Withsuchpowersashis，however，andsuchadispositionashers，Edmundtrustedthateverythingwouldworkoutahappyconclusion。Meanwhile，hesawenoughofFanny’sembarrassmenttomakehimscrupulouslyguardagainstexcitingitasecondtime，byanyword，orlook，ormovement。
　　Crawfordcalledthenextday，andonthescoreofEdmund’sreturn，SirThomasfelthimselfmorethanlicensedtoaskhimtostaydinner；itwasreallyanecessarycompliment。
　　Hestaidofcourse，andEdmundhadthenampleopportunityforobservinghowhespedwithFanny，andwhatdegreeofimmediateencouragementforhimmightbeextractedfromhermanners；anditwassolittle，sovery，verylittle——
　　everychance，everypossibilityofit，restinguponherembarrassmentonly；iftherewasnothopeinherconfusion，therewashopeinnothingelse——thathewasalmostreadytowonderathisfriend’sperseverance。Fannywasworthitall；heheldhertobewortheveryeffortofpatience，everyexertionofmind，buthedidnotthinkhecouldhavegoneonhimselfwithanywomanbreathing，withoutsomethingmoretowarmhiscouragethanhiseyescoulddiscerninhers。
　　HewasverywillingtohopethatCrawfordsawclearer，andthiswasthemostcomfortableconclusionforhisfriendthathecouldcometofromallthatheobservedtopassbefore，andat，andafterdinner。
　　Intheeveningafewcircumstancesoccurredwhichhethoughtmorepromising。WhenheandCrawfordwalkedintothedrawing-room，hismotherandFannyweresittingasintentlyandsilentlyatworkasiftherewerenothingelsetocarefor。
　　Edmundcouldnothelpnoticingtheirapparentlydeeptranquillity。
　　“Wehavenotbeensosilentallthetime，“repliedhismother。
　　“Fannyhasbeenreadingtome，andonlyputthebookdownuponhearingyoucoming。“Andsureenoughtherewasabookonthetablewhichhadtheairofbeingveryrecentlyclosed：avolumeofShakespeare。
　　“Sheoftenreadstomeoutofthosebooks；andshewasinthemiddleofaveryfinespeechofthatman’s——
　　what’shisname，Fanny？——whenweheardyourfootsteps。“
　　Crawfordtookthevolume。“Letmehavethepleasureoffinishingthatspeechtoyourladyship，“saidhe。
　　“Ishallfinditimmediately。“Andbycarefullygivingwaytotheinclinationoftheleaves，hedidfindit，orwithinapageortwo，quitenearenoughtosatisfyLadyBertram，whoassuredhim，assoonashementionedthenameofCardinalWolsey，thathehadgottheveryspeech。
　　NotalookoranofferofhelphadFannygiven；notasyllablefororagainst。Allherattentionwasforherwork。
　　Sheseemeddeterminedtobeinterestedbynothingelse。
　　Buttastewastoostronginher。Shecouldnotabstracthermindfiveminutes：shewasforcedtolisten；hisreadingwascapital，andherpleasureingoodreadingextreme。
　　To_good_reading，however，shehadbeenlongused：
　　herunclereadwell，hercousinsall，Edmundverywell，butinMr。Crawford’sreadingtherewasavarietyofexcellencebeyondwhatshehadevermetwith。TheKing，theQueen，Buckingham，Wolsey，Cromwell，allweregiveninturn；forwiththehappiestknack，thehappiestpowerofjumpingandguessing，hecouldalwaysalightatwillonthebestscene，orthebestspeechesofeach；
　　andwhetheritweredignity，orpride，ortenderness，orremorse，orwhateverweretobeexpressed，hecoulddoitwithequalbeauty。Itwastrulydramatic。
　　HisactinghadfirsttaughtFannywhatpleasureaplaymightgive，andhisreadingbroughtallhisactingbeforeheragain；nay，perhapswithgreaterenjoyment，foritcameunexpectedly，andwithnosuchdrawbackasshehadbeenusedtosufferinseeinghimonthestagewithMissBertram。
　　Edmundwatchedtheprogressofherattention，andwasamusedandgratifiedbyseeinghowshegraduallyslackenedintheneedlework，whichatthebeginningseemedtooccupyhertotally：howitfellfromherhandwhileshesatmotionlessoverit，andatlast，howtheeyeswhichhadappearedsostudiouslytoavoidhimthroughoutthedaywereturnedandfixedonCrawford——fixedonhimforminutes，fixedonhim，inshort，tilltheattractiondrewCrawford’suponher，andthebookwasclosed，andthecharmwasbroken。Thenshewasshrinkingagainintoherself，andblushingandworkingashardasever；
　　butithadbeenenoughtogiveEdmundencouragementforhisfriend，andashecordiallythankedhim，hehopedtobeexpressingFanny’ssecretfeelingstoo。
