Page:Jane Austen (Sarah Fanny Malden 1889).djvu/131

 play in the English language. I do not wish to make objections; I shall be happy to be of any use, but I think we could not choose worse.

A play is, however, found at last, and matters would go smoothly, but that the opportunities for lovemaking in the rehearsals are so many, Henry Crawford and Maria Bertram are so unguarded, and Mr. Rushworth and Julia Bertram both so jealous from their different stand-points, that Fanny, who sees it all, is much grieved. "Fanny being always a very courteous listener, and often the only listener at hand, came in for the complaints and distresses of most of them. She knew that Mr. Yates was in general thought to rant dreadfully; that Mr. Yates was disappointed in Henry Crawford; that Tom Bertram spoke so quickly that he would be unintelligible; that Mrs. Grant spoiled everything by laughing; that Edmund was behind-hand with his part; and that it was misery to have anything to do with Mr. Rushworth, who was wanting a prompter through every speech. She knew, also, that poor Mr. Rushworth could seldom get anybody to rehearse with him: his complaint came before her as well as the rest, and so decided, to her eye, was her cousin Maria's avoidance of him, and so needlessly often the rehearsal of the first scene between her and Mr. Crawford, that she had soon all the terror of other complaints from him." The climax of Fanny's distress is attained by seeing Edmund, who, knowing how greatly his father would disapprove of them, had hitherto opposed the theatricals, drawn in to take a part. The reason, he alleges to Fanny and to his own conscience, is that, unless he does so, Tom will invite a complete stranger in to fill the part, which would be highly undesirable;