It was, indeed, a triumphant day to Mr. Bertram and Maria. Such a victory over Edmund's discretion had been beyond their hopes, and was most delightful. There was no longer anything to disturb them in their darling project, and they congratulated each other in private on the jealous weakness to which they attributed the change, with all the glee of feelings gratified in every way. Edmund might still look grave, and say he did not like the scheme in general, and must disapprove the play in particular; their point was gained; he was to act, and he was driven to it by the force of selfish inclinations only. Edmund had descended from that moral elevation which he had maintained before, and they were both as much the better as the happier for the descent.

They behaved very well, however, to him on the occasion, betraying no exultation beyond the lines about the corners of the mouth, and seemed to think it as great an escape to be quit of the intrusion of Charles Maddox, as if they had been forced into admitting him against their inclination.“To have it quite in their own family circle was what they had particularly wished. A stranger among them would have been the destruction of all their comfort,” and when Edmund, pursuing that idea, gave a hint of his hope as to the limitation of the audience, they were ready, in the complaisance of the moment, to promise anything. It was all good humour and encouragement. Mrs. Norris offered to contrive his dress, Mr. Yates assured him that Anhalt's last scene with the Baron admitted a good deal of action and emphasis, and Mr. Rushworth undertook to count his speeches.

“Perhaps,” said Tom, “Fanny may be more disposed to oblige us now. Perhaps you may persuade her.”

“No, she is quite determined. She certainly will not act.”

“Oh! very well.” And not another word was said; but Fanny felt herself again in danger, and her indifference to the danger was beginning to fail her already.

There were not fewer smiles at the Parsonage than at the Park on this change in Edmund; Miss Crawford looked very lovely in hers, and entered with such an instantaneous renewal of cheerfulness into the whole affair as could have but one effect on him. “He was certainly right in respecting such feelings; he was glad he had determined on it.” And the morning wore away in satisfactions very sweet, if not very sound. One advantage resulted from it to Fanny; at the earnest request of Miss Crawford, Mrs. Grant had, with her usual good humour, agreed to undertake the part for which Fanny had been wanted—and this was all that occurred to gladden her heart during the day; and even this, when imparted by Edmund, brought a pang with it, for it was Miss Crawford to whom she was obliged, it was Miss Crawford whose kind exertions were to excite her gratitude, and whose merit in making them was spoken of with a glow of admiration. She was safe; but peace and safety were unconnected here. Her mind had been never farther from peace. She could not feel that she had done wrong herself, but she was disquieted in every other way. Her heart and her judgment were equally against Edmund's decision; she could not acquit his unsteadiness, and his happiness under it made her wretched. She was full of jealousy and agitation. Miss Crawford came with looks of gaiety which seemed an insult, with friendly expressions towards herself which she could hardly answer calmly. Everybody around her was gay and busy, prosperous and important; each had their object of interest, their part, their dress, their favourite scene, their friends and confederates: all were finding employment in consultations and comparisons, or diversion in the playful conceits they suggested. She alone was sad and insignificant: she had no share in anything; she might go or stay; she might be in the midst of their noise, or retreat from it to the solitude of the East room, without being seen or missed. She could almost think anything would have been preferable to this. Mrs. Grant was of consequence: her good nature had honourable mention—her taste and her time were considered—her presence was wanted—she was sought for, and attended, and praised; and Fanny was at first in some danger of envying her the character she had accepted. But reflection brought better feelings, and showed her that Mrs. Grant was entitled to respect, which could never have belonged to her; and that, had she received even the greatest, she could never have been easy in joining a scheme which, considering only her uncle, she must condemn altogether.

Fanny's heart was not absolutely the only saddened one amongst them, as she soon began to acknowledge to herself. Julia was a sufferer too, though not quite so blamelessly.

