CHAPTER XIII

ints,andIhopeto-morrowmorningwillbringusbothamorecomfortablereport.Butitisimpossiblenottofeeluneasiness.Suchasadlosstoourpartyto-day!” “Dreadful!—Exactlyso,indeed.—Shewillbemissedeverymoment.” Thiswasveryproperthesighwhichaccompanieditwasreallyestimablebutitshouldhavelastedlonger.Emmawasratherindismaywhenonlyhalfaminuteafterwardshebegantospeakofotherthings,andinavoiceofthegreatestalacrityandenjoyment. “Whatanexcellentdevice,”saidhe,“theuseofasheepskinforcarriages.Howverycomfortabletheymakeit—impossibletofeelcoldwithsuchprecautions.Thecontrivancesofmoderndaysindeedhaverenderedagentleman’scarriageperfectlycomplete.Oneissofencedandguardedfromtheweather,thatnotabreathofaircanfinditswayunpermitted.Weatherbecomesabsolutelyofnoconsequence.Itisaverycoldafternoon—butinthiscarriageweknownothingofthematter.—Ha!snowsalittleIsee.” “Yes,”saidJohnKnightley,“andIthinkweshallhaveagooddealofit.” “Christmasweather,”observedMr.Elton.“Quiteseasonableandextremelyfortunatewemaythinkourselvesthatitdidnotbeginyesterday,andpreventthisday’sparty,whichitmightverypossiblyhavedone,forMr.Woodhousewouldhardlyhaveventuredhadtherebeenmuchsnowonthegroundbutnowitisofnoconsequence.Thisisquitetheseasonindeedforfriendlymeetings.AtChristmaseverybodyinvitestheirfriendsaboutthem,andpeoplethinklittleofeventheworstweather.Iwassnowedupatafriend’shouseonceforaweek.Nothingcouldbepleasanter.Iwentforonlyonenight,andcouldnotgetawaytillthatverydayse’nnight.” Mr.JohnKnightleylookedasifhedidnotcomprehendthepleasure,butsaidonly,coolly, “IcannotwishtobesnowedupaweekatRandalls.” AtanothertimeEmmamighthavebeenamused,butshewastoomuchastonishednowatMr.Elton’sspiritsforotherfeelings.Harrietseemedquiteforgottenintheexpectationofapleasantparty. “Wearesureofexcellentfires,”continuedhe,“andeverythinginthegreatestcomfort.Charmingpeople,Mr.andMrs.Weston—Mrs.Westonindeedismuchbeyondpraise,andheisexactlywhatonevalues,sohospitable,andsofondofsociety—itwillbeasmallparty,butwheresmallpartiesareselect,theyareperhapsthemostagreeableofany.Mr.Weston’sdining-roomdoesnotaccommodatemorethantencomfortablyandformypart,Iwouldrather,undersuchcircumstances,fallshortbytwothanexceedbytwo.Ithinkyouwillagreewithme,(turningwithasoftairtoEmma,)IthinkIshallcertainlyhaveyourapprobation,thoughMr.Knightleyperhaps,frombeingusedtothelargepartiesofLondon,maynotquiteenterintoourfeelings.” “IknownothingofthelargepartiesofLondon,sir—Ineverdinewithanybody.” “Indeed!(inatoneofwonderandpity,)Ihadnoideathatthelawhadbeensogreataslavery.Well,sir,thetimemustcomewhenyouwillbepaidforallthis,whenyouwillhavelittlelabourandgreatenjoyment.” “Myfirstenjoyment,”repliedJohnKnightley,astheypassedthroughthesweep-gate,“willbetofindmyselfsafeatHartfieldagain.”