Emma by Jane Austen Chapter 12.docx

Emma by Jane Austen Chapter 12.docx

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EmmabyJaneAustenChapter12

EmmabyJaneAusten:

Chapter12

CHAPTERXII

Mr.Knightleywastodinewiththem--ratheragainsttheinclinationofMr.Woodhouse,whodidnotlikethatanyoneshouldsharewithhiminIsabella'sfirstday.Emma'ssenseofrighthoweverhaddecidedit;andbesidestheconsiderationofwhatwasduetoeachbrother,shehadparticularpleasure,fromthecircumstanceofthelatedisagreementbetweenMr.Knightleyandherself,inprocuringhimtheproperinvitation.

Shehopedtheymightnowbecomefriendsagain.Shethoughtitwastimetomakeup.Making-upindeedwouldnotdo.Shecertainlyhadnotbeeninthewrong,andhewouldneverownthathehad.Concessionmustbeoutofthequestion;butitwastimetoappeartoforgetthattheyhadeverquarrelled;andshehopeditmightratherassisttherestorationoffriendship,thatwhenhecameintotheroomshehadoneofthechildrenwithher--theyoungest,anicelittlegirlabouteightmonthsold,whowasnowmakingherfirstvisittoHartfield,andveryhappytobedancedaboutinheraunt'sarms.Itdidassist;forthoughhebeganwithgravelooksandshortquestions,hewassoonledontotalkofthemallintheusualway,andtotakethechildoutofherarmswithalltheunceremoniousnessofperfectamity.Emmafelttheywerefriendsagain;andtheconvictiongivingheratfirstgreatsatisfaction,andthenalittlesauciness,shecouldnothelpsaying,ashewasadmiringthebaby,

"Whatacomfortitis,thatwethinkalikeaboutournephewsandnieces.Astomenandwomen,ouropinionsaresometimesverydifferent;butwithregardtothesechildren,Iobserveweneverdisagree."

"Ifyouwereasmuchguidedbynatureinyourestimateofmenandwomen,andaslittleunderthepoweroffancyandwhiminyourdealingswiththem,asyouarewherethesechildrenareconcerned,wemightalwaysthinkalike."

"Tobesure--ourdiscordanciesmustalwaysarisefrommybeinginthewrong."

"Yes,"saidhe,smiling--"andreasongood.Iwassixteenyearsoldwhenyouwereborn."

"Amaterialdifferencethen,"shereplied--"andnodoubtyouweremuchmysuperiorinjudgmentatthatperiodofourlives;butdoesnotthelapseofone-and-twentyyearsbringourunderstandingsagooddealnearer?

"

"Yes--agooddealnearer."

"Butstill,notnearenoughtogivemeachanceofbeingright,ifwethinkdifferently."

"Ihavestilltheadvantageofyoubysixteenyears'experience,andbynotbeingaprettyyoungwomanandaspoiledchild.Come,mydearEmma,letusbefriends,andsaynomoreaboutit.Tellyouraunt,littleEmma,thatsheoughttosetyouabetterexamplethantoberenewingoldgrievances,andthatifshewerenotwrongbefore,sheisnow."

"That'strue,"shecried--"verytrue.LittleEmma,growupabetterwomanthanyouraunt.Beinfinitelyclevererandnothalfsoconceited.Now,Mr.Knightley,awordortwomore,andIhavedone.Asfarasgoodintentionswent,wewerebothright,andImustsaythatnoeffectsonmysideoftheargumenthaveyetprovedwrong.IonlywanttoknowthatMr.Martinisnotvery,verybitterlydisappointed."

"Amancannotbemoreso,"washisshort,fullanswer.

"Ah!

--IndeedIamverysorry.--Come,shakehandswithme."

Thishadjusttakenplaceandwithgreatcordiality,whenJohnKnightleymadehisappearance,and"Howd'yedo,George?

"and"John,howareyou?

"succeededinthetrueEnglishstyle,buryingunderacalmnessthatseemedallbutindifference,therealattachmentwhichwouldhaveledeitherofthem,ifrequisite,todoeverythingforthegoodoftheother.

Theeveningwasquietandconversable,asMr.WoodhousedeclinedcardsentirelyforthesakeofcomfortabletalkwithhisdearIsabella,andthelittlepartymadetwonaturaldivisions;ononesideheandhisdaughter;ontheotherthetwoMr.Knightleys;theirsubjectstotallydistinct,orveryrarelymixing--andEmmaonlyoccasionallyjoininginoneortheother.

Thebrotherstalkedoftheirownconcernsandpursuits,butprincipallyofthoseoftheelder,whosetemperwasbymuchthemostcommunicative,andwhowasalwaysthegreatertalker.Asamagistrate,hehadgenerallysomepointoflawtoconsultJohnabout,or,atleast,somecuriousanecdotetogive;andasafarmer,askeepinginhandthehome-farmatDonwell,hehadtotellwhateveryfieldwastobearnextyear,andtogiveallsuchlocalinformationascouldnotfailofbeinginterestingtoabrotherwhosehomeithadequallybeenthelongestpartofhislife,andwhoseattachmentswerestrong.Theplanofadrain,thechangeofafence,thefellingofatree,andthedestinationofeveryacreforwheat,turnips,orspringcorn,wasenteredintowithasmuchequalityofinterestbyJohn,ashiscoolermannersrenderedpossible;andifhiswillingbrothereverlefthimanythingtoinquireabout,hisinquiriesevenapproachedatoneofeagerness.

