By Jane Austen This story set in the village of Highbury.
Follows Emma Woodhouse,
A privileged young woman.
Who fancies herself a matchmaker.
Meddling in the romantic lives of those around her.
Particularly her new friend Harriet Smith.
Emma finds her misguided interventions.
Lead to hurt feelings.
And unexpected revelations.
Happy listening.
Chapter 9 Mr Knightley might quarrel with her,
But Emily could not quarrel with herself.
He was so much displeased that it was longer than usual before he came to Hartfield again.
And when they did meet his grave look showed she was not forgiven.
She was sorry,
But she could not repent.
On the contrary,
Her plans and proceedings were more and more justified and endeared to her by the general appearance of the next few days.
The picture,
Elegantly framed,
Came safely to hand soon after Mr Elton's return.
And being hung over the mantelpiece of the common sitting room,
He got up to look at it and sighed out his half sentences of admiration just as he ought.
As for Harriet's feelings,
They were visibly forming themselves into as strong and steady an attachment as her youth and sort of mind admitted.
Emma was soon perfectly satisfied of Mr Martin's being no otherwise remembered than as he furnished a contrast with Mr Elton of the utmost advantage to the latter.
Her views of improving her little friend's mind by a great deal of useful reading and conversation had never yet led to more than a first few chapters and the intention of going on tomorrow.
It was much easier to chat than to study.
Much pleasanter to let an imagination range and work at Harriet's fortune.
Than to be labouring to enlarge her comprehension or exercise it on sober facts.
And the only literary pursuit which engaged Harriet at present,
The only mental provision she was making for the evening of life.
Was the collecting and transcribing all the riddles of every sort she could meet with into a thin quarter of hot pressed paper made up by her friend and ornamented with ciphers and trophies.
In this age of literature,
Such collections are on a very grand scale and not uncommon.
Miss Nash,
Headteacher at Mrs Goddard's,
Had written out at least 300,
And Harriet,
Who'd taken the first hint of it from her,
Hoped with Miss Woodhouse's help to get a great many more.
Emma assisted with her invention,
Memory and taste.
And as Harriet wrote a very pretty hand,
It was likely to be an arrangement of the first order in form as well as quantity.
Mr.
Woodhouse was almost as much interested in the business as the girls.
He tried very often to recollect something worth their putting in.
So many clever rizzles as there used to be when he was young,
He wondered he could not remember them,
He said.
But he hoped he should in time.
His always ended in Kitty,
A fair but frozen maid.
His good friend Perry,
Too,
Who he'd spoken to on the subject,
Did not at present recollect anything of the riddle kind,
But he desired Perry to be upon the watch,
And as he went about so much,
Something,
He thought,
Might come from that quarter.
It was by no means his daughter's wish that the intellects of Highbury in general should be put under requisition.
Mr Elton was the only one whose assistance she asked.
He was invited to contribute any really good enigmas,
Charades or conundrums that he might recollect.
And she had the pleasure of seeing him most intently at work with his recollections.
And at the same time,
As she could perceive,
Most earnestly careful that nothing ungallant,
Nothing that did not breathe a compliment to the sex,
Should pass his lips.
They owe to him their two or three politest puzzles.
And the joy and exultation with which at last he recalled and rather sentimentally recited that well-known charade.
My first duff affliction denotes.
Which my second is destined to feel.
And my hole is the best antidote.
That affliction to soften and heal.
Made her quite sorry to acknowledge they'd transcribed it some pages ago already.
Why will you not write one yourself for us,
Mr Elton?
" said she.
That is the only security for its freshness and nothing could be easier to use.
Oh no,
He declared he had never written hardly ever anything of the kind in his life.
Stupidest fellow.
He was afraid not even Miss Woodhouse.
Or Miss Smith could inspire him.
The very next day,
However,
Produced some proof of inspiration.
He called for a few moments just to leave a piece of paper on the table containing,
He said,
A charade.
Which a friend of his had addressed to a young lady.
I do not offer it for Miss Smith's collection,
" said he.
Being my friends,
I have no right to expose it in any degree to the public eye.
But perhaps you may not dislike looking at it.
Take it Harriet,
Said Emma smiling.
It is for you.
But Harriet was in a tremor and could not touch it.
Emma,
Never loathe to be the first,
Was obliged to examine it herself.
Charade.
My first displays the wealth and pomp of kings.
Lords of the earth,
Their luxury and ease.
Another view of man my second brings.
Behold him there,
The monarch of the seas.
Ta-da!
United what reverse we have here.
Man's boasted power and freedom are all flow.
Lord of the earth and sea,
He bends a slave,
And woman,
Lovely woman,
Reigns alone.
Thy ready wit the world will soon supply.
May its approval be in that soft eye.
Emma cast her eye over it,
Pondered,
Caught the meaning,
Read it through again to be quite certain,
And,
Mistress of the lines,
Passed it to Harriet,
Saying happily,
Very well,
Mr Elton,
Very well indeed.
I have red wool charades.
Courtship.
A very good hint.
I give you credit for it.
This is feeling your way.
This is saying very plainly,
Pray Miss Smith,
Give me leave to pay my addresses to you.
