The misfortune of Harriet’s cold had been pretty well gone through before her arrival. Mr.Woodhouse had been safely seated long enough to give the history of it,besides all the history of his own and Isabella’s coming, and of Emma’s being to follow,and had indeed just got to the end of his satisfaction that James should come and see his daughter,when the others appeared, and Mrs. Weston,who had been almost wholly engrossed by her attentions to him,was able to turn away and welcome her dear Emma.
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 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 with her to preserve her good manners. For her own sake she could not be rude; and for Harriet’s, in the hope that all would yet turn out right, she was even positively civil; but it was an effort; especially as something was going on amongst the others, in the most overpowering period of Mr. Elton’s nonsense, which she particularly wished to listen to. She heard enough to know that Mr. Weston was giving some information about his son; she heard the words “my son,” and “Frank,” and “my son,” repeated several times over; and, from a few other half-syllables very much suspected that he was announcing an early visit from his son; but before she could quiet Mr. Elton, the subject was so completely past that any reviving question from her would have been awkward.
Now, it so happened that in spite of Emma’s resolution of never marrying,there was something in the name, in the idea of Mr. Frank Churchill, which always interested her.She had frequently thought—especially since his father’s marriage with Miss Taylor—that if she _were_ to marry,he was the very person to suit her in age, character and condition.He seemed by this connexion between the families, quite to belong to her.She could not but suppose it to be a match that every body who knew them must think of. That Mr.and Mrs. Weston did think of it, she was very strongly persuaded;and though not meaning to be induced by him, or by any body else,to give up a situation which she believed more replete with good than any she could change it for,she had a great curiosity to see him, a decided intention of finding him pleasant,of being liked by him to a certain degree,and a sort of pleasure in the idea of their being coupled in their friends’ imaginations.
With such sensations, Mr. Elton’s civilities were dreadfully ill-timed;but she had the comfort of appearing very polite,while feeling very cross—and of thinking that the rest of the visit could not possibly pass without bringing forward the same information again,or the substance of it, from the open-hearted Mr. Weston.—So it proved;—for when happily released from Mr. Elton, and seated by Mr. Weston, at dinner,he made use of the very first interval in the cares of hospitality,the very first leisure from the saddle of mutton, to say to her,
“We want only two more to be just the right number. I should like to see two more here,—your pretty little friend, Miss Smith, and my son—and then I should say we were quite complete.I believe you did not hear me telling the others in the drawing-room that we are expecting Frank.I had a letter from him this morning, and he will be with us within a fortnight.”
Emma spoke with a very proper degree of pleasure; and fully assented to his proposition of Mr.Frank Churchill and Miss Smith making their party quite complete.
“He has been wanting to come to us,” continued Mr. Weston, “ever since September:every letter has been full of it; but he cannot command his own time.He has those to please who must be pleased,and who (between ourselves) are sometimes to be pleased only by a good many sacrifices.But now I have no doubt of seeing him here about the second week in January.”
“What a very great pleasure it will be to you!and Mrs. Weston is so anxious to be acquainted with him,that she must be almost as happy as yourself.”
“Yes, she would be, but that she thinks there will be another put-off.She does not depend upon his coming so much as I do:but she does not know the parties so well as I do. The case, you see,is—(but this is quite between ourselves: I did not mention a syllable of it in the other room.There are secrets in all families, you know)—The case is,that a party of friends are invited to pay a visit at Enscombe in January;and that Frank’s coming depends upon their being put off. If they are not put off, he cannot stir.But I know they will, because it is a family that a certain lady, of some consequence, at Enscombe,has a particular dislike to: and though it is thought necessary to invite them once in two or three years,they always are put off when it comes to the point. I have not the smallest doubt of the issue.I am as confident of seeing Frank here before the middle of January, as I am of being here myself:but your good friend there (nodding towards the upper end of the table) has so few vagaries herself,and has been so little used to them at Hartfield, that she cannot calculate on their effects,as I have been long in the practice of doing.”
