第27章

Itistobeasecret,Iconclude,\'saidhe.`Thesemattersarealwaysasecret,tillitisfoundoutthateverybodyknowsthem.OnlyletmebetoldwhenImayspeakout-IwonderwhetherJanehasanysuspicion.\'

HewenttoHighburythenextmorning,andsatisfiedhimselfonthatpoint.Hetoldherthenews.Wasnotshelikeadaughter,hiseldestdaughter?-hemusttellher;andMissBatesbeingpresent,itpassed,ofcourse,toMrs.Cole,Mrs.Perry,andMrs.Elton,immediatelyafterwards.Itwasnomorethantheprincipalswerepreparedfor;theyhadcalculatedfromthetimeofitsbeingknownatRandalls,howsoonitwouldbeoverHighbury;andwerethinkingofthemselves,astheeveningwonderinmanyafamilycircle,withgreatsagacity.

Ingeneral,itwasaverywellapprovedmatch.Somemightthinkhim,andothersmightthinkher,themostinluck.OnesetmightrecommendtheirallremovingtoDonwell,andleavingHartfieldfortheJohnKnightleys;andanothermightpredictdisagreementsamongtheirservants;butyet,uponthewhole,therewasnoseriousobjectionraised,exceptinonehabitation,theVicarage-There,thesurprizewasnotsoftenedbyanysatisfaction.Mr.Eltoncaredlittleaboutit,comparedwithhiswife;heonlyhoped`theyounglady\'spridewouldnowbecontented;\'andsupposed`shehadalwaysmeanttocatchKnightleyifshecould;\'and,onthepointoflivingatHartfield,coulddaringlyexclaim,`RatherhethanI!\'-ButMrs.Eltonwasverymuchdiscomposedindeed-`PoorKnightley!poorfellow!-sadbusinessforhim-Shewasextremelyconcerned;for,thoughveryeccentric,hehadathousandgoodqualities-Howcouldhebesotakenin?-Didnotthinkhimatallinlove-notintheleast-PoorKnightley!-Therewouldbeanendofallpleasantintercoursewithhim-Howhappyhehadbeentocomeanddinewiththemwhenevertheyaskedhim!Butthatwouldbeallovernow-Poorfellow!-NomoreexploringpartiestoDonwellmadeforher.Oh!no;therewouldbeaMrs.Knightleytothrowcoldwateroneverything-Extremelydisagreeable!Butshewasnotatallsorrythatshehadabusedthehousekeepertheotherday-Shockingplan,livingtogether.Itwouldneverdo.SheknewafamilynearMapleGrovewhohadtriedit,andbeenobligedtoseparatebeforetheendofthefirstquarter.

CHAPTERXVIII

Timepassedon.Afewmoreto-morrows,andthepartyfromLondonwouldbearriving.Itwasanalarmingchange;andEmmawasthinkingofitonemorning,aswhatmustbringagreatdealtoagitateandgrieveher,whenMr.Knightleycamein,anddistressingthoughtswereputby.Afterthefirstchatofpleasurehewassilent;andthen,inagravertone,beganwith,

`Ihavesomethingtotellyou,Emma;somenews.\'

`Goodorbad?\'saidshe,quickly,lookingupinhisface.

`Idonotknowwhichitoughttobecalled.\'

`Oh!goodIamsure-Iseeitinyourcountenance.Youaretryingnottosmile.\'

`Iamafraid,\'saidhe,composinghisfeatures,`Iamverymuchafraid,mydearEmma,thatyouwillnotsmilewhenyouhearit.\'

`Indeed!butwhyso?-Icanhardlyimaginethatanythingwhichpleasesoramusesyou,shouldnotpleaseandamusemetoo.\'

`Thereisonesubject,\'hereplied,`Ihopebutone,onwhichwedonotthinkalike.\'Hepausedamoment,againsmiling,withhiseyesfixedonherface.`Doesnothingoccurtoyou?-Donotyourecollect?-HarrietSmith.\'

Hercheeksflushedatthename,andshefeltafraidofsomething,thoughsheknewnotwhat.

`Haveyouheardfromheryourselfthismorning?\'criedhe.`Youhave,Ibelieve,andknowthewhole.\'

`No,Ihavenot;Iknownothing;praytellme.\'

`Youarepreparedfortheworst,Isee-andverybaditis.HarrietSmithmarriesRobertMartin.\'

Emmagaveastart,whichdidnotseemlikebeingprepared-andhereyes,ineagergaze,said,`No,thisisimpossible!\'butherlipswereclosed.

`Itisso,indeed,\'continuedMr.Knightley;`IhaveitfromRobertMartinhimself.Heleftmenothalfanhourago.\'

Shewasstilllookingathimwiththemostspeakingamazement.

