Austen Said:

"I have made a most wretched discovery,"

"I have been here a week to-morrow —half my time. I never knew days fly so fast. A week to-morrow!—And I have hardly begun to enjoy myself. But just got acquainted with Mrs. Weston, and others!—I hate the recollection."

"No,"

"that is no subject of regret at all. I have no pleasure in seeing my friends, unless I can believe myself fit to be seen."

"Thank you for rousing me,"

"I believe I have been very rude; but really Miss Fairfax has done her hair in so odd a way— so very odd a way —that I cannot keep my eyes from her. I never saw any thing so outree!—Those curls!—This must be a fancy of her own. I see nobody else looking like her!—I must go and ask her whether it is an Irish fashion. Shall I?—Yes, I will —I declare I will —and you shall see how she takes it;—whether she colours."

he could listen to her for ever.

he knew nothing of the matter, and had no voice at all,

"Quite out of the question, quite out of the question,"

"but you must often wish it, I am sure."

"Yes,"

"But they would have done better had they given her notice of it. Surprizes are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable. I should have expected better judgment in Colonel Campbell."

"That will do,"

"you have sung quite enough for one evening— now be quiet."

"I think you could manage this without effort; the first part is so very trifling. The strength of the song falls on the second."

"That fellow,"

"thinks of nothing but shewing off his own voice. This must not be."

"Miss Bates, are you mad, to let your niece sing herself hoarse in this manner? Go, and interfere. They have no mercy on her."

"Perhaps it is as well,"

"I must have asked Miss Fairfax, and her languid dancing would not have agreed with me, after yours."

how much taste you had;

he valued taste much more than execution."

"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?"

"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."

'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;'—

'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.'

whether we were not got to the end of our stock.

'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.'

it was all the apples of that sort his master had; he had brought them all—and now his master had not one left to bake or boil.

"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?"

"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."