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"Have you ever happened to look at the part I mean?" continued Miss Crawford, opening her book.
"Here it is. I did not think much of it at first but, upon my word . There, look at that speech, and that
, and that. How am I ever to look him in the face and say such things? Could you do it? But then he is
your cousin, which makes all the difference. You must rehearse it with me, that I may fancy you him, and
get on by degrees. You have a look of his sometimes."
"Have I? I will do my best with the greatest readiness but I must read the part, for I can say very
little of it."
" Noneof it, I suppose. You are to have the book of course. Now for it. We must have two chairs at
hand for you to bring forward to the front of the stage. There very good school-room chairs, not made
for a theater, I dare say; much more fitted for little girls to sit and kick their feet against when they are
learning a lesson. What 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
house. Yates is storming away in the dining room. I heard him as I came upstairs, and the theater is
engaged of course by those indefatigable rehearsers, Agatha and Frederick. If they are not perfect, I
shall be surprised. By 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 Mr. Rushworth was with me. I 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
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countenance.' Was not that well done of me? He brightened up directly. Now for my soliloquy."
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 man. With 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 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.
Shecould not equal them in their warmth. Her 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 either. They must
now rehearse together. Edmund 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 them. She 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
particulars. To prompt them must be enough for her; and it was sometimes more than enough; for she
could not always pay attention to the book. In 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
help. It was imputed to very reasonable weariness and she was thanked and pitied; but she deserved
their pity, more than she hoped they would ever surmise. At last the scene was over, and Fanny forced
herself to add her praise to the compliments each was giving the other; and 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 herself. Whatever might
be its effect, however, she must stand the brunt of it again that very day.
The first regular rehearsal of the three first acts was certainly to take place in the evening; Mrs. Grant
and the Crawfords were engaged to return for that purpose as soon as they could after dinner; and every [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]