ifshewerevexedandalarmed——butMarialookedallserenityandsatisfaction，andJuliawellknewthatonthisgroundMariacouldnotbehappybutatherexpense。
Withhastyindignation，therefore，andatremulousvoice，shesaidtohim，“YoudonotseemafraidofnotkeepingyourcountenancewhenIcomeinwithabasketofprovisions——thoughonemighthavesupposed——butitisonlyasAgathathatIwastobesooverpowering!“
Shestopped——HenryCrawfordlookedratherfoolish，andasifhedidnotknowwhattosay。TomBertrambeganagain——
“MissCrawfordmustbeAmelia。ShewillbeanexcellentAmelia。“
“Donotbeafraidof_my_wantingthecharacter，“
criedJulia，withangryquickness：“Iam_not_tobeAgatha，andIamsureIwilldonothingelse；andastoAmelia，itisofallpartsintheworldthemostdisgustingtome。
Iquitedetesther。Anodious，little，pert，unnatural，impudentgirl。Ihavealwaysprotestedagainstcomedy，andthisiscomedyinitsworstform。“Andsosaying，shewalkedhastilyoutoftheroom，leavingawkwardfeelingstomorethanone，butexcitingsmallcompassioninanyexceptFanny，whohadbeenaquietauditorofthewhole，andwhocouldnotthinkofherasundertheagitationsof_jealousy_withoutgreatpity。
Ashortsilencesucceededherleavingthem；butherbrothersoonreturnedtobusinessandLovers’Vows，andwaseagerlylookingovertheplay，withMr。Yates’shelp，toascertainwhatscenerywouldbenecessary——whileMariaandHenryCrawfordconversedtogetherinanunder-voice，andthedeclarationwithwhichshebeganof，“IamsureIwouldgiveuptheparttoJuliamostwillingly，butthatthoughIshallprobablydoitveryill，Ifeelpersuaded_she_woulddoitworse，“wasdoubtlessreceivingallthecomplimentsitcalledfor。
Whenthishadlastedsometime，thedivisionofthepartywascompletedbyTomBertramandMr。Yateswalkingofftogethertoconsultfartherintheroomnowbeginningtobecalled_the__Theatre_，andMissBertram’sresolvingtogodowntotheParsonageherselfwiththeofferofAmeliatoMissCrawford；andFannyremainedalone。
Thefirstuseshemadeofhersolitudewastotakeupthevolumewhichhadbeenleftonthetable，andbegintoacquaintherselfwiththeplayofwhichshehadheardsomuch。Hercuriositywasallawake，andsheranthroughitwithaneagernesswhichwassuspendedonlybyintervalsofastonishment，thatitcouldbechoseninthepresentinstance，thatitcouldbeproposedandacceptedinaprivatetheatre!AgathaandAmeliaappearedtoherintheirdifferentwayssototallyimproperforhomerepresentation——thesituationofone，andthelanguageoftheother，sounfittobeexpressedbyanywomanofmodesty，thatshecouldhardlysupposehercousinscouldbeawareofwhattheywereengagingin；
andlongedtohavethemrousedassoonaspossiblebytheremonstrancewhichEdmundwouldcertainlymake。
MissCrawfordacceptedthepartveryreadily；andsoonafterMissBertram’sreturnfromtheParsonage，Mr。Rushwortharrived，andanothercharacterwasconsequentlycast。
HehadtheofferofCountCasselandAnhalt，andatfirstdidnotknowwhichtochuse，andwantedMissBertramtodirecthim；butuponbeingmadetounderstandthedifferentstyleofthecharacters，andwhichwaswhich，andrecollectingthathehadonceseentheplayinLondon，andhadthoughtAnhaltaverystupidfellow，hesoondecidedfortheCount。MissBertramapprovedthedecision，forthelesshehadtolearnthebetter；andthoughshecouldnotsympathiseinhiswishthattheCountandAgathamightbetoacttogether，norwaitverypatientlywhilehewasslowlyturningovertheleaveswiththehopeofstilldiscoveringsuchascene，sheverykindlytookhispartinhand，andcurtailedeveryspeechthatadmittedbeingshortened；besidespointingoutthenecessityofhisbeingverymuchdressed，andchusinghiscolours。
Mr。Rushworthlikedtheideaofhisfineryverywell，thoughaffectingtodespiseit；andwastoomuchengagedwithwhathisownappearancewouldbetothinkoftheothers，ordrawanyofthoseconclusions，orfeelanyofthatdispleasurewhichMariahadbeenhalfpreparedfor。
ThusmuchwassettledbeforeEdmund，whohadbeenoutallthemorning，knewanythingofthematter；butwhenheenteredthedrawing-roombeforedinner，thebuzzofdiscussionwashighbetweenTom，Maria，andMr。Yates；
andMr。Rushworthsteppedforwardwithgreatalacritytotellhimtheagreeablenews。
“Wehavegotaplay，“saidhe。“ItistobeLovers’
Vows；andIamtobeCountCassel，andamtocomeinfirstwithabluedressandapinksatincloak，andafterwardsamtohaveanotherfinefancysuit，bywayofashooting-dress。IdonotknowhowIshalllikeit。“
Fanny’seyesfollowedEdmund，andherheartbeatforhimassheheardthisspeech，andsawhislook，andfeltwhathissensationsmustbe。
“Lovers’Vows!“inatoneofthegreatestamazement，washisonlyreplytoMr。Rushworth，andheturnedtowardshisbrotherandsistersasifhardlydoubtingacontradiction。
“Yes，“criedMr。Yates。“Afterallourdebatingsanddifficulties，wefindthereisnothingthatwillsuitusaltogethersowell，nothingsounexceptionable，asLovers’Vows。Thewonderisthatitshouldnothavebeenthoughtofbefore。Mystupiditywasabominable，forherewehavealltheadvantageofwhatIsawatEcclesford；
anditissousefultohaveanythingofamodel!
