Emma and the Werewolves (39 page)

He brought all the music to her, and they
looked it over together. Emma took the opportunity of
whispering,

“
You speak too plain. She
must understand you.”

“
I hope she does. I would
have her understand me. I am not in the least ashamed of my
meaning.”

“
But really, I am half
ashamed, and wish I had never taken up the idea.”

“
I am very glad you did,
and that you communicated it to me. I have now a key to all her odd
looks and ways. Leave shame to her. If she does wrong, she ought to
feel it.”

“
She is not entirely
without it, I think.”

“
I do not see much sign of
it. She is playing Robin Adair at this moment—his
favourite.”

Shortly afterwards Miss
Bates, passing near the window, descried Mr. Knightley on
horse-back not far off.

“
Mr. Knightley I declare! I
must speak to him if possible, just to thank him. I will not open
the window here; it would give you all cold; but I can go into my
mother’s room you know. I dare say he will come in when he knows
who is here. Quite delightful to have you all meet so! Our little
room so honoured!”

She was in the adjoining chamber while she
still spoke, and opening the casement there, immediately called Mr.
Knightley’s attention, and every syllable of their conversation was
as distinctly heard by the others, as if it had passed within the
same apartment.

“
How d’ ye do? how d’ye do?
Very well, I thank you. So obliged to you for the carriage last
night. We were just in time; my mother just ready for us. Pray come
in; do come in. You will find some friends here.”

So began Miss Bates; and Mr. Knightley
seemed determined to be heard in his turn, for most resolutely and
commandingly did he say,

“
How is your niece, Miss
Bates? I want to inquire after you all, but particularly your
niece. How is Miss Fairfax? I hope she caught no cold last night.
How is she to-day? Tell me how Miss Fairfax is.”

And Miss Bates was obliged to give a direct
answer before he would hear her in any thing else. The listeners
were amused; and Mrs. Weston gave Emma a look of particular
meaning. But Emma still shook her head in steady scepticism.

“
So obliged to you! so very
much obliged to you for the carriage,” resumed Miss
Bates.

He cut her short with,

“
I am going to Kingston.
Can I do anything for you?”

“
Oh! dear, Kingston—are
you? Mrs. Cole was saying the other day she wanted something from
Kingston.”

“
Mrs. Cole has servants to
send. Can I do any thing for you?”

“
No, I thank you. But do
come in. Who do you think is here? Miss Woodhouse and Miss Smith;
so kind as to call to hear the new pianoforte. Do put up your horse
at the Crown, and come in.”

“
Well,” said he, in a
deliberating manner, “for five minutes, perhaps.”

“
And here is Mrs. Weston
and Mr. Frank Churchill too! Quite delightful; so many
friends!”

“
No, not now, I thank you.
I could not stay two minutes. I must get on to Kingston as fast as
I can.”

“
Oh! do come in. They will
be so very happy to see you.”

“
No, no; your room is full
enough. I will call another day, and hear the
pianoforte.”

“
Well, I am so sorry! Oh!
Mr. Knightley, what a delightful party last night; how extremely
pleasant. Did you ever see such dancing? Was not it delightful?
Miss Woodhouse and Mr. Frank Churchill; I never saw any thing equal
to it.”

“
Oh! very delightful
indeed; I can say nothing less, for I suppose Miss Woodhouse and
Mr. Frank Churchill are hearing every thing that passes. And
(raising his voice still more) I do not see why Miss Fairfax should
not be mentioned too. I think Miss Fairfax dances very well; and
Mrs. Weston is the very best country-dance player, without
exception, in England. Now, if your friends have any gratitude,
they will say something pretty loud about you and me in return; but
I cannot stay to hear it.”

“
Oh! Mr. Knightley, one
moment more; something of consequence—so shocked! Jane and I are
both so shocked about the apples!”

“
What is the matter
now?”

“
To think of your sending
us all your store apples. You said you had a great many, and now
you have not one left. We really are so shocked! Mrs. Hodges may
well be angry. William Larkins mentioned it here. You should not
have done it, indeed you should not. Ah! he is off. He never can
bear to be thanked. But I thought he would have staid now, and it
would have been a pity not to have mentioned . . . . Well,
(returning to the room,) I have not been able to succeed. Mr.
Knightley cannot stop. He is going to Kingston. He asked me if he
could do any thing . . . .”

“
Yes,” said Jane, “we heard
his kind offers, we heard every thing.”

“
Oh! yes, my dear, I dare
say you might, because you know, the door was open, and the window
was open, and Mr. Knightley spoke loud. You must have heard every
thing to be sure. ‘Can I do any thing for you at Kingston?’ said
he; so I just mentioned . . . . Oh! Miss Woodhouse, must you be
going? You seem but just come—so very obliging of you.”

Before she departed, she
made a point to pull Mr. Knightley aside and ask how he fared. He
seemed grateful for this and asked her again of Selena. She gave
her solemn oath she had not seen the woman since he last asked of
her and pledged to keep her distance should Selena return. Mr.
Knightley also assured her that he was well. He claimed that most
of his troubles had sorted themselves out and all was at peace with
him.

Emma found it really time
to be at home; the visit had already lasted long; and on examining
watches, so much of the morning was perceived to be gone, that Mrs.
Weston and her companion taking leave also, could allow themselves
only to walk with the two young ladies to Hartfield gates, before
they set off for Randalls.

* * * *

Chapter XI

I
t
may be possible
to do without dancing
entirely. Instances have been known of young people passing many,
many months successively, without being at any ball of any
description, and no material injury accrue either to body or mind;
but when a beginning is made—when the felicities of rapid motion
have once been, though slightly, felt—it must be a very heavy set
that does not ask for more.

