Emma and the Werewolves (6 page)

* * * *

Chapter V

K
nightley knew he must
keep his
appearance and the norms of his behavior during the day no matter
how trying it may be as thus he elected to call upon his good
friends as he had always had done and Mrs. Weston and hers ranked
high among them.

“
I do not know what your
opinion may be, Mrs. Weston,” said Mr. Knightley, “of this great
intimacy between Emma and Harriet Smith, but I think it a bad
thing.”

“
A bad thing! Do you really
think it a bad thing? why so?”

“
I think they will neither
of them do the other any good.”

“
You surprize me! Emma must
do Harriet good: and by supplying her with a new object of
interest, Harriet may be said to do Emma good. I have been seeing
their intimacy with the greatest pleasure. How very differently we
feel! Not think they will do each other any good! This will
certainly be the beginning of one of our quarrels about Emma, Mr.
Knightley.”

“
Perhaps you think I am
come on purpose to quarrel with you, knowing Weston to be out, and
that you must still fight your own battle.”

“
Mr. Weston would
undoubtedly support me, if he were here, for he thinks exactly as I
do on the subject. We were speaking of it only yesterday, and
agreeing how fortunate it was for Emma, that there should be such a
girl in Highbury for her to associate with. Mr. Knightley, I shall
not allow you to be a fair judge in this case. We all need
disractions and friends now more than ever as you are well aware.
You are so much used to live alone, that you do not know the value
of a companion; and, perhaps no man can be a good judge of the
comfort a woman feels in the society of one of her own sex, after
being used to it all her life. I can imagine your objection to
Harriet Smith. She is not the superior young woman which Emma’s
friend ought to be. But on the other hand, as Emma wants to see her
better informed, it will be an inducement to her to read more
herself. They will read together. She means it, I know.”

“
Emma has been meaning to
read more ever since she was twelve years old. I have seen a great
many lists of her drawing-up at various times of books that she
meant to read regularly through—and very good lists they were—very
well chosen, and very neatly arranged—sometimes alphabetically, and
sometimes by some other rule. The list she drew up when only
fourteen—I remember thinking it did her judgment so much credit,
that I preserved it some time; and I dare say she may have made out
a very good list now. But I have done with expecting any course of
steady reading from Emma. She will never submit to any thing
requiring industry and patience, and a subjection of the fancy to
the understanding. Where Miss Taylor failed to stimulate, I may
safely affirm that Harriet Smith will do nothing. You never could
persuade her to read half so much as you wished. You know you could
not.”

“
I dare say,” replied Mrs.
Weston, smiling, “that I thought so then; but since we have parted,
I can never remember Emma’s omitting to do any thing I
wished.”

“
There is hardly any
desiring to refresh such a memory as that,” said Mr. Knightley,
feelingly; and for a moment or two he had done. “But I,” he soon
added, “who have had no such charm thrown over my senses, must
still see, hear, and remember. Emma is spoiled by being the
cleverest of her family. At ten years old, she had the misfortune
of being able to answer questions which puzzled her sister at
seventeen. She was always quick and assured: Isabella slow and
diffident. And ever since she was twelve, Emma has been mistress of
the house and of you all. In her mother she lost the only person
able to cope with her. She inherits her mother’s talents, and must
have been under subjection to her.”

“
I should have been sorry,
Mr. Knightley, to be dependent on your recommendation, had I
quitted Mr. Woodhouse’s family and wanted another situation; I do
not think you would have spoken a good word for me to any body. I
am sure you always thought me unfit for the office I
held.”

“
Yes,” said he, smiling.
“You are better placed here; very fit for a wife, but not at all
for a governess. But you were preparing yourself to be an excellent
wife all the time you were at Hartfield. You might not give Emma
such a complete education as your powers would seem to promise; but
you were receiving a very good education from her, on the very
material matrimonial point of submitting your own will, and doing
as you were bid; and if Weston had asked me to recommend him a
wife, I should certainly have named Miss Taylor.”

“
Thank you. There will be
very little merit in making a good wife to such a man as Mr.
Weston.”

“
Why, to own the truth, I
am afraid you are rather thrown away, and that with every
disposition to bear, there will be nothing to be borne. We will not
despair, however. Weston may grow cross from the wantonness of
comfort, or his son may plague him.”

“
I hope not that. It is not
likely. No, Mr. Knightley, do not foretell vexation from that
quarter.”

“
Not I, indeed. I only name
possibilities. I do not pretend to Emma’s genius for foretelling
and guessing. I hope, with all my heart, the young man may be a
Weston in merit, and a Churchill in fortune. But Harriet Smith—I
have not half done about Harriet Smith. I think her the very worst
sort of companion that Emma could possibly have. She knows nothing
herself, and looks upon Emma as knowing every thing. She is a
flatterer in all her ways; and so much the worse, because
undesigned. Her ignorance is hourly flattery. How can Emma imagine
she has any thing to learn herself, while Harriet is presenting
such a delightful inferiority? And as for Harriet, I will venture
to say that she cannot gain by the acquaintance. Hartfield will
only put her out of conceit with all the other places she belongs
to. She will grow just refined enough to be uncomfortable with
those among whom birth and circumstances have placed her home. I am
much mistaken if Emma’s doctrines give any strength of mind, or
tend at all to make a girl adapt herself rationally to the
varieties of her situation in life. They only give a little
polish.”

“
I either depend more upon
Emma’s good sense than you do, or am more anxious for her present
comfort; for I cannot lament the acquaintance. How well she looked
last night!”

“
Oh! you would rather talk
of her person than her mind, would you? Very well; I shall not
attempt to deny Emma’s being pretty.”

“
Pretty! say beautiful
rather. Can you imagine any thing nearer perfect beauty than Emma
altogether—face and figure?”

