第9章

FetchMissBates。Wearegrowingalittletoonice。Sheisastandinglessonofhowtobehappy。Butfetchthemboth。

Invitethemboth。”

“Bothsir！Cantheoldlady？“……

“Theoldlady！No，theyounglady，tobesure。Ishallthinkyouagreatblockhead，Frank，ifyoubringtheauntwithouttheniece。”

“Oh！Ibegyourpardon，sir。Ididnotimmediatelyrecollect。

Undoubtedlyifyouwishit，Iwillendeavourtopersuadethemboth。”

Andawayheran。

Longbeforehereappeared，attendingtheshort，neat，brisk-movingaunt，andherelegantniece，——Mrs。Weston，likeasweet-temperedwomanandagoodwife，hadexaminedthepassageagain，andfoundtheevilsofitmuchlessthanshehadsupposedbefore——

indeedverytrifling；andhereendedthedifficultiesofdecision。

Alltherest，inspeculationatleast，wasperfectlysmooth。

Alltheminorarrangementsoftableandchair，lightsandmusic，teaandsupper，madethemselves；orwereleftasmeretriflestobesettledatanytimebetweenMrs。WestonandMrs。Stokes——

Everybodyinvited，wascertainlytocome；FrankhadalreadywrittentoEnscombetoproposestayingafewdaysbeyondhisfortnight，whichcouldnotpossiblyberefused。Andadelightfuldanceitwastobe。

Mostcordially，whenMissBatesarrived，didsheagreethatitmust。

Asacounsellorshewasnotwanted；butasanapprover，(amuchsafercharacter，)shewastrulywelcome。Herapprobation，atoncegeneralandminute，warmandincessant，couldnotbutplease；

andforanotherhalf-hourtheywereallwalkingtoandfro，betweenthedifferentrooms，somesuggesting，someattending，andallinhappyenjoymentofthefuture。ThepartydidnotbreakupwithoutEmma’sbeingpositivelysecuredforthetwofirstdancesbytheherooftheevening，norwithoutheroverhearingMr。Westonwhispertohiswife，“Hehasaskedher，mydear。That’sright。

Iknewhewould！“

Chapter12CHAPTERXII

OnethingonlywaswantingtomaketheprospectoftheballcompletelysatisfactorytoEmma——itsbeingfixedforadaywithinthegrantedtermofFrankChurchill’sstayinSurry；for，inspiteofMr。Weston’sconfidence，shecouldnotthinkitsoveryimpossiblethattheChurchillsmightnotallowtheirnephewtoremainadaybeyondhisfortnight。Butthiswasnotjudgedfeasible。

Thepreparationsmusttaketheirtime，nothingcouldbeproperlyreadytillthethirdweekwereenteredon，andforafewdaystheymustbeplanning，proceedingandhopinginuncertainty——attherisk——

inheropinion，thegreatrisk，ofitsbeingallinvain。

Enscombehoweverwasgracious，graciousinfact，ifnotinword。

Hiswishofstayinglongerevidentlydidnotplease；butitwasnotopposed。Allwassafeandprosperous；andastheremovalofonesolicitudegenerallymakeswayforanother，Emma，beingnowcertainofherball，begantoadoptasthenextvexationMr。Knightley’sprovokingindifferenceaboutit。Eitherbecausehedidnotdancehimself，orbecausetheplanhadbeenformedwithouthisbeingconsulted，heseemedresolvedthatitshouldnotinteresthim，determinedagainstitsexcitinganypresentcuriosity，oraffordinghimanyfutureamusement。TohervoluntarycommunicationsEmmacouldgetnomoreapprovingreply，than，“Verywell。IftheWestonsthinkitworthwhiletobeatallthistroubleforafewhoursofnoisyentertainment，Ihavenothingtosayagainstit，butthattheyshallnotchusepleasuresforme——

Oh！yes，Imustbethere；Icouldnotrefuse；andIwillkeepasmuchawakeasIcan；butIwouldratherbeathome，lookingoverWilliamLarkins’sweek’saccount；muchrather，Iconfess——

Pleasureinseeingdancing！——notI，indeed——Ineverlookatit——

Idonotknowwhodoes——Finedancing，Ibelieve，likevirtue，mustbeitsownreward。Thosewhoarestandingbyareusuallythinkingofsomethingverydifferent。”

ThisEmmafeltwasaimedather；anditmadeherquiteangry。

ItwasnotincomplimenttoJaneFairfaxhoweverthathewassoindifferent，orsoindignant；hewasnotguidedbyherfeelingsinreprobatingtheball，forsheenjoyedthethoughtofittoanextraordinarydegree。Itmadeheranimated——openhearted——

shevoluntarilysaid；——

“Oh！MissWoodhouse，Ihopenothingmayhappentopreventtheball。

Whatadisappointmentitwouldbe！Idolookforwardtoit，I

own，withverygreatpleasure。”

ItwasnottoobligeJaneFairfaxthereforethathewouldhavepreferredthesocietyofWilliamLarkins。No！——shewasmoreandmoreconvincedthatMrs。Westonwasquitemistakeninthatsurmise。

Therewasagreatdealoffriendlyandofcompassionateattachmentonhisside——butnolove。

Alas！therewassoonnoleisureforquarrellingwithMr。Knightley。

Twodaysofjoyfulsecuritywereimmediatelyfollowedbytheover-throwofeverything。AletterarrivedfromMr。Churchilltourgehisnephew’sinstantreturn。Mrs。Churchillwasunwell——

fartoounwelltodowithouthim；shehadbeeninaverysufferingstate(sosaidherhusband)whenwritingtohernephewtwodaysbefore，thoughfromherusualunwillingnesstogivepain，andconstanthabitofneverthinkingofherself，shehadnotmentionedit；

butnowshewastooilltotrifle，andmustentreathimtosetoffforEnscombewithoutdelay。

ThesubstanceofthisletterwasforwardedtoEmma，inanotefromMrs。Weston，instantly。Astohisgoing，itwasinevitable。

Hemustbegonewithinafewhours，thoughwithoutfeelinganyrealalarmforhisaunt，tolessenhisrepugnance。Heknewherillnesses；

theyneveroccurredbutforherownconvenience。

Mrs。Westonadded，“thathecouldonlyallowhimselftimetohurrytoHighbury，afterbreakfast，andtakeleaveofthefewfriendstherewhomhecouldsupposetofeelanyinterestinhim；

andthathemightbeexpectedatHartfieldverysoon。”

ThiswretchednotewasthefinaleofEmma’sbreakfast。Whenonceithadbeenread，therewasnodoinganything，butlamentandexclaim。Thelossoftheball——thelossoftheyoungman——

andallthattheyoungmanmightbefeeling！——Itwastoowretched！——

Suchadelightfuleveningasitwouldhavebeen！——Everybodysohappy！

andsheandherpartnerthehappiest！——“Isaiditwouldbeso。”

wastheonlyconsolation。

Herfather’sfeelingswerequitedistinct。HethoughtprincipallyofMrs。Churchill’sillness，andwantedtoknowhowshewastreated；

andasfortheball，itwasshockingtohavedearEmmadisappointed；

buttheywouldallbesaferathome。

Emmawasreadyforhervisitorsometimebeforeheappeared；

butifthisreflectedatalluponhisimpatience，hissorrowfullookandtotalwantofspiritswhenhedidcomemightredeemhim。

