Withsuchpowersashis，however，andsuchadispositionashers，Edmundtrustedthateverythingwouldworkoutahappyconclusion。Meanwhile，hesawenoughofFanny’sembarrassmenttomakehimscrupulouslyguardagainstexcitingitasecondtime，byanyword，orlook，ormovement。
Crawfordcalledthenextday，andonthescoreofEdmund’sreturn，SirThomasfelthimselfmorethanlicensedtoaskhimtostaydinner；itwasreallyanecessarycompliment。
Hestaidofcourse，andEdmundhadthenampleopportunityforobservinghowhespedwithFanny，andwhatdegreeofimmediateencouragementforhimmightbeextractedfromhermanners；anditwassolittle，sovery，verylittle——
everychance，everypossibilityofit，restinguponherembarrassmentonly；iftherewasnothopeinherconfusion，therewashopeinnothingelse——thathewasalmostreadytowonderathisfriend’sperseverance。Fannywasworthitall；heheldhertobewortheveryeffortofpatience，everyexertionofmind，buthedidnotthinkhecouldhavegoneonhimselfwithanywomanbreathing，withoutsomethingmoretowarmhiscouragethanhiseyescoulddiscerninhers。
HewasverywillingtohopethatCrawfordsawclearer，andthiswasthemostcomfortableconclusionforhisfriendthathecouldcometofromallthatheobservedtopassbefore，andat，andafterdinner。
Intheeveningafewcircumstancesoccurredwhichhethoughtmorepromising。WhenheandCrawfordwalkedintothedrawing-room，hismotherandFannyweresittingasintentlyandsilentlyatworkasiftherewerenothingelsetocarefor。
Edmundcouldnothelpnoticingtheirapparentlydeeptranquillity。
“Wehavenotbeensosilentallthetime，“repliedhismother。
“Fannyhasbeenreadingtome，andonlyputthebookdownuponhearingyoucoming。“Andsureenoughtherewasabookonthetablewhichhadtheairofbeingveryrecentlyclosed：avolumeofShakespeare。
“Sheoftenreadstomeoutofthosebooks；andshewasinthemiddleofaveryfinespeechofthatman’s——
what’shisname，Fanny？——whenweheardyourfootsteps。“
Crawfordtookthevolume。“Letmehavethepleasureoffinishingthatspeechtoyourladyship，“saidhe。
“Ishallfinditimmediately。“Andbycarefullygivingwaytotheinclinationoftheleaves，hedidfindit，orwithinapageortwo，quitenearenoughtosatisfyLadyBertram，whoassuredhim，assoonashementionedthenameofCardinalWolsey，thathehadgottheveryspeech。
NotalookoranofferofhelphadFannygiven；notasyllablefororagainst。Allherattentionwasforherwork。
Sheseemeddeterminedtobeinterestedbynothingelse。
Buttastewastoostronginher。Shecouldnotabstracthermindfiveminutes：shewasforcedtolisten；hisreadingwascapital，andherpleasureingoodreadingextreme。
To_good_reading，however，shehadbeenlongused：
herunclereadwell，hercousinsall，Edmundverywell，butinMr。Crawford’sreadingtherewasavarietyofexcellencebeyondwhatshehadevermetwith。TheKing，theQueen，Buckingham，Wolsey，Cromwell，allweregiveninturn；forwiththehappiestknack，thehappiestpowerofjumpingandguessing，hecouldalwaysalightatwillonthebestscene，orthebestspeechesofeach；
andwhetheritweredignity，orpride，ortenderness，orremorse，orwhateverweretobeexpressed，hecoulddoitwithequalbeauty。Itwastrulydramatic。
HisactinghadfirsttaughtFannywhatpleasureaplaymightgive，andhisreadingbroughtallhisactingbeforeheragain；nay，perhapswithgreaterenjoyment，foritcameunexpectedly，andwithnosuchdrawbackasshehadbeenusedtosufferinseeinghimonthestagewithMissBertram。
Edmundwatchedtheprogressofherattention，andwasamusedandgratifiedbyseeinghowshegraduallyslackenedintheneedlework，whichatthebeginningseemedtooccupyhertotally：howitfellfromherhandwhileshesatmotionlessoverit，andatlast，howtheeyeswhichhadappearedsostudiouslytoavoidhimthroughoutthedaywereturnedandfixedonCrawford——fixedonhimforminutes，fixedonhim，inshort，tilltheattractiondrewCrawford’suponher，andthebookwasclosed，andthecharmwasbroken。Thenshewasshrinkingagainintoherself，andblushingandworkingashardasever；
butithadbeenenoughtogiveEdmundencouragementforhisfriend，andashecordiallythankedhim，hehopedtobeexpressingFanny’ssecretfeelingstoo。
