Chapter III

“Miss Fairfax is reserved,” said Emma to Mr. Knightley.

“I always told you she was – a little; but that has its foundation in diffidence. What arises from discretion must be honoured.”

“You think her diffident. I do not see it.”

“My dear Emma,” said he, moving from his chair into one close by her, “Miss Jane Fairfax is a very pretty young lady, a very pretty and a very well-behaved young lady indeed.”

“She is a sort of elegant creature that one cannot keep one’s eyes from. I am always watching her to admire; and I do pity her from my heart,” said Mr. Woodhouse. “It is a great pity that their circumstances should be so confined! A great pity indeed! And I have often wished small presents, of anything uncommon. Now we have killed a porker, and Emma thinks of sending them a loin or a leg; it is very small and delicate – Hartfield pork is not like any other pork – but still it is pork – and, my dear Emma, I think we had better send the leg – do not you think so, my dear?”

“My dear papa, I sent the whole hind-quarter. I knew you would wish it.”

“That’s right, my dear, very right. I had not thought of it before, but that is the best way.”

“Emma,” said Mr. Knightley presently, “I have some news for you. You like news, and I think it will interest you.”

“News! Oh! yes, I always like news. What is it? Why do you smile so? Where did you hear it? At Randalls?”

He had time only to say, “No, not at Randalls; I have not been near Randalls,” when the door was opened, and Miss Bates and Miss Fairfax walked into the room, full of thanks, and full of news. Mr. Knightley saw that he had lost his moment.

“Oh! my dear sir, how are you this morning? My dear Miss Woodhouse – Such a beautiful hind-quarter of pork! You are too kind! Have you heard the news? Mr. Elton is going to be married.”

Emma had not had time even to think of Mr. Elton, and she was so completely surprized that she could not avoid a little blush.

“There is my news: I thought it would interest you,” said Mr. Knightley, with a smile.

“But where could you hear it?” cried Miss Bates. “Where could you possibly hear it, Mr. Knightley? For it is not five minutes since I received Mrs. Cole’s note – no, it cannot be more than five – or at least ten – I was only gone down to speak to Patty again about the pork – Jane was standing in the passage – were not you, Jane? But, Mr. Knightley, how could you possibly have heard it? for the very moment Mr. Cole told Mrs. Cole of it, she sat down and wrote to me.”

“I was with Mr. Cole on business an hour and a half ago. He had just read Elton’s letter as I came in, and handed it to me directly.”

“Mr. Elton is going to be married!” said Emma, as soon as she could speak. “He will have everybody’s wishes for his happiness.”

“He is very young to settle,” was Mr. Woodhouse’s observation. “We were always glad to see him at Hartfield.”

“A new neighbour for us all, Miss Woodhouse!” said Miss Bates, joyfully; “my mother is so pleased! – she says she cannot bear to have the poor old Vicarage without a mistress. This is great news, indeed. Jane, you have never seen Mr. Elton! – no wonder that you have such a curiosity to see him.”

“No – I have never seen Mr. Elton,” Jane replied; “is he – is he a tall man?”

“Who will answer that question?” cried Emma. “My father would say ‘yes,’ Mr. Knightley ‘no;’ and Miss Bates and I that he is just the happy medium. When you have been here a little longer, Miss Fairfax, you will understand that Mr. Elton is the standard of perfection in Highbury, both in person and mind.”

“Very true, Miss Woodhouse, so she will. He is the best young man. Miss Hawkins, I dare say, is an excellent young woman.”

“It is interesting what Miss Hawkins is, or how long he has been acquainted with her,” said Emma. “One feels that it cannot be a very long acquaintance. He has been gone only four weeks.”

“Yes, he has been gone just four weeks, as you observe, Miss Woodhouse,” said Miss Bates, “four weeks yesterday. Miss Hawkins! Well, I had always rather fancied it would be some young lady hereabouts… Yes, Mr. Elton, and Miss Hawkins! – Good morning to you.”

Mr. Woodhouse lamented that young people would be in such a hurry to marry – and to marry strangers too.

Chapter IV

A week had not passed since Miss Hawkins’s name was first mentioned in Highbury, before she was discovered to have every recommendation of person and mind; to be handsome, elegant, highly accomplished, and perfectly amiable.

Mr. Elton returned, a very happy man. He had gone away rejected, mortified and disappointed. He had gone away deeply offended – he came back engaged to another – and to another as superior, of course, to the first. He came back self-satisfied, eager and busy, caring nothing for Miss Woodhouse, and defying Miss Smith.

The charming Augusta Hawkins was in possession of an independent fortune. He had not thrown himself away – he had gained a woman of 10,000 l. or thereabouts; and he had gained her with such delightful rapidity!

He had caught both fortune and affection, and was just the happy man he ought to be; talking only of himself and his own concerns – expecting to be congratulated – ready to be laughed.

During his present short stay, Emma had barely seen him; but just enough to feel that the first meeting was over. She wished him very well; but he gave her pain. But the pain of his continued residence in Highbury, however, must certainly be lessened by his marriage. Mrs. Elton would be an excuse for any change of intercourse; former intimacy might sink without remark.

Of the lady, individually, Emma thought very little. She was good enough for Mr. Elton, no doubt; accomplished enough for Highbury – handsome enough – to look plain, probably, by Harriet’s side. As to connexion,there Emma was perfectly sure, she brought no name, no blood, no alliance. Miss Hawkins was the youngest of the two daughters of a merchant.

But Harriet! Harriet was one of those, who, having once begun, would be always in love. And now, poor girl! she was considerably worse from this reappearance of Mr. Elton. She was always having a glimpse of him somewhere or other. Emma saw him only once; but Harriet was perpetually hearing about him and seeing him. While he was there, the Martins were forgotten; and on the very morning of his setting off for Bath again, Emma, to dissipate some of the distress it occasioned, judged it best for Harriet to return Elizabeth Martin’s visit.