Henry Crawford had trifled with her feelings; but she had very long allowed and even sought his attentions, with a jealousy of her sister so reasonable as ought to have been their cure; and now that the conviction of his preference for Maria had been forced on her, she submitted to it without any alarm for Maria's situation, or any endeavour at rational tranquillity for herself. She either sat in gloomy silence, wrapt in such gravity as nothing could subdue, no curiosity touch, no wit amuse; or allowing the attentions of Mr. Yates, was talking with forced gaiety to him alone, and ridiculing the acting of the others.

For a day or two after the affront was given, Henry Crawford had endeavoured to do it away by the usual attack of gallantry and compliment, but he had not cared enough about it to persevere against a few repulses; and becoming soon too busy with his play to have time for more than one flirtation, he grew indifferent to the quarrel, or rather thought it a lucky occurrence, as quietly putting an end to what might ere long have raised expectations in more than Mrs. Grant. She was not pleased to see Julia excluded from the play, and sitting by disregarded; but as it was not a matter which really involved her happiness, as Henry must be the best judge of his own, and as he did assure her, with a most persuasive smile, that neither he nor Julia had ever had a serious thought of each other, she could only renew her former caution as to the elder sister, entreat him not to risk his tranquillity by too much admiration there, and then gladly take her share in anything that brought cheerfulness to the young people in general, and that did so particularly promote the pleasure of the two so dear to her.

“I rather wonder Julia is not in love with Henry,” was her observation to Mary.

“I dare say she is,” replied Mary coldly. “I imagine both sisters are.”

“Both! No, no, that must not be. Do not give him a hint of it. Think of Mr. Rushworth!”

“You had better tell Miss Bertram to think of Mr. Rushworth. It may do her some good. I often think of Mr. Rushworth's property and independence, and wish them in other hands—but I never think of him. A man might represent the county with such an estate; a man might escape a profession and represent the county.”

“I dare say he will be in parliament soon. When Sir Thomas comes, I dare say he will be in for some borough, but there has been nobody to put him in the way of doing anything yet.”

“Sir Thomas is to achieve mighty things when he comes home,” said Mary, after a pause. “Do you remember Hawkins Browne's ‘Address to Tobacco,’ in imitation of Pope? —

Blest leaf! whose aromatic gales dispense

To Templars modesty, to Parsons sense.

I will parody them—

Blest Knight! whose dictatorial looks dispense

To Children affluence, to Rushworth sense.

Will not that do, Mrs. Grant? Everything seems to depend upon Sir Thomas's return.”

“You will find his consequence very just and reasonable when you see him in his family, I assure you. I do not think we do so well without him. He has a fine dignified manner, which suits the head of such a house, and keeps everybody in their place. Lady Bertram seems more of a cipher now than when he is at home; and nobody else can keep Mrs. Norris in order. But, Mary, do not fancy that Maria Bertram cares for Henry. I am sure Julia does not, or she would not have flirted as she did last night with Mr. Yates; and though he and Maria are very good friends, I think she likes Sotherton too well to be inconstant.”

“I would not give much for Mr. Rushworth's chance if Henry stept in before the articles were signed.”

“If you have such a suspicion, something must be done; and as soon as the play is all over, we will talk to him seriously and make him know his own mind; and if he means nothing, we will send him off, though he is Henry, for a time.”

Julia did suffer, however, though Mrs. Grant discerned it not, and though it escaped the notice of many of her own family likewise. She had loved, she did love still, and she had all the suffering which a warm temper and a high spirit were likely to endure under the disappointment of a dear, though irrational hope, with a strong sense of ill-usage. Her heart was sore and angry, and she was capable only of angry consolations. The sister with whom she was used to be on easy terms was now become her greatest enemy: they were alienated from each other; and Julia was not superior to the hope of some distressing end to the attentions which were still carrying on there, some punishment to Maria for conduct so shameful towards herself as well as towards Mr. Rushworth. With no material fault of temper, or difference of opinion, to prevent their being very good friends while their interests were the same, the sisters, under such a trial as this, had not affection or principle enough to make them merciful or just, to give them honour or compassion. Maria felt her triumph, and pursued her purpose, careless of Julia; and Julia could never see Maria distinguished by Henry Crawford without trusting that it would create jealousy, and bring a public disturbance at last.