“
I do not know what I could
imagine, but I confess that I have seldom seen a face or figure
more pleasing to me than hers. But I am a partial old
friend.”

“
Such an eye! the true
hazle eye—and so brilliant! regular features, open countenance,
with a complexion! oh! what a bloom of full health, and such a
pretty height and size; such a firm and upright figure! There is
health, not merely in her bloom, but in her air, her head, her
glance. One hears sometimes of a child being ‘the picture of
health;’ now, Emma always gives me the idea of being the complete
picture of grown-up health. She is loveliness itself. Mr.
Knightley, is not she?”

“
I have not a fault to find
with her person,” he replied. “I think her all you describe. I love
to look at her; and I will add this praise, that I do not think her
personally vain. Considering how very handsome she is, she appears
to be little occupied with it; her vanity lies another way. Mrs.
Weston, I am not to be talked out of my dislike of Harriet Smith,
or my dread of its doing them both harm.”

“
And I, Mr. Knightley, am
equally stout in my confidence of its not doing them any harm. With
all dear Emma’s little faults, she is an excellent creature. Where
shall we see a better daughter, or a kinder sister, or a truer
friend? No, no; she has qualities which may be trusted; she will
never lead any one really wrong; she will make no lasting blunder;
where Emma errs once, she is in the right a hundred
times.”

“
Very well; I will not
plague you any more. Emma shall be an angel, and I will keep my
spleen to myself till Christmas brings John and Isabella. John
loves Emma with a reasonable and therefore not a blind affection,
and Isabella always thinks as he does; except when he is not quite
frightened enough about the children. I am sure of having their
opinions with me.”

“
I know that you all love
her really too well to be unjust or unkind; but excuse me, Mr.
Knightley, if I take the liberty (I consider myself, you know, as
having somewhat of the privilege of speech that Emma’s mother might
have had) the liberty of hinting that I do not think any possible
good can arise from Harriet Smith’s intimacy being made a matter of
much discussion among you. Pray excuse me; but supposing any little
inconvenience may be apprehended from the intimacy, it cannot be
expected that Emma, accountable to nobody but her father, who
perfectly approves the acquaintance, should put an end to it, so
long as it is a source of pleasure to herself. It has been so many
years my province to give advice, that you cannot be surprized, Mr.
Knightley, at this little remains of office.”

“
Not at all,” cried he. “I
am much obliged to you for it. It is very good advice, and it shall
have a better fate than your advice has often found; for it shall
be attended to.”

“
Mrs. John Knightley is
easily alarmed, and might be made unhappy about her
sister.”

“
Be satisfied,” said he, “I
will not raise any outcry. I will keep my ill-humour to myself. I
have a very sincere interest in Emma. Isabella does not seem more
my sister; has never excited a greater interest; perhaps hardly so
great. There is an anxiety, a curiosity in what one feels for Emma.
I wonder what will become of her!”

“
So do I,” said Mrs. Weston
gently, “very much.”

“
She always declares she
will never marry, which, of course, means just nothing at all. But
I have no idea that she has yet ever seen a man she cared for. It
would not be a bad thing for her to be very much in love with a
proper object. I should like to see Emma in love, and in some doubt
of a return; it would do her good. But there is nobody hereabouts
to attach her; and she goes so seldom from home.”

“
There does, indeed, seem
as little to tempt her to break her resolution at present,” said
Mrs. Weston, “as can well be; and while she is so happy at
Hartfield, I cannot wish her to be forming any attachment which
would be creating such difficulties on poor Mr. Woodhouse’s
account. I do not recommend matrimony at present to Emma, though I
mean no slight to the state, I assure you.”

Part of her meaning was to conceal some
favourite thoughts of her own and Mr. Weston’s on the subject, as
much as possible. There were wishes at Randalls respecting Emma’s
destiny, but it was not desirable to have them suspected; and the
quiet transition which Mr. Knightley soon afterwards made to “What
does Weston think of the weather; shall we have rain?” convinced
her that he had nothing more to say or surmise about Hartfield as
thus she took the chance to bring up a concern of her own. “My dear
Mr. Knightley, I am worried about you,” she ventured carefully.

He raised his eyes to meet her with an
expression of surprise on his features and waited for her to
continue.

“
You seem not yourself
these days. You are always looking so tired and haggard. Even your
dress is not what it once was.”

“
I am merely tired. My
duties are pressing down upon more greatly than usual, I admit, but
I am well. You need not fear for me.”

Mrs. Weston nodded, knowing
she could do nothing more, offered him a drink before he set out on
foot to continue the journeys of his day.

* * * *

Chapter VI

E
mma could not feel
a doubt of having
given Harriet’s fancy a proper direction and raised the gratitude
of her young vanity to a very good purpose, for she found her
decidedly more sensible than before of Mr. Elton’s being a
remarkably handsome man, with most agreeable manners; and as she
had no hesitation in following up the assurance of his admiration
by agreeable hints, she was soon pretty confident of creating as
much liking on Harriet’s side, as there could be any occasion for.
She was quite convinced of Mr. Elton’s being in the fairest way of
falling in love, if not in love already. She had no scruple with
regard to him. He talked of Harriet, and praised her so warmly,
that she could not suppose any thing wanting which a little time
would not add. His perception of the striking improvement of
Harriet’s manner, since her introduction at Hartfield, was not one
of the least agreeable proofs of his growing attachment.

“
You have given Miss Smith
all that she required,” said he; “you have made her graceful and
easy. She was a beautiful creature when she came to you, but, in my
opinion, the attractions you have added are infinitely superior to
what she received from nature.”

“
I am glad you think I have
been useful to her; but Harriet only wanted drawing out, and
receiving a few, very few hints. She had all the natural grace of
sweetness of temper and artlessness in herself. I have done very
little.”