Hefeltthegoingawayalmosttoomuchtospeakofit。Hisdejectionwasmostevident。Hesatreallylostinthoughtforthefirstfewminutes；andwhenrousinghimself，itwasonlytosay，“Ofallhorridthings，leave-takingistheworst。”

“Butyouwillcomeagain。”saidEmma。“ThiswillnotbeyouronlyvisittoRandalls。”

“Ah！——(shakinghishead)——theuncertaintyofwhenImaybeabletoreturn！——Ishalltryforitwithazeal！——Itwillbetheobjectofallmythoughtsandcares！——andifmyuncleandauntgototownthisspring——butIamafraid——theydidnotstirlastspring——

Iamafraiditisacustomgoneforever。”

“Ourpoorballmustbequitegivenup。”

“Ah！thatball！——whydidwewaitforanything？——whynotseizethepleasureatonce？——Howoftenishappinessdestroyedbypreparation，foolishpreparation！——Youtoldusitwouldbeso——Oh！MissWoodhouse，whyareyoualwayssoright？“

“Indeed，Iamverysorrytoberightinthisinstance。Iwouldmuchratherhavebeenmerrythanwise。”

“IfIcancomeagain，wearestilltohaveourball。Myfatherdependsonit。Donotforgetyourengagement。”

Emmalookedgraciously。

“Suchafortnightasithasbeen！“hecontinued；“everydaymorepreciousandmoredelightfulthanthedaybefore！——everydaymakingmelessfittobearanyotherplace。Happythose，whocanremainatHighbury！“

“Asyoudoussuchamplejusticenow。”saidEmma，laughing，“Iwillventuretoask，whetheryoudidnotcomealittledoubtfullyatfirst？

Donotwerathersurpassyourexpectations？Iamsurewedo。

Iamsureyoudidnotmuchexpecttolikeus。Youwouldnothavebeensolongincoming，ifyouhadhadapleasantideaofHighbury。”

Helaughedratherconsciously；andthoughdenyingthesentiment，Emmawasconvincedthatithadbeenso。

“Andyoumustbeoffthisverymorning？“

“Yes；myfatheristojoinmehere：weshallwalkbacktogether，andImustbeoffimmediately。Iamalmostafraidthateverymomentwillbringhim。”

“NotfiveminutestospareevenforyourfriendsMissFairfaxandMissBates？Howunlucky！MissBates’spowerful，argumentativemindmighthavestrengthenedyours。”

“Yes——Ihavecalledthere；passingthedoor，Ithoughtitbetter。

Itwasarightthingtodo。Iwentinforthreeminutes，andwasdetainedbyMissBates’sbeingabsent。Shewasout；andIfeltitimpossiblenottowaittillshecamein。Sheisawomanthatonemay，thatonemustlaughat；butthatonewouldnotwishtoslight。

Itwasbettertopaymyvisit，then“——

Hehesitated，gotup，walkedtoawindow。

“Inshort。”saidhe，“perhaps，MissWoodhouse——Ithinkyoucanhardlybequitewithoutsuspicion“——

Helookedather，asifwantingtoreadherthoughts。Shehardlyknewwhattosay。Itseemedliketheforerunnerofsomethingabsolutelyserious，whichshedidnotwish。Forcingherselftospeak，therefore，inthehopeofputtingitby，shecalmlysaid，“Youarequiteintheright；itwasmostnaturaltopayyourvisit，then“——

Hewassilent。Shebelievedhewaslookingather；probablyreflectingonwhatshehadsaid，andtryingtounderstandthemanner。

Sheheardhimsigh。Itwasnaturalforhimtofeelthathehadcausetosigh。Hecouldnotbelievehertobeencouraginghim。

Afewawkwardmomentspassed，andhesatdownagain；andinamoredeterminedmannersaid，“ItwassomethingtofeelthatalltherestofmytimemightbegiventoHartfield。MyregardforHartfieldismostwarm“——

Hestoptagain，roseagain，andseemedquiteembarrassed——

HewasmoreinlovewithherthanEmmahadsupposed；andwhocansayhowitmighthaveended，ifhisfatherhadnotmadehisappearance？

Mr。Woodhousesoonfollowed；andthenecessityofexertionmadehimcomposed。

Averyfewminutesmore，however，completedthepresenttrial。

Mr。Weston，alwaysalertwhenbusinesswastobedone，andasincapableofprocrastinatinganyevilthatwasinevitable，asofforeseeinganythatwasdoubtful，said，“Itwastimetogo；“

andtheyoungman，thoughhemightanddidsigh，couldnotbutagree，totakeleave。

“Ishallhearaboutyouall。”saidhe；thatismychiefconsolation。

Ishallhearofeverythingthatisgoingonamongyou。IhaveengagedMrs。Westontocorrespondwithme。Shehasbeensokindastopromiseit。Oh！theblessingofafemalecorrespondent，whenoneisreallyinterestedintheabsent！——shewilltellmeeverything。

InherlettersIshallbeatdearHighburyagain。”

Averyfriendlyshakeofthehand，averyearnest“Good-bye。”

closedthespeech，andthedoorhadsoonshutoutFrankChurchill。

Shorthadbeenthenotice——shorttheirmeeting；hewasgone；andEmmafeltsosorrytopart，andforesawsogreatalosstotheirlittlesocietyfromhisabsenceastobegintobeafraidofbeingtoosorry，andfeelingittoomuch。

Itwasasadchange。Theyhadbeenmeetingalmosteverydaysincehisarrival。CertainlyhisbeingatRandallshadgivengreatspirittothelasttwoweeks——indescribablespirit；theidea，theexpectationofseeinghimwhicheverymorninghadbrought，theassuranceofhisattentions，hisliveliness，hismanners！

Ithadbeenaveryhappyfortnight，andforlornmustbethesinkingfromitintothecommoncourseofHartfielddays。Tocompleteeveryotherrecommendation，hehadalmosttoldherthathelovedher。

Whatstrength，orwhatconstancyofaffectionhemightbesubjectto，wasanotherpoint；butatpresentshecouldnotdoubthishavingadecidedlywarmadmiration，aconsciouspreferenceofherself；

andthispersuasion，joinedtoalltherest，madeherthinkthatshemustbealittleinlovewithhim，inspiteofeverypreviousdeterminationagainstit。

“Icertainlymust。”saidshe。“Thissensationoflistlessness，weariness，stupidity，thisdisinclinationtositdownandemploymyself，thisfeelingofeverything’sbeingdullandinsipidaboutthehouse！——

Imustbeinlove；IshouldbetheoddestcreatureintheworldifI

werenot——forafewweeksatleast。Well！eviltosomeisalwaysgoodtoothers。Ishallhavemanyfellow-mournersfortheball，ifnotforFrankChurchill；butMr。Knightleywillbehappy。

HemayspendtheeveningwithhisdearWilliamLarkinsnowifhelikes。”

Mr。Knightley，however，shewednotriumphanthappiness。Hecouldnotsaythathewassorryonhisownaccount；hisverycheerfullookwouldhavecontradictedhimifhehad；buthesaid，andverysteadily，thathewassorryforthedisappointmentoftheothers，andwithconsiderablekindnessadded，“You，Emma，whohavesofewopportunitiesofdancing，youarereallyoutofluck；youareverymuchoutofluck！“