“I am sorry there should be any thing like doubt in the case,” replied Emma;“but am disposed to side with you, Mr. Weston. If you think he will come, I shall think so too; for you know Enscombe.”
“Yes—I have some right to that knowledge;though I have never been at the place in my life.—She is an odd woman!—But I never allow myself to speak ill of her, on Frank’s account;for I do believe her to be very fond of him.I used to think she was not capable of being fond of any body, except herself:but she has always been kind to him (in her way—allowing for little whims and caprices,and expecting every thing to be as she likes). And it is no small credit, in my opinion, to him,that he should excite such an affection; for, though I would not say it to any body else,she has no more heart than a stone to people in general; and the devil of a temper.”
Emma liked the subject so well, that she began upon it, to Mrs. Weston,very soon after their moving into the drawing-room: wishing her joy—yet observing,that she knew the first meeting must be rather alarming.—Mrs. Weston agreed to it; but added,that she should be very glad to be secure of undergoing the anxiety of a first meeting at the time talked of:“for I cannot depend upon his coming. I cannot be so sanguine as Mr. Weston.I am very much afraid that it will all end in nothing. Mr. Weston, I dare say,has been telling you exactly how the matter stands?”
“Yes—it seems to depend upon nothing but the ill-humour of Mrs. Churchill,which I imagine to be the most certain thing in the world.”
“My Emma!” replied Mrs. Weston, smiling, “what is the certainty of caprice?” Then turning to Isabella, who had not been attending before—“You must know, my dear Mrs.Knightley, that we are by no means so sure of seeing Mr. Frank Churchill, in my opinion,as his father thinks. It depends entirely upon his aunt’s spirits and pleasure; in short,upon her temper. To you—to my two daughters—I may venture on the truth. Mrs.Churchill rules at Enscombe, and is a very odd-tempered woman; and his coming now,depends upon her being willing to spare him.”
“Oh, Mrs. Churchill; every body knows Mrs. Churchill,” replied Isabella:“and I am sure I never think of that poor young man without the greatest compassion.To be constantly living with an ill-tempered person, must be dreadful.It is what we happily have never known any thing of; but it must be a life of misery.What a blessing, that she never had any children!Poor little creatures, how unhappy she would have made them!”
Emma wished she had been alone with Mrs. Weston. She should then have heard more: Mrs.Weston would speak to her, with a degree of unreserve which she would not hazard with Isabella;and, she really believed, would scarcely try to conceal any thing relative to the Churchills from her,excepting those views on the young man,of which her own imagination had already given her such instinctive knowledge.But at present there was nothing more to be said. Mr.Woodhouse very soon followed them into the drawing-room. To be sitting long after dinner,was a confinement that he could not endure. Neither wine nor conversation was any thing to him;and gladly did he move to those with whom he was always comfortable.
While he talked to Isabella, however, Emma found an opportunity of saying,
“And so you do not consider this visit from your son as by any means certain. I am sorry for it.The introduction must be unpleasant, whenever it takes place; and the sooner it could be over, the better.”
“Yes; and every delay makes one more apprehensive of other delays. Even if this family,the Braithwaites, are put off, I am still afraid that some excuse may be found for disappointing us.I cannot bear to imagine any reluctance on his side;but I am sure there is a great wish on the Churchills’ to keep him to themselves.There is jealousy. They are jealous even of his regard for his father. In short,I can feel no dependence on his coming, and I wish Mr. Weston were less sanguine.”
“He ought to come,” said Emma. “If he could stay only a couple of days, he ought to come;and one can hardly conceive a young man’s not having it in his power to do as much as that.A young _woman_, if she fall into bad hands, may be teased,and kept at a distance from those she wants to be with;but one cannot comprehend a young _man_’s being under such restraint,as not to be able to spend a week with his father, if he likes it.”
