Mansfield Park

Twenty minutes pass, and Mary and Edmund do not return. Meanwhile, Maria, Mr. Rushworth, and Henry find Fanny alone on the bench. Maria suggests they pass through an iron gate in the ha-ha for a better view. However, the gate is locked, and Mr. Rushworth hurries back to the house for the key. Henry flirts with Maria in his absence. Maria expresses satisfaction with the landscape of Sotherton but voices frustration that the iron gate restricts her freedom. Henry suggests he could help Maria slip past the gate if she does not want to wait for Mr. Rushworth with the key. Alarmed, Fanny warns Maria that she may hurt herself. However, Maria and Henry slip past the gate and out of sight, leaving Fanny alone again.

Soon afterward, Julia arrives, looking for Maria and Henry. She also successfully navigates the gate’s boundary when she learns where they went. Mr. Rushworth then comes with the key and is unhappy that Maria and Henry have gone ahead without him. Tired of waiting for Edmund and Mary, Fanny follows in their footsteps. When she finds them, Edmund and Mary happily explain that they lost track of time. The groups return to the house for dinner, with Henry and Maria in good spirits, while Mr. Rushworth and Julia look miserable. However, Julia brightens when Henry invites her to sit beside him on the journey back.

Sir Thomas writes with the news that he will return to Mansfield Park in three months. The Bertram sisters are dismayed—Maria in particular, as she is conscious that her marriage will soon follow. Mary points out that Edmund’s ordination will also take place on his father’s return. She again criticizes the clergy, claiming that many are lazy, greedy, and bad-tempered, like Dr. Grant. Fanny defends Edmund and is embarrassed when he praises her good nature. Mary observes that, although Fanny deserves praise, she is clearly unaccustomed to receiving it. Edmund is delighted by Mary’s appreciation of his cousin. He and Fanny gaze at the night sky, and Edmund suggests going outside to see the stars. However, he is distracted by Mary’s singing.

When Tom returns to Mansfield Park, Mary realizes she has lost interest in him as a potential husband. At the same time, Henry visits Everingham—his Norfolk estate. In Henry’s absence, Maria increasingly notices Mr. Rushworth’s irritating character flaws. Both Bertram sisters are relieved when Henry returns after a fortnight. Fanny hints to Edmund that Henry seems more interested in Maria than Julia. However, Edmund dismisses her concerns.

Tom’s friend, Mr. Yates, arrives at Mansfield Park. Mr. Yates was formerly staying with friends in Weymouth, where he was involved in rehearsals for an amateur theatrical performance. However, the staging of the play Lovers’ Vows was canceled when a relative of his friends inconveniently died. The Bertram sisters, Tom, and the Crawfords embrace the idea of holding their own theatricals. However, Edmund disapproves, insisting his father would share his views. Tom tells Edmund that, while he may not want to act, he has no authority to stop the rest of them. Edmund hopes that Mrs. Norris will oppose the idea. However, his aunt enthusiastically encourages the production.

The group decides to perform Lover’s Vows. Henry takes the lead male role of Frederick, and both Bertram sisters want to play opposite him as Agatha. Henry argues that Maria should play the part, as Julia is too humorous for such a serious role. Tom agrees, suggesting Julia should play the minor role of “Cottager’s Wife.” Julia storms out, declaring she wants no part in the play. Tom insists Mary should play Amelia, the other female lead role. Fanny reads Lover’s Vows and is shocked by the play’s provocative content.

Mary agrees to play Amelia, and Mr. Rushworth takes the role of a ridiculous fop, Count Cassel. Edmund is horrified to discover the play is Lover’s Vows. He unsuccessfully appeals to Maria’s obligation to set a moral standard as the eldest daughter. Meanwhile, Mrs. Norris argues that stopping the play would waste the money spent on constructing the theater.

When Mary arrives, she asks who is playing her lover, Anhalt. The group admits they have not yet cast the role. Mary tries to convince Edmund to take the part, pointing out that Anhalt is a clergyman. Edmund firmly refuses, asserting that doing so would undermine his profession's seriousness. The group insists that Fanny must play the Cottager’s Wife despite her protests that she cannot act. Mrs. Norris scolds Fanny for her ingratitude. Seeing Fanny’s distress, Mary comforts her, once again elevating herself in Edmund’s estimation. Tom suggests that one of his friends could fill the role of Anhalt. Mary tells Fanny that she is uneasy about acting with a stranger and will insist on their speeches being edited.

At Mansfield Park, Fanny sleeps in the white attic, keeping her possessions in the adjoining old school room, the east room. The east room is always cold, as when Fanny first arrived, Mrs. Norris insisted that a fire must never be lit for her niece’s benefit. Edmund comes to find Fanny in the east room, declaring he feels compelled to accept the role of Anhalt to prevent the impropriety of a stranger taking the part. Guessing Fanny’s disapproval from her silence, he argues that it would be unpleasant for Mary to act with someone she did not know. Finally, Fanny cedes that his decision will be a relief for Mary. Edmund leaves happy, but Fanny is horrified at his inconsistency.