@@@@@There—very good school-room chairs,
@@@@@There—very good school-room chairs, not
made for a theatre, I dare say; much more fitted for little girls to sit
and kick their feet against when they are learning a lessonWhat
would your governess and your uncle say to see them used for such
a purpose? Could Sir Thomas look in upon us just now, he would
bless himself, for we are rehearsing all over the houseYates is storming
away in the dining-roomI heard him as I came upstairs, and
the theatre is engaged of course by those indefatigable rehearsers,
Agatha and FrederickIf they are not perfect, I shall be surprisedBy
the bye, I looked in upon them five minutes ago, and it happened
to be exactly at one of the times when they were trying not to embrace,
and MrRushworth was with meI thought he began to look
a little queer, so I turned it off as well as I could, by whispering to
him, ‘We shall have an excellent Agatha; there is something so maternal
in her manner, so completely maternal in her voice and countenance
Was not that well done of me? He brightened up directly
Now for my soliloquy
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Jane Austen
She began, and Fanny joined in with all the modest feeling which
the idea of representing Edmund was so strongly calculated to inspire;
but with looks and voice so truly feminine as to be no very
good picture of a manWith such an Anhalt, however, Miss Crawford
had courage enough; and they had got through half the scene, when
a tap at the door brought a pause, and the entrance of Edmund, the
next moment, suspended it all
Surprise, consciousness, and pleasure appeared in each of the
three on this unexpected meeting; and as Edmund was come on
the very same business that had brought Miss Crawford, consciousness
and pleasure were likely to be more than momentary in them
He too had his book, and was seeking Fanny, to ask her to rehearse
with him, and help him to prepare for the evening, without
knowing Miss Crawford to be in the house; and great was the joy
and animation of being thus thrown together, of comparing
schemes, and sympathising in praise of Fanny’s kind offices
She could not equal them in their warmthHer spirits sank under
the glow of theirs, and she felt herself becoming too nearly nothing
to both to have any comfort in having been sought by eitherThey
must now rehearse togetherEdmund proposed, urged, entreated
it, till the lady, not very unwilling at first, could refuse no longer,
and Fanny was wanted only to prompt and observe themShe was
invested, indeed, with the office of judge and critic, and earnestly
desired to exercise it and tell them all their faults; but from doing so
every feeling within her shrank—she could not, would not, dared
not attempt it: had she been otherwise qualified for criticism, her
conscience must have restrained her from venturing at disapprobation
She believed herself to feel too much of it in the aggregate for
honesty or safety in particularsTo prompt them must be enough
for her; and it was sometimes more than enough; for she could not
always pay attention to the bookIn watching them she forgot herself;
and, agitated by the increasing spirit of Edmund’s manner, had
once closed the page and turned away exactly as he wanted helpIt
was imputed to very reasonable weariness, and she was thanked and
pitied; but she deserved their pity more than she hoped they would
ever surmiseAt last the scene was over, and Fanny forced herself to
add her praise to the compliments each was giving the other; and
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Mansfield Park
when again alone and able to recall the whole, she was inclined to
believe their performance would, indeed, have such nature and feeling
in it as must ensure their credit, and make it a very suffering
exhibition to herselfWhatever might be its effect, however, she
must stand the brunt of it again that very day