“Thatplaymustbeafavouritewithyou，“saidhe；
“youreadasifyouknewitwell。“
“Itwillbeafavourite，Ibelieve，fromthishour，“
repliedCrawford；“butIdonotthinkIhavehadavolumeofShakespeareinmyhandbeforesinceIwasfifteen。
IoncesawHenrytheEighthacted，orIhaveheardofitfromsomebodywhodid，Iamnotcertainwhich。
ButShakespeareonegetsacquaintedwithwithoutknowinghow。
ItisapartofanEnglishman’sconstitution。Histhoughtsandbeautiesaresospreadabroadthatonetouchesthemeverywhere；oneisintimatewithhimbyinstinct。
Nomanofanybraincanopenatagoodpartofoneofhisplayswithoutfallingintotheflowofhismeaningimmediately。“
“NodoubtoneisfamiliarwithShakespeareinadegree，“
saidEdmund，“fromone’searliestyears。Hiscelebratedpassagesarequotedbyeverybody；theyareinhalfthebooksweopen，andwealltalkShakespeare，usehissimiles，anddescribewithhisdescriptions；
butthisistotallydistinctfromgivinghissenseasyougaveit。Toknowhiminbitsandscrapsiscommonenough；
toknowhimprettythoroughlyis，perhaps，notuncommon；
buttoreadhimwellaloudisnoeverydaytalent。“
“Sir，youdomehonour，“wasCrawford’sanswer，withabowofmockgravity。
BothgentlemenhadaglanceatFanny，toseeifawordofaccordantpraisecouldbeextortedfromher；yetbothfeelingthatitcouldnotbe。Herpraisehadbeengiveninherattention；_that_mustcontentthem。
LadyBertram’sadmirationwasexpressed，andstronglytoo。
“Itwasreallylikebeingataplay，“saidshe。“IwishSirThomashadbeenhere。“
Crawfordwasexcessivelypleased。IfLadyBertram，withallherincompetencyandlanguor，couldfeelthis，theinferenceofwhatherniece，aliveandenlightenedasshewas，mustfeel，waselevating。
“Youhaveagreatturnforacting，Iamsure，Mr。Crawford，“
saidherladyshipsoonafterwards；“andIwilltellyouwhat，Ithinkyouwillhaveatheatre，sometimeorother，atyourhouseinNorfolk。Imeanwhenyouaresettledthere。
Idoindeed。IthinkyouwillfitupatheatreatyourhouseinNorfolk。“
“Doyou，ma’am？“criedhe，withquickness。“No，no，thatwillneverbe。Yourladyshipisquitemistaken。
NotheatreatEveringham!Ohno!“AndhelookedatFannywithanexpressivesmile，whichevidentlymeant，“ThatladywillneverallowatheatreatEveringham。“
Edmundsawitall，andsawFannysodetermined_not_toseeit，astomakeitclearthatthevoicewasenoughtoconveythefullmeaningoftheprotestation；andsuchaquickconsciousnessofcompliment，suchareadycomprehensionofahint，hethought，wasratherfavourablethannot。
Thesubjectofreadingaloudwasfartherdiscussed。
Thetwoyoungmenweretheonlytalkers，butthey，standingbythefire，talkedoverthetoocommonneglectofthequalification，thetotalinattentiontoit，intheordinaryschool-systemforboys，theconsequentlynatural，yetinsomeinstancesalmostunnatural，degreeofignoranceanduncouthnessofmen，ofsensibleandwell-informedmen，whensuddenlycalledtothenecessityofreadingaloud，whichhadfallenwithintheirnotice，givinginstancesofblunders，andfailureswiththeirsecondarycauses，thewantofmanagementofthevoice，ofpropermodulationandemphasis，offoresightandjudgment，allproceedingfromthefirstcause：wantofearlyattentionandhabit；
andFannywaslisteningagainwithgreatentertainment。
“Eveninmyprofession，“saidEdmund，withasmile，“howlittletheartofreadinghasbeenstudied!howlittleaclearmanner，andgooddelivery，havebeenattendedto!
Ispeakratherofthepast，however，thanthepresent。
Thereisnowaspiritofimprovementabroad；butamongthosewhowereordainedtwenty，thirty，fortyyearsago，thelargernumber，tojudgebytheirperformance，musthavethoughtreadingwasreading，andpreachingwaspreaching。Itisdifferentnow。Thesubjectismorejustlyconsidered。Itisfeltthatdistinctnessandenergymayhaveweightinrecommendingthemostsolidtruths；
andbesides，thereismoregeneralobservationandtaste，amorecriticalknowledgediffusedthanformerly；
ineverycongregationthereisalargerproportionwhoknowalittleofthematter，andwhocanjudgeandcriticise。“