“One ought to be at Enscombe, and know the ways of the family,before one decides upon what he can do,” replied Mrs. Weston. “One ought to use the same caution,perhaps, in judging of the conduct of any one individual of any one family; but Enscombe,I believe, certainly must not be judged by general rules: _she_ is so very unreasonable; and every thing gives way to her.”
“But she is so fond of the nephew: he is so very great a favourite. Now,according to my idea of Mrs. Churchill, it would be most natural,that while she makes no sacrifice for the comfort of the husband, to whom she owes every thing,while she exercises incessant caprice towards _him_,she should frequently be governed by the nephew, to whom she owes nothing at all.”
“My dearest Emma, do not pretend, with your sweet temper, to understand a bad one,or to lay down rules for it: you must let it go its own way. I have no doubt of his having,at times, considerable influence; but it may be perfectly impossible for him to know beforehand _when_ it will be. ”
Emma listened, and then coolly said, “I shall not be satisfied, unless he comes.”
“He may have a great deal of influence on some points,” continued Mrs. Weston, “and on others,very little: and among those, on which she is beyond his reach, it is but too likely,may be this very circumstance of his coming away from them to visit us.”
CHAPTER XV
Mr. Woodhouse was soon ready for his tea;and when he had drank his tea he was quite ready to go home;and it was as much as his three companions could do,to entertain away his notice of the lateness of the hour, before the other gentlemen appeared. Mr.Weston was chatty and convivial, and no friend to early separations of any sort;but at last the drawing-room party did receive an augmentation. Mr. Elton, in very good spirits,was one of the first to walk in. Mrs. Weston and Emma were sitting together on a sofa.He joined them immediately, and, with scarcely an invitation, seated himself between them.
Emma, in good spirits too, from the amusement afforded her mind by the expectation of Mr.Frank Churchill, was willing to forget his late improprieties,and be as well satisfied with him as before, and on his making Harriet his very first subject,was ready to listen with most friendly smiles.
He professed himself extremely anxious about her fair friend—her fair, lovely, amiable friend. “Did she know?—had she heard any thing about her, since their being at Randalls?—he felt much anxiety—he must confess that the nature of her complaint alarmed him considerably.” And in this style he talked on for some time very properly, not much attending to any answer,but altogether sufficiently awake to the terror of a bad sore throat; and Emma was quite in charity with him.
But at last there seemed a perverse turn;it seemed all at once as if he were more afraid of its being a bad sore throat on her account,than on Harriet’s—more anxious that she should escape the infection,than that there should be no infection in the complaint.He began with great earnestness to entreat her to refrain from visiting the sick-chamber again,for the present—to entreat her to _promise_ _him_ not to venture into such hazard till he had seen Mr.Perry and learnt his opinion; and though she tried to laugh it off and bring the subject back into its proper course,there was no putting an end to his extreme solicitude about her. She was vexed.It did appear—there was no concealing it—exactly like the pretence of being in love with her,instead of Harriet; an inconstancy, if real, the most contemptible and abominable!and she had difficulty in behaving with temper. He turned to Mrs. Weston to implore her assistance, “Would not she give him her support?—would not she add her persuasions to his, to induce Miss Woodhouse not to go to Mrs.Goddard’s till it were certain that Miss Smith’s disorder had no infection?He could not be satisfied without a promise—would not she give him her influence in procuring it?”
“So scrupulous for others,” he continued, “and yet so careless for herself!She wanted me to nurse my cold by staying at home to-day,and yet will not promise to avoid the danger of catching an ulcerated sore throat herself. Is this fair, Mrs. Weston?—Judge between us. Have not I some right to complain?I am sure of your kind support and aid.”
Emma saw Mrs. Weston’s surprize, and felt that it must be great, at an address which,in words and manner, was assuming to himself the right of first interest in her;and as for herself, she was too much provoked and offended to have the power of directly saying any thing to the purpose.She could only give him a look; but it was such a look as she thought must restore him to his senses,and then left the sofa, removing to a seat by her sister, and giving her all her attention.
