CHAPTER X

erysortofsensationthatdeclininglifecanneed.Therewillbeenoughforeveryhopeandeveryfearandthoughmyattachmenttononecanequalthatofaparent,itsuitsmyideasofcomfortbetterthanwhatiswarmerandblinder.Mynephewsandnieces!—Ishalloftenhaveaniecewithme.” “DoyouknowMissBates’sniece?Thatis,Iknowyoumusthaveseenherahundredtimes—butareyouacquainted?” “Oh!yeswearealwaysforcedtobeacquaintedwhenevershecomestoHighbury.Bythebye,thatisalmostenoughtoputoneoutofconceitwithaniece.Heavenforbid!atleast,thatIshouldeverborepeoplehalfsomuchaboutalltheKnightleystogether,asshedoesaboutJaneFairfax.OneissickoftheverynameofJaneFairfax.Everyletterfromherisreadfortytimesoverhercomplimentstoallfriendsgoroundandroundagainandifshedoesbutsendherauntthepatternofastomacher,orknitapairofgartersforhergrandmother,onehearsofnothingelseforamonth.IwishJaneFairfaxverywellbutshetiresmetodeath.” Theywerenowapproachingthecottage,andallidletopicsweresuperseded.Emmawasverycompassionateandthedistressesofthepoorwereassureofrelieffromherpersonalattentionandkindness,hercounselandherpatience,asfromherpurse.Sheunderstoodtheirways,couldallowfortheirignoranceandtheirtemptations,hadnoromanticexpectationsofextraordinaryvirtuefromthoseforwhomeducationhaddonesolittleenteredintotheirtroubleswithreadysympathy,andalwaysgaveherassistancewithasmuchintelligenceasgood-will.Inthepresentinstance,itwassicknessandpovertytogetherwhichshecametovisitandafterremainingthereaslongasshecouldgivecomfortoradvice,shequittedthecottagewithsuchanimpressionofthesceneasmadehersaytoHarriet,astheywalkedaway, “Thesearethesights,Harriet,todoonegood.Howtriflingtheymakeeverythingelseappear!—IfeelnowasifIcouldthinkofnothingbutthesepoorcreaturesalltherestofthedayandyet,whocansayhowsoonitmayallvanishfrommymind?” “Verytrue,”saidHarriet.“Poorcreatures!onecanthinkofnothingelse.” “Andreally,Idonotthinktheimpressionwillsoonbeover,”saidEmma,asshecrossedthelowhedge,andtotteringfootstepwhichendedthenarrow,slipperypaththroughthecottagegarden,andbroughtthemintothelaneagain.“Idonotthinkitwill,”stoppingtolookoncemoreatalltheoutwardwretchednessoftheplace,andrecallthestillgreaterwithin. “Oh!dear,no,”saidhercompanion. Theywalkedon.Thelanemadeaslightbendandwhenthatbendwaspassed,Mr.EltonwasimmediatelyinsightandsonearastogiveEmmatimeonlytosayfarther, “Ah!Harriet,herecomesaverysuddentrialofourstabilityingoodthough