Chapter I

– y our good fortune in m eeting with so m any of y our friends at once here, delights y ou too m uch to pass unnoticed. But y ou, (turning to Mr. Knightley,) who know how very, very seldom I am ever two hours from Hartfield, why y ou should foresee such a series of dissipation for m e, I cannot im agine. And as to m y dear little boy s, I m ust say, that if Aunt Em m a has not tim e for them , I do not think they would fare m uch better with Uncle Knightley, who is absent from hom e about five hours where she is absent one – and who, when he is at hom e, is either reading to him self or settling his accounts.”

Mr. Knightley seem ed to be try ing not to sm ile; and succeeded without difficulty, upon Mrs. Elton’s beginning to talk to him .

VOLUME III

CHAPTER I

A very little quiet reflection was enough to satisfy Em m a as to the nature of her agitation on hearing this news of Frank Churchill. She was soon convinced that it was not for herself she was feeling at all apprehensive or em barrassed; it was for him . Her own attachm ent had really subsided into a m ere nothing; it was not worth thinking of; – but if he, who had undoubtedly been alway s so m uch the m ost in love of the two, were to be returning with the sam e warm th of sentim ent which he had taken away, it would be very distressing. If a separation of two m onths should not have cooled him , there were dangers and evils before her: – caution for him and for herself would be necessary. She did not m ean to have her own affections entangled again, and it would be incum bent on her to avoid any encouragem ent of his.

She wished she m ight be able to keep him from an absolute declaration.

That would be so very painful a conclusion of their present acquaintance! and y et, she could not help rather anticipating som ething decisive. She felt as if the spring would not pass without bringing a crisis, an event, a som ething to alter her present com posed and tranquil state.

It was not very long, though rather longer than Mr. Weston had foreseen, before she had the power of form ing som e opinion of Frank Churchill’s feelings. The Enscom be fam ily were not in town quite so soon as had been im agined, but he was at Highbury very soon afterwards. He rode down for a couple of hours; he could not y et do m ore; but as he cam e from Randalls im m ediately to Hartfield, she could then exercise all her quick observation, and speedily determ ine how he was influenced, and how she m ust act. They m et with the utm ost friendliness. There could be no doubt of his great pleasure in seeing her. But she had an alm ost instant doubt of his caring for her as he had done, of his feeling the sam e tenderness in the sam e degree. She watched him well. It was a clear thing he was less in love than he had been. Absence, with the conviction probably of her indifference, had produced this very natural and very desirable effect.

He was in high spirits; as ready to talk and laugh as ever, and seem ed delighted to speak of his form er visit, and recur to old stories: and he was not without agitation. It was not in his calm ness that she read his com parative difference. He was not calm ; his spirits were evidently fluttered; there was restlessness about him . Lively as he was, it seem ed a liveliness that did not satisfy him self; but what decided her belief on the subj ect, was his stay ing only a quarter of an hour, and hurry ing away to m ake other calls in Highbury. “He had seen a group of old acquaintance in the street as he passed – he had not stopped, he

would not stop for m ore than a word – but he had the vanity to think they would be disappointed if he did not call, and m uch as he wished to stay longer at Hartfield, he m ust hurry off.” She had no doubt as to his being less in love – but neither his agitated spirits, nor his hurry ing away, seem ed like a perfect cure; and she was rather inclined to think it im plied a dread of her returning power, and a discreet resolution of not trusting him self with her long.

This was the only visit from Frank Churchill in the course of ten day s.

He was often hoping, intending to com e – but was alway s prevented. His aunt could not bear to have him leave her. Such was his own account at Randall’s. If he were quite sincere, if he really tried to com e, it was to be inferred that Mrs.

Churchill’s rem oval to London had been of no service to the wilful or nervous part of her disorder. That she was really ill was very certain; he had declared him self convinced of it, at Randalls. Though m uch m ight be fancy, he could not doubt, when he looked back, that she was in a weaker state of health than she had been half a y ear ago. He did not believe it to proceed from any thing that care and m edicine m ight not rem ove, or at least that she m ight not have m any y ears of existence before her; but he could not be prevailed on, by all his father’s doubts, to say that her com plaints were m erely im aginary, or that she was as strong as ever.

It soon appeared that London was not the place for her. She could not endure its noise. Her nerves were under continual irritation and suffering; and by the ten day s’ end, her nephew’s letter to Randalls com m unicated a change of plan.

They were going to rem ove im m ediately to Richm ond. Mrs. Churchill had been recom m ended to the m edical skill of an em inent person there, and had otherwise a fancy for the place. A ready-furnished house in a favourite spot was engaged, and m uch benefit expected from the change.

Em m a heard that Frank wrote in the highest spirits of this arrangem ent, and seem ed m ost fully to appreciate the blessing of having two m onths before him of such near neighbourhood to m any dear friends – for the house was taken for May and June. She was told that now he wrote with the greatest confidence of being often with them , alm ost as often as he could even wish.

Em m a saw how Mr. Weston understood these j oy ous prospects. He was considering her as the source of all the happiness they offered. She hoped it was not so. Two m onths m ust bring it to the proof.

Mr. Weston’s own happiness was indisputable. He was quite delighted. It was the very circum stance he could have wished for. Now, it would be really having Frank in their neighbourhood. What were nine m iles to a y oung m an? – An hour’s ride. He would be alway s com ing over. The difference in that respect of Richm ond and London was enough to m ake the whole difference of seeing him

alway s and seeing him never. Sixteen m iles – nay, eighteen – it m ust be full eighteen to Manchester-street – was a serious obstacle. Were he ever able to get away, the day would be spent in com ing and returning. There was no com fort in having him in London; he m ight as well be at Enscom be; but Richm ond was the very distance for easy intercourse. Better than nearer!

One good thing was im m ediately brought to a certainty by this rem oval, – the ball at the Crown. It had not been forgotten before, but it had been soon acknowledged vain to attem pt to fix a day. Now, however, it was absolutely to be; every preparation was resum ed, and very soon after the Churchills had rem oved to Richm ond, a few lines from Frank, to say that his aunt felt already m uch better for the change, and that he had no doubt of being able to j oin them for twenty -four hours at any given tim e, induced them to nam e as early a day as possible.

Mr. Weston’s ball was to be a real thing. A very few to-m orrows stood between the y oung people of Highbury and happiness.

Mr. Woodhouse was resigned. The tim e of y ear lightened the evil to him . May was better for every thing than February. Mrs. Bates was engaged to spend the evening at Hartfield, Jam es had due notice, and he sanguinely hoped that neither dear little Henry nor dear little John would have any thing the m atter with them , while dear Em m a were gone.