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1Emma's very good opinion of Frank Churchill was a little shaken the following day, by hearing that he was gone off to
2London, merely to have his hair cut. A sudden freak seemed to have seized him at breakfast, and he had sent for a chaise
3and set off, intending to return to dinner, but with no more important view that appeared than having his hair cut.
4There was certainly no harm in his travelling sixteen miles twice over on such an errand; but there was an air of
5foppery and nonsense in it which she could not approve. It did not accord with the rationality of plan, the moderation
6in expense, or even the unselfish warmth of heart, which she had believed herself to discern in him yesterday. Vanity,
7extravagance, love of change, restlessness of temper, which must be doing something, good or bad; heedlessness as to the
8pleasure of his father and Mrs. Weston, indifferent as to how his conduct might appear in general; he became liable to
9all these charges. His father only called him a coxcomb, and thought it a very good story; but that Mrs. Weston did not
10like it, was clear enough, by her passing it over as quickly as possible, and making no other comment than that "all
11young people would have their little whims." With the exception of this little blot, Emma found that his visit hitherto
12had given her friend only good ideas of him. Mrs. Weston was very ready to say how attentive and pleasant a companion he
13made himself--how much she saw to like in his disposition altogether. He appeared to have a very open temper--certainly
14a very cheerful and lively one; she could observe nothing wrong in his notions, a great deal decidedly right; he spoke
15of his uncle with warm regard, was fond of talking of him--said he would be the best man in the world if he were left to
16himself; and though there was no being attached to the aunt, he acknowledged her kindness with gratitude, and seemed to
17mean always to speak of her with respect. This was all very promising; and, but for such an unfortunate fancy for having
18his hair cut, there was nothing to denote him unworthy of the distinguished honour which her imagination had given him;
19the honour, if not of being really in love with her, of being at least very near it, and saved only by her own
20indifference--(for still her resolution held of never marrying)--the honour, in short, of being marked out for her by
21all their joint acquaintance. Mr. Weston, on his side, added a virtue to the account which must have some weight. He
22gave her to understand that Frank admired her extremely--thought her very beautiful and very charming; and with so much
23to be said for him altogether, she found she must not judge him harshly. As Mrs. Weston observed, "all young people
24would have their little whims." There was one person among his new acquaintance in Surry, not so leniently disposed. In
25general he was judged, throughout the parishes of Donwell and Highbury, with great candour; liberal allowances were made
26for the little excesses of such a handsome young man--one who smiled so often and bowed so well; but there was one
27spirit among them not to be softened, from its power of censure, by bows or smiles--Mr. Knightley. The circumstance was
28told him at Hartfield; for the moment, he was silent; but Emma heard him almost immediately afterwards say to himself,
29over a newspaper he held in his hand, "Hum! just the trifling, silly fellow I took him for." She had half a mind to
30resent; but an instant's observation convinced her that it was really said only to relieve his own feelings, and not
31meant to provoke; and therefore she let it pass. Although in one instance the bearers of not good tidings, Mr. and Mrs.
32Weston's visit this morning was in another respect particularly opportune. Something occurred while they were at
33Hartfield, to make Emma want their advice; and, which was still more lucky, she wanted exactly the advice they gave.
34This was the occurrence:--The Coles had been settled some years in Highbury, and were very good sort of
35people--friendly, liberal, and unpretending; but, on the other hand, they were of low origin, in trade, and only
36moderately genteel. On their first coming into the country, they had lived in proportion to their income, quietly,
37keeping little company, and that little unexpensively; but the last year or two had brought them a considerable increase
38of means--the house in town had yielded greater profits, and fortune in general had smiled on them. With their wealth,
39their views increased; their want of a larger house, their inclination for more company. They added to their house, to
40their number of servants, to their expenses of every sort; and by this time were, in fortune and style of living, second
41only to the family at Hartfield. Their love of society, and their new dining-room, prepared every body for their keeping
42dinner-company; and a few parties, chiefly among the single men, had already taken place. The regular and best families
43Emma could hardly suppose they would presume to invite--neither Donwell, nor Hartfield, nor Randalls. Nothing should
44tempt her to go, if they did; and she regretted that her father's known habits would be giving her refusal less meaning
45than she could wish. The Coles were very respectable in their way, but they ought to be taught that it was not for them
46to arrange the terms on which the superior families would visit them. This lesson, she very much feared, they would
47receive only from herself; she had little hope of Mr. Knightley, none of Mr. Weston. But she had made up her mind how to
48meet this presumption so many weeks before it appeared, that when the insult came at last, it found her very differently
49affected. Donwell and Randalls had received their invitation, and none had come for her father and herself; and Mrs.
50Weston's accounting for it with "I suppose they will not take the liberty with you; they know you do not dine out," was
51not quite sufficient. She felt that she should like to have had the power of refusal; and afterwards, as the idea of the
52party to be assembled there, consisting precisely of those whose society was dearest to her, occurred again and again,
53she did not know that she might not have been tempted to accept. Harriet was to be there in the evening, and the
54Bateses. They had been speaking of it as they walked about Highbury the day before, and Frank Churchill had most
55earnestly lamented her absence. Might not the evening end in a dance? had been a question of his. The bare possibility
56of it acted as a farther irritation on her spirits; and her being left in solitary grandeur, even supposing the omission
57to be intended as a compliment, was but poor comfort. It was the arrival of this very invitation while the Westons were
58at Hartfield, which made their presence so acceptable; for though her first remark, on reading it, was that "of course
59it must be declined," she so very soon proceeded to ask them what they advised her to do, that their advice for her
60going was most prompt and successful. She owned that, considering every thing, she was not absolutely without
61inclination for the party. The Coles expressed themselves so properly--there was so much real attention in the manner of
62it--so much consideration for her father. "They would have solicited the honour earlier, but had been waiting the
63arrival of a folding-screen from London, which they hoped might keep Mr. Woodhouse from any draught of air, and
64therefore induce him the more readily to give them the honour of his company." Upon the whole, she was very persuadable;
65and it being briefly settled among themselves how it might be done without neglecting his comfort--how certainly Mrs.
66Goddard, if not Mrs. Bates, might be depended on for bearing him company--Mr. Woodhouse was to be talked into an
67acquiescence of his daughter's going out to dinner on a day now near at hand, and spending the whole evening away from
68him. As for his going, Emma did not wish him to think it possible, the hours would be too late, and the party too
69numerous. He was soon pretty well resigned.
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