbyMariaaswillingtodoanything；
whenJulia，meaning，likehersister，tobeAgatha，begantobescrupulousonMissCrawford’saccount。
“Thisisnotbehavingwellbytheabsent，“saidshe。
“Herearenotwomenenough。AmeliaandAgathamaydoforMariaandme，buthereisnothingforyoursister，Mr。Crawford。“
Mr。Crawforddesired_that_mightnotbethoughtof：
hewasverysurehissisterhadnowishofactingbutasshemightbeuseful，andthatshewouldnotallowherselftobeconsideredinthepresentcase。
ButthiswasimmediatelyopposedbyTomBertram，whoassertedthepartofAmeliatobeineveryrespectthepropertyofMissCrawford，ifshewouldacceptit。
“Itfallsasnaturally，asnecessarilytoher，“saidhe，“asAgathadoestooneorotherofmysisters。Itcanbenosacrificeontheirside，foritishighlycomic。“
Ashortsilencefollowed。Eachsisterlookedanxious；
foreachfeltthebestclaimtoAgatha，andwashopingtohaveitpressedonherbytherest。HenryCrawford，whomeanwhilehadtakenuptheplay，andwithseemingcarelessnesswasturningoverthefirstact，soonsettledthebusiness。
“ImustentreatMiss_Julia_Bertram，“saidhe，“nottoengageinthepartofAgatha，oritwillbetheruinofallmysolemnity。Youmustnot，indeedyoumustnot“
turningtoher。“Icouldnotstandyourcountenancedressedupinwoeandpaleness。Themanylaughswehavehadtogetherwouldinfalliblycomeacrossme，andFrederickandhisknapsackwouldbeobligedtorunaway。“
Pleasantly，courteously，itwasspoken；butthemannerwaslostinthemattertoJulia’sfeelings。
ShesawaglanceatMariawhichconfirmedtheinjurytoherself：itwasascheme，atrick；shewasslighted，Mariawaspreferred；thesmileoftriumphwhichMariawastryingtosuppressshewedhowwellitwasunderstood；
andbeforeJuliacouldcommandherselfenoughtospeak，herbrothergavehisweightagainsthertoo，bysaying，“Ohyes!MariamustbeAgatha。MariawillbethebestAgatha。ThoughJuliafanciesshepreferstragedy，Iwouldnottrustherinit。Thereisnothingoftragedyabouther。Shehasnotthelookofit。Herfeaturesarenottragicfeatures，andshewalkstooquick，andspeakstooquick，andwouldnotkeephercountenance。
Shehadbetterdotheoldcountrywoman：theCottager’swife；
youhad，indeed，Julia。Cottager’swifeisaveryprettypart，Iassureyou。Theoldladyrelievesthehigh-flownbenevolenceofherhusbandwithagooddealofspirit。
YoushallbeCottager’swife。“
“Cottager’swife!“criedMr。Yates。“Whatareyoutalkingof？Themosttrivial，paltry，insignificantpart；
themerestcommonplace；notatolerablespeechinthewhole。
Yoursisterdothat!Itisaninsulttoproposeit。
AtEcclesfordthegovernesswastohavedoneit。
Weallagreedthatitcouldnotbeofferedtoanybodyelse。
Alittlemorejustice，Mr。Manager，ifyouplease。
Youdonotdeservetheoffice，ifyoucannotappreciatethetalentsofyourcompanyalittlebetter。“
“Why，asto_that_，mygoodfriend，tillIandmycompanyhavereallyactedtheremustbesomeguesswork；butImeannodisparagementtoJulia。WecannothavetwoAgathas，andwemusthaveoneCottager’swife；andIamsureIsethertheexampleofmoderationmyselfinbeingsatisfiedwiththeoldButler。Ifthepartistriflingshewillhavemorecreditinmakingsomethingofit；andifsheissodesperatelybentagainsteverythinghumorous，lethertakeCottager’sspeechesinsteadofCottager’swife’s，andsochangethepartsallthrough；_he_issolemnandpatheticenough，Iamsure。Itcouldmakenodifferenceintheplay，andasforCottagerhimself，whenhehasgothiswife’sspeeches，_I_wouldundertakehimwithallmyheart。“
“WithallyourpartialityforCottager’swife，“
saidHenryCrawford，“itwillbeimpossibletomakeanythingofitfitforyoursister，andwemustnotsufferhergood-naturetobeimposedon。Wemustnot_allow_
hertoacceptthepart。Shemustnotbelefttoherowncomplaisance。HertalentswillbewantedinAmelia。
AmeliaisacharactermoredifficulttobewellrepresentedthanevenAgatha。IconsiderAmeliaisthemostdifficultcharacterinthewholepiece。Itrequiresgreatpowers，greatnicety，togiveherplayfulnessandsimplicitywithoutextravagance。Ihaveseengoodactressesfailinthepart。Simplicity，indeed，isbeyondthereachofalmosteveryactressbyprofession。Itrequiresadelicacyoffeelingwhichtheyhavenot。Itrequiresagentlewoman——aJuliaBertram。You_will_undertakeit，Ihope？“turningtoherwithalookofanxiousentreaty，whichsoftenedheralittle；butwhileshehesitatedwhattosay，herbrotheragaininterposedwithMissCrawford’sbetterclaim。
“No，no，JuliamustnotbeAmelia。Itisnotatallthepartforher。Shewouldnotlikeit。
Shewouldnotdowell。Sheistootallandrobust。
Ameliashouldbeasmall，light，girlish，skippingfigure。
ItisfitforMissCrawford，andMissCrawfordonly。
Shelooksthepart，andIampersuadedwilldoitadmirably。“
Withoutattendingtothis，HenryCrawfordcontinuedhissupplication。“Youmustobligeus，“saidhe，“indeedyoumust。Whenyouhavestudiedthecharacter，Iamsureyouwillfeelitsuityou。Tragedymaybeyourchoice，butitwillcertainlyappearthatcomedychuses_you_。
Youwillbetovisitmeinprisonwithabasketofprovisions；
youwillnotrefusetovisitmeinprison？IthinkI
seeyoucominginwithyourbasket“
Theinfluenceofhisvoicewasfelt。Juliawavered；
butwasheonlytryingtosootheandpacifyher，andmakeheroverlookthepreviousaffront？Shedistrustedhim。
Theslighthadbeenmostdetermined。Hewas，perhaps，butattreacherousplaywithher。Shelookedsuspiciouslyathersister；Maria’scountenancewastodecideit：