Nine more speaking characters were left to be fitted with representatives; and with that unavoidable necessity the serious troubles began.
All the friends of the family suddenly became unreliable people, for the first time in their lives.

After encouraging the idea of the play, they declined the personal sacrifice of acting in it--or, they accepted characters, and then broke down in the effort to study them--or they volunteered to take the parts which they knew were already engaged, and declined the parts which were waiting to be acted--or they were afflicted with weak constitutions, and mischievously fell ill when they were wanted at rehearsal--or they had Puritan relatives in the background, and, after slipping into their parts cheerfully at the week's beginning, oozed out of them penitently, under serious family pressure, at the week's end.

Meanwhile, the carpenters hammered and the scenes rose.

Miss Marrable, whose temperament was sensitive, became hysterical under the strain of perpetual anxiety; the family doctor declined to answer for the nervous consequences if something was not done.

Renewed efforts were made in every direction.