Chapter VI

“There does, indeed, seem as little to tem pt her to break her resolution at present,” said Mrs. Weston, “as can well be; and while she is so happy at Hartfield, I cannot wish her to be form ing any attachm ent which would be

creating such difficulties on poor Mr. Woodhouse’s account. I do not recom m end m atrim ony at present to Em m a, though I m ean no slight to the state, I assure y ou.”

Part of her m eaning was to conceal som e favourite thoughts of her own and Mr. Weston’s on the subj ect, as m uch as possible. There were wishes at Randalls respecting Em m a’s destiny, but it was not desirable to have them suspected; and the quiet transition which Mr. Knightley soon afterwards m ade to

“What does Weston think of the weather; shall we have rain?” convinced her that he had nothing m ore to say or surm ise about Hartfield.

CHAPTER VI

Em m a could not feel a doubt of having given Harriet’s fancy a proper direction and raised the gratitude of her y oung vanity to a very good purpose, for she found her decidedly m ore sensible than before of Mr. Elton’s being a rem arkably handsom e m an, with m ost agreeable m anners; and as she had no hesitation in following up the assurance of his adm iration by agreeable hints, she was soon pretty confident of creating as m uch liking on Harriet’s side, as there could be any occasion for. She was quite convinced of Mr. Elton’s being in the fairest way of falling in love, if not in love already. She had no scruple with regard to him . He talked of Harriet, and praised her so warm ly, that she could not suppose any thing wanting which a little tim e would not add. His perception of the striking im provem ent of Harriet’s m anner, since her introduction at Hartfield, was not one of the least agreeable proofs of his growing attachm ent.

“You have given Miss Sm ith all that she required,” said he; “y ou have m ade her graceful and easy. She was a beautiful creature when she cam e to y ou, but, in m y opinion, the attractions y ou have added are infinitely superior to what she received from nature.”

“I am glad y ou think I have been useful to her; but Harriet only wanted drawing out, and receiving a few, very few hints. She had all the natural grace of sweetness of tem per and artlessness in herself. I have done very little.”

“If it were adm issible to contradict a lady,” said the gallant Mr. Elton –

“I have perhaps given her a little m ore decision of character, have taught her to think on points which had not fallen in her way before.”

“Exactly so; that is what principally strikes m e. So m uch superadded decision of character! Skilful has been the hand!”

“Great has been the pleasure, I am sure. I never m et with a disposition m ore truly am iable.”

“I have no doubt of it.” And it was spoken with a sort of sighing anim ation, which had a vast deal of the lover. She was not less pleased another day with the m anner in which he seconded a sudden wish of hers, to have Harriet’s picture.

“Did y ou ever have y our likeness taken, Harriet?” said she: “did y ou ever sit for y our picture?”

Harriet was on the point of leaving the room , and only stopt to say, with a very interesting naivete,

“Oh! dear, no, never.”

No sooner was she out of sight, than Em m a exclaim ed,

“What an exquisite possession a good picture of her would be! I would give any m oney for it. I alm ost long to attem pt her likeness m y self. You do not know it I dare say, but two or three y ears ago I had a great passion for taking likenesses, and attem pted several of m y friends, and was thought to have a tolerable ey e in general. But from one cause or another, I gave it up in disgust.

But really, I could alm ost venture, if Harriet would sit to m e. It would be such a delight to have her picture!”

“Let m e entreat y ou,” cried Mr. Elton; “it would indeed be a delight!

Let m e entreat y ou, Miss Woodhouse, to exercise so charm ing a talent in favour of y our friend. I know what y our drawings are. How could y ou suppose m e ignorant? Is not this room rich in specim ens of y our landscapes and flowers; and has not Mrs. Weston som e inim itable figure-pieces in her drawing-room , at Randalls?”

Yes, good m an! – thought Em m a – but what has all that to do with taking likenesses? You know nothing of drawing. Don’t pretend to be in raptures about m ine. Keep y our raptures for Harriet’s face. “Well, if y ou give m e such kind encouragem ent, Mr. Elton, I believe I shall try what I can do. Harriet’s features are very delicate, which m akes a likeness difficult; and y et there is a peculiarity in the shape of the ey e and the lines about the m outh which one ought to catch.”

“Exactly so – The shape of the ey e and the lines about the m outh – I have not a doubt of y our success. Pray, pray attem pt it. As y ou will do it, it will indeed, to use y our own words, be an exquisite possession.”

