Austen Said:

"And while Mrs. Weston pays her visit, I may be allowed, I hope,"

"to join your party and wait for her at Hartfield —if you are going home."

"Me! I should be quite in the way. But, perhaps —I may be equally in the way here. Miss Woodhouse looks as if she did not want me. My aunt always sends me off when she is shopping. She says I fidget her to death; and Miss Woodhouse looks as if she could almost say the same. What am I to do?"

"I am here on no business of my own,"

"I am only waiting for my friend. She will probably have soon done, and then we shall go home. But you had better go with Mrs. Weston and hear the instrument."

"Well —if you advise it.—But

if Colonel Campbell should have employed a careless friend, and if it should prove to have an indifferent tone— what shall I say? I shall be no support to Mrs. Weston. She might do very well by herself. A disagreeable truth would be palatable through her lips, but I am the wretchedest being in the world at a civil falsehood."

"I do not believe any such thing,"

"I am persuaded that you can be as insincere as your neighbours, when it is necessary; but there is no reason to suppose the instrument is indifferent. Quite otherwise indeed, if I understood Miss Fairfax's opinion last night."

"It is not worth while, Harriet, to give Mrs. Ford the trouble of two parcels."

"That you do not give another half-second to the subject. To Hartfield, if you please, Mrs. Ford."

'Aye, pray do,'

'Miss Woodhouse's opinion of the instrument will be worth having.'—

'Oh,'

'wait half a minute, till I have finished my job;'—

"very happy to wait on Mrs. Bates, &c.,"

'Oh!'

'I do think I can fasten the rivet; I like a job of this kind excessively.'—

'Oh!'

'I can fasten the rivet. I like a job of that sort excessively.'

'Oh!'

'there is nothing in the way of fruit half so good, and these are the finest-looking home-baked apples I ever saw in my life.'

'I am sure you must be,'

'and I will send you another supply; for I have a great many more than I can ever use. William Larkins let me keep a larger quantity than usual this year. I will send you some more, before they get good for nothing.'

"This is a pleasure,"

"coming at least ten minutes earlier than I had calculated. You find me trying to be useful; tell me if you think I shall succeed."

"I have not been working uninterruptedly,"

"I have been assisting Miss Fairfax in trying to make her instrument stand steadily, it was not quite firm; an unevenness in the floor, I believe. You see we have been wedging one leg with paper. This was very kind of you to be persuaded to come. I was almost afraid you would be hurrying home."

"Whoever Colonel Campbell might employ,"

"the person has not chosen ill. I heard a good deal of Colonel Campbell's taste at Weymouth; and the softness of the upper notes I am sure is exactly what he and all that party would particularly prize. I dare say, Miss Fairfax, that he either gave his friend very minute directions, or wrote to Broadwood himself. Do not you think so?"

"It is not fair,"

"mine was a random guess. Do not distress her."

"How much your friends in Ireland must be enjoying your pleasure on this occasion, Miss Fairfax. I dare say they often think of you, and wonder which will be the day, the precise day of the instrument's coming to hand. Do you imagine Colonel Campbell knows the business to be going forward just at this time?—Do you imagine it to be the consequence of an immediate commission from him, or that he may have sent only a general direction, an order indefinite as to time, to depend upon contingencies and conveniences?"

"Conjecture —aye, sometimes one conjectures right, and sometimes one conjectures wrong. I wish I could conjecture how soon I shall make this rivet quite firm. What nonsense one talks, Miss Woodhouse, when hard at work, if one talks at all;—your real workmen, I suppose, hold their tongues; but we gentlemen labourers if we get hold of a word— Miss Fairfax said something about conjecturing. There, it is done. I have the pleasure, madam,

of restoring your spectacles, healed for the present."

"If you are very kind,"

"it will be one of the waltzes we danced last night;—let me live them over again. You did not enjoy them as I did; you appeared tired the whole time. I believe you were glad we danced no longer; but I would have given worlds —all the worlds one ever has to give —for another half-hour."

"What felicity it is to hear a tune again which has made one happy!—If I mistake not that was danced at Weymouth."

"Here is something quite new to me. Do you know it?—Cramer.—And here are a new set of Irish melodies. That, from such a quarter, one might expect. This was all sent with the instrument. Very thoughtful of Colonel Campbell, was not it?—He knew Miss Fairfax could have no music here. I honour that part of the attention particularly; it shews it to have been so thoroughly from the heart. Nothing hastily done; nothing incomplete. True affection only could have prompted it."

"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."

"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."

"I am going to Kingston. Can I do any thing for you?"

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

"Well,"

"for five minutes, perhaps."