“One ought to be at Enscombe, and know the ways
of the family, before one decides upon what he can
do,” replied Mrs. Weston. “One ought
to use the same caution, perhaps, in judging of the
conduct of any one individual of any one family; but
Enscombe, I believe, certainly must not be judged
by general rules: she is so very unreasonable;
and every thing gives way to her.”
“But she is so fond of the nephew: he
is so very great a favourite. Now, according
to my idea of Mrs. Churchill, it would be most natural,
that while she makes no sacrifice for the comfort of
the husband, to whom she owes every thing, while she
exercises incessant caprice towards him, she
should frequently be governed by the nephew, to whom
she owes nothing at all.”
“My dearest Emma, do not pretend, with your
sweet temper, to understand a bad one, or to lay down
rules for it: you must let it go its own way.
I have no doubt of his having, at times, considerable
influence; but it may be perfectly impossible for him
to know beforehand when it will be.”
Emma listened, and then coolly said, “I shall
not be satisfied, unless he comes.”
“He may have a great deal of influence on some
points,” continued Mrs. Weston, “and on
others, very little: and among those, on which
she is beyond his reach, it is but too likely, may
be this very circumstance of his coming away from
them to visit us.”
Mr. Woodhouse was soon ready for his tea; and when
he had drank his tea he was quite ready to go home;
and it was as much as his three companions could do,
to entertain away his notice of the lateness of the
hour, before the other gentlemen appeared. Mr.
Weston was chatty and convivial, and no friend to
early separations of any sort; but at last the drawing-room
party did receive an augmentation. Mr. Elton,
in very good spirits, was one of the first to walk
in. Mrs. Weston and Emma were sitting together
on a sofa. He joined them immediately, and,
with scarcely an invitation, seated himself between
them.
Emma, in good spirits too, from the amusement afforded
her mind by the expectation of Mr. Frank Churchill,
was willing to forget his late improprieties, and
be as well satisfied with him as before, and on his
making Harriet his very first subject, was ready to
listen with most friendly smiles.
He professed himself extremely anxious about her fair
friend— her fair, lovely, amiable friend.
“Did she know?—had she heard any
thing about her, since their being at Randalls?—
he felt much anxiety—he must confess that
the nature of her complaint alarmed him considerably.”
And in this style he talked on for some time very
properly, not much attending to any answer, but altogether
sufficiently awake to the terror of a bad sore throat;
and Emma was quite in charity with him.