ItwassomedaysbeforeshesawJaneFairfax，tojudgeofherhonestregretinthiswoefulchange；butwhentheydidmeet，hercomposurewasodious。Shehadbeenparticularlyunwell，however，sufferingfromheadachetoadegree，whichmadeherauntdeclare，thathadtheballtakenplace，shedidnotthinkJanecouldhaveattendedit；anditwascharitytoimputesomeofherunbecomingindifferencetothelanguorofill-health。

Chapter13CHAPTERXIII

Emmacontinuedtoentertainnodoubtofherbeinginlove。Herideasonlyvariedastothehowmuch。Atfirst，shethoughtitwasagooddeal；

andafterwards，butlittle。ShehadgreatpleasureinhearingFrankChurchilltalkedof；and，forhissake，greaterpleasurethaneverinseeingMr。andMrs。Weston；shewasveryoftenthinkingofhim，andquiteimpatientforaletter，thatshemightknowhowhewas，howwerehisspirits，howwashisaunt，andwhatwasthechanceofhiscomingtoRandallsagainthisspring。But，ontheotherhand，shecouldnotadmitherselftobeunhappy，nor，afterthefirstmorning，tobelessdisposedforemploymentthanusual；

shewasstillbusyandcheerful；and，pleasingashewas，shecouldyetimaginehimtohavefaults；andfarther，thoughthinkingofhimsomuch，and，asshesatdrawingorworking，formingathousandamusingschemesfortheprogressandcloseoftheirattachment，fancyinginterestingdialogues，andinventingelegantletters；

theconclusionofeveryimaginarydeclarationonhissidewasthatsherefusedhim。Theiraffectionwasalwaystosubsideintofriendship。

Everythingtenderandcharmingwastomarktheirparting；

butstilltheyweretopart。Whenshebecamesensibleofthis，itstruckherthatshecouldnotbeverymuchinlove；forinspiteofherpreviousandfixeddeterminationnevertoquitherfather，nevertomarry，astrongattachmentcertainlymustproducemoreofastrugglethanshecouldforeseeinherownfeelings。

“Idonotfindmyselfmakinganyuseofthewordsacrifice。”saidshe——

“Innotoneofallmycleverreplies，mydelicatenegatives，isthereanyallusiontomakingasacrifice。Idosuspectthatheisnotreallynecessarytomyhappiness。Somuchthebetter。

IcertainlywillnotpersuademyselftofeelmorethanIdo。I

amquiteenoughinlove。Ishouldbesorrytobemore。”

Uponthewhole，shewasequallycontentedwithherviewofhisfeelings。

“Heisundoubtedlyverymuchinlove——everythingdenotesit——verymuchinloveindeed！——andwhenhecomesagain，ifhisaffectioncontinue，Imustbeonmyguardnottoencourageit——Itwouldbemostinexcusabletodootherwise，asmyownmindisquitemadeup。

NotthatIimaginehecanthinkIhavebeenencouraginghimhitherto。

No，ifhehadbelievedmeatalltosharehisfeelings，hewouldnothavebeensowretched。Couldhehavethoughthimselfencouraged，hislooksandlanguageatpartingwouldhavebeendifferent——

Still，however，Imustbeonmyguard。Thisisinthesuppositionofhisattachmentcontinuingwhatitnowis；butIdonotknowthatI

expectitwill；Idonotlookuponhimtobequitethesortofman——

Idonotaltogetherbuilduponhissteadinessorconstancy——

Hisfeelingsarewarm，butIcanimaginethemratherchangeable——

Everyconsiderationofthesubject，inshort，makesmethankfulthatmyhappinessisnotmoredeeplyinvolved——Ishalldoverywellagainafteralittlewhile——andthen，itwillbeagoodthingover；

fortheysayeverybodyisinloveonceintheirlives，andIshallhavebeenletoffeasily。”

WhenhislettertoMrs。Westonarrived，Emmahadtheperusalofit；

andshereaditwithadegreeofpleasureandadmirationwhichmadeheratfirstshakeherheadoverherownsensations，andthinkshehadundervaluedtheirstrength。Itwasalong，well-writtenletter，givingtheparticularsofhisjourneyandofhisfeelings，expressingalltheaffection，gratitude，andrespectwhichwasnaturalandhonourable，anddescribingeverythingexteriorandlocalthatcouldbesupposedattractive，withspiritandprecision。

Nosuspiciousflourishesnowofapologyorconcern；itwasthelanguageofrealfeelingtowardsMrs。Weston；andthetransitionfromHighburytoEnscombe，thecontrastbetweentheplacesinsomeofthefirstblessingsofsociallifewasjustenoughtouchedontoshewhowkeenlyitwasfelt，andhowmuchmoremighthavebeensaidbutfortherestraintsofpropriety——Thecharmofherownnamewasnotwanting。MissWoodhouseappearedmorethanonce，andneverwithoutasomethingofpleasingconnexion，eitheracomplimenttohertaste，oraremembranceofwhatshehadsaid；

andintheverylasttimeofitsmeetinghereye，unadornedasitwasbyanysuchbroadwreathofgallantry，sheyetcoulddiscerntheeffectofherinfluenceandacknowledgethegreatestcomplimentperhapsofallconveyed。Compressedintotheverylowestvacantcornerwerethesewords——“IhadnotasparemomentonTuesday，asyouknow，forMissWoodhouse’sbeautifullittlefriend。Praymakemyexcusesandadieustoher。”This，Emmacouldnotdoubt，wasallforherself。Harrietwasrememberedonlyfrombeingherfriend。

HisinformationandprospectsastoEnscombewereneitherworsenorbetterthanhadbeenanticipated；Mrs。Churchillwasrecovering，andhedarednotyet，eveninhisownimagination，fixatimeforcomingtoRandallsagain。

Gratifying，however，andstimulativeaswastheletterinthematerialpart，itssentiments，sheyetfound，whenitwasfoldedupandreturnedtoMrs。Weston，thatithadnotaddedanylastingwarmth，thatshecouldstilldowithoutthewriter，andthathemustlearntodowithouther。Herintentionswereunchanged。Herresolutionofrefusalonlygrewmoreinterestingbytheadditionofaschemeforhissubsequentconsolationandhappiness。HisrecollectionofHarriet，andthewordswhichclothedit，the“beautifullittlefriend。”

suggestedtohertheideaofHarriet’ssucceedingherinhisaffections。

Wasitimpossible？——No——Harrietundoubtedlywasgreatlyhisinferiorinunderstanding；buthehadbeenverymuchstruckwiththelovelinessofherfaceandthewarmsimplicityofhermanner；

andalltheprobabilitiesofcircumstanceandconnexionwereinherfavour——ForHarriet，itwouldbeadvantageousanddelightfulindeed。

“Imustnotdwelluponit。”saidshe——“Imustnotthinkofit。

Iknowthedangerofindulgingsuchspeculations。Butstrangerthingshavehappened；andwhenweceasetocareforeachotheraswedonow，itwillbethemeansofconfirmingusinthatsortoftruedisinterestedfriendshipwhichIcanalreadylookforwardtowithpleasure。”

