Volume 1 Chapter 9 Summary

This chapter revolves around a riddle or a charade that Mr. Elton leaves in the care of Emma. The meaning of the riddle is figured out by Emma to be Courtship and she assumes that the riddle was meant for Harriet. She shows the riddle to Harriet, who does not understand it at first.

Emma explains that Mr. Elton wrote the riddle for Harriet and that there is a good deal of hidden meaning in it. The girls agree to transcribe the riddle into their collection, leaving out the last two lines:

Lord of the earth and sea, he bends a slave,

And woman, lovely woman, reigns alone.

These lines are omitted from the collection because Emma discerns that they were solely for Harriet. Emma has managed to convince Harriet that Mr. Elton is madly in love with her and that...