CHAPTER XIII

TherecouldhardlybeahappiercreatureintheworldthanMrs.JohnKnightley,inthisshortvisittoHartfield,goingabouteverymorningamongheroldacquaintancewithherfivechildren,andtalkingoverwhatshehaddoneeveryeveningwithherfatherandsister.Shehadnothingtowishotherwise,butthatthedaysdidnotpasssoswiftly.Itwasadelightfulvisit—perfect,inbeingmuchtooshort. Ingeneraltheireveningswerelessengagedwithfriendsthantheirmorningsbutonecompletedinnerengagement,andoutofthehousetoo,therewasnoavoiding,thoughatChristmas.Mr.WestonwouldtakenodenialtheymustalldineatRandallsoneday—evenMr.Woodhousewaspersuadedtothinkitapossiblethinginpreferencetoadivisionoftheparty. Howtheywerealltobeconveyed,hewouldhavemadeadifficultyifhecould,butashissonanddaughter’scarriageandhorseswereactuallyatHartfield,hewasnotabletomakemorethanasimplequestiononthatheadithardlyamountedtoadoubtnordiditoccupyEmmalongtoconvincehimthattheymightinoneofthecarriagesfindroomforHarrietalso. Harriet,Mr.Elton,andMr.Knightley,theirownespecialset,weretheonlypersonsinvitedtomeetthem—thehoursweretobeearly,aswellasthenumbersfewMr.Woodhouse’shabitsandinclinationbeingconsultedineverything. Theeveningbeforethisgreatevent(foritwasaverygreateventthatMr.Woodhouseshoulddineout,onthe24thofDecember)hadbeenspentbyHarrietatHartfield,andshehadgonehomesomuchindisposedwithacold,that,butforherownearnestwishofbeingnursedbyMrs.Goddard,Emmacouldnothaveallowedhertoleavethehouse.Emmacalledonherthenextday,andfoundherdoomalreadysignedwithregardtoRandalls.Shewasveryfeverishandhadabadsorethroat:Mrs.Goddardwasfullofcareandaffection,Mr.Perrywastalkedof,andHarrietherselfwastooillandlowtoresisttheauthoritywhichexcludedherfromthisdelightfulengagement,thoughshecouldnotspeakofherlosswithoutmanytears. Emmasatwithheraslongasshecould,toattendherinMrs.Goddard’sunavoidableabsences,andraiseherspiritsbyrepresentinghowmuchMr.Elton’swouldbedepressedwhenheknewherstateandleftheratlasttolerablycomfortable,inthesweetdependenceofhishavingamostcomfortlessvisit,andoftheirallmissingherverymuch.ShehadnotadvancedmanyyardsfromMrs.Goddard’sdoor,whenshewasmetbyMr.Eltonhimself,evidentlycomingtowardsit,andastheywalkedonslowlytogetherinconversationabouttheinvalid—ofwhomhe,ontherumourofconsiderableillness,hadbeengoingtoinquire,thathemightcarrysomereportofhertoHartfield—theywereovertakenbyMr.JohnKnightleyreturningfromthedailyvisittoDonwell,withhistwoeldestboys,whosehealthy,glowingfacesshewedallthebenefitofacountryrun,andseemedtoensureaquickdespatchoftheroastmuttonandricepuddingtheywerehasteninghomefor.Theyjoinedcompanyandproceededtogether.Emmawasjustdescribingthenatureofherfriend’scomplaint—“athroatverymuchinflamed,withagreatdealofheatabouther,aquick,lowpulse,&c.andshewassorrytofindfromMrs.GoddardthatHarrietw