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1"Mr. Weston will be almost as much relieved as myself," said she. "On this point we have been wretched. It was our
2darling wish that you might be attached to each other--and we were persuaded that it was so.-- Imagine what we have been
3feeling on your account." "I have escaped; and that I should escape, may be a matter of grateful wonder to you and
4myself. But this does not acquit him, Mrs. Weston; and I must say, that I think him greatly to blame. What right had he
5to come among us with affection and faith engaged, and with manners so very disengaged? What right had he to endeavour
6to please, as he certainly did--to distinguish any one young woman with persevering attention, as he certainly
7did--while he really belonged to another?--How could he tell what mischief he might be doing?--How could he tell that he
8might not be making me in love with him?--very wrong, very wrong indeed." "From something that he said, my dear Emma, I
9rather imagine--" "And how could she bear such behaviour! Composure with a witness! to look on, while repeated
10attentions were offering to another woman, before her face, and not resent it.--That is a degree of placidity, which I
11can neither comprehend nor respect." "There were misunderstandings between them, Emma; he said so expressly. He had not
12time to enter into much explanation. He was here only a quarter of an hour, and in a state of agitation which did not
13allow the full use even of the time he could stay--but that there had been misunderstandings he decidedly said. The
14present crisis, indeed, seemed to be brought on by them; and those misunderstandings might very possibly arise from the
15impropriety of his conduct." "Impropriety! Oh! Mrs. Weston--it is too calm a censure. Much, much beyond impropriety!--It
16has sunk him, I cannot say how it has sunk him in my opinion. So unlike what a man should be!--None of that upright
17integrity, that strict adherence to truth and principle, that disdain of trick and littleness, which a man should
18display in every transaction of his life." "Nay, dear Emma, now I must take his part; for though he has been wrong in
19this instance, I have known him long enough to answer for his having many, very many, good qualities; and--" "Good God!"
20cried Emma, not attending to her.--"Mrs. Smallridge, too! Jane actually on the point of going as governess! What could
21he mean by such horrible indelicacy? To suffer her to engage herself--to suffer her even to think of such a measure!"
22"He knew nothing about it, Emma. On this article I can fully acquit him. It was a private resolution of hers, not
23communicated to him--or at least not communicated in a way to carry conviction.--Till yesterday, I know he said he was
24in the dark as to her plans. They burst on him, I do not know how, but by some letter or message--and it was the
25discovery of what she was doing, of this very project of hers, which determined him to come forward at once, own it all
26to his uncle, throw himself on his kindness, and, in short, put an end to the miserable state of concealment that had
27been carrying on so long." Emma began to listen better. "I am to hear from him soon," continued Mrs. Weston. "He told me
28at parting, that he should soon write; and he spoke in a manner which seemed to promise me many particulars that could
29not be given now. Let us wait, therefore, for this letter. It may bring many extenuations. It may make many things
30intelligible and excusable which now are not to be understood. Don't let us be severe, don't let us be in a hurry to
31condemn him. Let us have patience. I must love him; and now that I am satisfied on one point, the one material point, I
32am sincerely anxious for its all turning out well, and ready to hope that it may. They must both have suffered a great
33deal under such a system of secresy and concealment." "His sufferings," replied Emma dryly, "do not appear to have done
34him much harm. Well, and how did Mr. Churchill take it?" "Most favourably for his nephew--gave his consent with scarcely
35a difficulty. Conceive what the events of a week have done in that family! While poor Mrs. Churchill lived, I suppose
36there could not have been a hope, a chance, a possibility;--but scarcely are her remains at rest in the family vault,
37than her husband is persuaded to act exactly opposite to what she would have required. What a blessing it is, when undue
38influence does not survive the grave!--He gave his consent with very little persuasion." "Ah!" thought Emma, "he would
39have done as much for Harriet." "This was settled last night, and Frank was off with the light this morning. He stopped
40at Highbury, at the Bates's, I fancy, some time--and then came on hither; but was in such a hurry to get back to his
41uncle, to whom he is just now more necessary than ever, that, as I tell you, he could stay with us but a quarter of an
42hour.--He was very much agitated--very much, indeed--to a degree that made him appear quite a different creature from
43any thing I had ever seen him before.--In addition to all the rest, there had been the shock of finding her so very
44unwell, which he had had no previous suspicion of--and there was every appearance of his having been feeling a great
45deal." "And do you really believe the affair to have been carrying on with such perfect secresy?--The Campbells, the
46Dixons, did none of them know of the engagement?" Emma could not speak the name of Dixon without a little blush. "None;
47not one. He positively said that it had been known to no being in the world but their two selves." "Well," said Emma, "I
48suppose we shall gradually grow reconciled to the idea, and I wish them very happy. But I shall always think it a very
49abominable sort of proceeding. What has it been but a system of hypocrisy and deceit,--espionage, and treachery?--To
50come among us with professions of openness and simplicity; and such a league in secret to judge us all!--Here have we
51been, the whole winter and spring, completely duped, fancying ourselves all on an equal footing of truth and honour,
52with two people in the midst of us who may have been carrying round, comparing and sitting in judgment on sentiments and
53words that were never meant for both to hear.--They must take the consequence, if they have heard each other spoken of
54in a way not perfectly agreeable!" "I am quite easy on that head," replied Mrs. Weston. "I am very sure that I never
55said any thing of either to the other, which both might not have heard." "You are in luck.--Your only blunder was
56confined to my ear, when you imagined a certain friend of ours in love with the lady." "True. But as I have always had a
57thoroughly good opinion of Miss Fairfax, I never could, under any blunder, have spoken ill of her; and as to speaking
58ill of him, there I must have been safe." At this moment Mr. Weston appeared at a little distance from the window,
59evidently on the watch. His wife gave him a look which invited him in; and, while he was coming round, added, "Now,
60dearest Emma, let me intreat you to say and look every thing that may set his heart at ease, and incline him to be
61satisfied with the match. Let us make the best of it--and, indeed, almost every thing may be fairly said in her favour.
62It is not a connexion to gratify; but if Mr. Churchill does not feel that, why should we? and it may be a very fortunate
63circumstance for him, for Frank, I mean, that he should have attached himself to a girl of such steadiness of character
64and good judgment as I have always given her credit for--and still am disposed to give her credit for, in spite of this
65one great deviation from the strict rule of right. And how much may be said in her situation for even that error!"
66"Much, indeed!" cried Emma feelingly. "If a woman can ever be excused for thinking only of herself, it is in a situation
67like Jane Fairfax's.--Of such, one may almost say, that 'the world is not their's, nor the world's law.'" She met Mr.
68Weston on his entrance, with a smiling countenance, exclaiming, "A very pretty trick you have been playing me, upon my
69word! This was a device, I suppose, to sport with my curiosity, and exercise my talent of guessing. But you really
70frightened me. I thought you had lost half your property, at least. And here, instead of its being a matter of
71condolence, it turns out to be one of congratulation.--I congratulate you, Mr. Weston, with all my heart, on the
72prospect of having one of the most lovely and accomplished young women in England for your daughter." A glance or two
73between him and his wife, convinced him that all was as right as this speech proclaimed; and its happy effect on his
74spirits was immediate. His air and voice recovered their usual briskness: he shook her heartily and gratefully by the
75hand, and entered on the subject in a manner to prove, that he now only wanted time and persuasion to think the
76engagement no very bad thing. His companions suggested only what could palliate imprudence, or smooth objections; and by
77the time they had talked it all over together, and he had talked it all over again with Emma, in their walk back to
78Hartfield, he was become perfectly reconciled, and not far from thinking it the very best thing that Frank could
79possibly have done.
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