Volume II: Chapter XVIII

by Jane Austen

　　"I hope I shall soon have the pleasure of introducing my son to you,"said Mr. Weston.

　　Mrs. Elton, very willing to suppose a particular compliment intendedher by such a hope, smiled most graciously.

　　"You have heard of a certain Frank Churchill, I presume," he continued--"and know him to be my son, though he does not bear my name."

　　"Oh! yes, and I shall be very happy in his acquaintance.I am sure Mr. Elton will lose no time in calling on him; and weshall both have great pleasure in seeing him at the Vicarage."

　　"You are very obliging.--Frank will be extremely happy, I am sure.--He is to be in town next week, if not sooner. We have notice of itin a letter to-day. I met the letters in my way this morning,and seeing my son's hand, presumed to open it--though it was not directedto me--it was to Mrs. Weston. She is his principal correspondent,I assure you. I hardly ever get a letter."

　　"And so you absolutely opened what was directed to her! Oh! Mr. Weston--(laughing affectedly) I must protest against that.--A most dangerousprecedent indeed!--I beg you will not let your neighbours followyour example.--Upon my word, if this is what I am to expect,we married women must begin to exert ourselves!--Oh! Mr. Weston,I could not have believed it of you!"

　　"Aye, we men are sad fellows. You must take care of yourself,Mrs. Elton.--This letter tells us--it is a short letter--written ina hurry, merely to give us notice--it tells us that they are allcoming up to town directly, on Mrs. Churchill's account--she hasnot been well the whole winter, and thinks Enscombe too cold for her--so they are all to move southward without loss of time."

　　"Indeed!--from Yorkshire, I think. Enscombe is in Yorkshire?"

　　"Yes, they are about one hundred and ninety miles from London.a considerable journey."

　　"Yes, upon my word, very considerable. Sixty-five miles fartherthan from Maple Grove to London. But what is distance, Mr. Weston,to people of large fortune?--You would be amazed to hear how my brother,Mr. Suckling, sometimes flies about. You will hardly believe me--but twice in one week he and Mr. Bragge went to London and back againwith four horses."

　　"The evil of the distance from Enscombe," said Mr. Weston, "is, thatMrs. Churchill, as we understand, has not been able to leave thesofa for a week together. In Frank's last letter she complained,he said, of being too weak to get into her conservatory without havingboth his arm and his uncle's! This, you know, speaks a great degreeof weakness--but now she is so impatient to be in town, that shemeans to sleep only two nights on the road.--So Frank writes word.Certainly, delicate ladies have very extraordinary constitutions,Mrs. Elton. You must grant me that."

　　"No, indeed, I shall grant you nothing. I Always take the partof my own sex. I do indeed. I give you notice--You will find mea formidable antagonist on that point. I always stand up for women--and I assure you, if you knew how Selina feels with respectto sleeping at an inn, you would not wonder at Mrs. Churchill'smaking incredible exertions to avoid it. Selina says it is quitehorror to her--and I believe I have caught a little of her nicety.She always travels with her own sheets; an excellent precaution.Does Mrs. Churchill do the same?"

　　"Depend upon it, Mrs. Churchill does every thing that any otherfine lady ever did. Mrs. Churchill will not be second to any ladyin the land for"--

　　Mrs. Elton eagerly interposed with,

　　"Oh! Mr. Weston, do not mistake me. Selina is no fine lady,I assure you. Do not run away with such an idea."

　　"Is not she? Then she is no rule for Mrs. Churchill, who isas thorough a fine lady as any body ever beheld."

　　Mrs. Elton began to think she had been wrong in disclaiming so warmly.It was by no means her object to have it believed that her sisterwas not a fine lady; perhaps there was want of spirit in the pretenceof it;--and she was considering in what way she had best retract,when Mr. Weston went on.

　　"Mrs. Churchill is not much in my good graces, as you may suspect--but this is quite between ourselves. She is very fond of Frank,and therefore I would not speak ill of her. Besides, she is out ofhealth now; but that indeed, by her own account, she has always been.I would not say so to every body, Mrs. Elton, but I have not muchfaith in Mrs. Churchill's illness."

　　"If she is really ill, why not go to Bath, Mr. Weston?--To Bath,or to Clifton?" "She has taken it into her head that Enscombe is toocold for her. The fact is, I suppose, that she is tired of Enscombe.She has now been a longer time stationary there, than she everwas before, and she begins to want change. It is a retired place.A fine place, but very retired."