ItwaswelltohaveacomfortinstoreonHarriet’sbehalf，thoughitmightbewisetoletthefancytouchitseldom；forevilinthatquarterwasathand。AsFrankChurchill’sarrivalhadsucceededMr。Elton’sengagementintheconversationofHighbury，asthelatestinteresthadentirelybornedownthefirst，sonowuponFrankChurchill’sdisappearance，Mr。Elton’sconcernswereassumingthemostirresistibleform——Hiswedding-daywasnamed。

Hewouldsoonbeamongthemagain；Mr。Eltonandhisbride。

TherewashardlytimetotalkoverthefirstletterfromEnscombebefore“Mr。Eltonandhisbride“wasineverybody’smouth，andFrankChurchillwasforgotten。Emmagrewsickatthesound。

ShehadhadthreeweeksofhappyexemptionfromMr。Elton；

andHarriet’smind，shehadbeenwillingtohope，hadbeenlatelygainingstrength。WithMr。Weston’sballinviewatleast，therehadbeenagreatdealofinsensibilitytootherthings；

butitwasnowtooevidentthatshehadnotattainedsuchastateofcomposureascouldstandagainsttheactualapproach——newcarriage，bell-ringing，andall。

PoorHarrietwasinaflutterofspiritswhichrequiredallthereasoningsandsoothingsandattentionsofeverykindthatEmmacouldgive。Emmafeltthatshecouldnotdotoomuchforher，thatHarriethadarighttoallheringenuityandallherpatience；

butitwasheavyworktobeforeverconvincingwithoutproducinganyeffect，foreveragreedto，withoutbeingabletomaketheiropinionsthesame。Harrietlistenedsubmissively，andsaid“itwasverytrue——

itwasjustasMissWoodhousedescribed——itwasnotworthwhiletothinkaboutthem——andshewouldnotthinkaboutthemanylonger“

butnochangeofsubjectcouldavail，andthenexthalf-hoursawherasanxiousandrestlessabouttheEltonsasbefore。

AtlastEmmaattackedheronanotherground。

“YourallowingyourselftobesooccupiedandsounhappyaboutMr。Elton’smarrying，Harriet，isthestrongestreproachyoucanmakeme。YoucouldnotgivemeagreaterreproofforthemistakeI

fellinto。Itwasallmydoing，Iknow。Ihavenotforgottenit，Iassureyou——Deceivedmyself，Ididverymiserablydeceiveyou——

anditwillbeapainfulreflectiontomeforever。Donotimaginemeindangerofforgettingit。”

Harrietfeltthistoomuchtouttermorethanafewwordsofeagerexclamation。Emmacontinued，“Ihavenotsaid，exertyourselfHarrietformysake；thinkless，talklessofMr。Eltonformysake；becauseforyourownsakerather，Iwouldwishittobedone，forthesakeofwhatismoreimportantthanmycomfort，ahabitofself-commandinyou，aconsiderationofwhatisyourduty，anattentiontopropriety，anendeavourtoavoidthesuspicionsofothers，tosaveyourhealthandcredit，andrestoreyourtranquillity。ThesearethemotiveswhichI

havebeenpressingonyou。Theyareveryimportant——andsorryIamthatyoucannotfeelthemsufficientlytoactuponthem。

Mybeingsavedfrompainisaverysecondaryconsideration。I

wantyoutosaveyourselffromgreaterpain。PerhapsImaysometimeshavefeltthatHarrietwouldnotforgetwhatwasdue——orratherwhatwouldbekindbyme。”

Thisappealtoheraffectionsdidmorethanalltherest。

TheideaofwantinggratitudeandconsiderationforMissWoodhouse，whomshereallylovedextremely，madeherwretchedforawhile，andwhentheviolenceofgriefwascomfortedaway，stillremainedpowerfulenoughtoprompttowhatwasrightandsupportherinitverytolerably。

“You，whohavebeenthebestfriendIeverhadinmylife——

Wantgratitudetoyou！——Nobodyisequaltoyou！——IcarefornobodyasIdoforyou！——Oh！MissWoodhouse，howungratefulIhavebeen！“

Suchexpressions，assistedastheywerebyeverythingthatlookandmannercoulddo，madeEmmafeelthatshehadneverlovedHarrietsowell，norvaluedheraffectionsohighlybefore。

“Thereisnocharmequaltotendernessofheart。”saidsheafterwardstoherself。“Thereisnothingtobecomparedtoit。

Warmthandtendernessofheart，withanaffectionate，openmanner，willbeatalltheclearnessofheadintheworld，forattraction，Iamsureitwill。Itistendernessofheartwhichmakesmydearfathersogenerallybeloved——whichgivesIsabellaallherpopularity——

Ihaveitnot——butIknowhowtoprizeandrespectit——Harrietismysuperiorinallthecharmandallthefelicityitgives。

DearHarriet！——Iwouldnotchangeyoufortheclearest-headed，longest-sighted，best-judgingfemalebreathing。Oh！thecoldnessofaJaneFairfax！——Harrietisworthahundredsuch——Andforawife——

asensibleman’swife——itisinvaluable。Imentionnonames；

buthappythemanwhochangesEmmaforHarriet！“

Chapter14CHAPTERXIV

Mrs。Eltonwasfirstseenatchurch：butthoughdevotionmightbeinterrupted，curiositycouldnotbesatisfiedbyabrideinapew，anditmustbeleftforthevisitsinformwhichwerethentobepaid，tosettlewhethershewereveryprettyindeed，oronlyratherpretty，ornotprettyatall。

Emmahadfeelings，lessofcuriositythanofprideorpropriety，tomakeherresolveonnotbeingthelasttopayherrespects；

andshemadeapointofHarriet’sgoingwithher，thattheworstofthebusinessmightbegonethroughassoonaspossible。

Shecouldnotenterthehouseagain，couldnotbeinthesameroomtowhichshehadwithsuchvainartificeretreatedthreemonthsago，tolaceupherboot，withoutrecollecting。Athousandvexatiousthoughtswouldrecur。Compliments，charades，andhorribleblunders；

anditwasnottobesupposedthatpoorHarrietshouldnotberecollectingtoo；butshebehavedverywell，andwasonlyratherpaleandsilent。Thevisitwasofcourseshort；andtherewassomuchembarrassmentandoccupationofmindtoshortenit，thatEmmawouldnotallowherselfentirelytoformanopinionofthelady，andonnoaccounttogiveone，beyondthenothing-meaningtermsofbeing“elegantlydressed，andverypleasing。”

Shedidnotreallylikeher。Shewouldnotbeinahurrytofindfault，butshesuspectedthattherewasnoelegance；——ease，butnotelegance——

Shewasalmostsurethatforayoungwoman，astranger，abride，therewastoomuchease。Herpersonwasrathergood；herfacenotunpretty；butneitherfeature，norair，norvoice，normanner，wereelegant。Emmathoughtatleastitwouldturnoutso。

AsforMr。Elton，hismannersdidnotappear——butno，shewouldnotpermitahastyorawittywordfromherselfabouthismanners。

Itwasanawkwardceremonyatanytimetobereceivingweddingvisits，andamanhadneedbeallgracetoacquithimselfwellthroughit。

