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Emma
by Jane Austen
VOLUME III
CHAPTER IX
Emma's pensive meditations, as she walked home, were not interrupted;
but on entering the parlour, she found those who must rouse her.
Mr. Knightley and Harriet had arrived during her absence, and were
sitting with her father.--Mr. Knightley immediately got up, and
in a manner decidedly graver than usual, said,
"I would not go away without seeing you, but I have no time
to spare, and therefore must now be gone directly. I am going to
London, to spend a few days with John and Isabella. Have you any
thing to send or say, besides the `love,' which nobody carries?"
"Nothing at all. But is not this a sudden scheme?"
"Yes--rather--I have been thinking of it some little time."
Emma was sure he had not forgiven her; he looked unlike himself.
Time, however, she thought, would tell him that they ought to be
friends again. While he stood, as if meaning to go, but not going--
her father began his inquiries.
"Well, my dear, and did you get there safely?--And how did
you find my worthy old friend and her daughter?--I dare say they
must have been very much obliged to you for coming. Dear Emma has
been to call on Mrs. and Miss Bates, Mr. Knightley, as I told you
before.
She is always so attentive to them!"
Emma's colour was heightened by this unjust praise; and with a
smile, and shake of the head, which spoke much, she looked at Mr.
Knightley.-- It seemed as if there were an instantaneous impression
in her favour,as if his eyes received the truth from her's, and
all that had passed of good in her feelings were at once caught
and honoured.-- He looked at her with a glow of regard. She was
warmly gratified-- and in another moment still more so, by a little
movement of more than common friendliness on his part.--He took
her hand;-- whether she had not herself made the first motion, she
could not say-- she might, perhaps, have rather offered it--but
he took her hand, pressed it, and certainly was on the point of
carrying it to his lips-- when, from some fancy or other, he suddenly
let it go.--Why he should feel such a scruple, why he should change
his mind when it was all but done, she could not perceive.--He would
have judged better, she thought, if he had not stopped.--The intention,
however, was indubitable; and whether it was that his manners had
in general so little gallantry, or however else it happened, but
she thought nothing became him more.-- It was with him, of so simple,
yet so dignified a nature.-- She could not but recall the attempt
with great satisfaction. It spoke such perfect amity.--He left them
immediately afterwards-- gone in a moment. He always moved with
the alertness of a mind which could neither be undecided nor dilatory,
but now he seemed more sudden than usual in his disappearance.
Emma could not regret her having gone to Miss Bates, but she wished
she had left her ten minutes earlier;--it would have been a great
pleasure to talk over Jane Fairfax's situation with Mr. Knightley.--
Neither would she regret that he should be going to Brunswick Square,
for she knew how much his visit would be enjoyed--but it might have
happened at a better time--and to have had longer notice of it,
would have been pleasanter.--They parted thorough friends, however;
she could not be deceived as to the meaning of his countenance,
and his unfinished gallantry;--it was all done to assure her that
she had fully recovered his good opinion.--He had been sitting with
them half an hour, she found. It was a pity that she had not come
back earlier!
In the hope of diverting her father's thoughts from the disagreeableness
of Mr. Knightley's going to London; and going so suddenly; and going
on horseback, which she knew would be all very bad; Emma communicated
her news of Jane Fairfax, and her dependence on the effect was justified;
it supplied a very useful check,-- interested, without disturbing
him. He had long made up his mind to Jane Fairfax's going out as
governess, and could talk of it cheerfully, but Mr. Knightley's
going to London had been an unexpected blow.
"I am very glad, indeed, my dear, to hear she is to be so
comfortably settled. Mrs. Elton is very good-natured and agreeable,
and I dare say her acquaintance are just what they ought to be.
I hope it is a dry situation, and that her health will be taken
good care of. It ought to be a first object, as I am sure poor Miss
Taylor's always was with me. You know, my dear, she is going to
be to this new lady what Miss Taylor was to us. And I hope she will
be better off in one respect, and not be induced to go away after
it has been her home so long."
