Nomatterwhat，sothatsomethingischosen。Wemustnotbesonice。Afewcharacterstoomanymustnotfrightenus。
　　Wemust_double_them。Wemustdescendalittle。
　　Ifapartisinsignificant，thegreaterourcreditinmakinganythingofit。FromthismomentImakenodifficulties。
　　Itakeanypartyouchusetogiveme，soasitbecomic。
　　Letitbutbecomic，Iconditionfornothingmore。“
　　ForaboutthefifthtimehethenproposedtheHeiratLaw，doubtingonlywhethertopreferLordDuberleyorDr。Panglossforhimself；andveryearnestly，butveryunsuccessfully，tryingtopersuadetheothersthatthereweresomefinetragicpartsintherestofthedramatispersonae。
　　Thepausewhichfollowedthisfruitlesseffortwasendedbythesamespeaker，who，takinguponeofthemanyvolumesofplaysthatlayonthetable，andturningitover，suddenlyexclaimed——“Lovers’Vows!
　　AndwhyshouldnotLovers’Vowsdofor_us_aswellasfortheRavenshaws？Howcameitnevertobethoughtofbefore？Itstrikesmeasifitwoulddoexactly。
　　Whatsayyouall？HerearetwocapitaltragicpartsforYatesandCrawford，andhereistherhymingButlerforme，ifnobodyelsewantsit；atriflingpart，butthesortofthingIshouldnotdislike，and，asIsaidbefore，Iamdeterminedtotakeanythinganddomybest。
　　Andasfortherest，theymaybefilledupbyanybody。
　　ItisonlyCountCasselandAnhalt。“
　　Thesuggestionwasgenerallywelcome。Everybodywasgrowingwearyofindecision，andthefirstideawitheverybodywas，thatnothinghadbeenproposedbeforesolikelytosuitthemall。Mr。Yateswasparticularlypleased：hehadbeensighingandlongingtodotheBaronatEcclesford，hadgrudgedeveryrantofLordRavenshaw’s，andbeenforcedtore-rantitallinhisownroom。ThestormthroughBaronWildenheimwastheheightofhistheatricalambition；
　　andwiththeadvantageofknowinghalfthescenesbyheartalready，hedidnow，withthegreatestalacrity，offerhisservicesforthepart。Todohimjustice，however，hedidnotresolvetoappropriateit；
　　forrememberingthattherewassomeverygoodranting-groundinFrederick，heprofessedanequalwillingnessforthat。
　　HenryCrawfordwasreadytotakeeither。WhicheverMr。Yatesdidnotchusewouldperfectlysatisfyhim，andashortparleyofcomplimentensued。MissBertram，feelingalltheinterestofanAgathainthequestion，tookonhertodecideit，byobservingtoMr。Yatesthatthiswasapointinwhichheightandfigureoughttobeconsidered，andthat_his_beingthetallest，seemedtofithimpeculiarlyfortheBaron。Shewasacknowledgedtobequiteright，andthetwopartsbeingacceptedaccordingly，shewascertainoftheproperFrederick。Threeofthecharacterswerenowcast，besidesMr。Rushworth，whowasalwaysansweredforbyMariaaswillingtodoanything；
　　whenJulia，meaning，likehersister，tobeAgatha，begantobescrupulousonMissCrawford’saccount。
　　“Thisisnotbehavingwellbytheabsent，“saidshe。
　　“Herearenotwomenenough。AmeliaandAgathamaydoforMariaandme，buthereisnothingforyoursister，Mr。Crawford。“
　　Mr。Crawforddesired_that_mightnotbethoughtof：
　　hewasverysurehissisterhadnowishofactingbutasshemightbeuseful，andthatshewouldnotallowherselftobeconsideredinthepresentcase。
　　ButthiswasimmediatelyopposedbyTomBertram，whoassertedthepartofAmeliatobeineveryrespectthepropertyofMissCrawford，ifshewouldacceptit。
　　“Itfallsasnaturally，asnecessarilytoher，“saidhe，“asAgathadoestooneorotherofmysisters。Itcanbenosacrificeontheirside，foritishighlycomic。“
　　Ashortsilencefollowed。Eachsisterlookedanxious；
　　foreachfeltthebestclaimtoAgatha，andwashopingtohaveitpressedonherbytherest。HenryCrawford，whomeanwhilehadtakenuptheplay，andwithseemingcarelessnesswasturningoverthefirstact，soonsettledthebusiness。
　　“ImustentreatMiss_Julia_Bertram，“saidhe，“nottoengageinthepartofAgatha，oritwillbetheruinofallmysolemnity。Youmustnot，indeedyoumustnot“
　　turningtoher。“Icouldnotstandyourcountenancedressedupinwoeandpaleness。Themanylaughswehavehadtogetherwouldinfalliblycomeacrossme，andFrederickandhisknapsackwouldbeobligedtorunaway。“
