 How would you describe the tone throughout the passage?
The only question is whether the time is right, or if you should wait longer.” The theater is full of beginners a year and even two years younger than I am, and girls of my age have lots of acting credits already. “None of them is as fascinating as acting to me,” Peggy replied, “and none of them is nearly as important to my life.” She paused and looked thoughtfully at her daughter’s intense expression, then took a deep breath before going on. We think you’re wonderful, but the theater is full of young girls whose parents thought they were the most talented things alive; girls who won all kinds of applause in high-school and college plays; girls who have everything except luck. You may be one of these girls, and if you are, we want you to be prepared for it. All I ask is that you finish college and get a teacher’s certificate so that you can always find useful work if you have to. 5 “It seems to me, Tom, that Margaret has a pretty good idea of what she’s doing,” Mrs. Lane said. If she were all starry-eyed and expected to see her name in lights in a few weeks, I’d vote against her going, but I’m beginning to think that maybe she’s right about this being the best time.” His pipe satisfactorily sending up thick clouds of fragrant smoke, he took it out of his mouth before continuing more evenly. Its musty but clean scent of straw and horses and leather made her feel calm and alive. Its 16,500 people supported good schools, an excellent library, and two good movie houses. And of course, all of this was in addition to the usual growing-up pleasures of swimming and sailing, movie dates, and formal dances—everything that a girl could want. All of her friends were here, friends she had known since her earliest baby days. To the bright lights, speeding taxis, glittering towers of a make-believe movie-set New York? Or would it be something different, something like the dreary side-street world of failure and defeat that she had also seen in movies? 9 II Dramatic Decision Upstairs at the Wilsons’, Peggy found Jean swathed in bath towels, washing her long, straight red hair, which was now white with lather and piled up in a high, soapy knot. 10 After a brisk rubdown with one towel, Jean rolled another dry towel around her head like an Indian turban.
 While there was some uncertainty and excitement, it was relatively tranquil throughout.
 It went from highly excited to mildly calm.  Calm at the beginning, tense through the rest.  While there was some uncertainty and excitement, it was relatively tranquil throughout.  Uncertainty filled the passage, though it became calm at the end.