The following day brought news from Richmond to throw every thing
else into the background. An express arrived at Randalls to announce
the death of Mrs. Churchill! Though her nephew had had no particular
reason to hasten back on her account, she had not lived above six-and-thirty
hours after his return. A sudden seizure of a different nature from
any thing foreboded by her general state, had carried her off after
a short struggle. The great Mrs. Churchill was no more.
It was felt as such things must be felt. Every body had a degree
of gravity and sorrow; tenderness towards the departed, solicitude
for the surviving friends; and, in a reasonable time, curiosity
to know where she would be buried. Goldsmith tells us, that when
lovely woman stoops to folly, she has nothing to do but to die;
and when she stoops to be disagreeable, it is equally to be recommended
as a clearer of ill-fame. Mrs. Churchill, after being disliked at
least twenty-five years, was now spoken of with compassionate allowances.
In one point she was fully justified. She had never been admitted
before to be seriously ill. The event acquitted her of all the fancifulness,
and all the selfishness of imaginary complaints.
"Poor Mrs. Churchill! no doubt she had been suffering a great
deal: more than any body had ever supposed--and continual pain would
try the temper. It was a sad event--a great shock--with all her
faults, what would Mr. Churchill do without her? Mr. Churchill's
loss would be dreadful indeed. Mr. Churchill would never get over
it."-- Even Mr. Weston shook his head, and looked solemn, and
said, "Ah! poor woman, who would have thought it!" and
resolved, that his mourning should be as handsome as possible; and
his wife sat sighing and moralising over her broad hems with a commiseration
and good sense, true and steady. How it would affect Frank was among
the earliest thoughts of both. It was also a very early speculation
with Emma. The character of Mrs. Churchill, the grief of her husband--her
mind glanced over them both with awe and compassion--and then rested
with lightened feelings on how Frank might be affected by the event,
how benefited, how freed. She saw in a moment all the possible good.
Now, an attachment to Harriet Smith would have nothing to encounter.
Mr. Churchill, independent of his wife, was feared by nobody; an
easy, guidable man, to be persuaded into any thing by his nephew.
All that remained to be wished was, that the nephew should form
the attachment, as, with all her goodwill in the cause, Emma could
feel no certainty of its being already formed.
Harriet behaved extremely well on the occasion, with great self-command.
What ever she might feel of brighter hope, she betrayed nothing.
Emma was gratified, to observe such a proof in her of strengthened
character, and refrained from any allusion that might endanger its
maintenance. They spoke, therefore, of Mrs. Churchill's death with
mutual forbearance.
Short letters from Frank were received at Randalls, communicating
all that was immediately important of their state and plans. Mr.
Churchill was better than could be expected; and their first removal,
on the departure of the funeral for Yorkshire, was to be to the
house of a very old friend in Windsor, to whom Mr. Churchill had
been promising a visit the last ten years. At present, there was
nothing to be done for Harriet; good wishes for the future were
all that could yet be possible on Emma's side.
It was a more pressing concern to shew attention to Jane Fairfax,
whose prospects were closing, while Harriet's opened, and whose
engagements now allowed of no delay in any one at Highbury, who
wished to shew her kindness--and with Emma it was grown into a first
wish. She had scarcely a stronger regret than for her past coldness;
and the person, whom she had been so many months neglecting, was
now the very one on whom she would have lavished every distinction
of regard or sympathy. She wanted to be of use to her; wanted to
shew a value for her society, and testify respect and consideration.