Wehavecastalmosteverypart。“
“Butwhatdoyoudoforwomen？“saidEdmundgravely，andlookingatMaria。
Mariablushedinspiteofherselfassheanswered，“ItakethepartwhichLadyRavenshawwastohavedone，and“withaboldereye“MissCrawfordistobeAmelia。“
“Ishouldnothavethoughtitthesortofplaytobesoeasilyfilledup，with_us_，“repliedEdmund，turningawaytothefire，wheresathismother，aunt，andFanny，andseatinghimselfwithalookofgreatvexation。
Mr。Rushworthfollowedhimtosay，“Icomeinthreetimes，andhavetwo-and-fortyspeeches。That’ssomething，isnotit？ButIdonotmuchliketheideaofbeingsofine。
Ishallhardlyknowmyselfinabluedressandapinksatincloak。“
Edmundcouldnotanswerhim。InafewminutesMr。Bertramwascalledoutoftheroomtosatisfysomedoubtsofthecarpenter；andbeingaccompaniedbyMr。Yates，andfollowedsoonafterwardsbyMr。Rushworth，Edmundalmostimmediatelytooktheopportunityofsaying，“Icannot，beforeMr。Yates，speakwhatIfeelastothisplay，withoutreflectingonhisfriendsatEcclesford；
butImustnow，mydearMaria，tell_you_，thatI
thinkitexceedinglyunfitforprivaterepresentation，andthatIhopeyouwillgiveitup。Icannotbutsupposeyou_will_whenyouhavereaditcarefullyover。
Readonlythefirstactaloudtoeitheryourmotheroraunt，andseehowyoucanapproveit。Itwillnotbenecessarytosendyoutoyour_father’s_judgment，Iamconvinced。“
“Weseethingsverydifferently，“criedMaria。
“Iamperfectlyacquaintedwiththeplay，Iassureyou；
andwithaveryfewomissions，andsoforth，whichwillbemade，ofcourse，Icanseenothingobjectionableinit；
and_I_amnotthe_only_youngwomanyoufindwhothinksitveryfitforprivaterepresentation。“
“Iamsorryforit，“washisanswer；“butinthismatteritis_you_whoaretolead。_You_mustsettheexample。
Ifothershaveblundered，itisyourplacetoputthemright，andshewthemwhattruedelicacyis。
Inallpointsofdecorum_your_conductmustbelawtotherestoftheparty。“
Thispictureofherconsequencehadsomeeffect，fornoonelovedbettertoleadthanMaria；andwithfarmoregood-humoursheanswered，“Iammuchobligedtoyou，Edmund；
youmeanverywell，Iamsure：butIstillthinkyouseethingstoostrongly；andIreallycannotundertaketoharanguealltherestuponasubjectofthiskind。
_There_wouldbethegreatestindecorum，Ithink。“
“DoyouimaginethatIcouldhavesuchanideainmyhead？No；letyourconductbetheonlyharangue。
Saythat，onexaminingthepart，youfeelyourselfunequaltoit；thatyoufinditrequiringmoreexertionandconfidencethanyoucanbesupposedtohave。
Saythiswithfirmness，anditwillbequiteenough。
Allwhocandistinguishwillunderstandyourmotive。
Theplaywillbegivenup，andyourdelicacyhonouredasitought。“
“Donotactanythingimproper，mydear，“saidLadyBertram。
“SirThomaswouldnotlikeit——Fanny，ringthebell；