Emma by Jane Austen(10)

She had hoped for an answer here—for a few words to
say that her conduct was at least intelligible; but he was
silent; and, as far as she could judge, deep in thought. At
last, and tolerably in his usual tone, he said,
‘I have never had a high opinion of Frank Churchill.—
I can suppose, however, that I may have underrated him.
My acquaintance with him has been but trifling.—And
even if I have not underrated him hitherto, he may yet
turn out well.—With such a woman he has a chance.—I
have no motive for wishing him ill—and for her sake,
whose happiness will be involved in his good character
and conduct, I shall certainly wish him well.’
‘I have no doubt of their being happy together,’ said
Emma; ‘I believe them to be very mutually and very
sincerely attached.’
‘He is a most fortunate man!’ returned Mr. Knightley,
with energy. ‘So early in life—at three-and-twenty—a
period when, if a man chuses a wife, he generally chuses
ill. At three-and-twenty to have drawn such a prize! What
years of felicity that man, in all human calculation, has
before him!—Assured of the love of such a woman—the
disinterested love, for Jane Fairfax’s character vouches for
her disinterestedness; every thing in his favour,— equality
of situation—I mean, as far as regards society, and all the
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Emma by Jane Austen(9)

‘I am glad I have done being in love with him. I should
not like a man who is so soon discomposed by a hot
morning. Harriet’s sweet easy temper will not mind it.’
He was gone long enough to have had a very
comfortable meal, and came back all the better—grown
quite cool—and, with good manners, like himself—able to
draw a chair close to them, take an interest in their
employment; and regret, in a reasonable way, that he
should be so late. He was not in his best spirits, but
seemed trying to improve them; and, at last, made himself
talk nonsense very agreeably. They were looking over
views in Swisserland.
‘As soon as my aunt gets well, I shall go abroad,’ said
he. ‘I shall never be easy till I have seen some of these
places. You will have my sketches, some time or other, to
look at—or my tour to read—or my poem. I shall do
something to expose myself.’
‘That may be—but not by sketches in Swisserland. You

Emma by Jane Austen(8)

‘You may well class the delight, the honour, and the
comfort of such a situation together,’ said Jane, ‘they are
pretty sure to be equal; however, I am very serious in not
wishing any thing to be attempted at present for me. I am
exceedingly obliged to you, Mrs. Elton, I am obliged to
any body who feels for me, but I am quite serious in
wishing nothing to be done till the summer. For two or
three months longer I shall remain where I am, and as I
am.’
‘And I am quite serious too, I assure you,’ replied Mrs.
Elton gaily, ‘in resolving to be always on the watch, and
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employing my friends to watch also, that nothing really
unexceptionable may pass us.’
In this style she ran on; never thoroughly stopped by
any thing till Mr. Woodhouse came into the room; her
vanity had then a change of object, and Emma heard her
saying in the same half-whisper to Jane,

Emma by Jane Austen(7)

know, thinks more of his master’s profit than any thing;
but Mrs. Hodges, he said, was quite displeased at their
being all sent away. She could not bear that her master
should not be able to have another apple-tart this spring.
He told Patty this, but bid her not mind it, and be sure
not to say any thing to us about it, for Mrs. Hodges would
be cross sometimes, and as long as so many sacks were
sold, it did not signify who ate the remainder. And so
Patty told me, and I was excessively shocked indeed! I
would not have Mr. Knightley know any thing about it
for the world! He would be so very…. I wanted to keep it
from Jane’s knowledge; but, unluckily, I had mentioned it
before I was aware.’
Miss Bates had just done as Patty opened the door; and
her visitors walked upstairs without having any regular
narration to attend to, pursued only by the sounds of her
desultory good-will.
‘Pray take care, Mrs. Weston, there is a step at the
turning. Pray take care, Miss Woodhouse, ours is rather a
dark staircase— rather darker and narrower than one could
wish. Miss Smith, pray take care. Miss Woodhouse, I am
quite concerned, I am sure you hit your foot. Miss Smith,

Emma by Jane Austen(6)

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if they had understanding, should convince them that it
was to be only a formal acquaintance. She meant to take
her in the carriage, leave her at the Abbey Mill, while she
drove a little farther, and call for her again so soon, as to
allow no time for insidious applications or dangerous
recurrences to the past, and give the most decided proof of
what degree of intimacy was chosen for the future.
She could think of nothing better: and though there
was something in it which her own heart could not
approve—something of ingratitude, merely glossed over—
it must be done, or what would become of Harriet?
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Emma by Jane Austen(5)

Emma’s project of forgetting Mr. Elton for a while
made her rather sorry to find, when they had all taken
their places, that he was close to her. The difficulty was
great of driving his strange insensibility towards Harriet,
from her mind, while he not only sat at her elbow, but
was continually obtruding his happy countenance on her
notice, and solicitously addressing her upon every
occasion. Instead of forgetting him, his behaviour was such
that she could not avoid the internal suggestion of ‘Can it
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really be as my brother imagined? can it be possible for this
man to be beginning to transfer his affections from Harriet
to me?—Absurd and insufferable!’— Yet he would be so
anxious for her being perfectly warm, would be so
interested about her father, and so delighted with Mrs.
Weston; and at last would begin admiring her drawings
with so much zeal and so little knowledge as seemed
terribly like a would-be lover, and made it some effort