　　"Aye--like Maple Grove, I dare say. Nothing can stand more retired fromthe road than Maple Grove. Such an immense plantation all round it!You seem shut out from every thing--in the most complete retirement.--And Mrs. Churchill probably has not health or spirits like Selinato enjoy that sort of seclusion. Or, perhaps she may not haveresources enough in herself to be qualified for a country life.I always say a woman cannot have too many resources--and I feelvery thankful that I have so many myself as to be quite independentof society."

　　"Frank was here in February for a fortnight."

　　"So I remember to have heard. He will find an addition to thesociety of Highbury when he comes again; that is, if I may presumeto call myself an addition. But perhaps he may never have heardof there being such a creature in the world."

　　This was too loud a call for a compliment to be passed by,and Mr. Weston, with a very good grace, immediately exclaimed,

　　"My dear madam! Nobody but yourself could imagine such athing possible. Not heard of you!--I believe Mrs. Weston'sletters lately have been full of very little else than Mrs. Elton."

　　He had done his duty and could return to his son.

　　"When Frank left us," continued he, "it was quite uncertain when wemight see him again, which makes this day's news doubly welcome.It has been completely unexpected. That is, I always had a strongpersuasion he would be here again soon, I was sure somethingfavourable would turn up--but nobody believed me. He and Mrs. Westonwere both dreadfully desponding. `How could he contrive to come?And how could it be supposed that his uncle and aunt would sparehim again?' and so forth--I always felt that something would happenin our favour; and so it has, you see. I have observed, Mrs. Elton,in the course of my life, that if things are going untowardly one month,they are sure to mend the next."

　　"Very true, Mr. Weston, perfectly true. It is just what I usedto say to a certain gentleman in company in the days of courtship,when, because things did not go quite right, did not proceed with allthe rapidity which suited his feelings, he was apt to be in despair,and exclaim that he was sure at this rate it would be May beforeHymen's saffron robe would be put on for us. Oh! the pains I havebeen at to dispel those gloomy ideas and give him cheerfuller views!The carriage--we had disappointments about the carriage;--one morning,I remember, he came to me quite in despair."

　　She was stopped by a slight fit of coughing, and Mr. Weston instantlyseized the opportunity of going on.

　　"You were mentioning May. May is the very month which Mrs. Churchillis ordered, or has ordered herself, to spend in some warmer placethan Enscombe--in short, to spend in London; so that we have theagreeable prospect of frequent visits from Frank the whole spring--precisely the season of the year which one should have chosenfor it: days almost at the longest; weather genial and pleasant,always inviting one out, and never too hot for exercise. When hewas here before, we made the best of it; but there was a good dealof wet, damp, cheerless weather; there always is in February, you know,and we could not do half that we intended. Now will be the time.This will be complete enjoyment; and I do not know, Mrs. Elton,whether the uncertainty of our meetings, the sort of constantexpectation there will be of his coming in to-day or to-morrow,and at any hour, may not be more friendly to happiness than havinghim actually in the house. I think it is so. I think it is thestate of mind which gives most spirit and delight. I hope youwill be pleased with my son; but you must not expect a prodigy.He is generally thought a fine young man, but do not expect a prodigy.Mrs. Weston's partiality for him is very great, and, as you may suppose,most gratifying to me. She thinks nobody equal to him."

　　"And I assure you, Mr. Weston, I have very little doubt that myopinion will be decidedly in his favour. I have heard so muchin praise of Mr. Frank Churchill.--At the same time it is fairto observe, that I am one of those who always judge for themselves,and are by no means implicitly guided by others. I give you noticethat as I find your son, so I shall judge of him.--I am no flatterer."

　　Mr. Weston was musing.

　　"I hope," said he presently, "I have not been severe upon poorMrs. Churchill. If she is ill I should be sorry to do her injustice;but there are some traits in her character which make it difficultfor me to speak of her with the forbearance I could wish.You cannot be ignorant, Mrs. Elton, of my connexion with the family,nor of the treatment I have met with; and, between ourselves,the whole blame of it is to be laid to her. She was the instigator.Frank's mother would never have been slighted as she was but for her.Mr. Churchill has pride; but his pride is nothing to his wife's:his is a quiet, indolent, gentlemanlike sort of pride that wouldharm nobody, and only make himself a little helpless and tiresome;but her pride is arrogance and insolence! And what inclines one lessto bear, she has no fair pretence of family or blood. She was nobodywhen he married her, barely the daughter of a gentleman; but eversince her being turned into a Churchill she has out-Churchill'd themall in high and mighty claims: but in herself, I assure you, she isan upstart."