She had not time to know how Mr. Elton took the reproof, so rapidly did another subject succeed;for Mr. John Knightley now came into the room from examining the weather,and opened on them all with the information of the ground being covered with snow,and of its still snowing fast, with a strong drifting wind; concluding with these words to Mr. Woodhouse:
“This will prove a spirited beginning of your winter engagements, sir.Something new for your coachman and horses to be making their way through a storm of snow.”
Poor Mr. Woodhouse was silent from consternation; but every body else had something to say;every body was either surprized or not surprized, and had some question to ask,or some comfort to offer. Mrs. Weston and Emma tried earnestly to cheer him and turn his attention from his son-in-law,who was pursuing his triumph rather unfeelingly.
“I admired your resolution very much, sir,” said he, “in venturing out in such weather,for of course you saw there would be snow very soon. Every body must have seen the snow coming on.I admired your spirit; and I dare say we shall get home very well.Another hour or two’s snow can hardly make the road impassable; and we are two carriages;if one is blown over in the bleak part of the common field there will be the other at hand.I dare say we shall be all safe at Hartfield before midnight.”
Mr. Weston, with triumph of a different sort,was confessing that he had known it to be snowing some time, but had not said a word,lest it should make Mr. Woodhouse uncomfortable, and be an excuse for his hurrying away.As to there being any quantity of snow fallen or likely to fall to impede their return,that was a mere joke; he was afraid they would find no difficulty.He wished the road might be impassable, that he might be able to keep them all at Randalls;and with the utmost good-will was sure that accommodation might be found for every body,calling on his wife to agree with him, that with a little contrivance, every body might be lodged,which she hardly knew how to do, from the consciousness of there being but two spare rooms in the house.
“What is to be done, my dear Emma?—what is to be done?” was Mr. Woodhouse’s first exclamation, and all that he could say for some time.To her he looked for comfort; and her assurances of safety,her representation of the excellence of the horses, and of James,and of their having so many friends about them, revived him a little.
His eldest daughter’s alarm was equal to his own. The horror of being blocked up at Randalls,while her children were at Hartfield, was full in her imagination;and fancying the road to be now just passable for adventurous people,but in a state that admitted no delay, she was eager to have it settled,that her father and Emma should remain at Randalls,while she and her husband set forward instantly through all the possible accumulations of drifted snow that might impede them.
“You had better order the carriage directly, my love,” said she;“I dare say we shall be able to get along, if we set off directly;and if we do come to any thing very bad, I can get out and walk. I am not at all afraid.I should not mind walking half the way. I could change my shoes, you know, the moment I got home;and it is not the sort of thing that gives me cold.”
“Indeed!” replied he. “Then, my dear Isabella, it is the most extraordinary sort of thing in the world,for in general every thing does give you cold. Walk home!—you are prettily shod for walking home, I dare say. It will be bad enough for the horses.”
Isabella turned to Mrs. Weston for her approbation of the plan. Mrs. Weston could only approve.Isabella then went to Emma; but Emma could not so entirely give up the hope of their being all able to get away;and they were still discussing the point, when Mr. Knightley,who had left the room immediately after his brother’s first report of the snow, came back again,and told them that he had been out of doors to examine,and could answer for there not being the smallest difficulty in their getting home,whenever they liked it, either now or an hour hence.He had gone beyond the sweep—some way along the Highbury road—the snow was nowhere above half an inch deep—in many places hardly enough to whiten the ground;a very few flakes were falling at present, but the clouds were parting,and there was every appearance of its being soon over. He had seen the coachmen,and they both agreed with him in there being nothing to apprehend.