Thewomanwasbetteroff；shemighthavetheassistanceoffineclothes，andtheprivilegeofbashfulness，butthemanhadonlyhisowngoodsensetodependon；andwhensheconsideredhowpeculiarlyunluckypoorMr。Eltonwasinbeinginthesameroomatoncewiththewomanhehadjustmarried，thewomanhehadwantedtomarry，andthewomanwhomhehadbeenexpectedtomarry，shemustallowhimtohavetherighttolookaslittlewise，andtobeasmuchaffectedly，andaslittlereallyeasyascouldbe。

“Well，MissWoodhouse。”saidHarriet，whentheyhadquittedthehouse，andafterwaitinginvainforherfriendtobegin；

“Well，MissWoodhouse，(withagentlesigh，)whatdoyouthinkofher？——

Isnotsheverycharming？“

TherewasalittlehesitationinEmma’sanswer。

“Oh！yes——very——averypleasingyoungwoman。”

“Ithinkherbeautiful，quitebeautiful。”

“Verynicelydressed，indeed；aremarkablyelegantgown。”

“Iamnotatallsurprizedthatheshouldhavefalleninlove。”

“Oh！no——thereisnothingtosurprizeoneatall——Aprettyfortune；

andshecameinhisway。”

“Idaresay。”returnedHarriet，sighingagain，“Idaresayshewasverymuchattachedtohim。”

“Perhapsshemight；butitisnoteveryman’sfatetomarrythewomanwholoveshimbest。MissHawkinsperhapswantedahome，andthoughtthisthebestoffershewaslikelytohave。”

“Yes。”saidHarrietearnestly，“andwellshemight，nobodycouldeverhaveabetter。Well，Iwishthemhappywithallmyheart。

Andnow，MissWoodhouse，IdonotthinkIshallmindseeingthemagain。

Heisjustassuperiorasever；——butbeingmarried，youknow，itisquiteadifferentthing。No，indeed，MissWoodhouse，youneednotbeafraid；Icansitandadmirehimnowwithoutanygreatmisery。

Toknowthathehasnotthrownhimselfaway，issuchacomfort！——

Shedoesseemacharmingyoungwoman，justwhathedeserves。

Happycreature！Hecalledher`Augusta。’Howdelightful！“

Whenthevisitwasreturned，Emmamadeuphermind。Shecouldthenseemoreandjudgebetter。FromHarriet’shappeningnottobeatHartfield，andherfather’sbeingpresenttoengageMr。Elton，shehadaquarterofanhourofthelady’sconversationtoherself，andcouldcomposedlyattendtoher；andthequarterofanhourquiteconvincedherthatMrs。Eltonwasavainwoman，extremelywellsatisfiedwithherself，andthinkingmuchofherownimportance；

thatshemeanttoshineandbeverysuperior，butwithmannerswhichhadbeenformedinabadschool，pertandfamiliar；thatallhernotionsweredrawnfromonesetofpeople，andonestyleofliving；

thatifnotfoolishshewasignorant，andthathersocietywouldcertainlydoMr。Eltonnogood。

Harrietwouldhavebeenabettermatch。Ifnotwiseorrefinedherself，shewouldhaveconnectedhimwiththosewhowere；butMissHawkins，itmightbefairlysupposedfromhereasyconceit，hadbeenthebestofherownset。Therichbrother-in-lawnearBristolwastheprideofthealliance，andhisplaceandhiscarriagesweretheprideofhim。

TheveryfirstsubjectafterbeingseatedwasMapleGrove，“MybrotherMr。Suckling’sseat；“——acomparisonofHartfieldtoMapleGrove。

ThegroundsofHartfieldweresmall，butneatandpretty；andthehousewasmodernandwell-built。Mrs。Eltonseemedmostfavourablyimpressedbythesizeoftheroom，theentrance，andallthatshecouldseeorimagine。“VerylikeMapleGroveindeed！——Shewasquitestruckbythelikeness！——Thatroomwastheveryshapeandsizeofthemorning-roomatMapleGrove；hersister’sfavouriteroom。”——

Mr。Eltonwasappealedto——“Wasnotitastonishinglylike？——

ShecouldreallyalmostfancyherselfatMapleGrove。”

“Andthestaircase——Youknow，asIcamein，Iobservedhowverylikethestaircasewas；placedexactlyinthesamepartofthehouse。

Ireallycouldnothelpexclaiming！Iassureyou，MissWoodhouse，itisverydelightfultome，toberemindedofaplaceIamsoextremelypartialtoasMapleGrove。Ihavespentsomanyhappymonthsthere！(withalittlesighofsentiment)。Acharmingplace，undoubtedly。Everybodywhoseesitisstruckbyitsbeauty；

buttome，ithasbeenquiteahome。Wheneveryouaretransplanted，likeme，MissWoodhouse，youwillunderstandhowverydelightfulitistomeetwithanythingatalllikewhatonehasleftbehind。

Ialwayssaythisisquiteoneoftheevilsofmatrimony。”

Emmamadeasslightareplyasshecould；butitwasfullysufficientforMrs。Elton，whoonlywantedtobetalkingherself。

“SoextremelylikeMapleGrove！Anditisnotmerelythehouse——

thegrounds，Iassureyou，asfarasIcouldobserve，arestrikinglylike。ThelaurelsatMapleGroveareinthesameprofusionashere，andstandverymuchinthesameway——justacrossthelawn；

andIhadaglimpseofafinelargetree，withabenchroundit，whichputmesoexactlyinmind！Mybrotherandsisterwillbeenchantedwiththisplace。Peoplewhohaveextensivegroundsthemselvesarealwayspleasedwithanythinginthesamestyle。”

Emmadoubtedthetruthofthissentiment。Shehadagreatideathatpeoplewhohadextensivegroundsthemselvescaredverylittlefortheextensivegroundsofanybodyelse；butitwasnotworthwhiletoattackanerrorsodouble-dyed，andthereforeonlysaidinreply，“Whenyouhaveseenmoreofthiscountry，IamafraidyouwillthinkyouhaveoverratedHartfield。Surryisfullofbeauties。”

“Oh！yes，Iamquiteawareofthat。ItisthegardenofEngland，youknow。SurryisthegardenofEngland。”

“Yes；butwemustnotrestourclaimsonthatdistinction。

Manycounties，Ibelieve，arecalledthegardenofEngland，aswellasSurry。”

“No，Ifancynot。”repliedMrs。Elton，withamostsatisfiedsmile。”

IneverheardanycountybutSurrycalledso。”

Emmawassilenced。

“Mybrotherandsisterhavepromisedusavisitinthespring，orsummeratfarthest。”continuedMrs。Elton；“andthatwillbeourtimeforexploring。Whiletheyarewithus，weshallexploreagreatdeal，Idaresay。Theywillhavetheirbarouche-landau，ofcourse，whichholdsfourperfectly；andtherefore，withoutsayinganythingofourcarriage，weshouldbeabletoexplorethedifferentbeautiesextremelywell。Theywouldhardlycomeintheirchaise，Ithink，atthatseasonoftheyear。Indeed，whenthetimedrawson，Ishalldecidedlyrecommendtheirbringingthebarouche-landau；

itwillbesoverymuchpreferable。Whenpeoplecomeintoabeautifulcountryofthissort，youknow，MissWoodhouse，onenaturallywishesthemtoseeasmuchaspossible；andMr。Sucklingisextremelyfondofexploring。WeexploredtoKing’s-Westontwicelastsummer，inthatway，mostdelightfully，justaftertheirfirsthavingthebarouche-landau。Youhavemanypartiesofthatkindhere，Isuppose，MissWoodhouse，everysummer？“