　　"Only think! well, that must be infinitely provoking! I have quitea horror of upstarts. Maple Grove has given me a thorough disgustto people of that sort; for there is a family in that neighbourhoodwho are such an annoyance to my brother and sister from the airsthey give themselves! Your description of Mrs. Churchill made methink of them directly. People of the name of Tupman, very latelysettled there, and encumbered with many low connexions, but givingthemselves immense airs, and expecting to be on a footing with the oldestablished families. A year and a half is the very utmost that they canhave lived at West Hall; and how they got their fortune nobody knows.They came from Birmingham, which is not a place to promise much,you know, Mr. Weston. One has not great hopes from Birmingham.I always say there is something direful in the sound: but nothingmore is positively known of the Tupmans, though a good many thingsI assure you are suspected; and yet by their manners they evidentlythink themselves equal even to my brother, Mr. Suckling, who happensto be one of their nearest neighbours. It is infinitely too bad.Mr. Suckling, who has been eleven years a resident at Maple Grove,and whose father had it before him--I believe, at least--I amalmost sure that old Mr. Suckling had completed the purchase beforehis death."

　　They were interrupted. Tea was carrying round, and Mr. Weston,having said all that he wanted, soon took the opportunity ofwalking away.

　　After tea, Mr. and Mrs. Weston, and Mr. Elton sat down with Mr. Woodhouseto cards. The remaining five were left to their own powers,and Emma doubted their getting on very well; for Mr. Knightley seemedlittle disposed for conversation; Mrs. Elton was wanting notice,which nobody had inclination to pay, and she was herselfin a worry of spirits which would have made her prefer being silent.

　　Mr. John Knightley proved more talkative than his brother.He was to leave them early the next day; and he soon began with--

　　"Well, Emma, I do not believe I have any thing more to say aboutthe boys; but you have your sister's letter, and every thing isdown at full length there we may be sure. My charge would be muchmore concise than her's, and probably not much in the same spirit;all that I have to recommend being comprised in, do not spoil them,and do not physic them."

　　"I rather hope to satisfy you both," said Emma, "for I shall do allin my power to make them happy, which will be enough for Isabella;and happiness must preclude false indulgence and physic."

　　"And if you find them troublesome, you must send them home again."

　　"That is very likely. You think so, do not you?"

　　"I hope I am aware that they may be too noisy for your father--or even may be some encumbrance to you, if your visiting engagementscontinue to increase as much as they have done lately."

　　"Increase!"

　　"Certainly; you must be sensible that the last half-year has madea great difference in your way of life."

　　"Difference! No indeed I am not."

　　"There can be no doubt of your being much more engaged with companythan you used to be. Witness this very time. Here am I comedown for only one day, and you are engaged with a dinner-party!--When did it happen before, or any thing like it? Your neighbourhoodis increasing, and you mix more with it. A little while ago,every letter to Isabella brought an account of fresh gaieties;dinners at Mr. Cole's, or balls at the Crown. The differencewhich Randalls, Randalls alone makes in your goings-on, is very great."

　　"Yes," said his brother quickly, "it is Randalls that does it all."

　　"Very well--and as Randalls, I suppose, is not likely to have lessinfluence than heretofore, it strikes me as a possible thing, Emma,that Henry and John may be sometimes in the way. And if they are,I only beg you to send them home."

　　"No," cried Mr. Knightley, "that need not be the consequence.Let them be sent to Donwell. I shall certainly be at leisure."

　　"Upon my word," exclaimed Emma, "you amuse me! I should like to knowhow many of all my numerous engagements take place without your beingof the party; and why I am to be supposed in danger of wanting leisureto attend to the little boys. These amazing engagements of mine--what have they been? Dining once with the Coles--and having a balltalked of, which never took place. I can understand you--(nodding atMr. John Knightley)--your good fortune in meeting with so many ofyour friends at once here, delights you too much to pass unnoticed.But you, (turning to Mr. Knightley,) who know how very, very seldomI am ever two hours from Hartfield, why you should foresee such aseries of dissipation for me, I cannot imagine. And as to my dearlittle boys, I must say, that if Aunt Emma has not time for them,I do not think they would fare much better with Uncle Knightley,who is absent from home about five hours where she is absent one--and who, when he is at home, is either reading to himself or settlinghis accounts."

　　Mr. Knightley seemed to be trying not to smile; and succeededwithout difficulty, upon Mrs. Elton's beginning to talk to him.