To Isabella, the relief of such tidings was very great,and they were scarcely less acceptable to Emma on her father’s account,who was immediately set as much at ease on the subject as his nervous constitution allowed;but the alarm that had been raised could not be appeased so as to admit of any comfort for him while he continued at Randalls.He was satisfied of there being no present danger in returning home,but no assurances could convince him that it was safe to stay;and while the others were variously urging and recommending, Mr.Knightley and Emma settled it in a few brief sentences: thus—
“Your father will not be easy; why do not you go?”
“I am ready, if the others are.”
“Shall I ring the bell?”
“Yes, do.”
And the bell was rung, and the carriages spoken for. A few minutes more,and Emma hoped to see one troublesome companion deposited in his own house, to get sober and cool,and the other recover his temper and happiness when this visit of hardship were over.
The carriage came: and Mr. Woodhouse, always the first object on such occasions,was carefully attended to his own by Mr. Knightley and Mr. Weston;but not all that either could say could prevent some renewal of alarm at the sight of the snow which had actually fallen,and the discovery of a much darker night than he had been prepared for.“He was afraid they should have a very bad drive. He was afraid poor Isabella would not like it.And there would be poor Emma in the carriage behind. He did not know what they had best do.They must keep as much together as they could;” and James was talked to,and given a charge to go very slow and wait for the other carriage.
Isabella stept in after her father; John Knightley,forgetting that he did not belong to their party, stept in after his wife very naturally;so that Emma found, on being escorted and followed into the second carriage by Mr. Elton,that the door was to be lawfully shut on them, and that they were to have a tête-à-tête drive.It would not have been the awkwardness of a moment, it would have been rather a pleasure,previous to the suspicions of this very day; she could have talked to him of Harriet,and the three-quarters of a mile would have seemed but one. But now,she would rather it had not happened. She believed he had been drinking too much of Mr.Weston’s good wine, and felt sure that he would want to be talking nonsense.
To restrain him as much as might be, by her own manners,she was immediately preparing to speak with exquisite calmness and gravity of the weather and the night;but scarcely had she begun, scarcely had they passed the sweep-gate and joined the other carriage,than she found her subject cut up—her hand seized—her attention demanded, and Mr.Elton actually making violent love to her: availing himself of the precious opportunity,declaring sentiments which must be already well known,hoping—fearing—adoring—ready to die if she refused him;but flattering himself that his ardent attachment and unequalled love and unexampled passion could not fail of having some effect,and in short, very much resolved on being seriously accepted as soon as possible. It really was so.Without scruple—without apology—without much apparent diffidence, Mr. Elton, the lover of Harriet,was professing himself _her_ lover. She tried to stop him; but vainly; he would go on,and say it all. Angry as she was, the thought of the moment made her resolve to restrain herself when she did speak.She felt that half this folly must be drunkenness,and therefore could hope that it might belong only to the passing hour. Accordingly,with a mixture of the serious and the playful,which she hoped would best suit his half and half state, she replied,
“I am very much astonished, Mr. Elton. This to _me_!you forget yourself—you take me for my friend—any message to Miss Smith I shall be happy to deliver;but no more of this to _me_, if you please.”
“Miss Smith!—message to Miss Smith!—What could she possibly mean!”—And he repeated her words with such assurance of accent, such boastful pretence of amazement,that she could not help replying with quickness,
“Mr. Elton, this is the most extraordinary conduct!and I can account for it only in one way; you are not yourself, or you could not speak either to me,or of Harriet, in such a manner. Command yourself enough to say no more, and I will endeavour to forget it.”
But Mr. Elton had only drunk wine enough to elevate his spirits,not at all to confuse his intellects. He perfectly knew his own meaning;and having warmly protested against her suspicion as most injurious,and slightly touched upon his respect for Miss Smith as her friend,—but acknowledging his wonder that Miss Smith should be mentioned at all,—he resumed the subject of his own passion, and was very urgent for a favourable answer.