Fanny saw and pitied much of this in Julia; but there was no outward fellowship between them. Julia made no communication, and Fanny took no liberties. They were two solitary sufferers, or connected only by Fanny's consciousness.

The inattention of the two brothers and the aunt to Julia's discomposure, and their blindness to its true cause, must be imputed to the fullness of their own minds. They were totally preoccupied. Tom was engrossed by the concerns of his theatre, and saw nothing that did not immediately relate to it. Edmund, between his theatrical and his real part, between Miss Crawford's claims and his own conduct, between love and consistency, was equally unobservant; and Mrs. Norris was too busy in contriving and directing the general little matters of the company, superintending their various dresses with economical expedient, for which nobody thanked her, and saving, with delighted integrity, half-a-crown here and there to the absent Sir Thomas, to have leisure for watching the behaviour, or guarding the happiness of his daughters.

对伯特伦先生和玛丽亚来说，这真是大获全胜的一天。能一举战胜埃德蒙的审慎，这超出了他们的期望，使他们万分高兴。再不会有什么事情来干扰他们心爱的计划了。他们感到满意极了，私下喜不自禁地相互祝贺，把这一变化归结为嫉妒心所致。埃德蒙尽可以继续板着脸，说他一般说来不喜欢演戏，特别反对演这出戏，但是他们已经达到了目的。埃德蒙将参加演出，而且完全是受自私的动机所驱使。他从他原先坚守的道德高地上跌落下来，他的跌落使他们两个不仅更加快活，而且更加自命不凡。

不过，他们当面对埃德蒙还很客气，除了嘴角上露出几丝微笑外，脸上丝毫没有显出得意的神色，似乎能把查尔斯·马多克斯拒之门外，他们也认为是万幸，好像当初他们并非有意要他来，而是迫不得已。“完全控制在自家人的圈子里来演，这正是我们所希望的。让一个陌生人夹在我们中间，那只会破坏我们的意兴。”埃德蒙趁势表示希望对看戏的人加以限制。他们由于一时得意，对埃德蒙提什么要求都满口应承。这真是皆大欢喜，令人鼓舞。诺里斯太太主动提出帮他设计服装，耶茨先生向他保证安哈尔特和男爵的最后一场戏要增加情节和分量，拉什沃思先生答应给他查一查他有多少段台词。

“也许，”汤姆说，“范妮现在比较愿意给我们帮忙了。也许你能说服她。”

“不，她非常坚决。她肯定不会演。”

“啊！好呀。”汤姆再没说什么。不过，范妮感到自己又有危险了。她原来将这危险置之度外，现在又为之担起心来。

埃德蒙改变态度之后，牧师府像庄园一样一片欢笑声。克劳福德小姐笑得非常迷人，又立即兴高采烈地参加到这件事情中来。这对埃德蒙只能产生一个效果：“我尊重这样的情感无疑是正确的，我很高兴做出了这样的决定。”这天上午是在快活中度过的。这快活虽然不是十分酣畅，却也颇为甜蜜。这也给范妮带来一个好处。应克劳福德小姐的恳求，素来好性子的格兰特太太答应扮演他们要范妮扮演的角色——这一天中，只有这一件事能让范妮开心。即使是这件事，等埃德蒙传达给她的时候，也给她带来了痛苦，因为这件事还多亏了克劳福德小姐，她得感谢克劳福德小姐好心相助，埃德蒙对克劳福德小姐的这份功劳赞赏不已。她平安无事了，但是平安无事并未使她心情平静。她的心情从未这样不平静。她觉得自己并没做错事，但是除此之外，她对什么都感到不安。她从理智到情感，都反对埃德蒙所做的决定。她不能原谅他说变就变，他这一变倒是高兴了，却害得她不好受。她心里充满了嫉妒和不安。克劳福德小姐满面春风地走来，她觉得这是对她的侮辱；克劳福德小姐亲切地跟她说话，她却不能平心静气地回答。她周围的人，个个又高兴又忙碌，又顺心又神气。人人都有自己关注的目标，自己的角色，自己的服装，自己心爱的一幕，自己的朋友和盟友；人人都在议论，都在商讨，或者从嬉戏调笑中寻开心。只有她一人闷闷不乐，无足轻重。什么事情都没有她的份儿，她可以走开也可以留下，可以置身于喧闹之中，也可以回到寂静的东屋，没人会注意她，也没人会牵挂她。她觉得，简直没有比这更糟糕的境况了。格兰特太太成了显要人物：大家称赞她为人和蔼可亲——尊重她的情趣喜好和审时度势——凡事需要她到场——大家向她求教，围着她转，夸奖她。刚一开始，范妮几乎要嫉妒她所承担的角色，但经过仔细考虑，她心里好受了一些，觉得格兰特太太是值得受人尊敬的，而她自己是决不会受到这样的尊敬的。她即使受到最大程度的尊敬，也决不会心安理得地参加演出，因为只要想到她姨父，她就会觉得这戏根本不该演。