　　Pleasantly，courteously，itwasspoken；butthemannerwaslostinthemattertoJulia’sfeelings。
　　ShesawaglanceatMariawhichconfirmedtheinjurytoherself：itwasascheme，atrick；shewasslighted，Mariawaspreferred；thesmileoftriumphwhichMariawastryingtosuppressshewedhowwellitwasunderstood；
　　andbeforeJuliacouldcommandherselfenoughtospeak，herbrothergavehisweightagainsthertoo，bysaying，“Ohyes!MariamustbeAgatha。MariawillbethebestAgatha。ThoughJuliafanciesshepreferstragedy，Iwouldnottrustherinit。Thereisnothingoftragedyabouther。Shehasnotthelookofit。Herfeaturesarenottragicfeatures，andshewalkstooquick，andspeakstooquick，andwouldnotkeephercountenance。
　　Shehadbetterdotheoldcountrywoman：theCottager’swife；
　　youhad，indeed，Julia。Cottager’swifeisaveryprettypart，Iassureyou。Theoldladyrelievesthehigh-flownbenevolenceofherhusbandwithagooddealofspirit。
　　YoushallbeCottager’swife。“
　　“Cottager’swife!“criedMr。Yates。“Whatareyoutalkingof？Themosttrivial，paltry，insignificantpart；
　　themerestcommonplace；notatolerablespeechinthewhole。
　　Yoursisterdothat!Itisaninsulttoproposeit。
　　AtEcclesfordthegovernesswastohavedoneit。
　　Weallagreedthatitcouldnotbeofferedtoanybodyelse。
　　Alittlemorejustice，Mr。Manager，ifyouplease。
　　Youdonotdeservetheoffice，ifyoucannotappreciatethetalentsofyourcompanyalittlebetter。“
　　“Why，asto_that_，mygoodfriend，tillIandmycompanyhavereallyactedtheremustbesomeguesswork；butImeannodisparagementtoJulia。WecannothavetwoAgathas，andwemusthaveoneCottager’swife；andIamsureIsethertheexampleofmoderationmyselfinbeingsatisfiedwiththeoldButler。Ifthepartistriflingshewillhavemorecreditinmakingsomethingofit；andifsheissodesperatelybentagainsteverythinghumorous，lethertakeCottager’sspeechesinsteadofCottager’swife’s，andsochangethepartsallthrough；_he_issolemnandpatheticenough，Iamsure。Itcouldmakenodifferenceintheplay，andasforCottagerhimself，whenhehasgothiswife’sspeeches，_I_wouldundertakehimwithallmyheart。“
　　“WithallyourpartialityforCottager’swife，“
　　saidHenryCrawford，“itwillbeimpossibletomakeanythingofitfitforyoursister，andwemustnotsufferhergood-naturetobeimposedon。Wemustnot_allow_
　　hertoacceptthepart。Shemustnotbelefttoherowncomplaisance。HertalentswillbewantedinAmelia。
　　AmeliaisacharactermoredifficulttobewellrepresentedthanevenAgatha。IconsiderAmeliaisthemostdifficultcharacterinthewholepiece。Itrequiresgreatpowers，greatnicety，togiveherplayfulnessandsimplicitywithoutextravagance。Ihaveseengoodactressesfailinthepart。Simplicity，indeed，isbeyondthereachofalmosteveryactressbyprofession。Itrequiresadelicacyoffeelingwhichtheyhavenot。Itrequiresagentlewoman——aJuliaBertram。You_will_undertakeit，Ihope？“turningtoherwithalookofanxiousentreaty，whichsoftenedheralittle；butwhileshehesitatedwhattosay，herbrotheragaininterposedwithMissCrawford’sbetterclaim。
　　“No，no，JuliamustnotbeAmelia。Itisnotatallthepartforher。Shewouldnotlikeit。
　　Shewouldnotdowell。Sheistootallandrobust。
　　Ameliashouldbeasmall，light，girlish，skippingfigure。
　　ItisfitforMissCrawford，andMissCrawfordonly。
　　Shelooksthepart，andIampersuadedwilldoitadmirably。“
　　Withoutattendingtothis，HenryCrawfordcontinuedhissupplication。“Youmustobligeus，“saidhe，“indeedyoumust。Whenyouhavestudiedthecharacter，Iamsureyouwillfeelitsuityou。Tragedymaybeyourchoice，butitwillcertainlyappearthatcomedychuses_you_。
　　Youwillbetovisitmeinprisonwithabasketofprovisions；
　　youwillnotrefusetovisitmeinprison？IthinkI
　　seeyoucominginwithyourbasket“
　　Theinfluenceofhisvoicewasfelt。Juliawavered；
　　butwasheonlytryingtosootheandpacifyher，andmakeheroverlookthepreviousaffront？Shedistrustedhim。
　　Theslighthadbeenmostdetermined。Hewas，perhaps，butattreacherousplaywithher。Shelookedsuspiciouslyathersister；Maria’scountenancewastodecideit：