soyoumaybeascreep-mouseasyoulike，butwemusthaveyoutolookat。“
“Ifyouareafraidofhalfadozenspeeches，“criedMr。Rushworth，“whatwouldyoudowithsuchapartasmine？Ihaveforty-twotolearn。“
“ItisnotthatIamafraidoflearningbyheart，“
saidFanny，shockedtofindherselfatthatmomenttheonlyspeakerintheroom，andtofeelthatalmosteveryeyewasuponher；“butIreallycannotact。“
“Yes，yes，youcanactwellenoughfor_us_。
Learnyourpart，andwewillteachyoualltherest。
Youhaveonlytwoscenes，andasIshallbeCottager，I’llputyouinandpushyouabout，andyouwilldoitverywell，I’llanswerforit。“
“No，indeed，Mr。Bertram，youmustexcuseme。Youcannothaveanidea。Itwouldbeabsolutelyimpossibleforme。
IfIweretoundertakeit，Ishouldonlydisappointyou。“
“Phoo!Phoo!Donotbesoshamefaced。You’lldoitverywell。Everyallowancewillbemadeforyou。
Wedonotexpectperfection。Youmustgetabrowngown，andawhiteapron，andamobcap，andwemustmakeyouafewwrinkles，andalittleofthecrowsfootatthecornerofyoureyes，andyouwillbeaveryproper，littleoldwoman。“
“Youmustexcuseme，indeedyoumustexcuseme，“criedFanny，growingmoreandmoreredfromexcessiveagitation，andlookingdistressfullyatEdmund，whowaskindlyobservingher；butunwillingtoexasperatehisbrotherbyinterference，gaveheronlyanencouragingsmile。
HerentreatyhadnoeffectonTom：heonlysaidagainwhathehadsaidbefore；anditwasnotmerelyTom，fortherequisitionwasnowbackedbyMaria，andMr。Crawford，andMr。Yates，withanurgencywhichdifferedfromhisbutinbeingmoregentleormoreceremonious，andwhichaltogetherwasquiteoverpoweringtoFanny；
andbeforeshecouldbreatheafterit，Mrs。Norriscompletedthewholebythusaddressingherinawhisperatonceangryandaudible——“Whatapieceofworkhereisaboutnothing：
Iamquiteashamedofyou，Fanny，tomakesuchadifficultyofobligingyourcousinsinatrifleofthissort——sokindastheyaretoyou!Takethepartwithagoodgrace，andletushearnomoreofthematter，Ientreat。“
“Donoturgeher，madam，“saidEdmund。“Itisnotfairtourgeherinthismanner。Youseeshedoesnotliketoact。
Letherchuseforherself，aswellastherestofus。
Herjudgmentmaybequiteassafelytrusted。Donoturgeheranymore。“
“Iamnotgoingtourgeher，“repliedMrs。Norrissharply；
“butIshallthinkheraveryobstinate，ungratefulgirl，ifshedoesnotdowhatherauntandcousinswishher——
veryungrateful，indeed，consideringwhoandwhatsheis。“
Edmundwastooangrytospeak；butMissCrawford，lookingforamomentwithastonishedeyesatMrs。Norris，andthenatFanny，whosetearswerebeginningtoshewthemselves，immediatelysaid，withsomekeenness，“Idonotlikemysituation：this_place_istoohotforme，“
andmovedawayherchairtotheoppositesideofthetable，closetoFanny，sayingtoher，inakind，lowwhisper，assheplacedherself，“Nevermind，mydearMissPrice，thisisacrossevening：everybodyiscrossandteasing，butdonotletusmindthem“；andwithpointedattentioncontinuedtotalktoherandendeavourtoraiseherspirits，inspiteofbeingoutofspiritsherself。Byalookatherbrothershepreventedanyfartherentreatyfromthetheatricalboard，andthereallygoodfeelingsbywhichshewasalmostpurelygovernedwererapidlyrestoringhertoallthelittleshehadlostinEdmund’sfavour。
FannydidnotloveMissCrawford；butshefeltverymuchobligedtoherforherpresentkindness；andwhen，fromtakingnoticeofherwork，andwishing_she_couldworkaswell，andbeggingforthepattern，andsupposingFannywasnowpreparingforher_appearance_，asofcourseshewouldcomeoutwhenhercousinwasmarried，MissCrawfordproceededtoinquireifshehadheardlatelyfromherbrotheratsea，andsaidthatshehadquiteacuriositytoseehim，andimaginedhimaveryfineyoungman，andadvisedFannytogethispicturedrawnbeforehewenttoseaagain——shecouldnothelpadmittingittobeveryagreeableflattery，orhelplistening，andansweringwithmoreanimationthanshehadintended。
Theconsultationupontheplaystillwenton，andMissCrawford’sattentionwasfirstcalledfromFannybyTomBertram’stellingher，withinfiniteregret，thathefounditabsolutelyimpossibleforhimtoundertakethepartofAnhaltinadditiontotheButler：hehadbeenmostanxiouslytryingtomakeitouttobefeasible，butitwouldnotdo；hemustgiveitup。“Buttherewillnotbethesmallestdifficultyinfillingit，“headded。
“Wehavebuttospeaktheword；wemaypickandchuse。
Icouldname，atthismoment，atleastsixyoungmenwithinsixmilesofus，whoarewildtobeadmittedintoourcompany，andthereareoneortwothatwouldnotdisgraceus：
