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144 Mansfield Park CHAPTER XVIII EVERYTHING WAS NOW in a regular train: theatre, actors, actresses, and dresses, were all getting forward; but though no other great impediments arose, Fanny found, before many days were past, that it was not all uninterrupted enjoyment to the party themselves, and that she had not to witness the continuance of such unanimity and delight as had been almost too much for her at firstEverybody began to have their vexationEntirely against his judgment, a scene-painter arrived from town, and was at work, much to the increase of the expenses, and, what was worse, of the eclat of their proceedings; and his brother, instead of being really guided by him as to the privacy of the representation, was giving an invitation to every family who came in his wayTom himself began to fret over the scene-painter?s slow progress, and to feel the miseries of waitingHe had learned his part?all his parts, for he took every trifling one that could be united with the Butler, and began to be impatient to be acting; and every day thus unemployed was tending to increase his sense of the insignificance of all his parts together, and make him more ready to regret that some other play had not been chosen Fanny, being always a very courteous listener, and often the only listener at hand, came in for the complaints and the distresses of most of themYates was in general thought to rant dreadfully; that MrYates was disappointed in Henry Crawford; that Tom Bertram spoke so quick he would be unintelligible; that MrsGrant spoiled everything by laughing; that Edmund was behindhand with his part, and that it was misery to have anything to do with MrRushworth, who was chanel wallet wanting a prompter through every speechShe knew, also, that poor MrRushworth could seldom get anybody to rehearse with him: his complaint came before 145 Jane Austen 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 MrCrawford, that she had soon all the terror of other complaints from himSo far from being all satisfied and all enjoying, she found everybody requiring something they had not, and giving occasion of discontent to the othersEverybody had a part either too long or too short; nobody would attend as they ought; nobody would remember on which side they were to come in; nobody but the complainer would observe any directions Fanny believed herself to derive as much innocent enjoyment from the play as any of them; Henry Crawford acted well, and it was a pleasure to her to creep into the theatre, and attend the rehearsal of the first act, in spite of the feelings it excited in some speeches for MariaMaria, she also thought, acted well, too well; and after the first rehearsal or two, Fanny began to be their only audience; and sometimes as prompter, sometimes as spectator, was often very useful As far as she could judge, MrCrawford was considerably the best actor of all: he had more confidence than Edmund, more judgment than Tom, more talent and taste than MrShe did not like him as a man, but she must admit him to be the best actor, and on this point there were not many who differed from herYates, indeed, exclaimed against his tameness and insipidity; and the day came at last, when MrRushworth turned to her with a black look, and said, ?Do you think omega replica watches there is anything so very fine in all this? For the life and soul of me, I cannot admire him; and, between ourselves, to see such an undersized, little, mean-looking man, set up for a fine actor, is very ridiculous in my opinion From this moment there was a return of his former jealousy, which Maria, from increasing hopes of Crawford, was at little pains to remove; and the chances of MrRushworth?s ever attaining to the knowledge of his two-and-forty speeches became much lessAs to his ever making anything tolerable of them, nobody had the smallest idea of that except his mother; she, indeed, regretted that his part was not more considerable, and deferred coming over to Mansfield till they were forward enough in their rehearsal to comprehend all his scenes; but the others aspired at nothing beyond his remembering the catchword, and the first line of his speech, and being able to 146 Mansfield Park follow the prompter through the restFanny, in her pity and kindheartedness, was at great pains to teach him how to learn, giving him all the helps and directions in her power, trying to make an artificial memory for him, and learning every word of his part herself, but without his being much the forwarder Many uncomfortable, anxious, apprehensive feelings she certainly had; but with all these, and other claims on her time and attention, she was as far from finding herself without employment or utility amongst them, as without a companion in uneasiness; quite as far from having no demand on her leisure as on her compassionThe gloom of her first anticipations was proved to have been unfoundedShe was occasionally useful to all; she was perhaps as much at peace as any There was a second hand chanel great deal of needlework to be done, moreover, in which her help was wanted; and that MrsNorris thought her quite as well off as the rest, was evident by the manner in which she claimed it??Come, Fanny,? she cried, ?these are fine times for you, but you must not be always walking from one room to the other, and doing the lookings-on at your ease, in this way; I want you hereI have been slaving myself till I can hardly stand, to contrive Mr Rushworth?s cloak without sending for any more satin; and now I think you may give me your help in putting it togetherThere are but three seams; you may do them in a triceIt would be lucky for me if I had nothing but the executive part to doYou are best off, I can tell you: but if nobody did more than you, we should not get on very fast? Fanny took the work very quietly, without attempting any defence; but her kinder aunt Bertram observed on her behalf? ?One cannot wonder, sister, that Fanny should be delighted: it is all new to her, you know; you and I used to be very fond of a play ourselves, and so am I still; and as soon as I am a little more at leisure, I mean to look in at their rehearsals tooWhat is the play about, Fanny? you have never told me ?Oh! sister, pray do not ask her now; for Fanny is not one of those who can talk and work at the same timeIt is about Lovers? Vows ?I believe,? said Fanny to her aunt Bertram, ?there will be three acts rehearsed to-morrow evening, and that will give you an opportunity of seeing all the actors at once 147 Jane Austen ?You had better stay till the curtain is hung,? interposed Mrs Norris; ?the curtain will be hung in a day or two?there is very little sense in a play without a gucci g watch curtain?and I am much mistaken if you do not find it draw up into very handsome festoons Lady Bertram seemed quite resigned to waitingFanny did not share her aunt?s composure: she thought of the morrow a great deal, for if the three acts were rehearsed, Edmund and Miss Crawford would then be acting together for the first time; the third act would bring a scene between them which interested her most particularly, and which she was longing and dreading to see how they would performThe whole subject of it was love?a marriage of love was to be described by the gentleman, and very little short of a declaration of love be made by the lady She had read and read the scene again with many painful, many wondering emotions, and looked forward to their representation of it as a circumstance almost too interestingShe did not believe they had yet rehearsed it, even in private The morrow came, the plan for the evening continued, and Fanny?s consideration of it did not become less agitatedShe worked very diligently under her aunt?s directions, but her diligence and her silence concealed a very absent, anxious mind; and about noon she made her escape with her work to the East room, that she might have no concern in another, and, as she deemed it, most unnecessary rehearsal of the first act, which Henry Crawford was just proposing, desirous at once of having her time to herself, and of avoiding the sight of MrA glimpse, as she passed through the hall, of the two ladies walking up from the Parsonage made no change in her wish of retreat, and she worked and meditated in the East room, undisturbed, for a quarter of an hour, when a gentle tap at the door was followed by the entrance of Miss bag chloe paddington Craw