Harriet could not long resist so delightful a persuasion.
She read the concluding lines and was on flutter and happiness.
It was enough for her to feel.
Emma spoke for her.
There is so pointed and so particular a meaning in the compliment,
" said she.
I cannot have a doubt as to Mr Elton's intentions.
You are his object and you will soon receive the completest proof of it.
I thought it must be so.
Though I could not be so deceived.
But now it is clear the state of his mind is as clear and decided as my wishes on the subject have ever been.
Yes,
Harriet.
Just so long have I been wanting the very circumstance to happen that has happened!
Whatever you say is always right,
Cried Harriet,
And therefore I suppose and believe and hope it must be so.
But otherwise I could not have imagined it.
It's beyond anything I deserve.
Mr Elton?
You mind marry anybody?
There cannot be two opinions about him.
He's so very superior.
Could this really have been meant for me?
I cannot make a question or listen to a question about that,
" said Emma.
It's a sort of prologue to the play,
A motto to the chapter.
And will soon be followed by matter-of-fact prose.
This is the sort of thing nobody could have expected.
I'm sure a month ago I had no more idea myself.
Said Harriet.
That Mr Elton should really be in love with me of all people who did not know him to speak to him at Micklemore's and he the very handsomest man that ever was and a man that everyone looks up to quite like Mr Knightley His company is so sought after that everyone says he'd not eat a single meal by himself if he does not choose it.
And so excellent in the church.
Miss Nash has put down all the texts he's ever preached from since he came to Highbury.
Dear me when i look back to the first time i saw him how little did i think This is an alliance,
" said Emma.
With whoever,
Whatever your friends may be,
Must be agreeable to it.
Provided they least have common sense.
And we are not to be addressing our conduct to fools.
If they are anxious to see you happily married Harriet.
Here is a man whose amiable character gives every assurance of it.
They wish to have you settled in the same country and circle which they've chosen to place you in.
Here it will be accomplished.
And if their only object is that you should,
In the common phrase,
Be well married,
Here is the comfortable fortune,
The respectable establishment,
The rise in the world which must satisfy them.
Very true,
Said Harriet.
How nicely you talk,
Emma.
I love to hear you.
You understand everything.
You and Mr Elton are one as clever as the other.
Shoo-ray.
If I had studied a twelve month,
I could never have made anything like it.
I thought he meant to try his skill by his manner of declining it yesterday.
Shade Emma.
I do think it is without exception the best charade I ever read.
Said Harriet.
Oh Miss Woodhouse,
What a pity I must not write this beautiful charade into my book.
I'm sure I have not got one half so good.
Just leave out the last two lines,
" said Emma,
And there's no reason why you should not write it into your book.
But those two lines are.
.
.
The best of all granted for private enjoyment.
And for private enjoyment,
Keep them.
They're not all the less written,
You know,
Because you divide them.
The couplet does not cease to be,
Nor does its meaning change.
But take it away and all appropriation ceases and a very pretty gallant charade remains fit for any collection.
Depend upon it.
Mr Elton would not like to have his charade slighted,
Much better his passion.
A poet in love must be encouraged in both capacities or neither.
Give me the book.
I will write it down.
And there can be no possible reflection on you.
Later in the morning,
Just as the girls were going to separate in preparation for the regular four o'clock dinner,
The hero of this inimitable charade walked in again.
Harriet turned away,
But Emma could receive him with a usual smile,
And her quick eye soon discerned in his consciousness of having made a push,
Of having thrown a die.
And she imagined he was come to see how it might turn out.
His ostensible reason,
However,
Was to ask whether Mr Woodhouse's party could be made up in the evening without him,
Or whether he should be in the smallest degree necessary at Hartfield.
If he were,
Everything else must give way.
But otherwise his friend Cole had been saying so much about his dining with him,
Had made such a point of it that he promised him conditioning to come.
Emma thanked him but could not allow of his disappointing his friend on their account.
Then she took the paper from the table.
And returned it.
Here is the charade you were so obliging to leave with us,
She said.
Thank you for the sight of it.
We admired it so much,
I have ventured to write it into Miss Smith's collection.
Your friend will not take it amiss,
I hope.
Of course,
I have not transcribed beyond the first eight lines.
Mr Elton certainly did not very well know what to say.
He looked rather doubtingly,
Rather confused,
Said something about honour,
Glanced at Emma and Harriet,
Then seeing the book open on the table,
Took it up and examined it very attentively.
With a view of passing an awkward moment,
Emma smilingly said,
You must make my apologies to your friend,
But so good a charade must not be confined to one or two.
He may be sure of every woman's approbation while he writes with such gallantry.
I have no hesitation in saying.
Replied Mr Elton,
Though hesitating a good deal while he spoke.
If at least my friend feels it as I do,
I have not the smallest doubt that.
.
.
As I see it.
He would consider it the proudest moment of his life.
Then after this speech,
He was gone as soon as possible.
Emma could not think it too soon.
For with all his good and agreeable qualities there was a sort of parade in his speeches.
Which was very apt to incline her to laugh.
She ran away to indulge the inclination,
Leaving the tender and the sublime of pleasure.
To Harriet's Share.