“But I am afraid, Mr. Elton, Harriet will not like to sit. She thinks so little of her own beauty. Did not y ou observe her m anner of answering m e? How com pletely it m eant, ‘why should m y picture be drawn?’”

“Oh! y es, I observed it, I assure y ou. It was not lost on m e. But still I cannot im agine she would not be persuaded.”

Harriet was soon back again, and the proposal alm ost im m ediately m ade; and she had no scruples which could stand m any m inutes against the earnest pressing of both the others. Em m a wished to go to work directly, and therefore produced the portfolio containing her various attem pts at portraits, for not one of them had ever been finished, that they m ight decide together on the best size for Harriet. Her m any beginnings were display ed. Miniatures, half-lengths, whole-lengths, pencil, cray on, and water-colours had been all tried in turn. She had alway s wanted to do every thing, and had m ade m ore progress both

in drawing and m usic than m any m ight have done with so little labour as she would ever subm it to. She play ed and sang; – and drew in alm ost every sty le; but steadiness had alway s been wanting; and in nothing had she approached the degree of excellence which she would have been glad to com m and, and ought not to have failed of. She was not m uch deceived as to her own skill either as an artist or a m usician, but she was not unwilling to have others deceived, or sorry to know her reputation for accom plishm ent often higher than it deserved.

There was m erit in every drawing – in the least finished, perhaps the m ost; her sty le was spirited; but had there been m uch less, or had there been ten tim es m ore, the delight and adm iration of her two com panions would have been the sam e. They were both in ecstasies. A likeness pleases every body ; and Miss Woodhouse’s perform ances m ust be capital.

“No great variety of faces for y ou,” said Em m a. “I had only m y own fam ily to study from . There is m y father – another of m y father – but the idea of sitting for his picture m ade him so nervous, that I could only take him by stealth; neither of them very like therefore. Mrs. Weston again, and again, and again, y ou see. Dear Mrs. Weston! alway s m y kindest friend on every occasion. She would sit whenever I asked her. There is m y sister; and really quite her own little elegant figure! – and the face not unlike. I should have m ade a good likeness of her, if she would have sat longer, but she was in such a hurry to have m e draw her four children that she would not be quiet. Then, here com e all m y attem pts at three of those four children; – there they are, Henry and John and Bella, from one end of the sheet to the other, and any one of them m ight do for any one of the rest. She was so eager to have them drawn that I could not refuse; but there is no m aking children of three or four y ears old stand still y ou know; nor can it be very easy to take any likeness of them , bey ond the air and com plexion, unless they are coarser featured than any of m am a’s children ever were. Here is m y sketch of the fourth, who was a baby. I took him as he was sleeping on the sofa, and it is as strong a likeness of his cockade as y ou would wish to see. He had nestled down his head m ost conveniently. That’s very like. I am rather proud of little George. The corner of the sofa is very good. Then here is m y last,” – unclosing a pretty sketch of a gentlem an in sm all size, whole-length – “m y last and m y best – m y brother, Mr. John Knightley. – This did not want m uch of being finished, when I put it away in a pet, and vowed I would never take another likeness. I could not help being provoked; for after all m y pains, and when I had really m ade a very good likeness of it – (Mrs. Weston and I were quite agreed in thinking it very like) –

only too handsom e – too flattering – but that was a fault on the right side” – after all this, cam e poor dear Isabella’s cold approbation of – “Yes, it was a little like –

but to be sure it did not do him j ustice. We had had a great deal of trouble in persuading him to sit at all. It was m ade a great favour of; and altogether it was

m ore than I could bear; and so I never would finish it, to have it apologised over as an unfavourable likeness, to every m orning visitor in Brunswick Square; – and, as I said, I did then forswear ever drawing any body again. But for Harriet’s sake, or rather for m y own, and as there are no husbands and wives in the case at present, I will break m y resolution now.”

Mr. Elton seem ed very properly struck and delighted by the idea, and was repeating, “No husbands and wives in the case at present indeed, as y ou observe. Exactly so. No husbands and wives,” with so interesting a consciousness, that Em m a began to consider whether she had not better leave them together at once. But as she wanted to be drawing, the declaration m ust wait a little longer.

She had soon fixed on the size and sort of portrait. It was to be a whole-length in water-colours, like Mr. John Knightley ’s, and was destined, if she could please herself, to hold a very honourable station over the m antelpiece.