在众人当中，心头沉重的绝非范妮一人，范妮本人很快也意识到了这一点。朱莉娅也在伤心，不过她可不像范妮那样没有过错。

亨利·克劳福德玩弄了她的感情，但她为了和姐姐争风吃醋，曾长期容许，甚至逗引他向她献殷勤。这种争风吃醋本是可以理解的，她们也应该因此抑制自己的感情。现在她总算看清楚了，克劳福德先生看上的是玛丽亚。她接受了这一现实，既没有对玛丽亚的境遇感到惊愕，也没有努力靠理智使自己平静下来。她不是阴沉沉地坐在那里一言不发，始终板着面孔，什么也无法让她开心，什么也不想打听，对什么俏皮话都无动于衷，便是听任耶茨先生向她献殷勤，对他一个人强颜欢笑，讥笑别人的表演。

亨利·克劳福德得罪了朱莉娅后的一两天，他力求消除隔阂，照常讨好朱莉娅，向她献殷勤。不过，他也没有太在意这件事，碰了几次钉子便也不再坚持。过了不久，他就忙着演戏，没有工夫再去调情了。他慢慢把这次争吵置之度外，甚至认为这是一桩好事，于是很快便悄然终止了人们可能产生的一种期待；而可能产生这种期待的，还不仅仅是格兰特太太一个人。格兰特太太看到朱莉娅被排除在剧组之外，无人理会地坐在一边，心里感到不快。不过，这件事与她的幸福没有什么关系，应该由亨利自己做主，而亨利带着至诚可信的微笑对她说过，他和朱莉娅谁对谁都不曾认真动过心思。因此，她只是把朱莉娅的姐姐已经订婚的事向他重提一遍，求他不要过分倾心于她，以免自寻烦恼。接着，她便高高兴兴地去参加能给诸位年轻人，特别是能给她特别亲近的两位年轻人带来快乐的各种活动了。

“我感到很奇怪，朱莉娅怎么没有爱上亨利。”她对玛丽说。

“我敢说她爱上亨利了，”玛丽冷冷地答道，“我认为姐妹俩都爱他。”

“姐妹俩都爱！不，不，可不能出这样的事。可别给他露这个口风。要为拉什沃思先生着想。”

“你最好叫伯特伦小姐为拉什沃思先生着想。这样做会对她有好处。我经常琢磨拉什沃思先生的那份财产和那笔充裕的收入，心想换一个主人该有多好——可我从没往他身上想。一个人有这么多的资产就可以做一个郡的代表，不用从事任何职业就可以代表一个郡。”

“我想他很快就会进入国会。托马斯爵士回来后，我敢说他会当上某个市镇的代表，不过现在还没有人支持他。”