`Youlikeit,myEmma,aslittleasIfeared-Iwishouropinionswerethesame.Butintimetheywill.Time,youmaybesure,willmakeoneortheotherofusthinkdifferently;and,inthemeanwhile,weneednottalkmuchonthesubject.\'

`Youmistakeme,youquitemistakeme,\'shereplied,exertingherself.`Itisnotthatsuchacircumstancewouldnowmakemeunhappy,butIcannotbelieveit.Itseemsanimpossibility!-Youcannotmeantosay,thatHarrietSmithhasacceptedRobertMartin.Youcannotmeanthathehasevenproposedtoheragain-yet.Youonlymean,thatheintendsit.\'

`Imeanthathehasdoneit,\'answeredMr.Knightley,withsmilingbutdetermineddecision,`andbeenaccepted.\'

`GoodGod!\'shecried-`Well!\'-Thenhavingrecoursetoherworkbasket,inexcuseforleaningdownherface,andconcealingalltheexquisitefeelingsofdelightandentertainmentwhichsheknewshemustbeexpressing,sheadded,`Well,nowtellmeeverything;makethisintelligibletome.How,where,when?-Letmeknowitall.Ineverwasmoresurprized-butitdoesnotmakemeunhappy,Iassureyou-How-howhasitbeenpossible?\'

`Itisaverysimplestory.Hewenttotownonbusinessthreedaysago,andIgothimtotakechargeofsomepaperswhichIwaswantingtosendtoJohn-HedeliveredthesepaperstoJohn,athischambers,andwasaskedbyhimtojointheirpartythesameeveningtoAstley\'s.TheyweregoingtotakethetwoeldestboystoAstley\'s.Thepartywastobeourbrotherandsister,Henry,John-andMissSmith.MyfriendRobertcouldnotresist.Theycalledforhimintheirway;wereallextremelyamused;andmybrotheraskedhimtodinewiththemthenextday-whichhedid-andinthecourseofthatvisit(asIunderstand)hefoundanopportunityofspeakingtoHarriet;andcertainlydidnotspeakinvain-Shemadehim,byheracceptance,ashappyevenasheisdeserving.Hecamedownbyyesterday\'scoach,andwaswithmethismorningimmediatelyafterbreakfast,toreporthisproceedings,firstonmyaffairs,andthenonhisown.ThisisallthatIcanrelateofthehow,where,andwhen.YourfriendHarrietwillmakeamuchlongerhistorywhenyouseeher-Shewillgiveyoualltheminuteparticulars,whichonlywoman\'slanguagecanmakeinteresting-Inourcommunicationswedealonlyinthegreat-However,Imustsay,thatRobertMartin\'sheartseemedforhim,andtome,veryoverflowing;andthathedidmention,withoutitsbeingmuchtothepurpose,thatonquittingtheirboxatAstley\'s,mybrothertookchargeofMrs.JohnKnightleyandlittleJohn,andhefollowedwithMissSmithandHenry;andthatatonetimetheywereinsuchacrowd,astomakeMissSmithratheruneasy.\'

Hestopped-Emmadarednotattemptanyimmediatereply.Tospeak,shewassurewouldbetobetrayamostunreasonabledegreeofhappiness.Shemustwaitamoment,orhewouldthinkhermad.Hersilencedisturbedhim;andafterobservingheralittlewhile,headded,

`Emma,mylove,yousaidthatthiscircumstancewouldnotnowmakeyouunhappy;butIamafraiditgivesyoumorepainthanyouexpected.Hissituationisanevil-butyoumustconsideritaswhatsatisfiesyourfriend;andIwillanswerforyourthinkingbetterandbetterofhimasyouknowhimmore.Hisgoodsenseandgoodprincipleswoulddelightyou-Asfarasthemanisconcerned,youcouldnotwishyourfriendinbetterhands.HisrankinsocietyIwouldalterifIcould,whichissayingagreatdealIassureyou,Emma-YoulaughatmeaboutWilliamLarkins;butIcouldquiteasillspareRobertMartin.\'

Hewantedhertolookupandsmile;andhavingnowbroughtherselfnottosmiletoobroadly-shedid-cheerfullyanswering,

`Youneednotbeatanypainstoreconcilemetothematch.IthinkHarrietisdoingextremelywell.Herconnexionsmaybeworsethanhis.Inrespectabilityofcharacter,therecanbenodoubtthattheyare.Ihavebeensilentfromsurprizemerely,excessivesurprize.Youcannotimaginehowsuddenlyithascomeonme!howpeculiarlyunpreparedIwas!-forIhadreasontobelieveherverylatelymoredeterminedagainsthim,muchmore,thanshewasbefore.\'

`Yououghttoknowyourfriendbest,\'repliedMr.Knightley;`butIshouldsayshewasagood-tempered,soft-heartedgirl,notlikelytobevery,verydeterminedagainstanyyoungmanwhotoldherhelovedher.\'

Emmacouldnothelplaughingassheanswered,`Uponmyword,IbelieveyouknowherquiteaswellasIdo-But,Mr.Knightley,areyouperfectlysurethatshehasabsolutelyanddownrightacceptedhim.Icouldsupposeshemightintime-butcanshealready?-Didnotyoumisunderstandhim?-Youwerebothtalkingofotherthings;ofbusiness,showsofcattle,ornewdrills-andmightnotyou,intheconfusionofsomanysubjects,mistakehim?-ItwasnotHarriet\'shandthathewascertainof-itwasthedimensionsofsomefamousox.\'

ThecontrastbetweenthecountenanceandairofMr.KnightleyandRobertMartinwas,atthismoment,sostrongtoEmma\'sfeelings,andsostrongwastherecollectionofallthathadsorecentlypassedonHarriet\'sside,sofreshthesoundofthosewords,spokenwithsuchemphasis,`No,IhopeIknowbetterthantothinkofRobertMartin,\'thatshewasreallyexpectingtheintelligencetoprove,insomemeasure,premature.Itcouldnotbeotherwise.

`Doyoudaresaythis?\'criedMr.Knightley.`Doyoudaretosupposemesogreatablockhead,asnottoknowwhatamanistalkingof?-Whatdoyoudeserve?\'

`Oh!Ialwaysdeservethebesttreatment,becauseIneverputupwithanyother;and,therefore,youmustgivemeaplain,directanswer.Areyouquitesureth