kind offices she could not equal them in their warmth her spirits sank under the glow of theirs and she felt herself becoming too nearly nothing to both to have any comfort in having been sought by either they must now together proposed urged entreated it till the lady not very unwilling at first could refuse no longer � and was wanted only to prompt and observe them she was invested indeed with the office of judge and critic and earnestly desired to exercise it and tell them all their faults but from doing so every feeling within her shrank she could not would not dared not attempt it had she been otherwise qualified for criticism her conscience must have restrained her from venturing at she believed herself to feel too much of it in the for honesty or safety in particulars to prompt them must be enough for her and it was sometimes more than enough for she could not always pay attention to the book in watching them she forgot herself and agitated by the increasing spirit of s manner had once closed the page and turned away exactly as he wanted help it was to very reasonable weariness and she was thanked and pitied but she deserved their pity more than park she hoped they would at last the scene was over and forced herself to add her praise to the compliments each was giving the other and when again alone and able to recall the whole she was inclined to believe their performance would indeed have such nature and feeling in it as must their credit and make it a very suffering exhibition to herself whatever might be its effect however she must stand the of it again that very day the first regular of the three first acts was certainly to take place in the evening mrs grant and the were engaged to return for that purpose as soon as they could after dinner and every one concerned was looking forward with eagerness there seemed a general of cheerfulness on the occasion tom was enjoying such an advance towards the end was in spirits from the morning s and little seemed everywhere smoothed away all were alert and impatient the ladies moved soon the gentlemen soon followed them and with the exception of lady mrs and everybody was in the theatre at an early hour and having lighted it up as well as its unfinished state admitted were waiting only the arrival of mrs grant and the to begin they did not wait long for the but there was no mrs grant she could not come dr grant an for which he had little credit with his fair sister in law could not spare his wife dr grant is ill said she with mock be has been ill r he did not eat any of the to day he fancied it sent ai ray plate and has been suffering ever here was disappointment mrs grant s non attendance was sad indeed her pleasant manners and cheerful made her always valuable amongst them but now she was absolutely they could not act they could not with any satisfaction without her the of the whole evening was destroyed what was to be done tom as was in despair after a pause of perplexity some eyes began to be turned towards and a voice or two to say if miss price would be so good as to read the part she was immediately surrounded by � everybody asked it even said do if it is not very disagreeable to you but still hung back she could not endure the idea of it why was not miss to be applied to as well or why had not she rather gone to her own room as she had felt to be safest instead of attending the at all she had known it would and distress her � she had known it her duty to keep away she was properly punished you have only to read the part said henry with renewed entreaty and i do believe she can say every word of it added maria for she could put mrs grant right the other day in twenty places i am sure you know the part vol i � could not say she did not and as they all � as repeated his wish and with a look of even fond dependence on her � she must yield she would do her everybody was satisfied and she was left to the of a most heart while the others prepared to begin they did begin and being too much engaged in their own noise to be struck by an unusual noise in the other part of the house had proceeded some way when the door of the room was thrown open and appearing at it with a face all aghast exclaimed my father is come i he is in the hall at this moment xix how the consternation of the party to be described to the greater number it was a moment of absolute horror sir thomas in the house all felt the conviction not a hope of or mistake was anywhere s looks were an evidence of the fact that made it and after the first starts and exclamations not a word was spoken for a minute each with an altered countenance was looking at some other and almost each was feeling it a stroke the most unwelcome most ill timed most appalling mr might consider it only as a interruption for the evening and mr might imagine it a blessing but every other heart was sinking under some degree of self condemnation or alarm � every other heart was suggesting what will become of us what is to be done now it was a terrible pause and terrible to every ear were the sounds of opening doors and passing footsteps was the first to move and speak again jealousy and 