Emma, by Jane Austen (VOLUME I) Chapter I

Emma, by Jane Austen

VOLUME I

Chapter I

Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a cozy domestic and completely satisfied disposition, appeared to unite some of the nice benefits of existence; and had lived almost twenty-one years in the world with very little to misery or vex her.

She used to be the youngest of the two daughters of a most affectionate, indulgent father; and had, in end result of her sister’s marriage, been mistress of his residence from a very early period. Her mom had died too lengthy in the past for her to have extra than an vague remembrance of her caresses; and her location had been furnished with the aid of an notable girl as governess, who had fallen little brief of a mom in affection.

Sixteen years had Miss Taylor been in Mr. Woodhouse’s family, much less as a governess than a friend, very fond of each daughters, however in particular of Emma. Between them it was once extra the intimacy of sisters. Even earlier than Miss Taylor had ceased to maintain the nominal workplace of governess, the mildness of her mood had rarely allowed her to impose any restraint; and the shadow of authority being now lengthy surpassed away, they had been dwelling collectively as buddy and pal very together attached, and Emma doing simply what she liked; fantastically esteeming Miss Taylor’s judgment, however directed specifically by using her own.

The actual evils, indeed, of Emma’s scenario have been the electricity of having as a substitute too a lot her personal way, and a disposition to suppose a little too properly of herself; these have been the hazards which threatened alloy to her many enjoyments. The danger, however, used to be at existing so unperceived, that they did no longer with the aid of any skill rank as misfortunes with her.

Sorrow got here — a mild sorrow — however now not at all in the structure of any unpleasant consciousness. — Miss Taylor married. It used to be Miss Taylor’s loss which first introduced grief. It used to be on the wedding-day of this loved buddy that Emma first sat in mournful thinking of any continuance. The wedding ceremony over, and the bride-people gone, her father and herself have been left to dine together, with no prospect of a 1/3 to cheer a lengthy evening. Her father composed himself to sleep after dinner, as usual, and she had then solely to take a seat and suppose of what she had lost.

The tournament had each promise of happiness for her friend. Mr. Weston used to be a man of unexceptionable character, handy fortune, appropriate age, and fine manners; and there used to be some pleasure in thinking about with what self-denying, beneficiant friendship she had constantly wished and promoted the match; however it used to be a black morning’s work for her. The prefer of Miss Taylor would be felt each and every hour of each and every day. She recalled her previous kindness — the kindness, the affection of sixteen years — how she had taught and how she had performed with her from five years historic — how she had committed all her powers to connect and amuse her in fitness — and how nursed her thru the quite a number ailments of childhood. A giant debt of gratitude used to be owing here; however the intercourse of the ultimate seven years, the equal footing and ideal unreserve which had quickly accompanied Isabella’s marriage, on their being left to every other, used to be but a dearer, tenderer recollection. She had been a buddy and accomplice such as few possessed: intelligent, well-informed, useful, gentle, understanding all the approaches of the family, fascinated in all its concerns, and principally involved in herself, in each pleasure, each and every scheme of hers — one to whom she should talk each and every notion as it arose, and who had such an affection for her as should in no way locate fault.

How used to be she to undergo the change? — It used to be actual that her pal used to be going solely half of a mile from them; however Emma was once conscious that splendid ought to be the distinction between a Mrs. Weston, solely half of a mile from them, and a Miss Taylor in the house; and with all her advantages, herbal and domestic, she was once now in extremely good hazard of struggling from mental solitude. She dearly cherished her father, however he was once no associate for her. He should now not meet her in conversation, rational or playful.

The evil of the genuine disparity in their a long time (and Mr. Woodhouse had no longer married early) used to be lots expanded via his charter and habits; for having been a valetudinarian all his life, barring endeavor of thinking or body, he was once a a whole lot older man in approaches than in years; and even though in all places loved for the friendliness of his coronary heart and his amiable temper, his abilities should now not have encouraged him at any time.

Her sister, although comparatively however little eliminated through matrimony, being settled in London, solely sixteen miles off, used to be a lot past her every day reach; and many a lengthy October and November night should be struggled thru at Hartfield, earlier than Christmas added the subsequent go to from Isabella and her husband, and their little children, to fill the house, and provide her quality society again.

Highbury, the giant and populous village, nearly amounting to a town, to which Hartfield, in spite of its separate lawn, and shrubberies, and name, did in reality belong, afforded her no equals. The Woodhouses had been first in final result there. All seemed up to them. She had many acquaintance in the place, for her father used to be universally civil, however no longer one amongst them who may want to be normal in lieu of Miss Taylor for even half of a day. It was once a depression change; and Emma should no longer however sigh over it, and desire for not possible things, until her father awoke, and made it quintessential to be cheerful. His spirits required support. He used to be a fearful man, without problems depressed; fond of each and every physique that he used to be used to, and hating to section with them; hating trade of each kind. Matrimony, as the beginning of change, used to be usually disagreeable; and he used to be through no potential but reconciled to his very own daughter’s marrying, nor may want to ever communicate of her however with compassion, although it had been completely a suit of affection, when he used to be now obliged to section with Miss Taylor too; and from his habits of mild selfishness, and of being by no means capable to believe that different human beings may want to sense in another way from himself, he used to be very plenty disposed to assume Miss Taylor had executed as unhappy a factor for herself as for them, and would have been a high-quality deal happier if she had spent all the relaxation of her lifestyles at Hartfield. Emma smiled and chatted as cheerfully as she could, to hold him from such thoughts; however when tea came, it was once not possible for him now not to say precisely as he had stated at dinner,

“Poor Miss Taylor! — I desire she had been right here again. What a pity it is that Mr. Weston ever thinking of her!”