“No；notimmediatelyhere。Weareratheroutofdistanceoftheverystrikingbeautieswhichattractthesortofpartiesyouspeakof；

andweareaveryquietsetofpeople，Ibelieve；moredisposedtostayathomethanengageinschemesofpleasure。”

“Ah！thereisnothinglikestayingathomeforrealcomfort。

NobodycanbemoredevotedtohomethanIam。IwasquiteaproverbforitatMapleGrove。ManyatimehasSelinasaid，whenshehasbeengoingtoBristol，`Ireallycannotgetthisgirltomovefromthehouse。Iabsolutelymustgoinbymyself，thoughI

hatebeingstuckupinthebarouche-landauwithoutacompanion；

butAugusta，Ibelieve，withherowngood-will，wouldneverstirbeyondtheparkpaling。’Manyatimehasshesaidso；andyetI

amnoadvocateforentireseclusion。Ithink，onthecontrary，whenpeopleshutthemselvesupentirelyfromsociety，itisaverybadthing；andthatitismuchmoreadvisabletomixintheworldinaproperdegree，withoutlivinginiteithertoomuchortoolittle。

Iperfectlyunderstandyoursituation，however，MissWoodhouse——

(lookingtowardsMr。Woodhouse)，Yourfather’sstateofhealthmustbeagreatdrawback。WhydoesnothetryBath？——Indeedheshould。

LetmerecommendBathtoyou。IassureyouIhavenodoubtofitsdoingMr。Woodhousegood。”

“Myfathertrieditmorethanonce，formerly；butwithoutreceivinganybenefit；andMr。Perry，whosename，Idaresay，isnotunknowntoyou，doesnotconceiveitwouldbeatallmorelikelytobeusefulnow。”

“Ah！that’sagreatpity；forIassureyou，MissWoodhouse，wherethewatersdoagree，itisquitewonderfultherelieftheygive。InmyBathlife，Ihaveseensuchinstancesofit！

Anditissocheerfulaplace，thatitcouldnotfailofbeingofusetoMr。Woodhouse’sspirits，which，Iunderstand，aresometimesmuchdepressed。Andastoitsrecommendationstoyou，IfancyI

neednottakemuchpainstodwellonthem。TheadvantagesofBathtotheyoungareprettygenerallyunderstood。Itwouldbeacharmingintroductionforyou，whohavelivedsosecludedalife；andIcouldimmediatelysecureyousomeofthebestsocietyintheplace。

Alinefrommewouldbringyoualittlehostofacquaintance；andmyparticularfriend，Mrs。Partridge，theladyIhavealwaysresidedwithwheninBath，wouldbemosthappytoshewyouanyattentions，andwouldbetheverypersonforyoutogointopublicwith。”

ItwasasmuchasEmmacouldbear，withoutbeingimpolite。

TheideaofherbeingindebtedtoMrs。Eltonforwhatwascalledanintroduction——ofhergoingintopublicundertheauspicesofafriendofMrs。Elton’s——probablysomevulgar，dashingwidow，who，withthehelpofaboarder，justmadeashifttolive！——

ThedignityofMissWoodhouse，ofHartfield，wassunkindeed！

Sherestrainedherself，however，fromanyofthereproofsshecouldhavegiven，andonlythankedMrs。Eltoncoolly；“buttheirgoingtoBathwasquiteoutofthequestion；andshewasnotperfectlyconvincedthattheplacemightsuitherbetterthanherfather。”

Andthen，topreventfartheroutrageandindignation，changedthesubjectdirectly。

“Idonotaskwhetheryouaremusical，Mrs。Elton。Upontheseoccasions，alady’scharactergenerallyprecedesher；andHighburyhaslongknownthatyouareasuperiorperformer。”

“Oh！no，indeed；Imustprotestagainstanysuchidea。

Asuperiorperformer！——veryfarfromit，Iassureyou。

Considerfromhowpartialaquarteryourinformationcame。

Iamdoatinglyfondofmusic——passionatelyfond；——andmyfriendssayIamnotentirelydevoidoftaste；butastoanythingelse，uponmyhonourmyperformanceismediocretothelastdegree。

You，MissWoodhouse，Iwellknow，playdelightfully。Iassureyouithasbeenthegreatestsatisfaction，comfort，anddelighttome，tohearwhatamusicalsocietyIamgotinto。Iabsolutelycannotdowithoutmusic。Itisanecessaryoflifetome；andhavingalwaysbeenusedtoaverymusicalsociety，bothatMapleGroveandinBath，itwouldhavebeenamostserioussacrifice。IhonestlysaidasmuchtoMr。E。whenhewasspeakingofmyfuturehome，andexpressinghisfearslesttheretirementofitshouldbedisagreeable；

andtheinferiorityofthehousetoo——knowingwhatIhadbeenaccustomedto——ofcoursehewasnotwhollywithoutapprehension。

Whenhewasspeakingofitinthatway，IhonestlysaidthattheworldIcouldgiveup——parties，balls，plays——forIhadnofearofretirement。Blessedwithsomanyresourceswithinmyself，theworldwasnotnecessarytome。Icoulddoverywellwithoutit。

Tothosewhohadnoresourcesitwasadifferentthing；butmyresourcesmademequiteindependent。Andastosmaller-sizedroomsthanIhadbeenusedto，Ireallycouldnotgiveitathought。

IhopedIwasperfectlyequaltoanysacrificeofthatdescription。

CertainlyIhadbeenaccustomedtoeveryluxuryatMapleGrove；butI

didassurehimthattwocarriageswerenotnecessarytomyhappiness，norwerespaciousapartments。`But，’saidI，`tobequitehonest，IdonotthinkIcanlivewithoutsomethingofamusicalsociety。

Iconditionfornothingelse；butwithoutmusic，lifewouldbeablanktome。’“

“Wecannotsuppose。”saidEmma，smiling，“thatMr。EltonwouldhesitatetoassureyouoftherebeingaverymusicalsocietyinHighbury；

andIhopeyouwillnotfindhehasoutsteppedthetruthmorethanmaybepardoned，inconsiderationofthemotive。”

“No，indeed，Ihavenodoubtsatallonthathead。Iamdelightedtofindmyselfinsuchacircle。Ihopeweshallhavemanysweetlittleconcertstogether。Ithink，MissWoodhouse，youandI

mustestablishamusicalclub，andhaveregularweeklymeetingsatyourhouse，orours。Willnotitbeagoodplan？Ifweexertourselves，Ithinkweshallnotbelonginwantofallies。

Somethingofthatnaturewouldbeparticularlydesirableforme，asaninducementtokeepmeinpractice；formarriedwomen，youknow——

thereisasadstoryagainstthem，ingeneral。Theyarebuttooapttogiveupmusic。”

