Imusthavemydinner——Tobesure，Juliaisdressedbythistime。“
“Iamconvinced，madam，“saidEdmund，preventingFanny，“thatSirThomaswouldnotlikeit。“
“There，mydear，doyouhearwhatEdmundsays？“
“IfIweretodeclinethepart，“saidMaria，withrenewedzeal，“Juliawouldcertainlytakeit。“
“What!“criedEdmund，“ifsheknewyourreasons!“
“Oh!shemightthinkthedifferencebetweenus——
thedifferenceinoursituations——that_she_neednotbesoscrupulousas_I_mightfeelnecessary。
Iamsureshewouldargueso。No；youmustexcuseme；
Icannotretractmyconsent；itistoofarsettled，everybodywouldbesodisappointed，Tomwouldbequiteangry；
andifwearesoverynice，weshallneveractanything。“
“Iwasjustgoingtosaytheverysamething，“saidMrs。Norris。
“Ifeveryplayistobeobjectedto，youwillactnothing，andthepreparationswillbeallsomuchmoneythrownaway，andIamsure_that_wouldbeadiscredittousall。
Idonotknowtheplay；but，asMariasays，ifthereisanythingalittletoowarmanditissowithmostofthemitcanbeeasilyleftout。Wemustnotbeover-precise，Edmund。AsMr。Rushworthistoacttoo，therecanbenoharm。IonlywishTomhadknownhisownmindwhenthecarpentersbegan，fortherewasthelossofhalfaday’sworkaboutthoseside-doors。Thecurtainwillbeagoodjob，however。Themaidsdotheirworkverywell，andIthinkweshallbeabletosendbacksomedozensoftherings。Thereisnooccasiontoputthemsoveryclosetogether。I_am_ofsomeuse，Ihope，inpreventingwasteandmakingthemostofthings。
Thereshouldalwaysbeonesteadyheadtosuperintendsomanyyoungones。IforgottotellTomofsomethingthathappenedtomethisveryday。Ihadbeenlookingaboutmeinthepoultry-yard，andwasjustcomingout，whenwhoshouldIseebutDickJacksonmakinguptotheservants’hall-doorwithtwobitsofdealboardinhishand，bringingthemtofather，youmaybesure；
motherhadchancedtosendhimofamessagetofather，andthenfatherhadbidhimbringupthemtwobitsofboard，forhecouldnotnohowdowithoutthem。Iknewwhatallthismeant，fortheservants’dinner-bellwasringingattheverymomentoverourheads；andasIhatesuchencroachingpeopletheJacksonsareveryencroaching，Ihavealwayssaidso：justthesortofpeopletogetalltheycan，Isaidtotheboydirectlyagreatlubberlyfellowoftenyearsold，youknow，whooughttobeashamedofhimself，“_I’ll_taketheboardstoyourfather，Dick，sogetyouhomeagainasfastasyoucan。“
Theboylookedverysilly，andturnedawaywithoutofferingaword，forIbelieveImightspeakprettysharp；
andIdaresayitwillcurehimofcomingmaraudingaboutthehouseforonewhile。Ihatesuchgreediness——
sogoodasyourfatheristothefamily，employingthemanalltheyearround!“
Nobodywasatthetroubleofananswer；theotherssoonreturned；andEdmundfoundthattohaveendeavouredtosetthemrightmustbehisonlysatisfaction。
Dinnerpassedheavily。Mrs。NorrisrelatedagainhertriumphoverDickJackson，butneitherplaynorpreparationwereotherwisemuchtalkedof，forEdmund’sdisapprobationwasfeltevenbyhisbrother，thoughhewouldnothaveownedit。Maria，wantingHenryCrawford’sanimatingsupport，thoughtthesubjectbetteravoided。
Mr。Yates，whowastryingtomakehimselfagreeabletoJulia，foundhergloomlessimpenetrableonanytopicthanthatofhisregretathersecessionfromtheircompany；
andMr。Rushworth，havingonlyhisownpartandhisowndressinhishead，hadsoontalkedawayallthatcouldbesaidofeither。
Buttheconcernsofthetheatreweresuspendedonlyforanhourortwo：therewasstillagreatdealtobesettled；
andthespiritsofeveninggivingfreshcourage，Tom，Maria，andMr。Yates，soonaftertheirbeingreassembledinthedrawing-room，seatedthemselvesincommitteeataseparatetable，withtheplayopenbeforethem，andwerejustgettingdeepinthesubjectwhenamostwelcomeinterruptionwasgivenbytheentranceofMr。andMissCrawford，who，lateanddarkanddirtyasitwas，couldnothelpcoming，andwerereceivedwiththemostgratefuljoy。
“Well，howdoyougoon？“and“Whathaveyousettled？“
and“Oh!wecandonothingwithoutyou，“followedthefirstsalutations；andHenryCrawfordwassoonseatedwiththeotherthreeatthetable，whilehissistermadeherwaytoLadyBertram，andwithpleasantattentionwascomplimenting_her_。“Imustreallycongratulateyourladyship，“saidshe，“ontheplaybeingchosen；
