Chapter XIV

Mrs. Elton was first seen at church: but though devotion m ight be interrupted, curiosity could not be satisfied by a bride in a pew, and it m ust be left for the visits in form which were then to be paid, to settle whether she were very pretty indeed, or only rather pretty, or not pretty at all.

Em m a had feelings, less of curiosity than of pride or propriety, to m ake her resolve on not being the last to pay her respects; and she m ade a point of Harriet’s going with her, that the worst of the business m ight be gone through as soon as possible.

She could not enter the house again, could not be in the sam e room to which she had with such vain artifice retreated three m onths ago, to lace up her boot, without recollecting. A thousand vexatious thoughts would recur.

Com plim ents, charades, and horrible blunders; and it was not to be supposed that poor Harriet should not be recollecting too; but she behaved very well, and was only rather pale and silent. The visit was of course short; and there was so m uch em barrassm ent and occupation of m ind to shorten it, that Em m a would not allow herself entirely to form an opinion of the lady, and on no account to give one, bey ond the nothing-m eaning term s of being “elegantly dressed, and very pleasing.”

She did not really like her. She would not be in a hurry to find fault, but she suspected that there was no elegance; – ease, but not elegance. – She was alm ost sure that for a y oung wom an, a stranger, a bride, there was too m uch ease. Her person was rather good; her face not unpretty ; but neither feature, nor air, nor voice, nor m anner, were elegant. Em m a thought at least it would turn out so.

As for Mr. Elton, his m anners did not appear – but no, she would not perm it a hasty or a witty word from herself about his m anners. It was an awkward cerem ony at any tim e to be receiving wedding visits, and a m an had need be all grace to acquit him self well through it. The wom an was better off; she m ight have the assistance of fine clothes, and the privilege of bashfulness, but the m an had only his own good sense to depend on; and when she considered how peculiarly unlucky poor Mr. Elton was in being in the sam e room at once with the wom an he had j ust m arried, the wom an he had wanted to m arry, and the wom an whom he had been expected to m arry, she m ust allow him to have the right to look as little wise, and to be as m uch affectedly, and as little really easy as could be.

“Well, Miss Woodhouse,” said Harriet, when they had quitted the house,

and after waiting in vain for her friend to begin; “Well, Miss Woodhouse, (with a gentle sigh,) what do y ou think of her? – Is not she very charm ing?”

There was a little hesitation in Em m a’s answer.

“Oh! y es – very – a very pleasing y oung wom an.”

“I think her beautiful, quite beautiful.”

“Very nicely dressed, indeed; a rem arkably elegant gown.”

“I am not at all surprized that he should have fallen in love.”

“Oh! no – there is nothing to surprize one at all. – A pretty fortune; and she cam e in his way.”

“I dare say,” returned Harriet, sighing again, “I dare say she was very m uch attached to him .”

“Perhaps she m ight; but it is not every m an’s fate to m arry the wom an who loves him best. Miss Hawkins perhaps wanted a hom e, and thought this the best offer she was likely to have.”

“Yes,” said Harriet earnestly, “and well she m ight, nobody could ever have a better. Well, I wish them happy with all m y heart. And now, Miss Woodhouse, I do not think I shall m ind seeing them again. He is j ust as superior as ever; – but being m arried, y ou know, it is quite a different thing. No, indeed, Miss Woodhouse, y ou need not be afraid; I can sit and adm ire him now without any great m isery. To know that he has not thrown him self away, is such a com fort! –

She does seem a charm ing y oung wom an, j ust what he deserves. Happy creature! He called her ‘Augusta.’ How delightful!”

When the visit was returned, Em m a m ade up her m ind. She could then see m ore and j udge better. From Harriet’s happening not to be at Hartfield, and her father’s being present to engage Mr. Elton, she had a quarter of an hour of the lady ’s conversation to herself, and could com posedly attend to her; and the quarter of an hour quite convinced her that Mrs. Elton was a vain wom an, extrem ely well satisfied with herself, and thinking m uch of her own im portance; that she m eant to shine and be very superior, but with m anners which had been form ed in a bad school, pert and fam iliar; that all her notions were drawn from one set of people, and one sty le of living; that if not foolish she was ignorant, and that her society would certainly do Mr. Elton no good.

Harriet would have been a better m atch. If not wise or refined herself, she would have connected him with those who were; but Miss Hawkins, it m ight be fairly supposed from her easy conceit, had been the best of her own set. The rich brother-in-law near Bristol was the pride of the alliance, and his place and his carriages were the pride of him .

