begun, and Harriet had no partner;—­the only young lady sitting down;—­ and so equal had been hitherto the number of dancers, that how there could be any one disengaged was the wonder!—­But Emma’s wonder lessened soon afterwards, on seeing Mr. Elton sauntering about.  He would not ask Harriet to dance if it were possible to be avoided:  she was sure he would not—­and she was expecting him every moment to escape into the card-room.

Escape, however, was not his plan.  He came to the part of the room where the sitters-by were collected, spoke to some, and walked about in front of them, as if to shew his liberty, and his resolution of maintaining it.  He did not omit being sometimes directly before Miss Smith, or speaking to those who were close to her.—­ Emma saw it.  She was not yet dancing; she was working her way up from the bottom, and had therefore leisure to look around, and by only turning her head a little she saw it all.  When she was half-way up the set, the whole group were exactly behind her, and she would no longer allow her eyes to watch; but Mr. Elton was so near, that she heard every syllable of a dialogue which just then took place between him and Mrs. Weston; and she perceived that his wife, who was standing immediately above her, was not only listening also, but even encouraging him by significant glances.—­The kind-hearted, gentle Mrs. Weston had left her seat to join him and say, “Do not you dance, Mr. Elton?” to which his prompt reply was, “Most readily, Mrs. Weston, if you will dance with me.”

“Me!—­oh! no—­I would get you a better partner than myself.  I am no dancer.”

“If Mrs. Gilbert wishes to dance,” said he, “I shall have great pleasure, I am sure—­for, though beginning to feel myself rather an old married man, and that my dancing days are over, it would give me very great pleasure at any time to stand up with an old friend like Mrs. Gilbert.”

“Mrs. Gilbert does not mean to dance, but there is a young lady disengaged whom I should be very glad to see dancing—­Miss Smith.”  “Miss Smith!—­oh!—­I had not observed.—­You are extremely obliging—­ and if I were not an old married man.—­But my dancing days are over, Mrs. Weston.  You will excuse me.  Any thing else I should be most happy to do, at your command—­but my dancing days are over.”

Mrs. Weston said no more; and Emma could imagine with what surprize and mortification she must be returning to her seat.  This was Mr. Elton! the amiable, obliging, gentle Mr. Elton.—­ She looked round for a moment; he had joined Mr. Knightley at a little distance, and was arranging himself for settled conversation, while smiles of high glee passed between him and his wife.

She would not look again.  Her heart was in a glow, and she feared her face might be as hot.

In another moment a happier sight caught her;—­Mr. Knightley leading Harriet to the set!—­Never had she been more surprized, seldom more delighted, than at that instant.  She was all pleasure and gratitude, both for Harriet and herself, and longed to be thanking him; and though too distant for speech, her countenance said much, as soon as she could catch his eye again.