shewasperhapsasmuchatpeaceasany。
　　Therewasagreatdealofneedleworktobedone，moreover，inwhichherhelpwaswanted；andthatMrs。Norristhoughtherquiteaswelloffastherest，wasevidentbythemannerinwhichsheclaimedit——“Come，Fanny，“
　　shecried，“thesearefinetimesforyou，butyoumustnotbealwayswalkingfromoneroomtotheother，anddoingthelookings-onatyourease，inthisway；
　　Iwantyouhere。IhavebeenslavingmyselftillI
　　canhardlystand，tocontriveMr。Rushworth’scloakwithoutsendingforanymoresatin；andnowIthinkyoumaygivemeyourhelpinputtingittogether。
　　Therearebutthreeseams；youmaydotheminatrice。
　　ItwouldbeluckyformeifIhadnothingbuttheexecutiveparttodo。_You_arebestoff，Icantellyou：
　　butifnobodydidmorethan_you_，weshouldnotgetonveryfast“
　　Fannytooktheworkveryquietly，withoutattemptinganydefence；butherkinderauntBertramobservedonherbehalf——
　　“Onecannotwonder，sister，thatFanny_should_bedelighted：
　　itisallnewtoher，youknow；youandIusedtobeveryfondofaplayourselves，andsoamIstill；
　　andassoonasIamalittlemoreatleisure，_I_meantolookinattheirrehearsalstoo。Whatistheplayabout，Fanny？youhavenevertoldme。“
　　“Oh!sister，praydonotaskhernow；forFannyisnotoneofthosewhocantalkandworkatthesametime。
　　ItisaboutLovers’Vows。“
　　“Ibelieve，“saidFannytoherauntBertram，“therewillbethreeactsrehearsedto-morrowevening，andthatwillgiveyouanopportunityofseeingalltheactorsatonce。“
　　“Youhadbetterstaytillthecurtainishung，“interposedMrs。Norris；“thecurtainwillbehunginadayortwo——
　　thereisverylittlesenseinaplaywithoutacurtain——
　　andIammuchmistakenifyoudonotfinditdrawupintoveryhandsomefestoons。“
　　LadyBertramseemedquiteresignedtowaiting。Fannydidnotshareheraunt’scomposure：shethoughtofthemorrowagreatdeal，forifthethreeactswererehearsed，EdmundandMissCrawfordwouldthenbeactingtogetherforthefirsttime；thethirdactwouldbringascenebetweenthemwhichinterestedhermostparticularly，andwhichshewaslonginganddreadingtoseehowtheywouldperform。Thewholesubjectofitwaslove——
　　amarriageoflovewastobedescribedbythegentleman，andverylittleshortofadeclarationoflovebemadebythelady。
　　Shehadreadandreadthesceneagainwithmanypainful，manywonderingemotions，andlookedforwardtotheirrepresentationofitasacircumstancealmosttoointeresting。
　　Shedidnot_believe_theyhadyetrehearsedit，eveninprivate。
　　Themorrowcame，theplanfortheeveningcontinued，andFanny’sconsiderationofitdidnotbecomelessagitated。
　　Sheworkedverydiligentlyunderheraunt’sdirections，butherdiligenceandhersilenceconcealedaveryabsent，anxiousmind；andaboutnoonshemadeherescapewithherworktotheEastroom，thatshemighthavenoconcerninanother，and，asshedeemedit，mostunnecessaryrehearsalofthefirstact，whichHenryCrawfordwasjustproposing，desirousatonceofhavinghertimetoherself，andofavoidingthesightofMr。Rushworth。
　　Aglimpse，asshepassedthroughthehall，ofthetwoladieswalkingupfromtheParsonagemadenochangeinherwishofretreat，andsheworkedandmeditatedintheEastroom，undisturbed，foraquarterofanhour，whenagentletapatthedoorwasfollowedbytheentranceofMissCrawford。
　　“AmIright？Yes；thisistheEastroom。MydearMissPrice，Ibegyourpardon，butIhavemademywaytoyouonpurposetoentreatyourhelp。“
　　Fanny，quitesurprised，endeavouredtoshewherselfmistressoftheroombyhercivilities，andlookedatthebrightbarsofheremptygratewithconcern。
　　“Thankyou；Iamquitewarm，verywarm。Allowmetostayherealittlewhile，anddohavethegoodnesstohearmemythirdact。Ihavebroughtmybook，andifyouwouldbutrehearseitwithme，Ishouldbe_so_obliged!