She resolved to prevail on her to spend a day at Hartfield. A note
was written to urge it. The invitation was refused, and by a verbal
message. "Miss Fairfax was not well enough to write;"
and when Mr. Perry called at Hartfield, the same morning, it appeared
that she was so much indisposed as to have been visited, though
against her own consent, by himself, and that she was suffering
under severe headaches, and a nervous fever to a degree, which made
him doubt the possibility of her going to Mrs. Smallridge's at the
time proposed. Her health seemed for the moment completely deranged--
appetite quite gone--and though there were no absolutely alarming
symptoms, nothing touching the pulmonary complaint, which was the
standing apprehension of the family, Mr. Perry was uneasy about
her. He thought she had undertaken more than she was equal to, and
that she felt it so herself, though she would not own it. Her spirits
seemed overcome. Her present home, he could not but observe, was
unfavourable to a nervous disorder:-- confined always to one room;--he
could have wished it otherwise-- and her good aunt, though his very
old friend, he must acknowledge to be not the best companion for
an invalid of that description. Her care and attention could not
be questioned; they were, in fact, only too great. He very much
feared that Miss Fairfax derived more evil than good from them.
Emma listened with the warmest concern; grieved for her more and
more, and looked around eager to discover some way of being useful.
To take her--be it only an hour or two--from her aunt, to give her
change of air and scene, and quiet rational conversation, even for
an hour or two,might do her good; and the following morning she
wrote again to say, in the most feeling language she could command,
that she would call for her in the carriage at any hour that Jane
would name-- mentioning that she had Mr. Perry's decided opinion,
in favour of such exercise for his patient. The answer was only
in this short note:
"Miss Fairfax's compliments and thanks, but is quite unequal
to any exercise."
Emma felt that her own note had deserved something better; but
it was impossible to quarrel with words, whose tremulous inequality
shewed indisposition so plainly, and she thought only of how she
might best counteract this unwillingness to be seen or assisted.In
spite of the answer, therefore, she ordered the carriage, and drove
to Mrs. Bates's, in the hope that Jane would be induced to join
her-- but it would not do;--Miss Bates came to the carriage door,
all gratitude, and agreeing with her most earnestly in thinking
an airing might be of the greatest service--and every thing that
message could do was tried-- but all in vain. Miss Bates was obliged
to return without success; Jane was quite unpersuadable; the mere
proposal of going out seemed to make her worse.--Emma wished she
could have seen her, and tried her own powers; but, almost before
she could hint the wish, Miss Bates made it appear that she had
promised her niece on no account to let Miss Woodhouse in. "Indeed,
the truth was, that poor dear Jane could not bear to see any body--any
body at all-- Mrs. Elton, indeed, could not be denied--and Mrs.
Cole had made such a point--and Mrs. Perry had said so much--but,
except them, Jane would really see nobody."
Emma did not want to be classed with the Mrs. Eltons, the Mrs.
Perrys, and the Mrs. Coles, who would force themselves anywhere;
neither could she feel any right of preference herself-- she submitted,
therefore, and only questioned Miss Bates farther as to her niece's
appetite and diet, which she longed to be able to assist. On that
subject poor Miss Bates was very unhappy, and very communicative;
Jane would hardly eat any thing:-- Mr. Perry recommended nourishing
food; but every thing they could command (and never had any body
such good neighbours) was distasteful.
Emma, on reaching home, called the housekeeper directly, to an
examination of her stores; and some arrowroot of very superior quality
was speedily despatched to Miss Bates with a most friendly note.
In half an hour the arrowroot was returned, with a thousand thanks
from Miss Bates, but "dear Jane would not be satisfied without
its being sent back; it was a thing she could not take--and, moreover,
she insisted on her saying, that she was not at all in want of any
thing."
When Emma afterwards heard that Jane Fairfax had been seen wandering
about the meadows, at some distance from Highbury, on the afternoon
of the very day on which she had, under the plea of being unequal
to any exercise, so peremptorily refused to go out with her in the
carriage, she could have no doubt--putting every thing together--
that Jane was resolved to receive no kindness from her. She was
sorry, very sorry. Her heart was grieved for a state which seemed
but the more pitiable from this sort of irritation of pirits,inconsistency
of action, and inequality of powers; and it mortified her that she
was given so little credit for proper feeling, or esteemed so little
worthy as a friend: but she had the consolation of knowing that
her intentions were good, and of being able to say to herself, that
could Mr. Knightley have been privy to all her attempts of assisting
Jane Fairfax, could he even have seen into her heart,he would not,
on this occasion, have found any thing to reprove.
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