How that visit was to be acknowledged – what would be necessary – and what might be safest, had been a point of some doubtful consideration. Absolute neglect of the mother and sisters, when invited to come, would be ingratitude. It must not be: and yet the danger of a renewal of the acquaintance – !

After much thinking, Emma decided that it was to be only a formal acquaintance. She will take Harriet in the carriage, leave her at the Abbey Mill, while she drove a little farther, and call for her again soon. She could think of nothing better.

Chapter V

Harriet went, however; and when they reached the farm, and she was put down, at the end of the broad, neat gravel walk, which led between espalier apple-trees to the front door. Emma went on to visit an old servant who was married, and settled in Donwell.

The quarter of an hour brought her punctually to the white gate again; and Miss Smith receiving her summons, was with her without delay. She came solitarily down the gravel walk – Miss Martin just appearing at the door, and parting with her seemingly with ceremonious civility.

Harriet was feeling too much; she had seen only Mrs. Martin and the two girls. They had received her doubtingly, if not coolly. Suddenly Mrs. Martin said that Miss Smith had been grown. In that very room she had been measured last September, with her two friends. Then the carriage reappeared, and all was over. Fourteen minutes to be given to those with whom she had thankfully passed six weeks not six months ago! Emma could feel how naturally Harriet must suffer. She would have given a great deal, or endured a great deal, to have had the Martins in a higher rank of life. But this was impossible! She could not repent. They must be separated; but there was a great deal of pain in the process – so much to herself at this time, that she soon felt the necessity of a little consolation. Her mind was quite sick of Mr. Elton and the Martins. The refreshment of Randalls was absolutely necessary.

It was a good scheme; but on driving to the door they heard that neither “master nor mistress was at home;” the man believed they were gone to Hartfield.

“This is too bad,” cried Emma, as they turned away. “And now we shall just miss them! I do not know when I have been so disappointed.” And she leaned back in the corner. Presently the carriage stopped; she looked up; it was stopped by Mr. and Mrs. Weston, who were standing to speak to her. There was instant pleasure in the sight of them.

“How do you do? We have been sitting with your father – glad to see him so well. Frank comes tomorrow, I had a letter this morning, we see him tomorrow by dinner-time. He is at Oxford today, and he comes for a whole fortnight; I knew it would be so. If he had come at Christmas he could not have staid three days; I was always glad he did not come at Christmas; now we are going to have just the right weather for him, fine, dry, settled weather. We shall enjoy him completely; everything has turned out exactly as we could wish.”

“I shall soon bring him over to Hartfield,” said Mr. Weston.

“We had better move on, Mr. Weston,” said his wife, “we are detaining the girls.”

“Well, well, I am ready,” and turning again to Emma, “but you must not be expecting such a very fine young man; I dare say he is really nothing extraordinary.”

“Think of me tomorrow, my dear Emma, about four o’clock,” was Mrs. Weston’s parting injunction.

“Four o’clock! He will be here by three,” was Mr. Weston’s quick amendment; and so ended a most satisfactory meeting.

Emma’s spirits were mounted quite up to happiness.

The morning of the interesting day arrived. The clock struck twelve as Emma passed through the hall. She opened the parlour door, and saw two gentlemen sitting with her father – Mr. Weston and his son. Frank Churchill so long talked of, so high in interest, was actually before her – he was presented to her. He was a very good looking young man; height, air, all were unexceptionable; he looked quick and sensible. She felt immediately that she should like him.

He had reached Randalls the evening before. She was pleased with the eagerness to arrive earlier and quicker.

“I told you yesterday,” cried Mr. Weston with exultation, “I told you all that he would be here before the time named!”

“It is a great pleasure,” said the young man, “to come home where I might do anything.”

He was very much pleased with Randalls, thought it a most admirably arranged house, admired the situation, the walk to Highbury, Highbury itself, Hartfield still more.

On his side were the inquiries, “Was she a horsewoman? Pleasant rides? Pleasant walks? Had they a large neighbourhood? There were several very pretty houses in and about it. Balls – had they balls? – Was it a musical society?”

Then he mentioned his mother-in-law, and he was speaking of her with so much handsome praise, so much warm admiration, so much gratitude for the happiness she secured to his father, and her very kind reception of himself. He understood what would be welcome. “His father’s marriage,” he said, “had been the wisest measure, every friend must rejoice in it; and he thanked the family from which he had received such a blessing.”

A reasonable visit paid, Mr. Weston began to move. His son, rose immediately also, saying,

“Sir, I will take the opportunity of paying a visit, which must be paid some day or other, and therefore may as well be paid now. I have the honour of being acquainted with a neighbour of yours, (turning to Emma,) a lady residing in or near Highbury; a family of the name of Fairfax. I shall have no difficulty, I suppose, in finding the house; though Fairfax, I believe, is not the proper name – I should rather say Barnes, or Bates. Do you know any family of that name?”

“To be sure we do,” cried his father; “Mrs. Bates – we passed her house – I saw Miss Bates at the window. True, true, you are acquainted with Miss Fairfax; I remember you knew her at Weymouth, and a fine girl she is. Call upon her, by all means.”

“There is no necessity for my calling this morning,” said the young man; “another day would do as well.”

“Oh! go today, go today. Do not defer it. The sooner the better.”

The son looked convinced.

“You are acquainted with Miss Jane Fairfax, sir, are you?” said Mr. Woodhouse. “She is staying here on a visit to her grandmama and aunt, very worthy people; I have known them all my life. They will be extremely glad to see you, I am sure; and one of my servants shall go with you to show you the way.”

“My dear sir, my father can direct me.”