The very first subj ect after being seated was Maple Grove, “My brother Mr. Suckling’s seat;” – a com parison of Hartfield to Maple Grove. The grounds of Hartfield were sm all, but neat and pretty ; and the house was m odern and well-built. Mrs. Elton seem ed m ost favourably im pressed by the size of the room , the entrance, and all that she could see or im agine. “Very like Maple Grove indeed! – She was quite struck by the likeness! – That room was the very shape and size of the m orning-room at Maple Grove; her sister’s favourite room .”

– Mr. Elton was appealed to. – “Was not it astonishingly like? – She could really alm ost fancy herself at Maple Grove.”

“And the staircase – You know, as I cam e in, I observed how very like the staircase was; placed exactly in the sam e part of the house. I really could not help exclaim ing! I assure y ou, Miss Woodhouse, it is very delightful to m e, to be rem inded of a place I am so extrem ely partial to as Maple Grove. I have spent so m any happy m onths there! (with a little sigh of sentim ent). A charm ing place, undoubtedly. Every body who sees it is struck by its beauty ; but to m e, it has been quite a hom e. Whenever y ou are transplanted, like m e, Miss Woodhouse, y ou will understand how very delightful it is to m eet with any thing at all like what one has left behind. I alway s say this is quite one of the evils of m atrim ony.”

Em m a m ade as slight a reply as she could; but it was fully sufficient for Mrs. Elton, who only wanted to be talking herself.

“So extrem ely like Maple Grove! And it is not m erely the house – the grounds, I assure y ou, as far as I could observe, are strikingly like. The laurels at Maple Grove are in the sam e profusion as here, and stand very m uch in the sam e way – j ust across the lawn; and I had a glim pse of a fine large tree, with a bench round it, which put m e so exactly in m ind! My brother and sister will be enchanted with this place. People who have extensive grounds them selves are alway s pleased with any thing in the sam e sty le.”

Em m a doubted the truth of this sentim ent. She had a great idea that people who had extensive grounds them selves cared very little for the extensive grounds of any body else; but it was not worth while to attack an error so double-dy ed, and therefore only said in reply,

“When y ou have seen m ore of this country, I am afraid y ou will think y ou have overrated Hartfield. Surry is full of beauties.”

“Oh! y es, I am quite aware of that. It is the garden of England, y ou know. Surry is the garden of England.”

“Yes; but we m ust not rest our claim s on that distinction. Many counties, I believe, are called the garden of England, as well as Surry.”

“No, I fancy not,” replied Mrs. Elton, with a m ost satisfied sm ile. “I never heard any county but Surry called so.”

Em m a was silenced.

“My brother and sister have prom ised us a visit in the spring, or sum m er at farthest,” continued Mrs. Elton; “and that will be our tim e for exploring. While they are with us, we shall explore a great deal, I dare say. They will have their barouche-landau, of course, which holds four perfectly ; and therefore, without say ing any thing of our carriage, we should be able to explore the different beauties extrem ely well. They would hardly com e in their chaise, I think, at that season of the y ear. Indeed, when the tim e draws on, I shall decidedly recom m end their bringing the barouche-landau; it will be so very m uch preferable. When people com e into a beautiful country of this sort, y ou know, Miss Woodhouse, one naturally wishes them to see as m uch as possible; and Mr.

Suckling is extrem ely fond of exploring. We explored to King’s-Weston twice last sum m er, in that way, m ost delightfully, j ust after their first having the barouche-landau. You have m any parties of that kind here, I suppose, Miss Woodhouse, every sum m er?”

“No; not im m ediately here. We are rather out of distance of the very striking beauties which attract the sort of parties y ou speak of; and we are a very quiet set of people, I believe; m ore disposed to stay at hom e than engage in schem es of pleasure.”

“Ah! there is nothing like stay ing at hom e for real com fort. Nobody can be m ore devoted to hom e than I am . I was quite a proverb for it at Maple Grove.

Many a tim e has Selina said, when she has been going to Bristol, ‘I really cannot get this girl to m ove from the house. I absolutely m ust go in by m y self, though I hate being stuck up in the barouche-landau without a com panion; but Augusta, I believe, with her own good-will, would never stir bey ond the park paling.’ Many a tim e has she said so; and y et I am no advocate for entire seclusion. I think, on the contrary, when people shut them selves up entirely from society, it is a very bad thing; and that it is m uch m ore advisable to m ix in the world in a proper degree, without living in it either too m uch or too little. I perfectly understand y our situation, however, Miss Woodhouse – (looking towards Mr. Woodhouse), Your father’s state of health m ust be a great drawback. Why does not he try Bath? –

Indeed he should. Let m e recom m end Bath to y ou. I assure y ou I have no doubt of its doing Mr. Woodhouse good.”