forthoughyouhaveborneitwithexemplarypatience，Iamsureyoumustbesickofallournoiseanddifficulties。
Theactorsmaybeglad，butthebystandersmustbeinfinitelymorethankfulforadecision；andIdosincerelygiveyoujoy，madam，aswellasMrs。Norris，andeverybodyelsewhoisinthesamepredicament，“glancinghalffearfully，halfslyly，beyondFannytoEdmund。
ShewasverycivillyansweredbyLadyBertram，butEdmundsaidnothing。Hisbeingonlyabystanderwasnotdisclaimed。Aftercontinuinginchatwiththepartyroundthefireafewminutes，MissCrawfordreturnedtothepartyroundthetable；andstandingbythem，seemedtointerestherselfintheirarrangementstill，asifstruckbyasuddenrecollection，sheexclaimed，“Mygoodfriends，youaremostcomposedlyatworkuponthesecottagesandalehouses，insideandout；butprayletmeknowmyfateinthemeanwhile。WhoistobeAnhalt？
WhatgentlemanamongyouamItohavethepleasureofmakingloveto？“
Foramomentnoonespoke；andthenmanyspoketogethertotellthesamemelancholytruth，thattheyhadnotyetgotanyAnhalt。“Mr。RushworthwastobeCountCassel，butnoonehadyetundertakenAnhalt。“
“Ihadmychoiceoftheparts，“saidMr。Rushworth；
“butIthoughtIshouldliketheCountbest，thoughIdonotmuchrelishthefineryIamtohave。“
“Youchoseverywisely，Iamsure，“repliedMissCrawford，withabrightenedlook；“Anhaltisaheavypart。“
“_The__Count_hastwo-and-fortyspeeches，“
returnedMr。Rushworth，“whichisnotrifle。“
“Iamnotatallsurprised，“saidMissCrawford，afterashortpause，“atthiswantofanAnhalt。
Ameliadeservesnobetter。Suchaforwardyoungladymaywellfrightenthemen。“
“Ishouldbebuttoohappyintakingthepart，ifitwerepossible，“criedTom；“but，unluckily，theButlerandAnhaltareintogether。Iwillnotentirelygiveitup，however；Iwilltrywhatcanbedone——Iwilllookitoveragain。“
“Your_brother_shouldtakethepart，“saidMr。Yates，inalowvoice。“Donotyouthinkhewould？“
“_I_shallnotaskhim，“repliedTom，inacold，determinedmanner。
MissCrawfordtalkedofsomethingelse，andsoonafterwardsrejoinedthepartyatthefire。
“Theydonotwantmeatall，“saidshe，seatingherself。
“Ionlypuzzlethem，andobligethemtomakecivilspeeches。
Mr。EdmundBertram，asyoudonotactyourself，youwillbeadisinterestedadviser；and，therefore，Iapplyto_you_。WhatshallwedoforanAnhalt？
Isitpracticableforanyoftheotherstodoubleit？
Whatisyouradvice？“
“Myadvice，“saidhecalmly，“isthatyouchangetheplay。“
“_I_shouldhavenoobjection，“shereplied；“forthoughIshouldnotparticularlydislikethepartofAmeliaifwellsupported，thatis，ifeverythingwentwell，Ishallbesorrytobeaninconvenience；butastheydonotchusetohearyouradviceat_that__table_“
lookinground，“itcertainlywillnotbetaken。“
Edmundsaidnomore。
“If_any_partcouldtempt_you_toact，IsupposeitwouldbeAnhalt，“observedtheladyarchly，afterashortpause；
“forheisaclergyman，youknow。“
“_That_circumstancewouldbynomeanstemptme，“
hereplied，“forIshouldbesorrytomakethecharacterridiculousbybadacting。ItmustbeverydifficulttokeepAnhaltfromappearingaformal，solemnlecturer；
andthemanwhochusestheprofessionitselfis，perhaps，oneofthelastwhowouldwishtorepresentitonthestage。“
MissCrawfordwassilenced，andwithsomefeelingsofresentmentandmortification，movedherchairconsiderablynearerthetea-table，andgaveallherattentiontoMrs。Norris，whowaspresidingthere。
“Fanny，“criedTomBertram，fromtheothertable，wheretheconferencewaseagerlycarryingon，andtheconversationincessant，“wewantyourservices“
Fannywasupinamoment，expectingsomeerrand；forthehabitofemployingherinthatwaywasnotyetovercome，inspiteofallthatEdmundcoulddo。
“Oh!wedonotwanttodisturbyoufromyourseat。
Wedonotwantyour_present_services。Weshallonlywantyouinourplay。YoumustbeCottager’swife。“
“Me!“criedFanny，sittingdownagainwithamostfrightenedlook。
“Indeedyoumustexcuseme。Icouldnotactanythingifyouweretogivemetheworld。No，indeed，Icannotact。“
“Indeed，butyoumust，forwecannotexcuseyou。
Itneednotfrightenyou：itisanothingofapart，amerenothing，notabovehalfadozenspeechesaltogether，anditwillnotmuchsignifyifnobodyhearsawordyousay；