“Butyou，whoaresoextremelyfondofit——therecanbenodanger，surely？“

“Ishouldhopenot；butreallywhenIlookaroundamongmyacquaintance，Itremble。Selinahasentirelygivenupmusic——nevertouchestheinstrument——thoughsheplayedsweetly。AndthesamemaybesaidofMrs。Jeffereys——ClaraPartridge，thatwas——andofthetwoMilmans，nowMrs。BirdandMrs。JamesCooper；andofmorethanIcanenumerate。

Uponmyworditisenoughtoputoneinafright。IusedtobequiteangrywithSelina；butreallyIbeginnowtocomprehendthatamarriedwomanhasmanythingstocallherattention。

IbelieveIwashalfanhourthismorningshutupwithmyhousekeeper。”

“Buteverythingofthatkind。”saidEmma，“willsoonbeinsoregularatrain——“

“Well。”saidMrs。Elton，laughing，“weshallsee。”

Emma，findinghersodetermineduponneglectinghermusic，hadnothingmoretosay；and，afteramoment’spause，Mrs。Eltonchoseanothersubject。

“WehavebeencallingatRandalls。”saidshe，“andfoundthembothathome；andverypleasantpeopletheyseemtobe。

Ilikethemextremely。Mr。Westonseemsanexcellentcreature——

quiteafirst-ratefavouritewithmealready，Iassureyou。

Andsheappearssotrulygood——thereissomethingsomotherlyandkind-heartedabouther，thatitwinsupononedirectly。

Shewasyourgoverness，Ithink？“

Emmawasalmosttoomuchastonishedtoanswer；butMrs。Eltonhardlywaitedfortheaffirmativebeforeshewenton。

“Havingunderstoodasmuch，Iwasratherastonishedtofindhersoverylady-like！Butsheisreallyquitethegentlewoman。”

“Mrs。Weston’smanners。”saidEmma，“werealwaysparticularlygood。

Theirpropriety，simplicity，andelegance，wouldmakethemthesafestmodelforanyyoungwoman。”

“Andwhodoyouthinkcameinwhilewewerethere？“

Emmawasquiteataloss。Thetoneimpliedsomeoldacquaintance——

andhowcouldshepossiblyguess？

“Knightley！“continuedMrs。Elton；“Knightleyhimself！——Wasnotitlucky？——for，notbeingwithinwhenhecalledtheotherday，Ihadneverseenhimbefore；andofcourse，assoparticularafriendofMr。E。’s，Ihadagreatcuriosity。`MyfriendKnightley’

hadbeensooftenmentioned，thatIwasreallyimpatienttoseehim；

andImustdomycarosposothejusticetosaythatheneednotbeashamedofhisfriend。Knightleyisquitethegentleman。

Ilikehimverymuch。Decidedly，Ithink，averygentleman-likeman。”

Happily，itwasnowtimetobegone。Theywereoff；andEmmacouldbreathe。

“Insufferablewoman！“washerimmediateexclamation。“WorsethanI

hadsupposed。Absolutelyinsufferable！Knightley！——Icouldnothavebelievedit。Knightley！——neverseenhiminherlifebefore，andcallhimKnightley！——anddiscoverthatheisagentleman！

Alittleupstart，vulgarbeing，withherMr。E。，andhercarosposo，andherresources，andallherairsofpertpretensionandunderbredfinery。ActuallytodiscoverthatMr。Knightleyisagentleman！Idoubtwhetherhewillreturnthecompliment，anddiscoverhertobealady。Icouldnothavebelievedit！

AndtoproposethatsheandIshouldunitetoformamusicalclub！

Onewouldfancywewerebosomfriends！AndMrs。Weston！——

Astonishedthatthepersonwhohadbroughtmeupshouldbeagentlewoman！Worseandworse。Inevermetwithherequal。

Muchbeyondmyhopes。Harrietisdisgracedbyanycomparison。

Oh！whatwouldFrankChurchillsaytoher，ifhewerehere？

Howangryandhowdivertedhewouldbe！Ah！thereIam——

thinkingofhimdirectly。Alwaysthefirstpersontobethoughtof！

HowIcatchmyselfout！FrankChurchillcomesasregularlyintomymind！“——

Allthisransogliblythroughherthoughts，thatbythetimeherfatherhadarrangedhimself，afterthebustleoftheEltons’

departure，andwasreadytospeak，shewasverytolerablycapableofattending。

“Well，mydear。”hedeliberatelybegan，“consideringweneversawherbefore，sheseemsaveryprettysortofyounglady；andIdaresayshewasverymuchpleasedwithyou。Shespeaksalittletooquick。

Alittlequicknessofvoicethereiswhichratherhurtstheear。

ButIbelieveIamnice；Idonotlikestrangevoices；andnobodyspeakslikeyouandpoorMissTaylor。However，sheseemsaveryobliging，pretty-behavedyounglady，andnodoubtwillmakehimaverygoodwife。

ThoughIthinkhehadbetternothavemarried。ImadethebestexcusesIcouldfornothavingbeenabletowaitonhimandMrs。Eltononthishappyoccasion；IsaidthatIhopedIshouldinthecourseofthesummer。ButIoughttohavegonebefore。Nottowaituponabrideisveryremiss。Ah！itshewswhatasadinvalidIam！

ButIdonotlikethecornerintoVicarageLane。”

“Idaresayyourapologieswereaccepted，sir。Mr。Eltonknowsyou。”

“Yes：butayounglady——abride——Ioughttohavepaidmyrespectstoherifpossible。Itwasbeingverydeficient。”

“But，mydearpapa，youarenofriendtomatrimony；andthereforewhyshouldyoubesoanxioustopayyourrespectstoabride？

Itoughttobenorecommendationtoyou。Itisencouragingpeopletomarryifyoumakesomuchofthem。”

“No，mydear，Ineverencouragedanybodytomarry，butIwouldalwayswishtopayeveryproperattentiontoalady——andabride，especially，isnevertobeneglected。Moreisavowedlyduetoher。

Abride，youknow，mydear，isalwaysthefirstincompany，lettheothersbewhotheymay。”

“Well，papa，ifthisisnotencouragementtomarry，Idonotknowwhatis。AndIshouldneverhaveexpectedyoutobelendingyoursanctiontosuchvanity-baitsforpooryoungladies。”

“Mydear，youdonotunderstandme。Thisisamatterofmerecommonpolitenessandgood-breeding，andhasnothingtodowithanyencouragementtopeopletomarry。”

Emmahaddone。Herfatherwasgrowingnervous，andcouldnotunderstandher。HermindreturnedtoMrs。Elton’soffences，andlong，verylong，didtheyoccupyher。

Chapter15CHAPTERXV

Emmawasnotrequired，byanysubsequentdiscovery，toretractherillopinionofMrs。Elton。Herobservationhadbeenprettycorrect。

SuchasMrs。Eltonappearedtoheronthissecondinterview，suchsheappearedwhenevertheymetagain，——self-important，presuming，familiar，ignorant，andill-bred。Shehadalittlebeautyandalittleaccomplishment，butsolittlejudgmentthatshethoughtherselfcomingwithsuperiorknowledgeoftheworld，toenlivenandimproveacountryneighbourhood；andconceivedMissHawkinstohaveheldsuchaplaceinsocietyasMrs。Elton’sconsequenceonlycouldsurpass。