“My father tried it m ore than once, form erly ; but without receiving any

benefit; and Mr. Perry, whose nam e, I dare say, is not unknown to y ou, does not conceive it would be at all m ore likely to be useful now.”

“Ah! that’s a great pity ; for I assure y ou, Miss Woodhouse, where the waters do agree, it is quite wonderful the relief they give. In m y Bath life, I have seen such instances of it! And it is so cheerful a place, that it could not fail of being of use to Mr. Woodhouse’s spirits, which, I understand, are som etim es m uch depressed. And as to its recom m endations to y ou, I fancy I need not take m uch pains to dwell on them . The advantages of Bath to the y oung are pretty generally understood. It would be a charm ing introduction for y ou, who have lived so secluded a life; and I could im m ediately secure y ou som e of the best society in the place. A line from m e would bring y ou a little host of acquaintance; and m y particular friend, Mrs. Partridge, the lady I have alway s resided with when in Bath, would be m ost happy to shew y ou any attentions, and would be the very person for y ou to go into public with.”

It was as m uch as Em m a could bear, without being im polite. The idea of her being indebted to Mrs. Elton for what was called an introduction – of her going into public under the auspices of a friend of Mrs. Elton’s – probably som e vulgar, dashing widow, who, with the help of a boarder, j ust m ade a shift to live! –

The dignity of Miss Woodhouse, of Hartfield, was sunk indeed!

She restrained herself, however, from any of the reproofs she could have given, and only thanked Mrs. Elton coolly ; “but their going to Bath was quite out of the question; and she was not perfectly convinced that the place m ight suit her better than her father.” And then, to prevent farther outrage and indignation, changed the subj ect directly.

“I do not ask whether y ou are m usical, Mrs. Elton. Upon these occasions, a lady ’s character generally precedes her; and Highbury has long known that y ou are a superior perform er.”

“Oh! no, indeed; I m ust protest against any such idea. A superior perform er! – very far from it, I assure y ou. Consider from how partial a quarter y our inform ation cam e. I am doatingly fond of m usic – passionately fond; – and m y friends say I am not entirely devoid of taste; but as to any thing else, upon m y honour m y perform ance is m ediocre to the last degree. You, Miss Woodhouse, I well know, play delightfully. I assure y ou it has been the greatest satisfaction, com fort, and delight to m e, to hear what a m usical society I am got into. I absolutely cannot do without m usic. It is a necessary of life to m e; and having alway s been used to a very m usical society, both at Maple Grove and in Bath, it would have been a m ost serious sacrifice. I honestly said as m uch to Mr.

E. when he was speaking of m y future hom e, and expressing his fears lest the

retirem ent of it should be disagreeable; and the inferiority of the house too –

knowing what I had been accustom ed to – of course he was not wholly without apprehension. When he was speaking of it in that way, I honestly said that the world I could give up – parties, balls, play s – for I had no fear of retirem ent.

Blessed with so m any resources within m y self, the world was not necessary to m e. I could do very well without it. To those who had no resources it was a different thing; but m y resources m ade m e quite independent. And as to sm aller-sized room s than I had been used to, I really could not give it a thought. I hoped I was perfectly equal to any sacrifice of that description. Certainly I had been accustom ed to every luxury at Maple Grove; but I did assure him that two carriages were not necessary to m y happiness, nor were spacious apartm ents.

‘But,’ said I, ‘to be quite honest, I do not think I can live without som ething of a m usical society. I condition for nothing else; but without m usic, life would be a blank to m e.’”

“We cannot suppose,” said Em m a, sm iling, “that Mr. Elton would hesitate to assure y ou of there being a very m usical society in Highbury ; and I hope y ou will not find he has outstepped the truth m ore than m ay be pardoned, in consideration of the m otive.”

“No, indeed, I have no doubts at all on that head. I am delighted to find m y self in such a circle. I hope we shall have m any sweet little concerts together.

I think, Miss Woodhouse, y ou and I m ust establish a m usical club, and have regular weekly m eetings at y our house, or ours. Will not it be a good plan? If we exert ourselves, I think we shall not be long in want of allies. Som ething of that nature would be particularly desirable for m e, as an inducem ent to keep m e in practice; for m arried wom en, y ou know – there is a sad story against them , in general. They are but too apt to give up m usic.”