　　“Thatplaymustbeafavouritewithyou，“saidhe；
　　“youreadasifyouknewitwell。“
　　“Itwillbeafavourite，Ibelieve，fromthishour，“
　　repliedCrawford；“butIdonotthinkIhavehadavolumeofShakespeareinmyhandbeforesinceIwasfifteen。
　　IoncesawHenrytheEighthacted，orIhaveheardofitfromsomebodywhodid，Iamnotcertainwhich。
　　ButShakespeareonegetsacquaintedwithwithoutknowinghow。
　　ItisapartofanEnglishman’sconstitution。Histhoughtsandbeautiesaresospreadabroadthatonetouchesthemeverywhere；oneisintimatewithhimbyinstinct。
　　Nomanofanybraincanopenatagoodpartofoneofhisplayswithoutfallingintotheflowofhismeaningimmediately。“
　　“NodoubtoneisfamiliarwithShakespeareinadegree，“
　　saidEdmund，“fromone’searliestyears。Hiscelebratedpassagesarequotedbyeverybody；theyareinhalfthebooksweopen，andwealltalkShakespeare，usehissimiles，anddescribewithhisdescriptions；
　　butthisistotallydistinctfromgivinghissenseasyougaveit。Toknowhiminbitsandscrapsiscommonenough；
　　toknowhimprettythoroughlyis，perhaps，notuncommon；
　　buttoreadhimwellaloudisnoeverydaytalent。“
　　“Sir，youdomehonour，“wasCrawford’sanswer，withabowofmockgravity。
　　BothgentlemenhadaglanceatFanny，toseeifawordofaccordantpraisecouldbeextortedfromher；yetbothfeelingthatitcouldnotbe。Herpraisehadbeengiveninherattention；_that_mustcontentthem。
　　LadyBertram’sadmirationwasexpressed，andstronglytoo。
　　“Itwasreallylikebeingataplay，“saidshe。“IwishSirThomashadbeenhere。“
　　Crawfordwasexcessivelypleased。IfLadyBertram，withallherincompetencyandlanguor，couldfeelthis，theinferenceofwhatherniece，aliveandenlightenedasshewas，mustfeel，waselevating。
　　“Youhaveagreatturnforacting，Iamsure，Mr。Crawford，“
　　saidherladyshipsoonafterwards；“andIwilltellyouwhat，Ithinkyouwillhaveatheatre，sometimeorother，atyourhouseinNorfolk。Imeanwhenyouaresettledthere。
　　Idoindeed。IthinkyouwillfitupatheatreatyourhouseinNorfolk。“
　　“Doyou，ma’am？“criedhe，withquickness。“No，no，thatwillneverbe。Yourladyshipisquitemistaken。
　　NotheatreatEveringham!Ohno!“AndhelookedatFannywithanexpressivesmile，whichevidentlymeant，“ThatladywillneverallowatheatreatEveringham。“
　　Edmundsawitall，andsawFannysodetermined_not_toseeit，astomakeitclearthatthevoicewasenoughtoconveythefullmeaningoftheprotestation；andsuchaquickconsciousnessofcompliment，suchareadycomprehensionofahint，hethought，wasratherfavourablethannot。
　　Thesubjectofreadingaloudwasfartherdiscussed。
　　Thetwoyoungmenweretheonlytalkers，butthey，standingbythefire，talkedoverthetoocommonneglectofthequalification，thetotalinattentiontoit，intheordinaryschool-systemforboys，theconsequentlynatural，yetinsomeinstancesalmostunnatural，degreeofignoranceanduncouthnessofmen，ofsensibleandwell-informedmen，whensuddenlycalledtothenecessityofreadingaloud，whichhadfallenwithintheirnotice，givinginstancesofblunders，andfailureswiththeirsecondarycauses，thewantofmanagementofthevoice，ofpropermodulationandemphasis，offoresightandjudgment，allproceedingfromthefirstcause：wantofearlyattentionandhabit；
　　andFannywaslisteningagainwithgreatentertainment。
　　“Eveninmyprofession，“saidEdmund，withasmile，“howlittletheartofreadinghasbeenstudied!howlittleaclearmanner，andgooddelivery，havebeenattendedto!
　　Ispeakratherofthepast，however，thanthepresent。
　　Thereisnowaspiritofimprovementabroad；butamongthosewhowereordainedtwenty，thirty，fortyyearsago，thelargernumber，tojudgebytheirperformance，musthavethoughtreadingwasreading，andpreachingwaspreaching。Itisdifferentnow。Thesubjectismorejustlyconsidered。Itisfeltthatdistinctnessandenergymayhaveweightinrecommendingthemostsolidtruths；
　　andbesides，thereismoregeneralobservationandtaste，amorecriticalknowledgediffusedthanformerly；
　　ineverycongregationthereisalargerproportionwhoknowalittleofthematter，andwhocanjudgeandcriticise。“