As she thought less of his inebriety, she thought more of his inconstancy and presumption;and with fewer struggles for politeness, replied,
“It is impossible for me to doubt any longer. You have made yourself too clear. Mr. Elton,my astonishment is much beyond any thing I can express. After such behaviour,as I have witnessed during the last month,to Miss Smith—such attentions as I have been in the daily habit of observing—to be addressing me in this manner—this is an unsteadiness of character,indeed, which I had not supposed possible!Believe me, sir, I am far, very far, from gratified in being the object of such professions.”
“Good Heaven!” cried Mr. Elton, “what can be the meaning of this?—Miss Smith!—I never thought of Miss Smith in the whole course of my existence—never paid her any attentions,but as your friend: never cared whether she were dead or alive, but as your friend.If she has fancied otherwise, her own wishes have misled her,and I am very sorry—extremely sorry—But, Miss Smith, indeed!—Oh!Miss Woodhouse!who can think of Miss Smith, when Miss Woodhouse is near!No, upon my honour, there is no unsteadiness of character. I have thought only of you.I protest against having paid the smallest attention to any one else.Every thing that I have said or done, for many weeks past,has been with the sole view of marking my adoration of yourself. You cannot really, seriously, doubt it. No!—(in an accent meant to be insinuating)—I am sure you have seen and understood me.”
It would be impossible to say what Emma felt,on hearing this—which of all her unpleasant sensations was uppermost.She was too completely overpowered to be immediately able to reply:and two moments of silence being ample encouragement for Mr. Elton’s sanguine state of mind,he tried to take her hand again, as he joyously exclaimed—
“Charming Miss Woodhouse!allow me to interpret this interesting silence. It confesses that you have long understood me.”
“No, sir,” cried Emma, “it confesses no such thing. So far from having long understood you,I have been in a most complete error with respect to your views, till this moment. As to myself,I am very sorry that you should have been giving way to any feelings—Nothing could be farther from my wishes—your attachment to my friend Harriet—your pursuit of her, (pursuit, it appeared,) gave me great pleasure, and I have been very earnestly wishing you success: but had I supposed that she were not your attraction to Hartfield, I should certainly have thought you judged ill in making your visits so frequent. Am I to believe that you have never sought to recommend yourself particularly to Miss Smith?—that you have never thought seriously of her?”
“Never, madam,” cried he, affronted in his turn: “never, I assure you. _I_ think seriously of Miss Smith!—Miss Smith is a very good sort of girl; and I should be happy to see her respectably settled.I wish her extremely well: and, no doubt,there are men who might not object to—Every body has their level: but as for myself, I am not,I think, quite so much at a loss. I need not so totally despair of an equal alliance,as to be addressing myself to Miss Smith!—No, madam, my visits to Hartfield have been for yourself only; and the encouragement I received—”
“Encouragement!—I give you encouragement!—Sir, you have been entirely mistaken in supposing it.I have seen you only as the admirer of my friend.In no other light could you have been more to me than a common acquaintance.I am exceedingly sorry: but it is well that the mistake ends where it does.Had the same behaviour continued, Miss Smith might have been led into a misconception of your views;not being aware, probably, any more than myself,of the very great inequality which you are so sensible of. But, as it is,the disappointment is single, and, I trust, will not be lasting.I have no thoughts of matrimony at present.”
He was too angry to say another word; her manner too decided to invite supplication;and in this state of swelling resentment, and mutually deep mortification,they had to continue together a few minutes longer, for the fears of Mr.Woodhouse had confined them to a foot-pace. If there had not been so much anger,there would have been desperate awkwardness;but their straightforward emotions left no room for the little zigzags of embarrassment.Without knowing when the carriage turned into Vicarage Lane, or when it stopped,they found themselves, all at once, at the door of his house;and he was out before another syllable passed.—Emma then felt it indispensable to wish him a good night.The compliment was just returned, coldly and proudly; and,under indescribable irritation of spirits, she was then conveyed to Hartfield.