“But y ou, who are so extrem ely fond of it – there can be no danger, surely ?”

“I should hope not; but really when I look around am ong m y acquaintance, I trem ble. Selina has entirely given up m usic – never touches the instrum ent – though she play ed sweetly. And the sam e m ay be said of Mrs.

Jefferey s – Clara Partridge, that was – and of the two Milm ans, now Mrs. Bird and Mrs. Jam es Cooper; and of m ore than I can enum erate. Upon m y word it is enough to put one in a fright. I used to be quite angry with Selina; but really I begin now to com prehend that a m arried wom an has m any things to call her attention. I believe I was half an hour this m orning shut up with m y housekeeper.”

“But every thing of that kind,” said Em m a, “will soon be in so regular a train – “

“Well,” said Mrs. Elton, laughing, “we shall see.”

Em m a, finding her so determ ined upon neglecting her m usic, had nothing m ore to say ; and, after a m om ent’s pause, Mrs. Elton chose another subj ect.

“We have been calling at Randalls,” said she, “and found them both at hom e; and very pleasant people they seem to be. I like them extrem ely. Mr.

Weston seem s an excellent creature – quite a first-rate favourite with m e already, I assure y ou. And she appears so truly good – there is som ething so m otherly and kind-hearted about her, that it wins upon one directly. She was y our governess, I think?”

Em m a was alm ost too m uch astonished to answer; but Mrs. Elton hardly waited for the affirm ative before she went on.

“Having understood as m uch, I was rather astonished to find her so very lady -like! But she is really quite the gentlewom an.”

“Mrs. Weston’s m anners,” said Em m a, “were alway s particularly good.

Their propriety, sim plicity, and elegance, would m ake them the safest m odel for any y oung wom an.”

“And who do y ou think cam e in while we were there?”

Em m a was quite at a loss. The tone im plied som e old acquaintance –

and how could she possibly guess?

“Knightley !” continued Mrs. Elton; “Knightley him self! – Was not it lucky ? – for, not being within when he called the other day, I had never seen him before; and of course, as so particular a friend of Mr. E.’s, I had a great curiosity.

‘My friend Knightley ’ had been so often m entioned, that I was really im patient to see him ; and I m ust do m y caro sposo the j ustice to say that he need not be asham ed of his friend. Knightley is quite the gentlem an. I like him very m uch.

Decidedly, I think, a very gentlem an-like m an.”

Happily, it was now tim e to be gone. They were off; and Em m a could breathe.

“Insufferable wom an!” was her im m ediate exclam ation. “Worse than I had supposed. Absolutely insufferable! Knightley ! – I could not have believed it.

Knightley ! – never seen him in her life before, and call him Knightley ! – and discover that he is a gentlem an! A little upstart, vulgar being, with her Mr. E., and her caro sposo, and her resources, and all her airs of pert pretension and underbred finery. Actually to discover that Mr. Knightley is a gentlem an! I doubt whether he will return the com plim ent, and discover her to be a lady. I could not

have believed it! And to propose that she and I should unite to form a m usical club! One would fancy we were bosom friends! And Mrs. Weston! – Astonished that the person who had brought m e up should be a gentlewom an! Worse and worse. I never m et with her equal. Much bey ond m y hopes. Harriet is disgraced by any com parison. Oh! what would Frank Churchill say to her, if he were here?

How angry and how diverted he would be! Ah! there I am – thinking of him directly. Alway s the first person to be thought of! How I catch m y self out! Frank Churchill com es as regularly into m y m ind!” –

All this ran so glibly through her thoughts, that by the tim e her father had arranged him self, after the bustle of the Eltons’ departure, and was ready to speak, she was very tolerably capable of attending.

“Well, m y dear,” he deliberately began, “considering we never saw her before, she seem s a very pretty sort of y oung lady ; and I dare say she was very m uch pleased with y ou. She speaks a little too quick. A little quickness of voice there is which rather hurts the ear. But I believe I am nice; I do not like strange voices; and nobody speaks like y ou and poor Miss Tay lor. However, she seem s a very obliging, pretty -behaved y oung lady, and no doubt will m ake him a very good wife. Though I think he had better not have m arried. I m ade the best excuses I could for not having been able to wait on him and Mrs. Elton on this happy occasion; I said that I hoped I should in the course of the sum m er. But I ought to have gone before. Not to wait upon a bride is very rem iss. Ah! it shews what a sad invalid I am ! But I do not like the corner into Vicarage Lane.”