anotherofthehundredparticularfriendsofhisson，exceedinglyunwelcome；anditneededallthefelicityofbeingagainathome，andalltheforbearanceitcouldsupply，tosaveSirThomasfromangeronfindinghimselfthusbewilderedinhisownhouse，makingpartofaridiculousexhibitioninthemidstoftheatricalnonsense，andforcedinsountowardamomenttoadmittheacquaintanceofayoungmanwhomhefeltsureofdisapproving，andwhoseeasyindifferenceandvolubilityinthecourseofthefirstfiveminutesseemedtomarkhimthemostathomeofthetwo。
Tomunderstoodhisfather’sthoughts，andheartilywishinghemightbealwaysaswelldisposedtogivethembutpartialexpression，begantosee，moreclearlythanhehadeverdonebefore，thattheremightbesomegroundofoffence，thattheremightbesomereasonfortheglancehisfathergavetowardstheceilingandstuccooftheroom；
andthatwhenheinquiredwithmildgravityafterthefateofthebilliard-table，hewasnotproceedingbeyondaveryallowablecuriosity。Afewminuteswereenoughforsuchunsatisfactorysensationsoneachside；andSirThomashavingexertedhimselfsofarastospeakafewwordsofcalmapprobationinreplytoaneagerappealofMr。Yates，astothehappinessofthearrangement，thethreegentlemenreturnedtothedrawing-roomtogether，SirThomaswithanincreaseofgravitywhichwasnotlostonall。
“Icomefromyourtheatre，“saidhecomposedly，ashesatdown；“Ifoundmyselfinitratherunexpectedly。
Itsvicinitytomyownroom——butineveryrespect，indeed，ittookmebysurprise，asIhadnotthesmallestsuspicionofyouractinghavingassumedsoseriousacharacter。
Itappearsaneatjob，however，asfarasIcouldjudgebycandlelight，anddoesmyfriendChristopherJacksoncredit。“
Andthenhewouldhavechangedthesubject，andsippedhiscoffeeinpeaceoverdomesticmattersofacalmerhue；
butMr。Yates，withoutdiscernmenttocatchSirThomas’smeaning，ordiffidence，ordelicacy，ordiscretionenoughtoallowhimtoleadthediscoursewhilehemingledamongtheotherswiththeleastobtrusivenesshimself，wouldkeephimonthetopicofthetheatre，wouldtormenthimwithquestionsandremarksrelativetoit，andfinallywouldmakehimhearthewholehistoryofhisdisappointmentatEcclesford。
SirThomaslistenedmostpolitely，butfoundmuchtooffendhisideasofdecorum，andconfirmhisill-opinionofMr。Yates’shabitsofthinking，fromthebeginningtotheendofthestory；andwhenitwasover，couldgivehimnootherassuranceofsympathythanwhataslightbowconveyed。
“Thiswas，infact，theoriginof_our_acting，“saidTom，afteramoment’sthought。“MyfriendYatesbroughttheinfectionfromEcclesford，anditspread——asthosethingsalwaysspread，youknow，sir——thefaster，probably，from_your_havingsooftenencouragedthesortofthinginusformerly。Itwasliketreadingoldgroundagain。“
Mr。Yatestookthesubjectfromhisfriendassoonaspossible，andimmediatelygaveSirThomasanaccountofwhattheyhaddoneandweredoing：toldhimofthegradualincreaseoftheirviews，thehappyconclusionoftheirfirstdifficulties，andpresentpromisingstateofaffairs；
relatingeverythingwithsoblindaninterestasmadehimnotonlytotallyunconsciousoftheuneasymovementsofmanyofhisfriendsastheysat，thechangeofcountenance，thefidget，thehem!ofunquietness，butpreventedhimevenfromseeingtheexpressionofthefaceonwhichhisowneyeswerefixed——fromseeingSirThomas’sdarkbrowcontractashelookedwithinquiringearnestnessathisdaughtersandEdmund，dwellingparticularlyonthelatter，andspeakingalanguage，aremonstrance，areproof，which_he_feltathisheart。NotlessacutelywasitfeltbyFanny，whohadedgedbackherchairbehindheraunt’sendofthesofa，and，screenedfromnoticeherself，sawallthatwaspassingbeforeher。SuchalookofreproachatEdmundfromhisfathershecouldneverhaveexpectedtowitness；andtofeelthatitwasinanydegreedeservedwasanaggravationindeed。SirThomas’slookimplied，“Onyourjudgment，Edmund，Idepended；
whathaveyoubeenabout？“Shekneltinspirittoheruncle，andherbosomswelledtoutter，“Oh，notto_him_!
