CHAPTER XIV

ce,ifyoucannotappreciatethetalentsofyourcompanyalittlebetter.” “Why,astothat,mygoodfriend,tillIandmycompanyhavereallyactedtheremustbesomeguessworkbutImeannodisparagementtoJulia.WecannothavetwoAgathas,andwemusthaveoneCottager’swifeandIamsureIsethertheexampleofmoderationmyselfinbeingsatisfiedwiththeoldButler.Ifthepartistriflingshewillhavemorecreditinmakingsomethingofitandifsheissodesperatelybentagainsteverythinghumorous,lethertakeCottager’sspeechesinsteadofCottager’swife’s,andsochangethepartsallthroughheissolemnandpatheticenough,Iamsure.Itcouldmakenodifferenceintheplay,andasforCottagerhimself,whenhehasgothiswife’sspeeches,Iwouldundertakehimwithallmyheart.” “WithallyourpartialityforCottager’swife,”saidHenryCrawford,“itwillbeimpossibletomakeanythingofitfitforyoursister,andwemustnotsufferhergood-naturetobeimposedon.Wemustnotallowhertoacceptthepart.Shemustnotbelefttoherowncomplaisance.HertalentswillbewantedinAmelia.AmeliaisacharactermoredifficulttobewellrepresentedthanevenAgatha.IconsiderAmeliaisthemostdifficultcharacterinthewholepiece.Itrequiresgreatpowers,greatnicety,togiveherplayfulnessandsimplicitywithoutextravagance.Ihaveseengoodactressesfailinthepart.Simplicity,indeed,isbeyondthereachofalmosteveryactressbyprofession.Itrequiresadelicacyoffeelingwhichtheyhavenot.Itrequiresagentlewoman—aJuliaBertram.Youwillundertakeit,Ihope?”turningtoherwithalookofanxiousentreaty,whichsoftenedheralittlebutwhileshehesitatedwhattosay,herbrotheragaininterposedwithMissCrawford’sbetterclaim. “No,no,JuliamustnotbeAmelia.Itisnotatallthepartforher.Shewouldnotlikeit.Shewouldnotdowell.Sheistootallandrobust.Ameliashouldbeasmall,light,girlish,skippingfigure.ItisfitforMissCrawford,andMissCrawfordonly.Shelooksthepart,andIampersuadedwilldoitadmirably.” Withoutattendingtothis,HenryCrawfordcontinuedhissupplication.“Youmustobligeus,”saidhe,“indeedyoumust.Whenyouhavestudiedthecharacter,Iamsureyouwillfeelitsuityou.Tragedymaybeyourchoice,butitwillcertainlyappearthatcomedychusesyou.Youwillbetovisitmeinprisonwithabasketofprovisionsyouwillnotrefusetovisitmeinprison?IthinkIseeyoucominginwithyourbasket.” Theinfluenceofhisvoicewasfelt.Juliawaveredbutwasheonlytryingtosootheandpacifyher,andmakeheroverlookthepreviousaffront?Shedistrustedhim.Theslighthadbeenmostdetermined.Hewas,perhaps,butattreacherousplaywithher.ShelookedsuspiciouslyathersisterMaria’scountenancewastodecideit:ifshewerevexedandala