“托马斯爵士回来后会做成一桩桩大事的。”顿了一会之后，玛丽说道，“你记得霍金斯·布朗[1]模仿蒲柏写的《烟草歌》吗？

神圣的树叶啊！你芬芳的气息，

能使圣殿的骑士彬彬有礼，教区的牧师头脑清晰。

“我来个戏仿：

神圣的爵士啊！你那威严的神情，

能使儿女们个个丰衣足食，拉什沃思头脑清晰。

“难道不合适吗，格兰特太太？好像什么事情都要取决于托马斯爵士回来。”

“告诉你吧，你要是看见他和家人在一起，就会意识到他的威望完全是正当的、合理的。我认为，我们要是没有他，情况就不会这么好。他举止优雅庄重，适合做这种人家的一家之主，让家人个个规规矩矩。现在比起他在家的时候，伯特伦夫人说话更没人听了。除了托马斯爵士，谁也管不住诺里斯太太。不过，玛丽，不要以为玛丽亚·伯特伦喜欢亨利。我确信朱莉娅没有看上他，不然的话，她昨天晚上就不会和耶茨先生调情。虽然玛丽亚和亨利是很好的朋友，但我觉得她非常喜欢索瑟顿，因此不会变心的。”

“在正式订婚之前，如果让亨利插在中间，我看拉什沃思先生就不会有多大希望。”

“既然你有这样的猜疑，那我就得采取点措施，等演完戏以后，我们就和亨利正经地谈一谈，问问他到底是怎么想的。如果他根本无意，我们即使舍不得放他走，也要打发他上别处住上一段时间。”

不过，朱莉娅的心里的确是痛苦的，只不过格兰特太太没有看出来，家里的其他人也没察觉罢了。她爱上了亨利·克劳福德，现在依然爱着他。她那热切而又失去理性的希望破灭后，她深感自己受尽虐待，只是由于脾气暴烈、性情高傲，才能强忍下这百般痛苦。她心里悲愤交加，只能靠发泄愤怒寻求安慰。她和姐姐本来处得挺好，现在姐姐却成了她最大的敌人。两人已经彼此疏远了。朱莉娅希望还在谈情说爱的两个人没有个好下场，希望玛丽亚这种对自己、对拉什沃思先生都极为可耻的行为受到应有的惩罚。这姐妹俩在没有利害冲突的时候，倒还能不闹意气，没有意见分歧，因而彼此还非常要好。现在遇到了这样的考验，却都把感情抛到了一边，也忘了为人之道，彼此狠起心来，不讲道理，连脸面和情面都不要了。玛丽亚得意扬扬，继续追逐她的目标，全然不把朱莉娅放在心上。朱莉娅一看到亨利·克劳福德对玛丽亚献殷勤，就巴不得他们会引起嫉妒，最后酿成一场轩然大波。

朱莉娅的这种心理，范妮大体上能理解，也予以同情。不过，她们两人表面上没有什么交情。朱莉娅不主动搭理，范妮也不敢冒昧。她们各有各自的辛酸，或者只是范妮心里把两人连在了一起。

两位哥哥和大姨妈对朱莉娅的烦恼不闻不问，对那烦恼的真正原因视而不见，那是因为他们已经心无余力。他们都在全神贯注于别的事情。汤姆一心扑在演戏上，与此无关的事一概看不见。埃德蒙既要琢磨他所扮演的角色，又要盘算他真正的角色；既要考虑克劳福德小姐的要求，又要顾及他自己的行为；既要谈情说爱，又要遵循行为准则，因此同样注意不到身边的一切。诺里斯太太忙着为剧组筹划，指导种种细小事务，本着节俭的原则监督各种服装的制作，尽管没人因此感激她，她还是为远在海外的托马斯爵士这里省半克朗，那里省半克朗，为自己为人清廉而沾沾自喜。她自然没有闲暇去注意他那两个女儿的行为，或关心她们的幸福。

* * *

[1]艾萨克·霍金斯·布朗（Isaac Hawkins Browne，1705—1760），英国诗人，以妙语连珠著称。