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1Fanny seemed nearer being right than Edmund had supposed. The business of finding a play that would suit everybody
2proved to be no trifle; and the carpenter had received his orders and taken his measurements, had suggested and removed
3at least two sets of difficulties, and having made the necessity of an enlargement of plan and expense fully evident,
4was already at work, while a play was still to seek. Other preparations were also in hand. An enormous roll of green
5baize had arrived from Northampton, and been cut out by Mrs. Norris (with a saving by her good management of full
6three-quarters of a yard), and was actually forming into a curtain by the housemaids, and still the play was wanting;
7and as two or three days passed away in this manner, Edmund began almost to hope that none might ever be found. There
8were, in fact, so many things to be attended to, so many people to be pleased, so many best characters required, and,
9above all, such a need that the play should be at once both tragedy and comedy, that there did seem as little chance of
10a decision as anything pursued by youth and zeal could hold out. On the tragic side were the Miss Bertrams, Henry
11Crawford, and Mr. Yates; on the comic, Tom Bertram, not quite alone, because it was evident that Mary Crawford's wishes,
12though politely kept back, inclined the same way: but his determinateness and his power seemed to make allies
13unnecessary; and, independent of this great irreconcilable difference, they wanted a piece containing very few
14characters in the whole, but every character first-rate, and three principal women. All the best plays were run over in
15vain. Neither Hamlet, nor Macbeth, nor Othello, nor Douglas, nor The Gamester, presented anything that could satisfy
16even the tragedians; and The Rivals, The School for Scandal, Wheel of Fortune, Heir at Law, and a long et cetera, were
17successively dismissed with yet warmer objections. No piece could be proposed that did not supply somebody with a
18difficulty, and on one side or the other it was a continual repetition of, "Oh no, that will never do! Let us have no
19ranting tragedies. Too many characters. Not a tolerable woman's part in the play. Anything but that, my dear Tom. It
20would be impossible to fill it up. One could not expect anybody to take such a part. Nothing but buffoonery from
21beginning to end. That might do, perhaps, but for the low parts. If I must give my opinion, I have always thought it the
22most insipid play in the English language. I do not wish to make objections; I shall be happy to be of any use, but I
23think we could not chuse worse." Fanny looked on and listened, not unamused to observe the selfishness which, more or
24less disguised, seemed to govern them all, and wondering how it would end. For her own gratification she could have
25wished that something might be acted, for she had never seen even half a play, but everything of higher consequence was
26against it. "This will never do," said Tom Bertram at last. "We are wasting time most abominably. Something must be
27fixed on. No matter what, so that something is chosen. We must not be so nice. A few characters too many must not
28frighten us. We must double them. We must descend a little. If a part is insignificant, the greater our credit in making
29anything of it. From this moment I make no difficulties. I take any part you chuse to give me, so as it be comic. Let it
30but be comic, I condition for nothing more." For about the fifth time he then proposed the Heir at Law, doubting only
31whether to prefer Lord Duberley or Dr. Pangloss for himself; and very earnestly, but very unsuccessfully, trying to
32persuade the others that there were some fine tragic parts in the rest of the Dramatis Personæ. The pause which followed
33this fruitless effort was ended by the same speaker, who, taking up one of the many volumes of plays that lay on the
34table, and turning it over, suddenly exclaimed--"Lovers' Vows! And why should not Lovers' Vows do for us as well as for
35the Ravenshaws? How came it never to be thought of before? It strikes me as if it would do exactly. What say you all?
36Here are two capital tragic parts for Yates and Crawford, and here is the rhyming Butler for me, if nobody else wants
37it; a trifling part, but the sort of thing I should not dislike, and, as I said before, I am determined to take anything
38and do my best. And as for the rest, they may be filled up by anybody. It is only Count Cassel and Anhalt." The
39suggestion was generally welcome. Everybody was growing weary of indecision, and the first idea with everybody was, that
40nothing had been proposed before so likely to suit them all. Mr. Yates was particularly pleased: he had been sighing and
41longing to do the Baron at Ecclesford, had grudged every rant of Lord Ravenshaw's, and been forced to re-rant it all in
42his own room. The storm through Baron Wildenheim was the height of his theatrical ambition; and with the advantage of
43knowing half the scenes by heart already, he did now, with the greatest alacrity, offer his services for the part. To do
44him justice, however, he did not resolve to appropriate it; for remembering that there was some very good ranting-ground
45in Frederick, he professed an equal willingness for that. Henry Crawford was ready to take either. Whichever Mr. Yates
46did not chuse would perfectly satisfy him, and a short parley of compliment ensued. Miss Bertram, feeling all the
47interest of an Agatha in the question, took on her to decide it, by observing to Mr. Yates that this was a point in
48which height and figure ought to be considered, and that his being the tallest, seemed to fit him peculiarly for the
49Baron. She was acknowledged to be quite right, and the two parts being accepted accordingly, she was certain of the
50proper Frederick. Three of the characters were now cast, besides Mr. Rushworth, who was always answered for by Maria as
51willing to do anything; when Julia, meaning, like her sister, to be Agatha, began to be scrupulous on Miss Crawford's
52account. "This is not behaving well by the absent," said she. "Here are not women enough. Amelia and Agatha may do for
53Maria and me, but here is nothing for your sister, Mr. Crawford." Mr. Crawford desired that might not be thought of: he
54was very sure his sister had no wish of acting but as she might be useful, and that she would not allow herself to be
55considered in the present case. But this was immediately opposed by Tom Bertram, who asserted the part of Amelia to be
56in every respect the property of Miss Crawford, if she would accept it. "It falls as naturally, as necessarily to her,"
57said he, "as Agatha does to one or other of my sisters. It can be no sacrifice on their side, for it is highly comic." A
58short silence followed. Each sister looked anxious; for each felt the best claim to Agatha, and was hoping to have it
59pressed on her by the rest. Henry Crawford, who meanwhile had taken up the play, and with seeming carelessness was
60turning over the first act, soon settled the business. "I must entreat Miss Julia Bertram," said he, "not to engage in
61the part of Agatha, or it will be the ruin of all my solemnity. You must not, indeed you must not" (turning to her). "I
62could not stand your countenance dressed up in woe and paleness. The many laughs we have had together would infallibly
63come across me, and Frederick and his knapsack would be obliged to run away."
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