CHAPTER XII

, “Ishallalwaysbeverysorrythatyouwenttotheseathisautumn,insteadofcominghere.” “Butwhyshouldyoubesorry,sir?—Iassureyou,itdidthechildrenagreatdealofgood.” “And,moreover,ifyoumustgotothesea,ithadbetternothavebeentoSouthEnd.SouthEndisanunhealthyplace.PerrywassurprizedtohearyouhadfixeduponSouthEnd.” “Iknowthereissuchanideawithmanypeople,butindeeditisquiteamistake,sir.—Weallhadourhealthperfectlywellthere,neverfoundtheleastinconveniencefromthemudandMr.WingfieldsaysitisentirelyamistaketosupposetheplaceunhealthyandIamsurehemaybedependedon,forhethoroughlyunderstandsthenatureoftheair,andhisownbrotherandfamilyhavebeenthererepeatedly.” “YoushouldhavegonetoCromer,mydear,ifyouwentanywhere.—PerrywasaweekatCromeronce,andheholdsittobethebestofallthesea-bathingplaces.Afineopensea,hesays,andverypureair.And,bywhatIunderstand,youmighthavehadlodgingstherequiteawayfromthesea—aquarterofamileoff—verycomfortable.YoushouldhaveconsultedPerry.” “But,mydearsir,thedifferenceofthejourney—onlyconsiderhowgreatitwouldhavebeen.—Anhundredmiles,perhaps,insteadofforty.” “Ah!mydear,asPerrysays,wherehealthisatstake,nothingelseshouldbeconsideredandifoneistotravel,thereisnotmuchtochusebetweenfortymilesandanhundred.—Betternotmoveatall,betterstayinLondonaltogetherthantravelfortymilestogetintoaworseair.ThisisjustwhatPerrysaid.Itseemedtohimaveryill-judgedmeasure.” Emma’sattemptstostopherfatherhadbeenvainandwhenhehadreachedsuchapointasthis,shecouldnotwonderatherbrother-in-law’sbreakingout. “Mr.Perry,”saidhe,inavoiceofverystrongdispleasure,“woulddoaswelltokeephisopiniontillitisaskedfor.Whydoeshemakeitanybusinessofhis,towonderatwhatIdo?—atmytakingmyfamilytoonepartofthecoastoranother?—Imaybeallowed,Ihope,theuseofmyjudgmentaswellasMr.Perry.—Iwanthisdirectionsnomorethanhisdrugs.”Hepaused—andgrowingcoolerinamoment,added,withonlysarcasticdryness,“IfMr.Perrycantellmehowtoconveyawifeandfivechildrenadistanceofanhundredandthirtymileswithnogreaterexpenseorinconveniencethanadistanceofforty,IshouldbeaswillingtopreferCromertoSouthEndashecouldhimself.” “True,true,”criedMr.Knightley,withmostreadyinterposition—“verytrue.That’saconsiderationindeed.—ButJohn,astowhatIwastellingyouofmyideaofmovingthepathtoLangham,ofturningitmoretotherightthatitmaynotcutthroughthehomemeadows,Icannotconceiveanydifficulty.Ishouldnotattemptit,ifitweretobethemeansofinconveniencetotheHighburypeople,butifyoucalltomindexactlythepresentlineofthepath....Theonlywayofprovingit,however,willbetoturntoourmaps.IshallseeyouattheAbbeyto-morrowmorningIhope,andthenwewilllookthemover,andyoushallgivemeyouropinion.” Mr.WoodhousewasratheragitatedbysuchharshreflectionsonhisfriendPerry,towhomhehad,infact,thoughunconsciously,beenattributingmanyofhisownfeelingsandexpressions—butthesoothingattentionsofhisdaughtersgraduallyremovedthepresentevil,andtheimmediatealertnessofonebrother,andbetterrecollectionsoftheother,preventedanyrenewalofit.