“I can't agree with you, papa; you be aware of I cannot. Mr. Weston is such a good-humoured, pleasant, fantastic man, that he wholly deserves a correct spouse — and you would now not have had Miss Taylor stay with us for ever, and endure all my atypical humours, when she may have a residence of her own?”

“A residence of her own! — But the place is the benefit of a residence of her own? This is three instances as large. — And you have by no means any extraordinary humours, my dear.”

“How frequently we shall be going to see them, and they coming to see us! — We shall be usually meeting! We need to begin; we should go and pay wedding ceremony go to very soon.”

“My dear, how am I to get so far? Randalls is such a distance. I should no longer stroll half of so far.”

“No, papa, no person thinking of your walking. We should go in the carriage, to be sure.”

“The carriage! But James will now not like to put the horses to for such a little way — and the place are the negative horses to be whilst we are paying our visit?”

“They are to be put into Mr. Weston’s stable, papa. You comprehend we have settled all that already. We talked it all over with Mr. Weston closing night. And as for James, you may additionally be very positive he will usually like going to Randalls, due to the fact of his daughter’s being housemaid there. I solely doubt whether or not he will ever take us somewhere else. That used to be your doing, papa. You obtained Hannah that properly place. Nobody thinking of Hannah until you cited her — James is so obliged to you!”

“I am very happy I did assume of her. It was once very lucky, for I would now not have had bad James suppose himself slighted upon any account; and I am certain she will make a very true servant: she is a civil, pretty-spoken girl; I have a super opinion of her. Whenever I see her, she usually curtseys and asks me how I do, in a very rather manner; and when you have had her right here to do needlework, I take a look at she continually turns the lock of the door the proper way and in no way bangs it. I am certain she will be an amazing servant; and it will be a outstanding alleviation to bad Miss Taylor to have someone about her that she is used to see. Whenever James goes over to see his daughter, you know, she will be listening to of us. He will be capable to tell her how we all are.”

Emma spared no hard work to hold this happier go with the flow of ideas, and hoped, through the assist of backgammon, to get her father tolerably thru the evening, and be attacked by using no regrets however her own. The backgammon-table was once placed; however a tourist straight away afterwards walked in and made it unnecessary.

Mr. Knightley, a smart man about seven or eight-and-thirty, used to be no longer solely a very ancient and intimate buddy of the family, however especially linked with it, as the elder brother of Isabella’s husband. He lived about a mile from Highbury, was once a regularly occurring visitor, and continually welcome, and at this time greater welcome than usual, as coming without delay from their mutual connexions in London. He had again to a late dinner, after some days’ absence, and now walked up to Hartfield to say that all had been properly in Brunswick Square. It was once a joyful circumstance, and animated Mr. Woodhouse for some time. Mr. Knightley had a cheerful manner, which continually did him good; and his many inquiries after “poor Isabella” and her teens have been answered most satisfactorily. When this was once over, Mr. Woodhouse gratefully observed, “It is very variety of you, Mr. Knightley, to come out at this late hour to name upon us. I am afraid you need to have had a stunning walk.” 

“Not at all, sir. It is a lovely moonlight night; and so slight that I ought to draw again from your extraordinary fire.”

“But you need to have observed it very damp and dirty. I desire you may also now not seize cold.”

“Dirty, sir! Look at my shoes. Not a speck on them.”

“Well! that is pretty surprising, for we have had a giant deal of rain here. It rained dreadfully difficult for half of an hour whilst we had been at breakfast. I desired them to put off the wedding.”

“By the bye — I have no longer wished you joy. Being relatively nicely conscious of what kind of pleasure you ought to each be feeling, I have been in no hurry with my congratulations; however I hope it all went off tolerably well. How did you all behave? Who cried most?”

“Ah! negative Miss Taylor! ‘Tis a unhappy business.”

“Poor Mr. and Miss Woodhouse, if you please; however I can't per chance say ‘poor Miss Taylor.’ I have a remarkable regard for you and Emma; however when it comes to the query of dependence or independence! — At any rate, it need to be higher to have solely one to please than two.”

“Especially when one of these two is such a fanciful, tough creature!” stated Emma playfully. “That is what you have in your head, I understand — and what you would in reality say if my father had been now not by.”

“I consider it is very true, my dear, indeed,” stated Mr. Woodhouse, with a sigh. “I am afraid I am once in a while very fanciful and troublesome.”