Looksotoalltheothers，butnotto_him_!“
Mr。Yateswasstilltalking。“Toownthetruth，SirThomas，wewereinthemiddleofarehearsalwhenyouarrivedthisevening。Weweregoingthroughthethreefirstacts，andnotunsuccessfullyuponthewhole。Ourcompanyisnowsodispersed，fromtheCrawfordsbeinggonehome，thatnothingmorecanbedoneto-night；butifyouwillgiveusthehonourofyourcompanyto-morrowevening，Ishouldnotbeafraidoftheresult。Webespeakyourindulgence，youunderstand，asyoungperformers；
webespeakyourindulgence。“
“Myindulgenceshallbegiven，sir，“repliedSirThomasgravely，“butwithoutanyotherrehearsal。“
Andwitharelentingsmile，headded，“Icomehometobehappyandindulgent。“Thenturningawaytowardsanyoralloftherest，hetranquillysaid，“Mr。andMissCrawfordwerementionedinmylastlettersfromMansfield。
Doyoufindthemagreeableacquaintance？“
Tomwastheonlyoneatallreadywithananswer，buthebeingentirelywithoutparticularregardforeither，withoutjealousyeitherinloveoracting，couldspeakveryhandsomelyofboth。“Mr。Crawfordwasamostpleasant，gentleman-likeman；hissisterasweet，pretty，elegant，livelygirl。“
Mr。Rushworthcouldbesilentnolonger。“Idonotsayheisnotgentleman-like，considering；butyoushouldtellyourfatherheisnotabovefivefeeteight，orhewillbeexpectingawell-lookingman。“
SirThomasdidnotquiteunderstandthis，andlookedwithsomesurpriseatthespeaker。
“IfImustsaywhatIthink，“continuedMr。Rushworth，“inmyopinionitisverydisagreeabletobealwaysrehearsing。
Itishavingtoomuchofagoodthing。IamnotsofondofactingasIwasatfirst。Ithinkweareagreatdealbetteremployed，sittingcomfortablyhereamongourselves，anddoingnothing。“
SirThomaslookedagain，andthenrepliedwithanapprovingsmile，“Iamhappytofindoursentimentsonthissubjectsomuchthesame。Itgivesmesinceresatisfaction。
ThatIshouldbecautiousandquick-sighted，andfeelmanyscrupleswhichmychildrendo_not_feel，isperfectlynatural；
andequallysothatmyvaluefordomestictranquillity，forahomewhichshutsoutnoisypleasures，shouldmuchexceedtheirs。Butatyourtimeoflifetofeelallthis，isamostfavourablecircumstanceforyourself，andforeverybodyconnectedwithyou；andIamsensibleoftheimportanceofhavinganallyofsuchweight。“
SirThomasmeanttobegivingMr。Rushworth’sopinioninbetterwordsthanhecouldfindhimself。HewasawarethathemustnotexpectageniusinMr。Rushworth；
butasawell-judging，steadyyoungman，withbetternotionsthanhiselocutionwoulddojusticeto，heintendedtovaluehimveryhighly。Itwasimpossibleformanyoftheothersnottosmile。Mr。Rushworthhardlyknewwhattodowithsomuchmeaning；butbylooking，ashereallyfelt，mostexceedinglypleasedwithSirThomas’sgoodopinion，andsayingscarcelyanything，hedidhisbesttowardspreservingthatgoodopinionalittlelonger。
Edmund’sfirstobjectthenextmorningwastoseehisfatheralone，andgivehimafairstatementofthewholeactingscheme，defendinghisownshareinitasfaronlyashecouldthen，inasoberermoment，feelhismotivestodeserve，andacknowledging，withperfectingenuousness，thathisconcessionhadbeenattendedwithsuchpartialgoodastomakehisjudgmentinitverydoubtful。
Hewasanxious，whilevindicatinghimself，tosaynothingunkindoftheothers：buttherewasonlyoneamongstthemwhoseconducthecouldmentionwithoutsomenecessityofdefenceorpalliation。“Wehaveallbeenmoreorlesstoblame，“saidhe，“everyoneofus，exceptingFanny。
Fannyistheonlyonewhohasjudgedrightlythroughout；
whohasbeenconsistent。_Her_feelingshavebeensteadilyagainstitfromfirsttolast。Sheneverceasedtothinkofwhatwasduetoyou。YouwillfindFannyeverythingyoucouldwish。“
SirThomassawalltheimproprietyofsuchaschemeamongsuchaparty，andatsuchatime，asstronglyashissonhadeversupposedhemust；hefeltittoomuch，indeed，formanywords；andhavingshakenhandswithEdmund，meanttotrytolosethedisagreeableimpression，andforgethowmuchhehadbeenforgottenhimselfassoonashecould，afterthehousehadbeenclearedofeveryobjectenforcingtheremembrance，andrestoredtoitsproperstate。Hedidnotenterintoanyremonstrancewithhisotherchildren：hewasmorewillingtobelievetheyfelttheirerrorthantoruntheriskofinvestigation。
Thereproofofanimmediateconclusionofeverything，thesweepofeverypreparation，wouldbesufficient。
Therewasoneperson，however，inthehouse，whomhecouldnotleavetolearnhissentimentsmerelythroughhisconduct。
HecouldnothelpgivingMrs。Norrisahintofhishavinghopedthatheradvicemighthavebeeninterposedtopreventwhatherjudgmentmustcertainlyhavedisapproved。Theyoungpeoplehadbeenveryinconsiderateinformingtheplan；
theyoughttohavebeencapableofabetterdecisionthemselves；
buttheywereyoung；and，exceptingEdmund，hebelieved，ofunsteadycharacters；andwithgreatersurprise，therefore，hemustregardheracquiescenceintheirwrongmeasures，hercountenanceoftheirunsafeamusements，thanthatsuchmeasuresandsuchamusementsshouldhavebeensuggested。