CHAPTER XVII

Mrs. Weston's friends were all made happy by her safety; and if the

satisfaction of her well-doing could be increased to Emma, it was by

knowing her to be the mother of a little girl. She had been decided in

wishing for a Miss Weston. She would not acknowledge that it was with

any view of making a match for her, hereafter, with either of Isabella's

sons; but she was convinced that a daughter would suit both father

and mother best. It would be a great comfort to Mr. Weston, as he grew

older--and even Mr. Weston might be growing older ten years hence--to

have his fireside enlivened by the sports and the nonsense, the freaks

and the fancies of a child never banished from home; and Mrs. Weston--no

one could doubt that a daughter would be most to her; and it would be

quite a pity that any one who so well knew how to teach, should not have

their powers in exercise again.

"She has had the advantage, you know, of practising on me," she

continued--"like La Baronne d'Almane on La Comtesse d'Ostalis, in Madame

de Genlis' Adelaide and Theodore, and we shall now see her own little

Adelaide educated on a more perfect plan."

"That is," replied Mr. Knightley, "she will indulge her even more than

she did you, and believe that she does not indulge her at all. It will

be the only difference."

"Poor child!" cried Emma; "at that rate, what will become of her?"

"Nothing very bad.--The fate of thousands. She will be disagreeable

in infancy, and correct herself as she grows older. I am losing all my

bitterness against spoilt children, my dearest Emma. I, who am owing all

my happiness to _you_, would not it be horrible ingratitude in me to be

severe on them?"

Emma laughed, and replied: "But I had the assistance of all your

endeavours to counteract the indulgence of other people. I doubt whether

my own sense would have corrected me without it."

"Do you?--I have no doubt. Nature gave you understanding:--Miss Taylor

gave you principles. You must have done well. My interference was quite

as likely to do harm as good. It was very natural for you to say, what

right has he to lecture me?--and I am afraid very natural for you to

feel that it was done in a disagreeable manner. I do not believe I did

you any good. The good was all to myself, by making you an object of the

tenderest affection to me. I could not think about you so much without

doating on you, faults and all; and by dint of fancying so many errors,

have been in love with you ever since you were thirteen at least."

"I am sure you were of use to me," cried Emma. "I was very often

influenced rightly by you--oftener than I would own at the time. I

am very sure you did me good. And if poor little Anna Weston is to be

spoiled, it will be the greatest humanity in you to do as much for her

as you have done for me, except falling in love with her when she is

thirteen."

"How often, when you were a girl, have you said to me, with one of your

saucy looks--'Mr. Knightley, I am going to do so-and-so; papa says I

may, or I have Miss Taylor's leave'--something which, you knew, I

did not approve. In such cases my interference was giving you two bad

feelings instead of one."

"What an amiable creature I was!--No wonder you should hold my speeches

in such affectionate remembrance."

"'Mr. Knightley.'--You always called me, 'Mr. Knightley;' and, from

habit, it has not so very formal a sound.--And yet it is formal. I want

you to call me something else, but I do not know what."

"I remember once calling you 'George,' in one of my amiable fits, about

ten years ago. I did it because I thought it would offend you; but, as

you made no objection, I never did it again."

"And cannot you call me 'George' now?"

"Impossible!--I never can call you any thing but 'Mr. Knightley.' I

will not promise even to equal the elegant terseness of Mrs. Elton, by

calling you Mr. K.--But I will promise," she added presently, laughing

and blushing--"I will promise to call you once by your Christian name.

I do not say when, but perhaps you may guess where;--in the building in

which N. takes M. for better, for worse."

Emma grieved that she could not be more openly just to one important

service which his better sense would have rendered her, to the

advice which would have saved her from the worst of all her womanly

follies--her wilful intimacy with Harriet Smith; but it was too tender a

subject.--She could not enter on it.--Harriet was very seldom mentioned

between them. This, on his side, might merely proceed from her not being

thought of; but Emma was rather inclined to attribute it to delicacy,

and a suspicion, from some appearances, that their friendship were

declining. She was aware herself, that, parting under any other

circumstances, they certainly should have corresponded more, and that

her intelligence would not have rested, as it now almost wholly did, on

Isabella's letters. He might observe that it was so. The pain of being

obliged to practise concealment towards him, was very little inferior to

the pain of having made Harriet unhappy.

Isabella sent quite as good an account of her visitor as could be

expected; on her first arrival she had thought her out of spirits, which

appeared perfectly natural, as there was a dentist to be consulted; but,

since that business had been over, she did not appear to find Harriet

different from what she had known her before.--Isabella, to be sure,

was no very quick observer; yet if Harriet had not been equal to playing

with the children, it would not have escaped her. Emma's comforts and

hopes were most agreeably carried on, by Harriet's being to stay longer;

her fortnight was likely to be a month at least. Mr. and Mrs. John

Knightley were to come down in August, and she was invited to remain

till they could bring her back.

