@@@@@Yates was to have been Count Cassel“A
@@@@@Yates was to have
been Count Cassel“A trifling part,” said he, “and not at all to my
taste, and such a one as I certainly would not accept again; but I was
determined to make no difficultiesLord Ravenshaw and the duke
had appropriated the only two characters worth playing before I
reached Ecclesford; and though Lord Ravenshaw offered to resign
his to me, it was impossible to take it, you knowI was sorry for him
that he should have so mistaken his powers, for he was no more
equal to the Baron—a little man with a weak voice, always hoarse
after the first ten minutesIt must have injured the piece materially;
but I was resolved to make no difficultiesSir Henry thought the
duke not equal to Frederick, but that was because Sir Henry wanted
the part himself; whereas it was certainly in the best hands of the
twoI was surprised to see Sir Henry such a stickLuckily the strength
of the piece did not depend upon himOur Agatha was inimitable,
and the duke was thought very great by manyAnd upon the whole,
it would certainly have gone off wonderfully
“It was a hard case, upon my word”; and, “I do think you were
very much to be pitied,” were the kind responses of listening sympathy
“It is not worth complaining about; but to be sure the poor old
dowager could not have died at a worse time; and it is impossible to
help wishing that the news could have been suppressed for just the
three days we wantedIt was but three days; and being only a grandmother,
and all happening two hundred miles off, I think there
would have been no great harm, and it was suggested, I know; but
Lord Ravenshaw, who I suppose is one of the most correct men in
England, would not hear of it
“An afterpiece instead of a comedy,” said Mr“Lovers’
Vows were at an end, and Lord and Lady Ravenshaw left to act My
Grandmother by themselvesWell, the jointure may comfort him;
and perhaps, between friends, he began to tremble for his credit
and his lungs in the Baron, and was not sorry to withdraw; and to
make you amends, Yates, I think we must raise a little theatre at
Mansfield, and ask you to be our manager
This, though the thought of the moment, did not end with the
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moment; for the inclination to act was awakened, and in no one
more strongly than in him who was now master of the house; and
who, having so much leisure as to make almost any novelty a certain
good, had likewise such a degree of lively talents and comic
taste, as were exactly adapted to the novelty of actingThe thought
returned again and again“Oh for the Ecclesford theatre and scenery
to try something with Each sister could echo the wish; and
Henry Crawford, to whom, in all the riot of his gratifications it was
yet an untasted pleasure, was quite alive at the idea“I really believe,”
said he, “I could be fool enough at this moment to undertake
any character that ever was written, from Shylock or Richard III
down to the singing hero of a farce in his scarlet coat and cocked
hatI feel as if I could be anything or everything; as if I could rant
and storm, or sigh or cut capers, in any tragedy or comedy in the
English languageLet us be doing somethingBe it only half a play,
an act, a scene; what should prevent us? Not these countenances, I
am sure,” looking towards the Miss Bertrams; “and for a theatre,
what signifies a theatre? We shall be only amusing ourselvesAny
room in this house might suffi