第28章

ifshewerevexedandalarmed——butMarialookedallserenityandsatisfaction，andJuliawellknewthatonthisgroundMariacouldnotbehappybutatherexpense。

Withhastyindignation，therefore，andatremulousvoice，shesaidtohim，“YoudonotseemafraidofnotkeepingyourcountenancewhenIcomeinwithabasketofprovisions——thoughonemighthavesupposed——butitisonlyasAgathathatIwastobesooverpowering!“

Shestopped——HenryCrawfordlookedratherfoolish，andasifhedidnotknowwhattosay。TomBertrambeganagain——

“MissCrawfordmustbeAmelia。ShewillbeanexcellentAmelia。“

“Donotbeafraidof_my_wantingthecharacter，“

criedJulia，withangryquickness：“Iam_not_tobeAgatha，andIamsureIwilldonothingelse；andastoAmelia，itisofallpartsintheworldthemostdisgustingtome。

Iquitedetesther。Anodious，little，pert，unnatural，impudentgirl。Ihavealwaysprotestedagainstcomedy，andthisiscomedyinitsworstform。“Andsosaying，shewalkedhastilyoutoftheroom，leavingawkwardfeelingstomorethanone，butexcitingsmallcompassioninanyexceptFanny，whohadbeenaquietauditorofthewhole，andwhocouldnotthinkofherasundertheagitationsof_jealousy_withoutgreatpity。

Ashortsilencesucceededherleavingthem；butherbrothersoonreturnedtobusinessandLovers’Vows，andwaseagerlylookingovertheplay，withMr。Yates’shelp，toascertainwhatscenerywouldbenecessary——whileMariaandHenryCrawfordconversedtogetherinanunder-voice，andthedeclarationwithwhichshebeganof，“IamsureIwouldgiveuptheparttoJuliamostwillingly，butthatthoughIshallprobablydoitveryill，Ifeelpersuaded_she_woulddoitworse，“wasdoubtlessreceivingallthecomplimentsitcalledfor。

Whenthishadlastedsometime，thedivisionofthepartywascompletedbyTomBertramandMr。Yateswalkingofftogethertoconsultfartherintheroomnowbeginningtobecalled_the__Theatre_，andMissBertram’sresolvingtogodowntotheParsonageherselfwiththeofferofAmeliatoMissCrawford；andFannyremainedalone。

Thefirstuseshemadeofhersolitudewastotakeupthevolumewhichhadbeenleftonthetable，andbegintoacquaintherselfwiththeplayofwhichshehadheardsomuch。Hercuriositywasallawake，andsheranthroughitwithaneagernesswhichwassuspendedonlybyintervalsofastonishment，thatitcouldbechoseninthepresentinstance，thatitcouldbeproposedandacceptedinaprivatetheatre!AgathaandAmeliaappearedtoherintheirdifferentwayssototallyimproperforhomerepresentation——thesituationofone，andthelanguageoftheother，sounfittobeexpressedbyanywomanofmodesty，thatshecouldhardlysupposehercousinscouldbeawareofwhattheywereengagingin；

andlonged

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