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。