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1It may be possible to do without dancing entirely. Instances have been known of young people passing many, many months
2successively, without being at any ball of any description, and no material injury accrue either to body or mind;--but
3when a beginning is made--when the felicities of rapid motion have once been, though slightly, felt--it must be a very
4heavy set that does not ask for more. Frank Churchill had danced once at Highbury, and longed to dance again; and the
5last half-hour of an evening which Mr. Woodhouse was persuaded to spend with his daughter at Randalls, was passed by the
6two young people in schemes on the subject. Frank's was the first idea; and his the greatest zeal in pursuing it; for
7the lady was the best judge of the difficulties, and the most solicitous for accommodation and appearance. But still she
8had inclination enough for shewing people again how delightfully Mr. Frank Churchill and Miss Woodhouse danced--for
9doing that in which she need not blush to compare herself with Jane Fairfax--and even for simple dancing itself, without
10any of the wicked aids of vanity--to assist him first in pacing out the room they were in to see what it could be made
11to hold--and then in taking the dimensions of the other parlour, in the hope of discovering, in spite of all that Mr.
12Weston could say of their exactly equal size, that it was a little the largest. His first proposition and request, that
13the dance begun at Mr. Cole's should be finished there--that the same party should be collected, and the same musician
14engaged, met with the readiest acquiescence. Mr. Weston entered into the idea with thorough enjoyment, and Mrs. Weston
15most willingly undertook to play as long as they could wish to dance; and the interesting employment had followed, of
16reckoning up exactly who there would be, and portioning out the indispensable division of space to every couple. "You
17and Miss Smith, and Miss Fairfax, will be three, and the two Miss Coxes five," had been repeated many times over. "And
18there will be the two Gilberts, young Cox, my father, and myself, besides Mr. Knightley. Yes, that will be quite enough
19for pleasure. You and Miss Smith, and Miss Fairfax, will be three, and the two Miss Coxes five; and for five couple
20there will be plenty of room." But soon it came to be on one side, "But will there be good room for five couple?--I
21really do not think there will." On another, "And after all, five couple are not enough to make it worth while to stand
22up. Five couple are nothing, when one thinks seriously about it. It will not do to invite five couple. It can be
23allowable only as the thought of the moment." Somebody said that Miss Gilbert was expected at her brother's, and must be
24invited with the rest. Somebody else believed Mrs. Gilbert would have danced the other evening, if she had been asked. A
25word was put in for a second young Cox; and at last, Mr. Weston naming one family of cousins who must be included, and
26another of very old acquaintance who could not be left out, it became a certainty that the five couple would be at least
27ten, and a very interesting speculation in what possible manner they could be disposed of. The doors of the two rooms
28were just opposite each other. "Might not they use both rooms, and dance across the passage?" It seemed the best scheme;
29and yet it was not so good but that many of them wanted a better. Emma said it would be awkward; Mrs. Weston was in
30distress about the supper; and Mr. Woodhouse opposed it earnestly, on the score of health. It made him so very unhappy,
31indeed, that it could not be persevered in. "Oh! no," said he; "it would be the extreme of imprudence. I could not bear
32it for Emma!--Emma is not strong. She would catch a dreadful cold. So would poor little Harriet. So you would all. Mrs.
33Weston, you would be quite laid up; do not let them talk of such a wild thing. Pray do not let them talk of it. That
34young man (speaking lower) is very thoughtless. Do not tell his father, but that young man is not quite the thing. He
35has been opening the doors very often this evening, and keeping them open very inconsiderately. He does not think of the
36draught. I do not mean to set you against him, but indeed he is not quite the thing!" Mrs. Weston was sorry for such a
37charge. She knew the importance of it, and said every thing in her power to do it away. Every door was now closed, the
38passage plan given up, and the first scheme of dancing only in the room they were in resorted to again; and with such
39good-will on Frank Churchill's part, that the space which a quarter of an hour before had been deemed barely sufficient
40for five couple, was now endeavoured to be made out quite enough for ten. "We were too magnificent," said he. "We
41allowed unnecessary room. Ten couple may stand here very well." Emma demurred. "It would be a crowd--a sad crowd; and
42what could be worse than dancing without space to turn in?" "Very true," he gravely replied; "it was very bad." But
43still he went on measuring, and still he ended with, "I think there will be very tolerable room for ten couple." "No,
44no," said she, "you are quite unreasonable. It would be dreadful to be standing so close! Nothing can be farther from
45pleasure than to be dancing in a crowd--and a crowd in a little room!" "There is no denying it," he replied. "I agree
46with you exactly. A crowd in a little room--Miss Woodhouse, you have the art of giving pictures in a few words.
47Exquisite, quite exquisite!--Still, however, having proceeded so far, one is unwilling to give the matter up. It would
48be a disappointment to my father--and altogether--I do not know that--I am rather of opinion that ten couple might stand
49here very well." Emma perceived that the nature of his gallantry was a little self-willed, and that he would rather
50oppose than lose the pleasure of dancing with her; but she took the compliment, and forgave the rest. Had she intended
51ever to marry him, it might have been worth while to pause and consider, and try to understand the value of his
52preference, and the character of his temper; but for all the purposes of their acquaintance, he was quite amiable
53enough. Before the middle of the next day, he was at Hartfield; and he entered the room with such an agreeable smile as
54certified the continuance of the scheme. It soon appeared that he came to announce an improvement. "Well, Miss
55Woodhouse," he almost immediately began, "your inclination for dancing has not been quite frightened away, I hope, by
56the terrors of my father's little rooms. I bring a new proposal on the subject:--a thought of my father's, which waits
57only your approbation to be acted upon. May I hope for the honour of your hand for the two first dances of this little
58projected ball, to be given, not at Randalls, but at the Crown Inn?" "The Crown!" "Yes; if you and Mr. Woodhouse see no
59objection, and I trust you cannot, my father hopes his friends will be so kind as to visit him there. Better
60accommodations, he can promise them, and not a less grateful welcome than at Randalls. It is his own idea. Mrs. Weston
61sees no objection to it, provided you are satisfied. This is what we all feel. Oh! you were perfectly right! Ten couple,
62in either of the Randalls rooms, would have been insufferable!--Dreadful!--I felt how right you were the whole time, but
63was too anxious for securing any thing to like to yield. Is not it a good exchange?--You consent--I hope you consent?"
64"It appears to me a plan that nobody can object to, if Mr. and Mrs. Weston do not. I think it admirable; and, as far as
65I can answer for myself, shall be most happy--It seems the only improvement that could be. Papa, do you not think it an
66excellent improvement?" She was obliged to repeat and explain it, before it was fully comprehended; and then, being
67quite new, farther representations were necessary to make it acceptable.
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