“IratherwonderJuliaisnotinlovewithHenry，“
washerobservationtoMary。
“Idaresaysheis，“repliedMarycoldly。“Iimaginebothsistersare。“
“Both!no，no，thatmustnotbe。Donotgivehimahintofit。ThinkofMr。Rushworth!“
“YouhadbettertellMissBertramtothinkofMr。Rushworth。
Itmaydo_her_somegood。IoftenthinkofMr。Rushworth’spropertyandindependence，andwishtheminotherhands；
butIneverthinkofhim。Amanmightrepresentthecountywithsuchanestate；amanmightescapeaprofessionandrepresentthecounty。“
“Idaresayhe_will_beinparliamentsoon。WhenSirThomascomes，Idaresayhewillbeinforsomeborough，buttherehasbeennobodytoputhiminthewayofdoinganythingyet。“
“SirThomasistoachievemanymightythingswhenhecomeshome，“saidMary，afterapause。“DoyourememberHawkinsBrowne’s’AddresstoTobacco，’inimitationofPope？——
Blestleaf!whosearomaticgalesdispenseToTemplarsmodesty，toParsonssense。
Iwillparodythem——
BlestKnight!whosedictatoriallooksdispenseToChildrenaffluence，toRushworthsense。
Willnotthatdo，Mrs。Grant？EverythingseemstodependuponSirThomas’sreturn。“
“Youwillfindhisconsequenceveryjustandreasonablewhenyouseehiminhisfamily，Iassureyou。Idonotthinkwedosowellwithouthim。Hehasafinedignifiedmanner，whichsuitstheheadofsuchahouse，andkeepseverybodyintheirplace。LadyBertramseemsmoreofaciphernowthanwhenheisathome；andnobodyelsecankeepMrs。Norrisinorder。But，Mary，donotfancythatMariaBertramcaresforHenry。Iamsure_Julia_doesnot，orshewouldnothaveflirtedasshedidlastnightwithMr。Yates；andthoughheandMariaareverygoodfriends，IthinkshelikesSothertontoowelltobeinconstant。“
“IwouldnotgivemuchforMr。Rushworth’schanceifHenrysteptinbeforethearticlesweresigned。“
“Ifyouhavesuchasuspicion，somethingmustbedone；
andassoonastheplayisallover，wewilltalktohimseriouslyandmakehimknowhisownmind；andifhemeansnothing，wewillsendhimoff，thoughheisHenry，foratime。“
Julia_did_suffer，however，thoughMrs。Grantdiscerneditnot，andthoughitescapedthenoticeofmanyofherownfamilylikewise。Shehadloved，shedidlovestill，andshehadallthesufferingwhichawarmtemperandahighspiritwerelikelytoendureunderthedisappointmentofadear，thoughirrationalhope，withastrongsenseofill-usage。Herheartwassoreandangry，andshewascapableonlyofangryconsolations。Thesisterwithwhomshewasusedtobeoneasytermswasnowbecomehergreatestenemy：theywerealienatedfromeachother；
andJuliawasnotsuperiortothehopeofsomedistressingendtotheattentionswhichwerestillcarryingonthere，somepunishmenttoMariaforconductsoshamefultowardsherselfaswellastowardsMr。Rushworth。Withnomaterialfaultoftemper，ordifferenceofopinion，topreventtheirbeingverygoodfriendswhiletheirinterestswerethesame，thesisters，undersuchatrialasthis，hadnotaffectionorprincipleenoughtomakethemmercifulorjust，togivethemhonourorcompassion。Mariafelthertriumph，andpursuedherpurpose，carelessofJulia；
andJuliacouldneverseeMariadistinguishedbyHenryCrawfordwithouttrustingthatitwouldcreatejealousy，andbringapublicdisturbanceatlast。
FannysawandpitiedmuchofthisinJulia；buttherewasnooutwardfellowshipbetweenthem。Juliamadenocommunication，andFannytooknoliberties。Theyweretwosolitarysufferers，orconnectedonlybyFanny’sconsciousness。
TheinattentionofthetwobrothersandtheaunttoJulia’sdiscomposure，andtheirblindnesstoitstruecause，mustbeimputedtothefullnessoftheirownminds。
Theyweretotallypreoccupied。Tomwasengrossedbytheconcernsofhistheatre，andsawnothingthatdidnotimmediatelyrelatetoit。Edmund，betweenhistheatricalandhisrealpart，betweenMissCrawford’sclaimsandhisownconduct，betweenloveandconsistency，wasequallyunobservant；andMrs。Norriswastoobusyincontrivinganddirectingthegenerallittlemattersofthecompany，superintendingtheirvariousdresseswitheconomicalexpedient，forwhichnobodythankedher，andsaving，withdelightedintegrity，halfacrownhereandtheretotheabsentSirThomas，tohaveleisureforwatchingthebehaviour，orguardingthehappinessofhisdaughters。
Everythingwasnowinaregulartrain：theatre，actors，actresses，anddresses，wereallgettingforward；
butthoughnoothergreatimpedimentsarose，Fannyfound，beforemanydayswerepast，thatitwasnotalluninterruptedenjoymenttothepartythemselves，andthatshehadnottowitnessthecontinuanceofsuchunanimityanddelightashadbeenalmosttoomuchforheratfirst。