"John does not even mention your friend," said Mr. Knightley. "Here is

his answer, if you like to see it."

It was the answer to the communication of his intended marriage. Emma

accepted it with a very eager hand, with an impatience all alive to know

what he would say about it, and not at all checked by hearing that her

friend was unmentioned.

"John enters like a brother into my happiness," continued Mr. Knightley,

"but he is no complimenter; and though I well know him to have,

likewise, a most brotherly affection for you, he is so far from making

flourishes, that any other young woman might think him rather cool in

her praise. But I am not afraid of your seeing what he writes."

"He writes like a sensible man," replied Emma, when she had read the

letter. "I honour his sincerity. It is very plain that he considers the

good fortune of the engagement as all on my side, but that he is not

without hope of my growing, in time, as worthy of your affection, as

you think me already. Had he said any thing to bear a different

construction, I should not have believed him."

"My Emma, he means no such thing. He only means--"

"He and I should differ very little in our estimation of the two,"

interrupted she, with a sort of serious smile--"much less, perhaps, than

he is aware of, if we could enter without ceremony or reserve on the

subject."

"Emma, my dear Emma--"

"Oh!" she cried with more thorough gaiety, "if you fancy your brother

does not do me justice, only wait till my dear father is in the secret,

and hear his opinion. Depend upon it, he will be much farther from doing

_you_ justice. He will think all the happiness, all the advantage, on

your side of the question; all the merit on mine. I wish I may not

sink into 'poor Emma' with him at once.--His tender compassion towards

oppressed worth can go no farther."

"Ah!" he cried, "I wish your father might be half as easily convinced as

John will be, of our having every right that equal worth can give, to be

happy together. I am amused by one part of John's letter--did you notice

it?--where he says, that my information did not take him wholly by

surprize, that he was rather in expectation of hearing something of the

kind."

"If I understand your brother, he only means so far as your having

some thoughts of marrying. He had no idea of me. He seems perfectly

unprepared for that."

"Yes, yes--but I am amused that he should have seen so far into my

feelings. What has he been judging by?--I am not conscious of any

difference in my spirits or conversation that could prepare him at

this time for my marrying any more than at another.--But it was so, I

suppose. I dare say there was a difference when I was staying with them

the other day. I believe I did not play with the children quite so much

as usual. I remember one evening the poor boys saying, 'Uncle seems

always tired now.'"

The time was coming when the news must spread farther, and other

persons' reception of it tried. As soon as Mrs. Weston was sufficiently

recovered to admit Mr. Woodhouse's visits, Emma having it in view that

her gentle reasonings should be employed in the cause, resolved first to

announce it at home, and then at Randalls.--But how to break it to her

father at last!--She had bound herself to do it, in such an hour of Mr.

Knightley's absence, or when it came to the point her heart would have

failed her, and she must have put it off; but Mr. Knightley was to come

at such a time, and follow up the beginning she was to make.--She was

forced to speak, and to speak cheerfully too. She must not make it a

more decided subject of misery to him, by a melancholy tone herself.

She must not appear to think it a misfortune.--With all the spirits she

could command, she prepared him first for something strange, and then,

in a few words, said, that if his consent and approbation could be

obtained--which, she trusted, would be attended with no difficulty,

since it was a plan to promote the happiness of all--she and Mr.

Knightley meant to marry; by which means Hartfield would receive the

constant addition of that person's company whom she knew he loved, next

to his daughters and Mrs. Weston, best in the world.

Poor man!--it was at first a considerable shock to him, and he tried

earnestly to dissuade her from it. She was reminded, more than once, of

having always said she would never marry, and assured that it would be

a great deal better for her to remain single; and told of poor Isabella,

and poor Miss Taylor.--But it would not do. Emma hung about him

affectionately, and smiled, and said it must be so; and that he must

not class her with Isabella and Mrs. Weston, whose marriages taking them

from Hartfield, had, indeed, made a melancholy change: but she was not

going from Hartfield; she should be always there; she was introducing

no change in their numbers or their comforts but for the better; and she

was very sure that he would be a great deal the happier for having Mr.

Knightley always at hand, when he were once got used to the idea.--Did

he not love Mr. Knightley very much?--He would not deny that he did,

she was sure.--Whom did he ever want to consult on business but Mr.

Knightley?--Who was so useful to him, who so ready to write his letters,

who so glad to assist him?--Who so cheerful, so attentive, so attached

to him?--Would not he like to have him always on the spot?--Yes. That

was all very true. Mr. Knightley could not be there too often; he should

be glad to see him every day;--but they did see him every day as it

was.--Why could not they go on as they had done?

