“IratherwonderJuliaisnotinlovewithHenry，“
　　washerobservationtoMary。
　　“Idaresaysheis，“repliedMarycoldly。“Iimaginebothsistersare。“
　　“Both!no，no，thatmustnotbe。Donotgivehimahintofit。ThinkofMr。Rushworth!“
　　“YouhadbettertellMissBertramtothinkofMr。Rushworth。
　　Itmaydo_her_somegood。IoftenthinkofMr。Rushworth’spropertyandindependence，andwishtheminotherhands；
　　butIneverthinkofhim。Amanmightrepresentthecountywithsuchanestate；amanmightescapeaprofessionandrepresentthecounty。“
　　“Idaresayhe_will_beinparliamentsoon。WhenSirThomascomes，Idaresayhewillbeinforsomeborough，buttherehasbeennobodytoputhiminthewayofdoinganythingyet。“
　　“SirThomasistoachievemanymightythingswhenhecomeshome，“saidMary，afterapause。“DoyourememberHawkinsBrowne’s’AddresstoTobacco，’inimitationofPope？——
　　Blestleaf!whosearomaticgalesdispenseToTemplarsmodesty，toParsonssense。
　　Iwillparodythem——
　　BlestKnight!whosedictatoriallooksdispenseToChildrenaffluence，toRushworthsense。
　　Willnotthatdo，Mrs。Grant？EverythingseemstodependuponSirThomas’sreturn。“
　　“Youwillfindhisconsequenceveryjustandreasonablewhenyouseehiminhisfamily，Iassureyou。Idonotthinkwedosowellwithouthim。Hehasafinedignifiedmanner，whichsuitstheheadofsuchahouse，andkeepseverybodyintheirplace。LadyBertramseemsmoreofaciphernowthanwhenheisathome；andnobodyelsecankeepMrs。Norrisinorder。But，Mary，donotfancythatMariaBertramcaresforHenry。Iamsure_Julia_doesnot，orshewouldnothaveflirtedasshedidlastnightwithMr。Yates；andthoughheandMariaareverygoodfriends，IthinkshelikesSothertontoowelltobeinconstant。“
　　“IwouldnotgivemuchforMr。Rushworth’schanceifHenrysteptinbeforethearticlesweresigned。“
　　“Ifyouhavesuchasuspicion，somethingmustbedone；
　　andassoonastheplayisallover，wewilltalktohimseriouslyandmakehimknowhisownmind；andifhemeansnothing，wewillsendhimoff，thoughheisHenry，foratime。“
　　Julia_did_suffer，however，thoughMrs。Grantdiscerneditnot，andthoughitescapedthenoticeofmanyofherownfamilylikewise。Shehadloved，shedidlovestill，andshehadallthesufferingwhichawarmtemperandahighspiritwerelikelytoendureunderthedisappointmentofadear，thoughirrationalhope，withastrongsenseofill-usage。Herheartwassoreandangry，andshewascapableonlyofangryconsolations。Thesisterwithwhomshewasusedtobeoneasytermswasnowbecomehergreatestenemy：theywerealienatedfromeachother；
　　andJuliawasnotsuperiortothehopeofsomedistressingendtotheattentionswhichwerestillcarryingonthere，somepunishmenttoMariaforconductsoshamefultowardsherselfaswellastowardsMr。Rushworth。Withnomaterialfaultoftemper，ordifferenceofopinion，topreventtheirbeingverygoodfriendswhiletheirinterestswerethesame，thesisters，undersuchatrialasthis，hadnotaffectionorprincipleenoughtomakethemmercifulorjust，togivethemhonourorcompassion。Mariafelthertriumph，andpursuedherpurpose，carelessofJulia；
　　andJuliacouldneverseeMariadistinguishedbyHenryCrawfordwithouttrustingthatitwouldcreatejealousy，andbringapublicdisturbanceatlast。
　　FannysawandpitiedmuchofthisinJulia；buttherewasnooutwardfellowshipbetweenthem。Juliamadenocommunication，andFannytooknoliberties。Theyweretwosolitarysufferers，orconnectedonlybyFanny’sconsciousness。
　　TheinattentionofthetwobrothersandtheaunttoJulia’sdiscomposure，andtheirblindnesstoitstruecause，mustbeimputedtothefullnessoftheirownminds。
　　Theyweretotallypreoccupied。Tomwasengrossedbytheconcernsofhistheatre，andsawnothingthatdidnotimmediatelyrelatetoit。Edmund，betweenhistheatricalandhisrealpart，betweenMissCrawford’sclaimsandhisownconduct，betweenloveandconsistency，wasequallyunobservant；andMrs。Norriswastoobusyincontrivinganddirectingthegenerallittlemattersofthecompany，superintendingtheirvariousdresseswitheconomicalexpedient，forwhichnobodythankedher，andsaving，withdelightedintegrity，halfacrownhereandtheretotheabsentSirThomas，tohaveleisureforwatchingthebehaviour，orguardingthehappinessofhisdaughters。
　　Everythingwasnowinaregulartrain：theatre，actors，actresses，anddresses，wereallgettingforward；
　　butthoughnoothergreatimpedimentsarose，Fannyfound，beforemanydayswerepast，thatitwasnotalluninterruptedenjoymenttothepartythemselves，andthatshehadnottowitnessthecontinuanceofsuchunanimityanddelightashadbeenalmosttoomuchforheratfirst。
