Austen Said:

said Mrs. Elton, laughing,

Emma, finding her so determined upon neglecting her music, had nothing more to say; and, after a moment's pause, Mrs. Elton chose another subject.

said she,

Emma was almost too much astonished to answer; but Mrs. Elton hardly waited for the affirmative before she went on.

said Emma,

Emma was quite at a loss. The tone implied some old acquaintance—and how could she possibly guess?

continued Mrs. Elton;

Happily, it was now time to be gone. They were off; and Emma could breathe.

was her immediate exclamation.

All this ran so glibly through her thoughts, that by the time her father had arranged himself, after the bustle of the Eltons' departure, and was ready to speak, she was very tolerably capable of attending.

he deliberately began,

Emma had done. Her father was growing nervous, and could not understand her. Her mind returned to Mrs. Elton's offences, and long, very long, did they occupy her.

Emma was not required, by any subsequent discovery, to retract her ill opinion of Mrs. Elton. Her observation had been pretty correct. Such as Mrs. Elton appeared to her on this second interview, such she appeared whenever they met again,—

There was no reason to suppose Mr. Elton thought at all differently from his wife. He seemed not merely happy with her, but proud. He had the air of congratulating himself on having brought such a woman to Highbury, as not even Miss Woodhouse could equal; and the greater part of her new acquaintance, disposed to commend, or not in the habit of judging, following the lead of Miss Bates's good-will, or taking it for granted that the bride must be as clever and as agreeable as she professed herself, were very well satisfied; so that Mrs. Elton's praise passed from one mouth to another as it ought to do, unimpeded by Miss Woodhouse, who readily continued her first contribution and talked with a good grace of her being

In one respect Mrs. Elton grew even worse than she had appeared at first. Her feelings altered towards Emma.—Offended, probably, by the little encouragement which her proposals of intimacy met with, she drew back in her turn and gradually became much more cold and distant; and though the effect was agreeable, the ill-will which produced it was necessarily increasing Emma's dislike. Her manners, too —and Mr. Elton's, were unpleasant towards Harriet. They were sneering and negligent.

Emma hoped

Mrs. Elton took a great fancy to Jane Fairfax; and from the first. Not merely when a state of warfare with one young lady might be supposed to recommend the other, but from the very first; and she was not satisfied with expressing a natural and reasonable admiration— but without solicitation, or plea, or privilege, she must be wanting to assist and befriend her.—Before Emma had forfeited her confidence, and about the third time of their meeting, she heard all Mrs. Elton's knight-errantry on the subject.—

was Emma's calm answer—

thought Emma.—

Emma had not to listen to such paradings again —to any so exclusively addressed to herself— so disgustingly decorated with a

The change on Mrs. Elton's side soon afterwards appeared, and she was left in peace —neither forced to be the very particular friend of Mrs. Elton, nor, under Mrs. Elton's guidance, the very active patroness of Jane Fairfax, and only sharing with others in a general way, in knowing what was felt, what was meditated, what was done.

She looked on with some amusement.—Miss Bates's gratitude for Mrs. Elton's attentions to Jane was in the first style of guileless simplicity and warmth. She was quite one of her worthies —

as Mrs. Elton meant to be considered. Emma's only surprize was that Jane Fairfax should accept those attentions and tolerate Mrs. Elton as she seemed to do.

She heard of

her walking with the Eltons, sitting with the Eltons, spending a day with the Eltons! This was astonishing!—

said she.—

Jane had come to Highbury professedly for three months; the Campbells were gone to Ireland for three months; but now the Campbells had promised their daughter to stay at least till Midsummer, and fresh invitations had arrived for her to join them there. According to Miss Bates— it all came from her —

was Emma's conclusion.

Upon her speaking her wonder aloud on that part of the subject, before the few who knew her opinion of Mrs. Elton, Mrs. Weston ventured this apology for Jane.

said Mr. Knightley warmly,

(with a reproachful smile at Emma)

Emma felt that Mrs. Weston was giving her a momentary glance; and she was herself struck by his warmth. With a faint blush, she presently replied,

said Mrs. Weston,

Both felt rather anxious to hear him speak again; and after a few minutes silence, he said,

said Emma. Little Henry was in her thoughts, and a mixture of alarm and delicacy made her irresolute what else to say.

he replied,

said Emma, beginning hastily and with an arch look, but soon stopping —it was better, however, to know the worst at once —she hurried on—

Mr. Knightley was hard at work upon the lower buttons of his thick leather gaiters, and either the exertion of getting them together, or some other cause, brought the colour into his face, as he answered,

He stopped.—Emma felt her foot pressed by Mrs. Weston, and did not herself know what to think. In a moment he went on—

Emma returned her friend's pressure with interest; and was pleased enough to exclaim,

He seemed hardly to hear her; he was thoughtful— and in a manner which shewed him not pleased, soon afterwards said,

Mr. Knightley was thoughtful again. The result of his reverie was,

And soon afterwards,

Emma could not but rejoice to hear that she had a fault.

said she,

said Mr. Knightley—

said Emma triumphantly when he left them,

Every body in and about Highbury who had ever visited Mr. Elton, was disposed to pay him attention on his marriage. Dinner-parties and evening-parties were made for him and his lady; and invitations flowed in so fast that she had soon the pleasure of apprehending they were never to have a disengaged day.

said she.

No invitation came amiss to her. Her Bath habits made evening-parties perfectly natural to her, and Maple Grove had given her a taste for dinners.