CHAPTER IX

eIcouldnothaveimaginedit.ItissomuchbeyondanythingIdeserve.Mr.Elton,whomightmarryanybody!Therecannotbetwoopinionsabouthim.Heissoverysuperior.Onlythinkofthosesweetverses—‘ToMiss———.’Dearme,howclever!—Coulditreallybemeantforme?” “Icannotmakeaquestion,orlistentoaquestionaboutthat.Itisacertainty.Receiveitonmyjudgment.Itisasortofprologuetotheplay,amottotothechapterandwillbesoonfollowedbymatter-of-factprose.” “Itisasortofthingwhichnobodycouldhaveexpected.Iamsure,amonthago,Ihadnomoreideamyself!—Thestrangestthingsdotakeplace!” “WhenMissSmithsandMr.Eltonsgetacquainted—theydoindeed—andreallyitisstrangeitisoutofthecommoncoursethatwhatissoevidently,sopalpablydesirable—whatcourtsthepre-arrangementofotherpeople,shouldsoimmediatelyshapeitselfintotheproperform.YouandMr.Eltonarebysituationcalledtogetheryoubelongtooneanotherbyeverycircumstanceofyourrespectivehomes.YourmarryingwillbeequaltothematchatRandalls.TheredoesseemtobeasomethingintheairofHartfieldwhichgivesloveexactlytherightdirection,andsendsitintotheverychannelwhereitoughttoflow. Thecourseoftrueloveneverdidrunsmooth— AHartfieldeditionofShakespearewouldhavealongnoteonthatpassage.” “ThatMr.Eltonshouldreallybeinlovewithme,—me,ofallpeople,whodidnotknowhim,tospeaktohim,atMichaelmas!Andhe,theveryhandsomestmanthateverwas,andamanthateverybodylooksupto,quitelikeMr.Knightley!Hiscompanysosoughtafter,thateverybodysaysheneednoteatasinglemealbyhimselfifhedoesnotchuseitthathehasmoreinvitationsthantherearedaysintheweek.AndsoexcellentintheChurch!MissNashhasputdownallthetextshehaseverpreachedfromsincehecametoHighbury.Dearme!WhenIlookbacktothefirsttimeIsawhim!HowlittledidIthink!—ThetwoAbbotsandIranintothefrontroomandpeepedthroughtheblindwhenweheardhewasgoingby,andMissNashcameandscoldedusaway,andstaidtolookthroughherselfhowever,shecalledmebackpresently,andletmelooktoo,whichwasverygood-natured.Andhowbeautifulwethoughthelooked!Hewasarm-in-armwithMr.Cole.” “Thisisanalliancewhich,whoever—whateveryourfriendsmaybe,mustbeagreeabletothem,providedatleasttheyhavecommonsenseandwearenottobeaddressingourconducttofools.Iftheyareanxioustoseeyouhappilymarried,hereisamanwhoseamiablecharactergiveseveryassuranceofit—iftheywishtohaveyousettledinthesamecountryandcirclewhichtheyhavechosentoplaceyouin,hereitwillbeaccomplishedandiftheironlyobjectisthatyoushould,inthecommonphrase,bewellmarried,hereisthecomfortablefortune,therespectableestablishment,theriseintheworldwhichmustsatisfythem.” “Yes,verytrue.HownicelyyoutalkIlovetohearyou.Youunderstandeverything.YouandMr.Eltonareoneascleverastheother.Thischarade!—IfIhadstudiedatwelvemonth,Icouldneverhavemadeanythinglikeit.” “Ithoughthemeanttotryhisskill,byhismannerofdecliningityesterday.” “Idothinkitis,withoutexception,thebestcharadeIeverread.” “Ineverreadonemoretothepurpose,certainly.” “Itisaslongagainasalmostallwehavehadbefore.” “Idonotconsideritslengthasparticularlyinitsfavour.Suchthingsingeneralcannotbetooshort.” Harrietwastoointentonthelinestohear.Themostsatisfactorycomparisonswererisinginhermind. “Itisonething,”saidshe,presently—hercheeksinaglow—“tohaveverygoodsenseinacommonway,likeeverybodyelse,andifthereisanythingtosay,tositdownandwritealetter,andsayjustwhatyoumust,inashortwayandanother,towriteversesandcharadeslikethis.” EmmacouldnothavedesiredamorespiritedrejectionofMr.Martin’sprose. “Suchsweetlines!”continuedHarriet—“thesetwolast!—ButhowshallIeverbeabletoreturnthepaper,orsayIhavefounditout?—Oh!MissWoodhouse,whatcanwedoaboutthat?” “Leaveittome.Youdonothing.Hewillbeherethisevening,Idaresay,andthenIwillgiveithimback,andsomenonsenseorotherwillpassbetweenus,andyoushallnotbecommitted.—Yoursofteyesshallchusetheirowntimeforbeaming.Trusttome.” “Oh!MissWoodhouse,whatapitythatImustnotwritethisbeautifulcharadeintomybook!IamsureIhavenotgotonehalfsogood.” “Leaveoutthetwolastlines,andthereisnoreasonwhyyoushouldnotwriteitintoyourbook.” “Oh!butthosetwolinesare”— —“Thebestofall.Granted—forprivateenjoymentandforprivateenjoymentkeepthem.Theyarenotatallthelesswrittenyouknow,becauseyoudividethem.Thecoupletdoesnotceasetobe,nordoesitsmeaningchange.Buttakeitaway,andallappropriationceases,andaveryprettygallantcharaderemains,fitforanycollection.Dependuponit,hewouldnotliketohav