TherewasnoreasontosupposeMr。Eltonthoughtatalldifferentlyfromhiswife。Heseemednotmerelyhappywithher，butproud。

HehadtheairofcongratulatinghimselfonhavingbroughtsuchawomantoHighbury，asnotevenMissWoodhousecouldequal；

andthegreaterpartofhernewacquaintance，disposedtocommend，ornotinthehabitofjudging，followingtheleadofMissBates’sgood-will，ortakingitforgrantedthatthebridemustbeascleverandasagreeableassheprofessedherself，wereverywellsatisfied；

sothatMrs。Elton’spraisepassedfromonemouthtoanotherasitoughttodo，unimpededbyMissWoodhouse，whoreadilycontinuedherfirstcontributionandtalkedwithagoodgraceofherbeing“verypleasantandveryelegantlydressed。”

InonerespectMrs。Eltongrewevenworsethanshehadappearedatfirst。HerfeelingsalteredtowardsEmma——Offended，probably，bythelittleencouragementwhichherproposalsofintimacymetwith，shedrewbackinherturnandgraduallybecamemuchmorecoldanddistant；andthoughtheeffectwasagreeable，theill-willwhichproduceditwasnecessarilyincreasingEmma’sdislike。

Hermanners，too——andMr。Elton’s，wereunpleasanttowardsHarriet。

Theyweresneeringandnegligent。EmmahopeditmustrapidlyworkHarriet’scure；butthesensationswhichcouldpromptsuchbehavioursunkthembothverymuch——ItwasnottobedoubtedthatpoorHarriet’sattachmenthadbeenanofferingtoconjugalunreserve，andherownshareinthestory，underacolouringtheleastfavourabletoherandthemostsoothingtohim，hadinalllikelihoodbeengivenalso。Shewas，ofcourse，theobjectoftheirjointdislike——

Whentheyhadnothingelsetosay，itmustbealwayseasytobeginabusingMissWoodhouse；andtheenmitywhichtheydarednotshewinopendisrespecttoher，foundabroaderventincontemptuoustreatmentofHarriet。

Mrs。EltontookagreatfancytoJaneFairfax；andfromthefirst。

Notmerelywhenastateofwarfarewithoneyoungladymightbesupposedtorecommendtheother，butfromtheveryfirst；andshewasnotsatisfiedwithexpressinganaturalandreasonableadmiration——

butwithoutsolicitation，orplea，orprivilege，shemustbewantingtoassistandbefriendher——BeforeEmmahadforfeitedherconfidence，andaboutthethirdtimeoftheirmeeting，sheheardallMrs。Elton’sknight-errantryonthesubject——

“JaneFairfaxisabsolutelycharming，MissWoodhouse——IquiteraveaboutJaneFairfax——Asweet，interestingcreature。Somildandladylike——andwithsuchtalents！——IassureyouIthinkshehasveryextraordinarytalents。Idonotscrupletosaythatsheplaysextremelywell。Iknowenoughofmusictospeakdecidedlyonthatpoint。Oh！sheisabsolutelycharming！Youwilllaughatmywarmth——but，uponmyword，ItalkofnothingbutJaneFairfax——

Andhersituationissocalculatedtoaffectone！——MissWoodhouse，wemustexertourselvesandendeavourtodosomethingforher。

Wemustbringherforward。Suchtalentashersmustnotbesufferedtoremainunknown——Idaresayyouhaveheardthosecharminglinesofthepoet，`Fullmanyaflowerisborntoblushunseen，`Andwasteitsfragranceonthedesertair。’

WemustnotallowthemtobeverifiedinsweetJaneFairfax。”

“Icannotthinkthereisanydangerofit。”wasEmma’scalmanswer——

“andwhenyouarebetteracquaintedwithMissFairfax’ssituationandunderstandwhatherhomehasbeen，withColonelandMrs。Campbell，Ihavenoideathatyouwillsupposehertalentscanbeunknown。”

“Oh！butdearMissWoodhouse，sheisnowinsuchretirement，suchobscurity，sothrownaway——WhateveradvantagesshemayhaveenjoyedwiththeCampbellsaresopalpablyatanend！AndIthinkshefeelsit。Iamsureshedoes。Sheisverytimidandsilent。

Onecanseethatshefeelsthewantofencouragement。Ilikeherthebetterforit。Imustconfessitisarecommendationtome。

Iamagreatadvocatefortimidity——andIamsureonedoesnotoftenmeetwithit——Butinthosewhoareatallinferior，itisextremelyprepossessing。Oh！Iassureyou，JaneFairfaxisaverydelightfulcharacter，andinterestsmemorethanI

canexpress。”

“Youappeartofeelagreatdeal——butIamnotawarehowyouoranyofMissFairfax’sacquaintancehere，anyofthosewhohaveknownherlongerthanyourself，canshewheranyotherattentionthan“——

“MydearMissWoodhouse，avastdealmaybedonebythosewhodaretoact。YouandIneednotbeafraid。Ifwesettheexample，manywillfollowitasfarastheycan；thoughallhavenotoursituations。Wehavecarriagestofetchandconveyherhome，andweliveinastylewhichcouldnotmaketheadditionofJaneFairfax，atanytime，theleastinconvenient——IshouldbeextremelydispleasedifWrightweretosendusupsuchadinner，ascouldmakemeregrethavingaskedmorethanJaneFairfaxtopartakeofit。Ihavenoideaofthatsortofthing。

ItisnotlikelythatIshould，consideringwhatIhavebeenusedto。

Mygreatestdanger，perhaps，inhousekeeping，maybequitetheotherway，indoingtoomuch，andbeingtoocarelessofexpense。

MapleGrovewillprobablybemymodelmorethanitoughttobe——

forwedonotatallaffecttoequalmybrother，Mr。Suckling，inincome——However，myresolutionistakenastonoticingJaneFairfax——

Ishallcertainlyhaveherveryoftenatmyhouse，shallintroduceherwhereverIcan，shallhavemusicalpartiestodrawouthertalents，andshallbeconstantlyonthewatchforaneligiblesituation。

Myacquaintanceissoveryextensive，thatIhavelittledoubtofhearingofsomethingtosuithershortly——Ishallintroduceher，ofcourse，veryparticularlytomybrotherandsisterwhentheycometous。Iamsuretheywilllikeherextremely；andwhenshegetsalittleacquaintedwiththem，herfearswillcompletelywearoff，fortherereallyisnothinginthemannersofeitherbutwhatishighlyconciliating——Ishallhaveherveryoftenindeedwhiletheyarewithme，andIdaresayweshallsometimesfindaseatforherinthebarouche-landauinsomeofourexploringparties。”

“PoorJaneFairfax！“——thoughtEmma——“Youhavenotdeservedthis。

YoumayhavedonewrongwithregardtoMr。Dixon，butthisisapunishmentbeyondwhatyoucanhavemerited！——ThekindnessandprotectionofMrs。Elton！——`JaneFairfaxandJaneFairfax。’Heavens！

Letmenotsupposethatshedaresgoabout，EmmaWoodhouse-ingme！——

Butuponmyhonour，thereseemsnolimitstothelicentiousnessofthatwoman’stongue！“