The sitting began; and Harriet, sm iling and blushing, and afraid of not keeping her attitude and countenance, presented a very sweet m ixture of y outhful expression to the steady ey es of the artist. But there was no doing any thing, with Mr. Elton fidgeting behind her and watching every touch. She gave him credit for stationing him self where he m ight gaze and gaze again without offence; but was really obliged to put an end to it, and request him to place him self elsewhere. It then occurred to her to em ploy him in reading.

“If he would be so good as to read to them , it would be a kindness indeed! It would am use away the difficulties of her part, and lessen the irksom eness of Miss Sm ith’s.”

Mr. Elton was only too happy. Harriet listened, and Em m a drew in peace. She m ust allow him to be still frequently com ing to look; any thing less would certainly have been too little in a lover; and he was ready at the sm allest interm ission of the pencil, to j um p up and see the progress, and be charm ed. –

There was no being displeased with such an encourager, for his adm iration m ade him discern a likeness alm ost before it was possible. She could not respect his ey e, but his love and his com plaisance were unexceptionable.

The sitting was altogether very satisfactory ; she was quite enough pleased with the first day ’s sketch to wish to go on. There was no want of likeness, she had been fortunate in the attitude, and as she m eant to throw in a little im provem ent to the figure, to give a little m ore height, and considerably m ore elegance, she had great confidence of its being in every way a pretty drawing at last, and of its filling its destined place with credit to them both – a standing m em orial of the beauty of one, the skill of the other, and the friendship of both; with as m any other agreeable associations as Mr. Elton’s very prom ising

attachm ent was likely to add.

Harriet was to sit again the next day ; and Mr. Elton, j ust as he ought, entreated for the perm ission of attending and reading to them again.

“By all m eans. We shall be m ost happy to consider y ou as one of the party.”

The sam e civilities and courtesies, the sam e success and satisfaction, took place on the m orrow, and accom panied the whole progress of the picture, which was rapid and happy. Every body who saw it was pleased, but Mr. Elton was in continual raptures, and defended it through every criticism .

“Miss Woodhouse has given her friend the only beauty she wanted,” –

observed Mrs. Weston to him – not in the least suspecting that she was addressing a lover. – “The expression of the ey e is m ost correct, but Miss Sm ith has not those ey ebrows and ey elashes. It is the fault of her face that she has them not.”

“Do y ou think so?” replied he. “I cannot agree with y ou. It appears to m e a m ost perfect resem blance in every feature. I never saw such a likeness in m y life. We m ust allow for the effect of shade, y ou know.”

“You have m ade her too tall, Em m a,” said Mr. Knightley.

Em m a knew that she had, but would not own it; and Mr. Elton warm ly added,

“Oh no! certainly not too tall; not in the least too tall. Consider, she is sitting down – which naturally presents a different – which in short gives exactly the idea – and the proportions m ust be preserved, y ou know. Proportions, fore-shortening. – Oh no! it gives one exactly the idea of such a height as Miss Sm ith’s.

Exactly so indeed!”

“It is very pretty,” said Mr. Woodhouse. “So prettily done! Just as y our drawings alway s are, m y dear. I do not know any body who draws so well as y ou do. The only thing I do not thoroughly like is, that she seem s to be sitting out of doors, with only a little shawl over her shoulders – and it m akes one think she m ust catch cold.”

“But, m y dear papa, it is supposed to be sum m er; a warm day in sum m er. Look at the tree.”

“But it is never safe to sit out of doors, m y dear.”

“You, sir, m ay say any thing,” cried Mr. Elton, “but I m ust confess that I regard it as a m ost happy thought, the placing of Miss Sm ith out of doors; and the tree is touched with such inim itable spirit! Any other situation would have

been m uch less in character. The naivete of Miss Sm ith’s m anners – and altogether – Oh, it is m ost adm irable! I cannot keep m y ey es from it. I never saw such a likeness.”

The next thing wanted was to get the picture fram ed; and here were a few difficulties. It m ust be done directly ; it m ust be done in London; the order m ust go through the hands of som e intelligent person whose taste could be depended on; and Isabella, the usual doer of all com m issions, m ust not be applied to, because it was Decem ber, and Mr. Woodhouse could not bear the idea of her stirring out of her house in the fogs of Decem ber. But no sooner was the distress known to Mr. Elton, than it was rem oved. His gallantry was alway s on the alert.