Whiletheywerethuscomfortablyoccupied,Mr.Woodhousewasenjoyingafullflowofhappyregretsandfearfulaffectionwithhisdaughter.

"MypoordearIsabella,"saidhe,fondlytakingherhand,andinterrupting,forafewmoments,herbusylaboursforsomeoneofherfivechildren--"Howlongitis,howterriblylongsinceyouwerehere!

Andhowtiredyoumustbeafteryourjourney!

Youmustgotobedearly,mydear--andIrecommendalittlegrueltoyoubeforeyougo.--YouandIwillhaveanicebasinofgrueltogether.MydearEmma,supposeweallhavealittlegruel."

Emmacouldnotsupposeanysuchthing,knowingasshedid,thatboththeMr.Knightleyswereasunpersuadableonthatarticleasherself;--andtwobasinsonlywereordered.Afteralittlemorediscourseinpraiseofgruel,withsomewonderingatitsnotbeingtakeneveryeveningbyeverybody,heproceededtosay,withanairofgravereflection,

"Itwasanawkwardbusiness,mydear,yourspendingtheautumnatSouthEndinsteadofcominghere.Ineverhadmuchopinionoftheseaair."

"Mr.Wingfieldmoststrenuouslyrecommendedit,sir--orweshouldnothavegone.Herecommendeditforallthechildren,butparticularlyfortheweaknessinlittleBella'sthroat,--bothseaairandbathing."

"Ah!

mydear,butPerryhadmanydoubtsabouttheseadoingheranygood;andastomyself,Ihavebeenlongperfectlyconvinced,thoughperhapsInevertoldyousobefore,thattheseaisveryrarelyofusetoanybody.Iamsureitalmostkilledmeonce."

"Come,come,"criedEmma,feelingthistobeanunsafesubject,"Imustbegyounottotalkofthesea.Itmakesmeenviousandmiserable;--Iwhohaveneverseenit!

SouthEndisprohibited,ifyouplease.MydearIsabella,IhavenotheardyoumakeoneinquiryaboutMr.Perryyet;andheneverforgetsyou."

"Oh!

goodMr.Perry--howishe,sir?

"

"Why,prettywell;butnotquitewell.PoorPerryisbilious,andhehasnottimetotakecareofhimself--hetellsmehehasnottimetotakecareofhimself--whichisverysad--butheisalwayswantedallroundthecountry.Isupposethereisnotamaninsuchpracticeanywhere.Butthenthereisnotsocleveramananywhere."

"AndMrs.Perryandthechildren,howarethey?

dothechildrengrow?

IhaveagreatregardforMr.Perry.Ihopehewillbecallingsoon.Hewillbesopleasedtoseemylittleones."

"Ihopehewillbehereto-morrow,forIhaveaquestionortwotoaskhimaboutmyselfofsomeconsequence.And,mydear,wheneverhecomes,youhadbetterlethimlookatlittleBella'sthroat."

"Oh!

mydearsir,herthroatissomuchbetterthatIhavehardlyanyuneasinessaboutit.Eitherbathinghasbeenofthegreatestservicetoher,orelseitistobeattributedtoanexcellentembrocationofMr.Wingfield's,whichwehavebeenapplyingattimeseversinceAugust."

"Itisnotverylikely,mydear,thatbathingshouldhavebeenofusetoher--andifIhadknownyouwerewantinganembrocation,Iwouldhavespokento--

"YouseemtometohaveforgottenMrs.andMissBates,"saidEmma,"Ihavenotheardoneinquiryafterthem."

"Oh!

thegoodBateses--Iamquiteashamedofmyself--butyoumentiontheminmostofyourletters.Ihopetheyarequitewell.GoodoldMrs.Bates--Iwillcalluponherto-morrow,andtakemychildren.--Theyarealwayssopleasedtoseemychildren.--AndthatexcellentMissBates!

--suchthoroughworthypeople!

--Howarethey,sir?

"

"Why,prettywell,mydear,uponthewhole.ButpoorMrs.Bateshadabadcoldaboutamonthago."

"HowsorryIam!

Butcoldswereneversoprevalentastheyhavebeenthisautumn.Mr.Wingfieldtoldmethathehasneverknownthemmoregeneralorheavy--exceptwhenithasbeenquiteaninfluenza."

"Thathasbeenagooddealthecase,mydear;butnottothedegreeyoumention.Perrysaysthatcoldshavebeenverygeneral,butnotsoheavyashehasveryoftenknowntheminNovember.Perrydoesnotcallitaltogetherasicklyseason."

"No,IdonotknowthatMr.Wingfieldconsidersitverysicklyexcept--

"Ah!

mypoordearchild,thetruthis,thatinLondonitisalwaysasicklyseason.NobodyishealthyinLondon,nobodycanbe.Itisadreadfulthingtohaveyouforcedtolivethere!

sofaroff!

--andtheairsobad!

"

"No,indeed--wearenotatallinabadair.OurpartofLondonisverysuperiortomostothers!

--YoumustnotconfounduswithLondoningeneral,mydearsir.TheneighbourhoodofBrunswickSquare

isverydifferentfromalmostalltherest.Wearesoveryairy!

Ishouldbeunwilling,Iown,toliveinanyotherpartofthetown;--thereishardlyanyotherthatIcouldbesatisfiedtohavemychildrenin:

butwearesoremarkablyairy!

--Mr.WingfieldthinksthevicinityofBrunswickSquaredecidedlythemostfavourableastoair."

"Ah!

mydear,itisnotlikeHartfield.Y