IshouldnotbeafraidtotrusteitheroftheOliversorCharlesMaddox。TomOliverisaverycleverfellow，andCharlesMaddoxisasgentlemanlikeamanasyouwillseeanywhere，soIwilltakemyhorseearlyto-morrowmorningandrideovertoStoke，andsettlewithoneofthem。“
Whilehespoke，MariawaslookingapprehensivelyroundatEdmundinfullexpectationthathemustopposesuchanenlargementoftheplanasthis：socontrarytoalltheirfirstprotestations；butEdmundsaidnothing。
Afteramoment’sthought，MissCrawfordcalmlyreplied，“AsfarasIamconcerned，Icanhavenoobjectiontoanythingthatyouallthinkeligible。HaveIeverseeneitherofthegentlemen？Yes，Mr。CharlesMaddoxdinedatmysister’soneday，didnothe，Henry？Aquiet-lookingyoungman。Irememberhim。Let_him_beappliedto，ifyouplease，foritwillbelessunpleasanttomethantohaveaperfectstranger。“
CharlesMaddoxwastobetheman。Tomrepeatedhisresolutionofgoingtohimearlyonthemorrow；andthoughJulia，whohadscarcelyopenedherlipsbefore，observed，inasarcasticmanner，andwithaglancefirstatMariaandthenatEdmund，that“theMansfieldtheatricalswouldenliventhewholeneighbourhoodexceedingly，“Edmundstillheldhispeace，andshewedhisfeelingsonlybyadeterminedgravity。
“Iamnotverysanguineastoourplay，“saidMissCrawford，inanundervoicetoFanny，aftersomeconsideration；
“andIcantellMr。MaddoxthatIshallshortensomeof_his_speeches，andagreatmanyof_my__own_，beforewerehearsetogether。Itwillbeverydisagreeable，andbynomeanswhatIexpected。“
ItwasnotinMissCrawford’spowertotalkFannyintoanyrealforgetfulnessofwhathadpassed。Whentheeveningwasover，shewenttobedfullofit，hernervesstillagitatedbytheshockofsuchanattackfromhercousinTom，sopublicandsoperseveredin，andherspiritssinkingunderheraunt’sunkindreflectionandreproach。
Tobecalledintonoticeinsuchamanner，tohearthatitwasbutthepreludetosomethingsoinfinitelyworse，tobetoldthatshemustdowhatwassoimpossibleastoact；
andthentohavethechargeofobstinacyandingratitudefollowit，enforcedwithsuchahintatthedependenceofhersituation，hadbeentoodistressingatthetimetomaketheremembrancewhenshewasalonemuchlessso，especiallywiththesuperaddeddreadofwhatthemorrowmightproduceincontinuationofthesubject。
MissCrawfordhadprotectedheronlyforthetime；
andifshewereappliedtoagainamongthemselveswithalltheauthoritativeurgencythatTomandMariawerecapableof，andEdmundperhapsaway，whatshouldshedo？Shefellasleepbeforeshecouldanswerthequestion，andfounditquiteaspuzzlingwhensheawokethenextmorning。
Thelittlewhiteattic，whichhadcontinuedhersleeping-roomeversinceherfirstenteringthefamily，provingincompetenttosuggestanyreply，shehadrecourse，assoonasshewasdressed，toanotherapartmentmorespaciousandmoremeetforwalkingaboutinandthinking，andofwhichshehadnowforsometimebeenalmostequallymistress。
Ithadbeentheirschool-room；socalledtilltheMissBertramswouldnotallowittobecalledsoanylonger，andinhabitedassuchtoalaterperiod。ThereMissLeehadlived，andtheretheyhadreadandwritten，andtalkedandlaughed，tillwithinthelastthreeyears，whenshehadquittedthem。Theroomhadthenbecomeuseless，andforsometimewasquitedeserted，exceptbyFanny，whenshevisitedherplants，orwantedoneofthebooks，whichshewasstillgladtokeepthere，fromthedeficiencyofspaceandaccommodationinherlittlechamberabove：
butgradually，ashervalueforthecomfortsofitincreased，shehadaddedtoherpossessions，andspentmoreofhertimethere；andhavingnothingtoopposeher，hadsonaturallyandsoartlesslyworkedherselfintoit，thatitwasnowgenerallyadmittedtobehers。TheEastroom，asithadbeencalledeversinceMariaBertramwassixteen，wasnowconsideredFanny’s，almostasdecidedlyasthewhiteattic：thesmallnessoftheonemakingtheuseoftheothersoevidentlyreasonablethattheMissBertrams，witheverysuperiorityintheirownapartmentswhichtheirownsenseofsuperioritycoulddemand，wereentirelyapprovingit；andMrs。Norris，havingstipulatedforthereneverbeingafireinitonFanny’saccount，wastolerablyresignedtoherhavingtheuseofwhatnobodyelsewanted，thoughthetermsinwhichshesometimesspokeoftheindulgenceseemedtoimplythatitwasthebestroominthehouse。
TheaspectwassofavourablethatevenwithoutafireitwashabitableinmanyanearlyspringandlateautumnmorningtosuchawillingmindasFanny’s；
andwhiletherewasagleamofsunshineshehopednottobedrivenfromitentirely，evenwhenwintercame。
Thecomfortofitinherhoursofleisurewasextreme。
Shecouldgothereafteranythingunpleasantbelow，andfindimmediateconsolationinsomepursuit，orsometrainofthoughtathand。Herplants，herbooks