Volume III: Chapter IV

by Jane Austen

　　A very few days had passed after this adventure, when Harriet cameone morning to Emma with a small parcel in her hand, and aftersitting down and hesitating, thus began:

　　"Miss Woodhouse--if you are at leisure--I have something that Ishould like to tell you--a sort of confession to make--and then,you know, it will be over."

　　Emma was a good deal surprized; but begged her to speak.There was a seriousness in Harriet's manner which prepared her,quite as much as her words, for something more than ordinary.

　　"It is my duty, and I am sure it is my wish," she continued,"to have no reserves with you on this subject. As I am happilyquite an altered creature in one respect, it is very fit that youshould have the satisfaction of knowing it. I do not want to saymore than is necessary--I am too much ashamed of having given wayas I have done, and I dare say you understand me."

　　"Yes," said Emma, "I hope I do."

　　"How I could so long a time be fancying myself! . . ."cried Harriet, warmly. "It seems like madness! I can see nothingat all extraordinary in him now.--I do not care whether I meethim or not--except that of the two I had rather not see him--and indeed I would go any distance round to avoid him--but I donot envy his wife in the least; I neither admire her nor envy her,as I have done: she is very charming, I dare say, and all that,but I think her very ill-tempered and disagreeable--I shall never forgether look the other night!--However, I assure you, Miss Woodhouse,I wish her no evil.--No, let them be ever so happy together,it will not give me another moment's pang: and to convince youthat I have been speaking truth, I am now going to destroy--what Iought to have destroyed long ago--what I ought never to have kept--I know that very well (blushing as she spoke).--However, now Iwill destroy it all--and it is my particular wish to do itin your presence, that you may see how rational I am grown.Cannot you guess what this parcel holds?" said she, with a conscious look.

　　"Not the least in the world.--Did he ever give you any thing?"

　　"No--I cannot call them gifts; but they are things that I havevalued very much."

　　She held the parcel towards her, and Emma read the words Mostprecious treasures on the top. Her curiosity was greatly excited.Harriet unfolded the parcel, and she looked on with impatience.Within abundance of silver paper was a pretty little Tunbridge-ware box,which Harriet opened: it was well lined with the softest cotton;but, excepting the cotton, Emma saw only a small piece of court-plaister.

　　"Now," said Harriet, "you must recollect."

　　"No, indeed I do not."

　　"Dear me! I should not have thought it possible you could forgetwhat passed in this very room about court-plaister, one of the verylast times we ever met in it!--It was but a very few days before Ihad my sore throat--just before Mr. and Mrs. John Knightley came--I think the very evening.--Do not you remember his cutting his fingerwith your new penknife, and your recommending court-plaister?--But, as you had none about you, and knew I had, you desiredme to supply him; and so I took mine out and cut him a piece;but it was a great deal too large, and he cut it smaller, and keptplaying some time with what was left, before he gave it back to me.And so then, in my nonsense, I could not help making a treasure of it--so I put it by never to be used, and looked at it now and thenas a great treat."

　　"My dearest Harriet!" cried Emma, putting her hand before her face,and jumping up, "you make me more ashamed of myself than I can bear.Remember it? Aye, I remember it all now; all, except your savingthis relic--I knew nothing of that till this moment--but the cuttingthe finger, and my recommending court-plaister, and saying I had noneabout meAnd I had plenty all the while inmy pocketI deserve to be under acontinual blush all the rest of my life.--Well--(sitting down again)--go on--what else?"

　　"And had you really some at hand yourself? I am sure I neversuspected it, you did it so naturally."

　　"And so you actually put this piece of court-plaister by for his sake!"said Emma, recovering from her state of shame and feeling dividedbetween wonder and amusement. And secretly she added to herself,"Lord bless me! when should I ever have thought of putting by in cottona piece of court-plaister that Frank Churchill had been pulling about!I never was equal to this."

　　"Here," resumed Harriet, turning to her box again, "here issomething still more valuable, I mean that has been more valuable,because this is what did really once belong to him, which thecourt-plaister never did."

　　Emma was quite eager to see this superior treasure. It was the endof an old pencil,--the part without any lead.

　　"This was really his," said Harriet.--"Do not you rememberone morning?--no, I dare say you do not. But one morning--I forgetexactly the day--but perhaps it was the Tuesday or Wednesday beforethat evening, he wanted to make a memorandum in his pocket-book;it was about spruce-beer. Mr. Knightley had been telling himsomething about brewing spruce-beer, and he wanted to put it down;but when he took out his pencil, there was so little lead that hesoon cut it all away, and it would not do, so you lent him another,and this was left upon the table as good for nothing. But I keptmy eye on it; and, as soon as I dared, caught it up, and neverparted with it again from that moment."

