Mansfield Park, Part 13 of 36

The Sleepy Bookshelf: Just Jane

The episode covers the sudden and unexpected arrival of Sir Thomas Bertram from Antigua, which disrupts the theatrical rehearsals at Mansfie

Key takeaways

• Sir Thomas Bertram arrives unexpectedly from Antigua, causing immediate shock and self-condemnation among the party.
• Julia Barlow exits the room in a fit of jealousy after witnessing Henry Crawford's devotion to Agatha.

Main topics

• The arrival of Sir Thomas Bertram
• Social scandal and theatrical rehearsals

Notable quotes

But where is Fanny? Why do I not see my little Fanny?

Conclusion

A pivotal chapter that reintroduces patriarchal authority and threaten

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:01) Good evening, and welcome to the Sleepy Bookshelf, Just Jane. where we put down our worries from the day and pick up a good Jane Austen book. Speaker 1 (0:16) Thank you for coming tonight. I'm your host, Elizabeth, and we will be continuing with Mansfield Park. But before we do, I would love for you to just take some time here to put the stresses of the day behind you. And have one big deep breath in. and a long sigh out. Speaker 1 (0:43) Lovely. Speaker 1 (0:45) Now, the last time we were together, Mrs Grant agreed to play Fanny's part in the play. allowing Fanny to become the unofficial rehearsal assistant, if you like. Speaker 1 (1:00) Julia continued to be very angry about Henry Crawford's obvious preference for Mariah. And their flirtation continued, clear to everyone, bar the blissfully unaware Mr. Rushworth. Speaker 1 (1:18) Fanny had started to realise that Edmund's decision to be involved in the play may not have been purely moral. Amelia, his love interest, was to be played by Mary Crawford, who came to Fanny to ask if she would run their love scene together before the official rehearsal in the afternoon. Speaker 1 (1:44) Fanny agreed, but just as they were to begin, Edmund arrived to ask her the very same thing. Speaker 1 (1:53) They took the opportunity to run the scene together, with Fanny prompting them. Speaker 1 (2:00) Their performance had a genuine feeling. And the scene was very painful for Fanny. Speaker 1 (2:09) That afternoon, they had planned to run a good chunk of the play together. Mrs. Grant sadly could not attend, and so Fanny had been asked to take her place. But no sooner had the rehearsal begun than it was abruptly shut down by the surprise arrival of Sir Thomas Bertram from Antigua. And that is where we pick up tonight. Speaker 1 (2:39) So, just lie back and relax, as I turn to the next pages of Mansfield Park. Speaker 1 (2:58) Chapter 19 Speaker 1 (3:02) How is the consternation of the party to be described? Speaker 1 (3:08) To the greater number, it was a moment of absolute horror. Sir Thomas, in the house. All felt the instantaneous conviction. Speaker 1 (3:21) Not a hope of imposition or mistake was harbored anywhere. Speaker 1 (3:28) Julia's looks were an evidence of the fact that made it indisputable. And after the first starts and exclamations, not a word was spoken for half a minute. Each with an altered countenance was looking at some other, and almost each was feeling at a stroke the most unwelcome, most ill-timed, most appalling. Speaker 1 (3:58) Mr. Yates might consider it only as a vexatious interruption for the evening. and Mr. Rushworth might imagine it a blessing. But every other heart was sinking under some degree of self-condemnation or undefined 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, with the corroborating sounds of opening doors and passing footsteps. Speaker 1 (4:39) Julia was the first to move and speak again. Speaker 1 (4:43) Jealousy and bitterness had been suspended. Selfishness was lost in the common cause. But at the moment of her appearance, Frederick was listening with looks of devotion to Agatha's narrative and pressing his hand to his heart. and as soon as she could notice this, and see that in spite of the shock of her words, he still kept his station, and retained his sister's hand. and retained her sister's hand. Her wounded heart swelled again with injury. and looking as red as she had been white before, she turned out of the room, saying, Speaker 1 (5:31) I need not be afraid of appearing before him. Speaker 1 (5:36) Her going roused the rest, and at the same moment the two brothers stepped forward, feeling the necessity of doing something. Speaker 1 (5:47) A very few words between them were sufficient. The case admitted no difference of opinion. They must go to the drawing room directly. Speaker 1 (5:59) Maria joined them with the same intent, just then the stoutest of the three, for the very circumstance which had driven Julia away was to her the sweetest support. Speaker 1 (6:15) Henry Crawford's retaining her hand at such a moment. A moment of such peculiar proof and importance was worth ages of doubt and anxiety. Speaker 1 (6:29) She hailed it as an earnest of the most serious determination. and was equal even to encounter her father. Speaker 1 (6:40) They walked off, utterly heedless of Mr. Rushworth's repeated question of, Shall I go too? Had not I better go too. Would it not be right for me to go too? But they were no sooner through the door than Henry Crawford undertook to answer the anxious inquiry, and encouraging him by all means to pay his respects to Sir Thomas without delay, sent him after the others with delighted haste. Speaker 1 (7:15) Fanny was left with only the Crawfords and Mr Yates. She had been quite overlooked by her cousins, and as her own opinion of her claims on Sir Thomas' affection was much too humble to give her any idea of classing herself with his children, she was glad to remain behind and gain a little breathing time. Speaker 1 (7:40) Her agitation and alarm exceeded all that was endured by the rest. by the right of a disposition which not even innocence could keep from suffering. She was nearly fainting. All her former habitual dread of her uncle was returning, and with it, compassion for him, and almost every one of the party on the development before him. with solicitude on Edmund's account indescribable. Speaker 1 (8:16) She had found a seat wherein, excessive trembling, she was enduring all these fearful thoughts, while the other three, no longer under any restraint, were giving vent to their feelings of vexation. Lamenting over such an unlooked-for, premature arrival as a most untoward event, and without mercy wishing poor Sir Thomas had been twice as long on his passage, Or we're still in Antigua. Speaker 1 (8:49) The Crawfords were more warm on the subject than Mr. Yates, from better understanding the family and judging more clearly of the mischief that must ensue. The ruin of the play was to them a certainty. They felt the total destruction of the scheme to be inevitably at hand. while Mr Yates considered it only as a temporary interruption, a disaster for the evening, and could even suggest the possibility of the rehearsal being renewed after tea, when the bustle of receiving Sir Thomas were over, and he might be at leisure to be amused by it. Speaker 1 (9:30) The Crawfords laughed at the idea, and having soon agreed on the propriety of their walking quietly home and leaving the family to themselves, proposed Mr. Yates accompanying them and spending the evening at the parsonage. Speaker 1 (9:48) But Mr. Yates, having never been