Everybodybegantohavetheirvexation。Edmundhadmany。
Entirelyagainst_his_judgment，ascene-painterarrivedfromtown，andwasatwork，muchtotheincreaseoftheexpenses，and，whatwasworse，oftheeclatoftheirproceedings；andhisbrother，insteadofbeingreallyguidedbyhimastotheprivacyoftherepresentation，wasgivinganinvitationtoeveryfamilywhocameinhisway。
Tomhimselfbegantofretoverthescene-painter’sslowprogress，andtofeelthemiseriesofwaiting。
Hehadlearnedhispart——allhisparts，forhetookeverytriflingonethatcouldbeunitedwiththeButler，andbegantobeimpatienttobeacting；andeverydaythusunemployedwastendingtoincreasehissenseoftheinsignificanceofallhispartstogether，andmakehimmorereadytoregretthatsomeotherplayhadnotbeenchosen。
Fanny，beingalwaysaverycourteouslistener，andoftentheonlylistenerathand，cameinforthecomplaintsandthedistressesofmostofthem。_She_knewthatMr。Yateswasingeneralthoughttorantdreadfully；
thatMr。YateswasdisappointedinHenryCrawford；
thatTomBertramspokesoquickhewouldbeunintelligible；
thatMrs。Grantspoiledeverythingbylaughing；thatEdmundwasbehindhandwithhispart，andthatitwasmiserytohaveanythingtodowithMr。Rushworth，whowaswantingaprompterthrougheveryspeech。Sheknew，also，thatpoorMr。Rushworthcouldseldomgetanybodytorehearsewithhim：
_his_complaintcamebeforeheraswellastherest；
andsodecidedtohereyewashercousinMaria’savoidanceofhim，andsoneedlesslyoftentherehearsalofthefirstscenebetweenherandMr。Crawford，thatshehadsoonalltheterrorofothercomplaintsfrom_him_。
Sofarfrombeingallsatisfiedandallenjoying，shefoundeverybodyrequiringsomethingtheyhadnot，andgivingoccasionofdiscontenttotheothers。
Everybodyhadaparteithertoolongortooshort；
nobodywouldattendastheyought；nobodywouldrememberonwhichsidetheyweretocomein；nobodybutthecomplainerwouldobserveanydirections。
Fannybelievedherselftoderiveasmuchinnocentenjoymentfromtheplayasanyofthem；HenryCrawfordactedwell，anditwasapleasureto_her_tocreepintothetheatre，andattendtherehearsalofthefirstact，inspiteofthefeelingsitexcitedinsomespeechesforMaria。Maria，shealsothought，actedwell，toowell；andafterthefirstrehearsalortwo，Fannybegantobetheironlyaudience；
andsometimesasprompter，sometimesasspectator，wasoftenveryuseful。Asfarasshecouldjudge，Mr。Crawfordwasconsiderablythebestactorofall：
hehadmoreconfidencethanEdmund，morejudgmentthanTom，moretalentandtastethanMr。Yates。Shedidnotlikehimasaman，butshemustadmithimtobethebestactor，andonthispointtherewerenotmanywhodifferedfromher。
Mr。Yates，indeed，exclaimedagainsthistamenessandinsipidity；andthedaycameatlast，whenMr。Rushworthturnedtoherwithablacklook，andsaid，“Doyouthinkthereisanythingsoveryfineinallthis？Forthelifeandsoulofme，Icannotadmirehim；and，betweenourselves，toseesuchanundersized，little，mean-lookingman，setupforafineactor，isveryridiculousinmyopinion。“
Fromthismomenttherewasareturnofhisformerjealousy，whichMaria，fromincreasinghopesofCrawford，wasatlittlepainstoremove；andthechancesofMr。Rushworth’severattainingtotheknowledgeofhistwo-and-fortyspeechesbecamemuchless。Astohisevermakinganything_tolerable_ofthem，nobodyhadthesmallestideaofthatexcepthismother；_she_，indeed，regrettedthathispartwasnotmoreconsiderable，anddeferredcomingovertoMansfieldtilltheywereforwardenoughintheirrehearsaltocomprehendallhisscenes；buttheothersaspiredatnothingbeyondhisrememberingthecatchword，andthefirstlineofhisspeech，andbeingabletofollowtheprompterthroughtherest。Fanny，inherpityandkindheartedness，wasatgreatpainstoteachhimhowtolearn，givinghimallthehelpsanddirectionsinherpower，tryingtomakeanartificialmemoryforhim，andlearningeverywordofhispartherself，butwithouthisbeingmuchtheforwarder。
Manyuncomfortable，anxious，apprehensivefeelingsshecertainlyhad；butwithallthese，andotherclaimsonhertimeandattention，shewasasfarfromfindingherselfwithoutemploymentorutilityamongstthem，aswithoutacompanioninuneasiness；quiteasfarfromhavingnodemandonherleisureasonhercompassion。
Thegloomofherfirstanticipationswasprovedtohavebeenunfounded。Shewasoccasionallyusefultoall；