“Three o’clock yesterday!That is your date. I thought I had seen you first in February. ”
“Your gallantry is really unanswerable.But (lowering her voice)—nobody speaks except ourselves,and it is rather too much to be talking nonsense for the entertainment of seven silent people.”
“I say nothing of which I am ashamed,” replied he,with lively impudence. “I saw you first in February.Let every body on the Hill hear me if they can.Let my accents swell to Mickleham on one side,and Dorking on the other. I saw you first in February.” And then whispering—“Our companions are excessively stupid.What shall we do to rouse them?Any nonsense will serve. They _shall_ talk.Ladies and gentlemen,I am ordered by Miss Woodhouse (who, wherever she is,presides) to say, that she desires to know what you are all thinking of?”
Some laughed, and answered good-humouredly.Miss Bates said a great deal; Mrs.Elton swelled at the idea of Miss Woodhouse’s presiding;Mr. Knightley’s answer was the most distinct.
“Is Miss Woodhouse sure that she would like to hear what we are all thinking of?”
“Oh!no, no”—cried Emma, laughing as carelessly as she could—“Upon no account in the world. It is the very last thing I would stand the brunt of just now. Let me hear any thing rather than what you are all thinking of. I will not say quite all. There are one or two, perhaps, (glancing at Mr. Weston and Harriet,) whose thoughts I might not be afraid of knowing.”
“It is a sort of thing,” cried Mrs. Elton emphatically,“which _I_ should not have thought myself privileged to inquire into.Though, perhaps, as the _Chaperon_ of the party—_I_ never was in any circle—exploring parties—young ladies—married women—”
Her mutterings were chiefly to her husband;and he murmured, in reply,
“Very true, my love, very true. Exactly so,indeed—quite unheard of—but some ladies say any thing.Better pass it off as a joke.Every body knows what is due to _you_.”
“It will not do,” whispered Frank to Emma;“they are most of them affronted.I will attack them with more address.Ladies and gentlemen—I am ordered by Miss Woodhouse to say,that she waives her right of knowing exactly what you may all be thinking of,and only requires something very entertaining from each of you,in a general way. Here are seven of you,besides myself, (who, she is pleased to say,am very entertaining already,) and she only demands from each of you either one thing very clever,be it prose or verse,original or repeated—or two things moderately clever—or three things very dull indeed, and she engages to laugh heartily at them all.”
“Oh!very well,” exclaimed Miss Bates,“then I need not be uneasy.‘Three things very dull indeed.’ That will just do for me, you know.I shall be sure to say three dull things as soon as ever I open my mouth, shan’t I?(looking round with the most good-humoured dependence on every body’s assent)—Do not you all think I shall?”
Emma could not resist.
“Ah!ma’am, but there may be a difficulty.Pardon me—but you will be limited as to number—only three at once. ”
Miss Bates, deceived by the mock ceremony of her manner,did not immediately catch her meaning; but,when it burst on her, it could not anger,though a slight blush shewed that it could pain her.
“Ah!—well—to be sure. Yes, I see what she means,(turning to Mr. Knightley,) and I will try to hold my tongue.I must make myself very disagreeable,or she would not have said such a thing to an old friend. ”
“I like your plan,” cried Mr. Weston. “Agreed, agreed.I will do my best. I am making a conundrum.How will a conundrum reckon?”
“Low, I am afraid, sir, very low,” answered his son;—“but we shall be indulgent—especially to any one who leads the way. ”
“No, no,” said Emma, “it will not reckon low.A conundrum of Mr. Weston’s shall clear him and his next neighbour.Come, sir, pray let me hear it.”
“I doubt its being very clever myself,” said Mr. Weston.“It is too much a matter of fact,but here it is.—What two letters of the alphabet are there,that express perfection?”
“What two letters!—express perfection!I am sure I do not know.”
“Ah!you will never guess. You, (to Emma), I am certain,will never guess.—I will tell you.—M.and A.—Em-ma.—Do you understand?”
Understanding and gratification came together.It might be a very indifferent piece of wit,but Emma found a great deal to laugh at and enjoy in it—and so did Frank and Harriet.—It did not seem to touch the rest of the party equally; some looked very stupid about it, and Mr. Knightley gravely said,
“This explains the sort of clever thing that is wanted,and Mr. Weston has done very well for himself;but he must have knocked up every body else._Perfection_ should not have come quite so soon.”
“Oh!for myself, I protest I must be excused,” said Mrs.Elton; “_I_ really cannot attempt—I am not at all fond of the sort of thing.I had an acrostic once sent to me upon my own name,which I was not at all pleased with.I knew who it came from. An abominable puppy!—You know who I mean (nodding to her husband).These kind of things are very well at Christmas,when one is sitting round the fire;but quite out of place, in my opinion,when one is exploring about the country in summer.Miss Woodhouse must excuse me.I am not one of those who have witty things at every body’s service.I do not pretend to be a wit.I have a great deal of vivacity in my own way,but I really must be allowed to judge when to speak and when to hold my tongue.Pass us, if you please, Mr. Churchill. Pass Mr. E.,Knightley, Jane, and myself.We have nothing clever to say—not one of us.
“Yes, yes, pray pass _me_,” added her husband,with a sort of sneering consciousness;“_I_ have nothing to say that can entertain Miss Woodhouse,or any other young lady.An old married man—quite good for nothing.Shall we walk, Augusta?”
“With all my heart. I am really tired of exploring so long on one spot.Come, Jane, take my other arm.”
Jane declined it, however,and the husband and wife walked off. “Happy couple!” said Frank Churchill,as soon as they were out of hearing:—“How well they suit one another!—Very lucky—marrying as they did,upon an acquaintance formed only in a public place!—They only knew each other, I think,a few weeks in Bath!Peculiarly lucky!—for as to any real knowledge of a person’s disposition that Bath,or any public place, can give—it is all nothing;there can be no knowledge.It is only by seeing women in their own homes,among their own set, just as they always are,that you can form any just judgment. Short of that,it is all guess and luck—and will generally be ill-luck.How many a man has committed himself on a short acquaintance,and rued it all the rest of his life!”
Miss Fairfax, who had seldom spoken before,except among her own confederates, spoke now.
“Such things do occur, undoubtedly.”—She was stopped by a cough.Frank Churchill turned towards her to listen.
“You were speaking,” said he, gravely.She recovered her voice.
“I was only going to observe,that though such unfortunate circumstances do sometimes occur both to men and women, I cannot imagine them to be very frequent. A hasty and imprudent attachment may arise—but there is generally time to recover from it afterwards. I would be understood to mean, that it can be only weak, irresolute characters, (whose happiness must be always at the mercy of chance,) who will suffer an unfortunate acquaintance to be an inconvenience, an oppression for ever.”
He made no answer; merely looked,and bowed in submission; and soon afterwards said, in a lively tone,
“Well, I have so little confidence in my own judgment,that whenever I marry,I hope some body will chuse my wife for me. Will you?(turning to Emma.) Will you chuse a wife for me?—I am sure I should like any body fixed on by you.You provide for the family, you know,(with a smile at his father). Find some body for me.I am in no hurry. Adopt her, educate her.”