CHAPTER VII

ertocometoHartfieldanymore!” “Dearaffectionatecreature!—YoubanishedtoAbbey-MillFarm!—Youconfinedtothesocietyoftheilliterateandvulgarallyourlife!Iwonderhowtheyoungmancouldhavetheassurancetoaskit.Hemusthaveaprettygoodopinionofhimself.” “Idonotthinkheisconceitedeither,ingeneral,”saidHarriet,herconscienceopposingsuchcensure“atleast,heisverygoodnatured,andIshallalwaysfeelmuchobligedtohim,andhaveagreatregardfor—butthatisquiteadifferentthingfrom—andyouknow,thoughhemaylikeme,itdoesnotfollowthatIshould—andcertainlyImustconfessthatsincemyvisitinghereIhaveseenpeople—andifonecomestocomparethem,personandmanners,thereisnocomparisonatall,oneissoveryhandsomeandagreeable.However,IdoreallythinkMr.Martinaveryamiableyoungman,andhaveagreatopinionofhimandhisbeingsomuchattachedtome—andhiswritingsuchaletter—butastoleavingyou,itiswhatIwouldnotdouponanyconsideration.” “Thankyou,thankyou,myownsweetlittlefriend.Wewillnotbeparted.Awomanisnottomarryamanmerelybecausesheisasked,orbecauseheisattachedtoher,andcanwriteatolerableletter.” “Ohno—anditisbutashortlettertoo.” Emmafeltthebadtasteofherfriend,butletitpasswitha“verytrueanditwouldbeasmallconsolationtoher,fortheclownishmannerwhichmightbeoffendinghereveryhouroftheday,toknowthatherhusbandcouldwriteagoodletter.” “Oh!yes,very.Nobodycaresforaletterthethingis,tobealwayshappywithpleasantcompanions.Iamquitedeterminedtorefusehim.ButhowshallIdo?WhatshallIsay?” Emmaassuredhertherewouldbenodifficultyintheanswer,andadviseditsbeingwrittendirectly,whichwasagreedto,inthehopeofherassistanceandthoughEmmacontinuedtoprotestagainstanyassistancebeingwanted,itwasinfactgivenintheformationofeverysentence.Thelookingoverhisletteragain,inreplyingtoit,hadsuchasofteningtendency,thatitwasparticularlynecessarytobraceherupwithafewdecisiveexpressionsandshewassoverymuchconcernedattheideaofmakinghimunhappy,andthoughtsomuchofwhathismotherandsisterswouldthinkandsay,andwassoanxiousthattheyshouldnotfancyherungrateful,thatEmmabelievediftheyoungmanhadcomeinherwayatthatmoment,hewouldhavebeenacceptedafterall. Thisletter,however,waswritten,andsealed,andsent.Thebusinesswasfinished,andHarrietsafe.Shewasratherlowall