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；