　　Everybodybegantohavetheirvexation。Edmundhadmany。
　　Entirelyagainst_his_judgment，ascene-painterarrivedfromtown，andwasatwork，muchtotheincreaseoftheexpenses，and，whatwasworse，oftheeclatoftheirproceedings；andhisbrother，insteadofbeingreallyguidedbyhimastotheprivacyoftherepresentation，wasgivinganinvitationtoeveryfamilywhocameinhisway。
　　Tomhimselfbegantofretoverthescene-painter’sslowprogress，andtofeelthemiseriesofwaiting。
　　Hehadlearnedhispart——allhisparts，forhetookeverytriflingonethatcouldbeunitedwiththeButler，andbegantobeimpatienttobeacting；andeverydaythusunemployedwastendingtoincreasehissenseoftheinsignificanceofallhispartstogether，andmakehimmorereadytoregretthatsomeotherplayhadnotbeenchosen。
　　Fanny，beingalwaysaverycourteouslistener，andoftentheonlylistenerathand，cameinforthecomplaintsandthedistressesofmostofthem。_She_knewthatMr。Yateswasingeneralthoughttorantdreadfully；
　　thatMr。YateswasdisappointedinHenryCrawford；
　　thatTomBertramspokesoquickhewouldbeunintelligible；
　　thatMrs。Grantspoiledeverythingbylaughing；thatEdmundwasbehindhandwithhispart，andthatitwasmiserytohaveanythingtodowithMr。Rushworth，whowaswantingaprompterthrougheveryspeech。Sheknew，also，thatpoorMr。Rushworthcouldseldomgetanybodytorehearsewithhim：
　　_his_complaintcamebeforeheraswellastherest；
　　andsodecidedtohereyewashercousinMaria’savoidanceofhim，andsoneedlesslyoftentherehearsalofthefirstscenebetweenherandMr。Crawford，thatshehadsoonalltheterrorofothercomplaintsfrom_him_。
　　Sofarfrombeingallsatisfiedandallenjoying，shefoundeverybodyrequiringsomethingtheyhadnot，andgivingoccasionofdiscontenttotheothers。
　　Everybodyhadaparteithertoolongortooshort；
　　nobodywouldattendastheyought；nobodywouldrememberonwhichsidetheyweretocomein；nobodybutthecomplainerwouldobserveanydirections。
　　Fannybelievedherselftoderiveasmuchinnocentenjoymentfromtheplayasanyofthem；HenryCrawfordactedwell，anditwasapleasureto_her_tocreepintothetheatre，andattendtherehearsalofthefirstact，inspiteofthefeelingsitexcitedinsomespeechesforMaria。Maria，shealsothought，actedwell，toowell；andafterthefirstrehearsalortwo，Fannybegantobetheironlyaudience；
　　andsometimesasprompter，sometimesasspectator，wasoftenveryuseful。Asfarasshecouldjudge，Mr。Crawfordwasconsiderablythebestactorofall：
　　hehadmoreconfidencethanEdmund，morejudgmentthanTom，moretalentandtastethanMr。Yates。Shedidnotlikehimasaman，butshemustadmithimtobethebestactor，andonthispointtherewerenotmanywhodifferedfromher。
　　Mr。Yates，indeed，exclaimedagainsthistamenessandinsipidity；andthedaycameatlast，whenMr。Rushworthturnedtoherwithablacklook，andsaid，“Doyouthinkthereisanythingsoveryfineinallthis？Forthelifeandsoulofme，Icannotadmirehim；and，betweenourselves，toseesuchanundersized，little，mean-lookingman，setupforafineactor，isveryridiculousinmyopinion。“
　　Fromthismomenttherewasareturnofhisformerjealousy，whichMaria，fromincreasinghopesofCrawford，wasatlittlepainstoremove；andthechancesofMr。Rushworth’severattainingtotheknowledgeofhistwo-and-fortyspeechesbecamemuchless。Astohisevermakinganything_tolerable_ofthem，nobodyhadthesmallestideaofthatexcepthismother；_she_，indeed，regrettedthathispartwasnotmoreconsiderable，anddeferredcomingovertoMansfieldtilltheywereforwardenoughintheirrehearsaltocomprehendallhisscenes；buttheothersaspiredatnothingbeyondhisrememberingthecatchword，andthefirstlineofhisspeech，andbeingabletofollowtheprompterthroughtherest。Fanny，inherpityandkindheartedness，wasatgreatpainstoteachhimhowtolearn，givinghimallthehelpsanddirectionsinherpower，tryingtomakeanartificialmemoryforhim，andlearningeverywordofhispartherself，butwithouthisbeingmuchtheforwarder。
　　Manyuncomfortable，anxious，apprehensivefeelingsshecertainlyhad；butwithallthese，andotherclaimsonhertimeandattention，shewasasfarfromfindingherselfwithoutemploymentorutilityamongstthem，aswithoutacompanioninuneasiness；quiteasfarfromhavingnodemandonherleisureasonhercompassion。
　　Thegloomofherfirstanticipationswasprovedtohavebeenunfounded。Shewasoccasionallyusefultoall；