Frank Churchill had danced once at Highbury,
and longed to dance again; and the last half-hour of an evening
which Mr. Woodhouse was persuaded to spend with his daughter at
Randalls, was passed by the two young people in schemes on the
subject. Frank’s was the first idea; and his the greatest zeal in
pursuing it; for the lady was the best judge of the difficulties,
and the most solicitous for accommodation and appearance. But still
she had inclination enough for shewing people again how
delightfully Mr. Frank Churchill and Miss

Woodhouse danced—for doing
that in which she need not blush to compare herself with Jane
Fairfax—and even for simple dancing itself, without any 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 to hold—and then in
taking the dimensions of the other parlour, in the hope of
discovering, in spite of all that Mr. Weston could say of their
exactly equal size, that it was a little the largest.

His first proposition and
request, that the dance begun at Mr. Cole’s should be finished
there—that the same party should be collected, and the same
musician engaged, met with the readiest acquiescence. Mr. Weston
entered into the idea with thorough enjoyment, and Mrs. Weston most
willingly undertook to play as long as they could wish to dance;
and the interesting employment had followed, of reckoning up
exactly who there would be, and portioning out the indispensable
division of space to every couple.

“
You and Miss Smith, and
Miss Fairfax, will be three, and the two Miss Coxes five,” had been
repeated many times over. “And there will be the two Gilberts,
young Cox, my father, and myself, besides Mr. Knightley. Yes, that
will be quite enough for pleasure. You and Miss Smith, and Miss
Fairfax, will be three, and the two Miss Coxes five; and for five
couple there will be plenty of room.”

But soon it came to be on one side,

“
But will there be good
room for five couple? I really do not think there will.”

On another,

“
And after all, five couple
are not enough to make it worth while to stand up. Five couple are
nothing, when one thinks seriously about it. It will not do to
invite five couple. It can be allowable only as the thought of the
moment.”

Somebody said that Miss
Gilbert was expected at her brother’s, and must be invited with the
rest. Somebody else believed Mrs. Gilbert would have danced the
other evening, if she had been asked. A word was put in for a
second young Cox; and at last, Mr. Weston naming one family of
cousins who must be included, and another of very old acquaintance
who could not be left out, it became a certainty that the five
couple would be at least ten, and a very interesting speculation in
what possible manner they could be disposed of.

The doors of the two rooms were just
opposite each other. “Might not they use both rooms, and dance
across the passage?” It seemed the best scheme; and yet it was not
so good but that many of them wanted a better. Emma said it would
be awkward; Mrs. Weston was in distress about the supper; and Mr.
Woodhouse opposed it earnestly, on the score of health. It made him
so very unhappy, indeed, that it could not be persevered in.

“
Oh! no,” said he; “it
would be the extreme of imprudence. I could not bear it for Emma!
Emma is not strong. She would catch a dreadful cold. So would poor
little Harriet. So you would all. Mrs. Weston, 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 young man (speaking lower) is very
thoughtless. Do not tell his father, but that young man is not
quite the thing. He has been opening the doors very often this
evening, and keeping them open very inconsiderately. He does not
think of the draught. I do not mean to set you against him, but
indeed he is not quite the thing!”

Mrs. Weston was sorry for
such a charge. She knew the importance of it, and said every thing
in her power to do it away. Every door was now closed, the passage
plan given up, and the first scheme of dancing only in the room
they were in resorted to again; and with such good-will on Frank
Churchill’s part, that the space which a quarter of an hour before
had been deemed barely sufficient for five couple, was now
endeavoured to be made out quite enough for ten.

“
We were too magnificent,”
said he. “We allowed unnecessary room. Ten couple may stand here
very well.”

Emma demurred. “It would be
a crowd—a sad crowd; and what could be worse than dancing without
space to turn in?”

“
Very true,” he gravely
replied; “it was very bad.” But still he went on measuring, and
still he ended with,

“
I think there will be very
tolerable room for ten couple.”

“
No, no,” said she, “you
are quite unreasonable. It would be dreadful to be standing so
close! Nothing can be farther from pleasure than to be dancing in a
crowd—and a crowd in a little room!”

“
There is no denying it,”
he replied. “I agree with you exactly. A crowd in a little
room—Miss Woodhouse, you have the art of giving pictures in a few
words. Exquisite, quite exquisite! Still, however, having proceeded
so far, one is unwilling to give the matter up. It would be a
disappointment to my father—and altogether—I do not know that—I am
rather of opinion that ten couple might stand here very
well.”

Emma perceived that the nature of his
gallantry was a little self-willed, and that he would rather oppose
than lose the pleasure of dancing with her; but she took the
compliment, and forgave the rest. Had she intended ever to marry
him, it might have been worth while to pause and consider, and try
to understand the value of his preference, and the character of his
temper; but for all the purposes of their acquaintance, he was
quite amiable enough.

Before the middle of the
next day, he was at Hartfield; and he entered the room with such an
agreeable smile as certified the continuance of the scheme. It soon
appeared that he came to announce an improvement. Almost every
thing in Highbury seemed to be improving. It was so long since the
beast or monster that dwelt in the forest, as some believed, had
been seen or heard from. Many dared hope it had ventured on to new
hunting grounds. Certainly, the relief of this could be seen most
in Mr. Knightley. His health and demeanor grew with each passing
day.

“
Well, Miss Woodhouse,” he
almost immediately began, “your inclination for dancing has not
been quite frightened away, I hope, by the terrors of my father’s
little rooms. I bring a new proposal on the subject: a thought of
my father’s, which waits only your approbation to be acted upon.
May I hope for the honour of your hand for the two first dances of
this little projected ball, to be given, not at Randalls, but at
the Crown Inn?”