Mr. Woodhouse could not be soon reconciled; but the worst was overcome,

the idea was given; time and continual repetition must do the rest.--To

Emma's entreaties and assurances succeeded Mr. Knightley's, whose fond

praise of her gave the subject even a kind of welcome; and he was soon

used to be talked to by each, on every fair occasion.--They had all

the assistance which Isabella could give, by letters of the strongest

approbation; and Mrs. Weston was ready, on the first meeting, to

consider the subject in the most serviceable light--first, as a settled,

and, secondly, as a good one--well aware of the nearly equal importance

of the two recommendations to Mr. Woodhouse's mind.--It was agreed

upon, as what was to be; and every body by whom he was used to be

guided assuring him that it would be for his happiness; and having some

feelings himself which almost admitted it, he began to think that some

time or other--in another year or two, perhaps--it might not be so very

bad if the marriage did take place.

Mrs. Weston was acting no part, feigning no feelings in all that she

said to him in favour of the event.--She had been extremely surprized,

never more so, than when Emma first opened the affair to her; but she

saw in it only increase of happiness to all, and had no scruple in

urging him to the utmost.--She had such a regard for Mr. Knightley, as

to think he deserved even her dearest Emma; and it was in every respect

so proper, suitable, and unexceptionable a connexion, and in one

respect, one point of the highest importance, so peculiarly eligible,

so singularly fortunate, that now it seemed as if Emma could not safely

have attached herself to any other creature, and that she had herself

been the stupidest of beings in not having thought of it, and wished it

long ago.--How very few of those men in a rank of life to address Emma

would have renounced their own home for Hartfield! And who but Mr.

Knightley could know and bear with Mr. Woodhouse, so as to make such

an arrangement desirable!--The difficulty of disposing of poor Mr.

Woodhouse had been always felt in her husband's plans and her own, for

a marriage between Frank and Emma. How to settle the claims of Enscombe

and Hartfield had been a continual impediment--less acknowledged by Mr.

Weston than by herself--but even he had never been able to finish

the subject better than by saying--"Those matters will take care of

themselves; the young people will find a way." But here there was

nothing to be shifted off in a wild speculation on the future. It was

all right, all open, all equal. No sacrifice on any side worth the name.

It was a union of the highest promise of felicity in itself, and without

one real, rational difficulty to oppose or delay it.

Mrs. Weston, with her baby on her knee, indulging in such reflections

as these, was one of the happiest women in the world. If any thing could

increase her delight, it was perceiving that the baby would soon have

outgrown its first set of caps.

The news was universally a surprize wherever it spread; and Mr. Weston

had his five minutes share of it; but five minutes were enough to

familiarise the idea to his quickness of mind.--He saw the advantages

of the match, and rejoiced in them with all the constancy of his wife;

but the wonder of it was very soon nothing; and by the end of an hour he

was not far from believing that he had always foreseen it.

"It is to be a secret, I conclude," said he. "These matters are always a

secret, till it is found out that every body knows them. Only let me be

told when I may speak out.--I wonder whether Jane has any suspicion."

He went to Highbury the next morning, and satisfied himself on that

point. He told her the news. Was not she like a daughter, his eldest

daughter?--he must tell her; and Miss Bates being present, it passed,

of course, to Mrs. Cole, Mrs. Perry, and Mrs. Elton, immediately

afterwards. It was no more than the principals were prepared for; they

had calculated from the time of its being known at Randalls, how soon it

would be over Highbury; and were thinking of themselves, as the evening

wonder in many a family circle, with great sagacity.

In general, it was a very well approved match. Some might think him, and

others might think her, the most in luck. One set might recommend their

all removing to Donwell, and leaving Hartfield for the John Knightleys;

and another might predict disagreements among their servants; but yet,

upon the whole, there was no serious objection raised, except in one

habitation, the Vicarage.--There, the surprize was not softened by any

satisfaction. Mr. Elton cared little about it, compared with his wife;

he only hoped "the young lady's pride would now be contented;" and

supposed "she had always meant to catch Knightley if she could;" and,

on the point of living at Hartfield, could daringly exclaim, "Rather

he than I!"--But Mrs. Elton was very much discomposed indeed.--"Poor

Knightley! poor fellow!--sad business for him."--She was extremely

concerned; for, though very eccentric, he had a thousand good

qualities.--How could he be so taken in?--Did not think him at all in

love--not in the least.--Poor Knightley!--There would be an end of all

pleasant intercourse with him.--How happy he had been to come and dine

with them whenever they asked him! But that would be all over now.--Poor

fellow!--No more exploring parties to Donwell made for _her_. Oh!

no; there would be a Mrs. Knightley to throw cold water on every

thing.--Extremely disagreeable! But she was not at all sorry that

she had abused the housekeeper the other day.--Shocking plan, living

together. It would never do. She knew a family near Maple Grove who

had tried it, and been obliged to separate before the end of the first

quarter.