　　"I do remember it," cried Emma; "I perfectly remember it.--Talking about spruce-beer.--Oh! yes--Mr. Knightley and I both saying weliked it, and Mr. Elton's seeming resolved to learn to like it too.I perfectly remember it.--Stop; Mr. Knightley was standing just here,was not he? I have an idea he was standing just here."

　　"Ah! I do not know. I cannot recollect.--It is very odd,but I cannot recollect.--Mr. Elton was sitting here, I remember,much about where I am now."--

　　"Well, go on."

　　"Oh! that's all. I have nothing more to shew you, or to say--except that I am now going to throw them both behind the fire,and I wish you to see me do it."

　　"My poor dear Harriet! and have you actually found happinessin treasuring up these things?"

　　"Yes, simpleton as I was!--but I am quite ashamed of it now, and wishI could forget as easily as I can burn them. It was very wrongof me, you know, to keep any remembrances, after he was married.I knew it was--but had not resolution enough to part with them."

　　"But, Harriet, is it necessary to burn the court-plaister?--I havenot a word to say for the bit of old pencil, but the court-plaistermight be useful."

　　"I shall be happier to burn it," replied Harriet. "It hasa disagreeable look to me. I must get rid of every thing.--There it goes, and there is an end, thank Heaven! of Mr. Elton."

　　"And when," thought Emma, "will there be a beginning of Mr. Churchill?"

　　She had soon afterwards reason to believe that the beginning wasalready made, and could not but hope that the gipsy, though she hadtold no fortune, might be proved to have made Harriet's.--About afortnight after the alarm, they came to a sufficient explanation,and quite undesignedly. Emma was not thinking of it at the moment,which made the information she received more valuable.She merely said, in the course of some trivial chat, "Well, Harriet,whenever you marry I would advise you to do so and so"--and thoughtno more of it, till after a minute's silence she heard Harrietsay in a very serious tone, "I shall never marry."

　　Emma then looked up, and immediately saw how it was; and after amoment's debate, as to whether it should pass unnoticed or not, replied,

　　"Never marry!--This is a new resolution."

　　"It is one that I shall never change, however."

　　After another short hesitation, "I hope it does not proceed from--I hope it is not in compliment to Mr. Elton?"

　　"Mr. Elton indeed!" cried Harriet indignantly.--"Oh! no"--and Emmacould just catch the words, "so superior to Mr. Elton!"

　　She then took a longer time for consideration. Should she proceedno farther?--should she let it pass, and seem to suspect nothing?--Perhaps Harriet might think her cold or angry if she did;or perhaps if she were totally silent, it might only driveHarriet into asking her to hear too much; and against any thinglike such an unreserve as had been, such an open and frequentdiscussion of hopes and chances, she was perfectly resolved.--She believed it would be wiser for her to say and know at once,all that she meant to say and know. Plain dealing was always best.She had previously determined how far she would proceed,on any application of the sort; and it would be safer for both,to have the judicious law of her own brain laid down with speed.--She was decided, and thus spoke--

　　"Harriet, I will not affect to be in doubt of your meaning.Your resolution, or rather your expectation of never marrying,results from an idea that the person whom you might prefer,would be too greatly your superior in situation to think of you.Is not it so?"

　　"Oh! Miss Woodhouse, believe me I have not the presumption to suppose--Indeed I am not so mad.--But it is a pleasure to me to admire himat a distance--and to think of his infinite superiority to allthe rest of the world, with the gratitude, wonder, and veneration,which are so proper, in me especially."

　　"I am not at all surprized at you, Harriet. The service he renderedyou was enough to warm your heart."

　　"Service! oh! it was such an inexpressible obligation!--The very recollection of it, and all that I felt at the time--when I saw him coming--his noble look--and my wretchedness before.Such a change! In one moment such a change! From perfect miseryto perfect happiness!"

　　"It is very natural. It is natural, and it is honourable.--Yes, honourable, I think, to chuse so well and so gratefully.--But that it will be a fortunate preference is more that I can promise.I do not advise you to give way to it, Harriet. I do not by anymeans engage for its being returned. Consider what you are about.Perhaps it will be wisest in you to check your feelings while you can:at any rate do not let them carry you far, unless you are persuadedof his liking you. Be observant of him. Let his behaviour be theguide of your sensations. I give you this caution now, because Ishall never speak to you again on the subject. I am determinedagainst all interference. Henceforward I know nothing of the matter.Let no name ever pass our lips. We were very wrong before;we will be cautious now.--He is your superior, no doubt, and theredo seem objections and obstacles of a very serious nature;but yet, Harriet, more wonderful things have taken place, there havebeen matches of greater disparity. But take care of yourself.I would not have you too sanguine; though, however it may end,be assured your raising your thoughts to him, is a mark of good tastewhich I shall always know how to value."

　　Harriet kissed her hand in silent and submissive gratitude.Emma was very decided in thinking such an attachment no bad thingfor her friend. Its tendency would be to raise and refine her mind--and it must be saving her from the danger of degradation.