　　Icamehereto-dayintendingtorehearseitwithEdmund——
　　byourselves——againsttheevening，butheisnotintheway；
　　andifhe_were_，IdonotthinkIcouldgothroughitwith_him_，tillIhavehardenedmyselfalittle；
　　forreallythereisaspeechortwo。Youwillbesogood，won’tyou？“
　　Fannywasmostcivilinherassurances，thoughshecouldnotgivetheminaverysteadyvoice。
　　“HaveyoueverhappenedtolookatthepartImean？“
　　continuedMissCrawford，openingherbook。“Hereitis。
　　Ididnotthinkmuchofitatfirst——but，uponmyword。
　　There，lookat_that_speech，and_that_，and_that_。
　　HowamIevertolookhiminthefaceandsaysuchthings？
　　Couldyoudoit？Butthenheisyourcousin，whichmakesallthedifference。Youmustrehearseitwithme，thatI
　　mayfancy_you_him，andgetonbydegrees。You_have_alookof_his_sometimes。“
　　“HaveI？Iwilldomybestwiththegreatestreadiness；
　　butImust_read_thepart，forIcansayverylittleofit。“
　　“_None_ofit，Isuppose。Youaretohavethebook，ofcourse。Nowforit。Wemusthavetwochairsathandforyoutobringforwardtothefrontofthestage。
　　There——verygoodschool-roomchairs，notmadeforatheatre，Idaresay；muchmorefittedforlittlegirlstositandkicktheirfeetagainstwhentheyarelearningalesson。
　　Whatwouldyourgovernessandyourunclesaytoseethemusedforsuchapurpose？CouldSirThomaslookinuponusjustnow，hewouldblesshimself，forwearerehearsingalloverthehouse。Yatesisstormingawayinthedining-room。IheardhimasIcameupstairs，andthetheatreisengagedofcoursebythoseindefatigablerehearsers，AgathaandFrederick。If_they_arenotperfect，I_shall_besurprised。Bythebye，Ilookedinuponthemfiveminutesago，andithappenedtobeexactlyatoneofthetimeswhentheyweretrying_not_toembrace，andMr。Rushworthwaswithme。Ithoughthebegantolookalittlequeer，soIturneditoffaswellasIcould，bywhisperingtohim，’WeshallhaveanexcellentAgatha；
　　thereissomethingso_maternal_inhermanner，socompletely_maternal_inhervoiceandcountenance。’
　　Wasnotthatwelldoneofme？Hebrightenedupdirectly。
　　Nowformysoliloquy。“
　　Shebegan，andFannyjoinedinwithallthemodestfeelingwhichtheideaofrepresentingEdmundwassostronglycalculatedtoinspire；butwithlooksandvoicesotrulyfeminineastobenoverygoodpictureofaman。WithsuchanAnhalt，however，MissCrawfordhadcourageenough；
　　andtheyhadgotthroughhalfthescene，whenatapatthedoorbroughtapause，andtheentranceofEdmund，thenextmoment，suspendeditall。
　　Surprise，consciousness，andpleasureappearedineachofthethreeonthisunexpectedmeeting；andasEdmundwascomeontheverysamebusinessthathadbroughtMissCrawford，consciousnessandpleasurewerelikelytobemorethanmomentaryin_them_。Hetoohadhisbook，andwasseekingFanny，toaskhertorehearsewithhim，andhelphimtopreparefortheevening，withoutknowingMissCrawfordtobeinthehouse；andgreatwasthejoyandanimationofbeingthusthrowntogether，ofcomparingschemes，andsympathisinginpraiseofFanny’skindoffices。
　　_She_couldnotequalthemintheirwarmth。_Her_spiritssankundertheglowoftheirs，andshefeltherselfbecomingtoonearlynothingtobothtohaveanycomfortinhavingbeensoughtbyeither。Theymustnowrehearsetogether。
　　Edmundproposed，urged，entreatedit，tillthelady，notveryunwillingatfirst，couldrefusenolonger，andFannywaswantedonlytopromptandobservethem。
　　Shewasinvested，indeed，withtheofficeofjudgeandcritic，andearnestlydesiredtoexerciseitandtellthemalltheirfaults；butfromdoingsoeveryfeelingwithinhershrank——shecouldnot，wouldnot，darednotattemptit：
　　hadshebeenotherwisequalifiedforcriticism，herconsciencemusthaverestrainedherfromventuringatdisapprobation。
　　Shebelievedherselftofeeltoomuchofitintheaggregateforhonestyorsafetyinparticulars。Topromptthemmustbeenoughforher；anditwassometimes_more_thanenough；
　　forshecouldnotalwayspayattentiontothebook。
　　Inwatchingthemsheforgotherself；and，agitatedbytheincreasingspiritofEdmund’smanner，hadonceclosedthepageandturnedawayexactlyashewantedhelp。
　　Itwasimputedtoveryreasonableweariness，andshewasthankedandpitied；butshedeservedtheirpitymorethanshehopedtheywouldeversurmise。Atlastthescenewasover，andFannyforcedherselftoaddherpraisetothecomplimentseachwasgivingtheother；andwhenagainaloneandabletorecallthewhole，shewasinclinedtobelievetheirperformancewould，indeed，havesuchnatureandfeelinginitasmustensuretheircredit，andmakeitaverysufferingexhibitiontoherself。