“My dearest papa! You do no longer suppose I may want to suggest you, or consider Mr. Knightley to suggest you. What a horrible idea! Oh no! I intended solely myself. Mr. Knightley loves to locate fault with me, you comprehend — in a shaggy dog story — it is all a joke. We constantly say what we like to one another.”

Mr. Knightley, in fact, was once one of the few human beings who should see faults in Emma Woodhouse, and the solely one who ever instructed her of them: and although this was once now not specifically agreeable to Emma herself, she knew it would be so plenty much less so to her father, that she would now not have him sincerely suspect such a circumstance as her now not being idea best through each body.

“Emma is aware of I in no way flatter her,” stated Mr. Knightley, “but I intended no reflection on any body. Miss Taylor has been used to have two individuals to please; she will now have however one. The probabilities are that she should be a gainer.”

“Well,” stated Emma, inclined to let it bypass —”you choose to hear about the wedding; and I shall be pleased to inform you, for we all behaved charmingly. Every physique was once punctual, each physique in their fine looks: no longer a tear, and rarely a lengthy face to be seen. Oh no; we all felt that we had been going to be solely 1/2 a mile apart, and have been certain of assembly each and every day.”

“Dear Emma bears each component so well,” stated her father. “But, Mr. Knightley, she is actually very sorry to lose terrible Miss Taylor, and I am positive she will pass over her extra than she thinks for.”

Emma became away her head, divided between tears and smiles. “It is not possible that Emma must now not pass over such a companion,” stated Mr. Knightley. “We must no longer like her so properly as we do, sir, if we ought to consider it; however she is aware of how a lot the marriage is to Miss Taylor’s advantage; she is aware of how very proper it should be, at Miss Taylor’s time of life, to be settled in a domestic of her own, and how necessary to her to be invulnerable of a cosy provision, and consequently can't permit herself to sense so a whole lot ache as pleasure. Every buddy of Miss Taylor should be happy to have her so fortunately married.”

“And you have forgotten one count number of joy to me,” stated Emma, “and a very significant one — that I made the in shape myself. I made the match, you know, 4 years ago; and to have it take place, and be proved in the right, when so many humans stated Mr. Weston would by no means marry again, may additionally remedy me for any thing.”

Mr. Knightley shook his head at her. Her father fondly replied, “Ah! my dear, I desire you would no longer make fits and foretell things, for anything you say usually comes to pass. Pray do no longer make any extra matches.”

“I promise you to make none for myself, papa; however I must, indeed, for different people. It is the biggest entertainment in the world! And after such success, you know! — Every physique stated that Mr. Weston would by no means marry again. Oh dear, no! Mr. Weston, who had been a widower so long, and who appeared so flawlessly cozy except a wife, so continuously occupied both in his commercial enterprise in city or amongst his buddies here, constantly suited anywhere he went, usually cheerful — Mr. Weston want no longer spend a single night in the 12 months by myself if he did no longer like it. Oh no! Mr. Weston surely would by no means marry again. Some humans even talked of a promise to his wife on her deathbed, and others of the son and the uncle no longer letting him. All manner of solemn nonsense was once talked on the subject, however I believed none of it.

“Ever due to the fact the day — about 4 years in the past — that Miss Taylor and I met with him in Broadway Lane, when, due to the fact it started out to drizzle, he darted away with so a whole lot gallantry, and borrowed two umbrellas for us from Farmer Mitchell’s, I made up my thought on the subject. I deliberate the suit from that hour; and when such success has blessed me in this instance, pricey papa, you can't assume that I shall depart off match-making.”

“I do now not apprehend what you suggest with the aid of ‘success,’” stated Mr. Knightley. “Success supposes endeavour. Your time has been suitable and delicately spent, if you have been endeavouring for the closing 4 years to deliver about this marriage. A important employment for a younger lady’s mind! But if, which I alternatively imagine, your making the match, as you name it, ability solely your planning it, your pronouncing to your self one idle day, ‘I suppose it would be a very exact issue for Miss Taylor if Mr. Weston have been to marry her,’ and pronouncing it once more to your self each and every now and then afterwards, why do you speak of success? Where is your merit? What are you proud of? You made a fortunate guess; and that is all that can be said.”

“And have you by no means acknowledged the pleasure and triumph of a fortunate guess? — I pity you. — I concept you cleverer — for, rely upon it a fortunate wager is by no means in simple terms luck. There is usually some intelligence in it. And as to my negative phrase ‘success,’ which you quarrel with, I do no longer understand that I am so totally barring any declare to it. You have drawn two rather pictures; however I suppose there might also be a 1/3 — a some thing between the do-nothing and the do-all. If I had now not promoted Mr. Weston’s visits here, and given many little encouragements, and smoothed many little matters, it may now not have come to any aspect after all. I assume you have to be aware of Hartfield adequate to be aware of that.”

“A straightforward, open-hearted man like Weston, and a rational, unaffected female like Miss Taylor, may also be safely left to manipulate their very own concerns. You are greater possibly to have finished damage to yourself, than precise to them, by using interference.”

“Emma in no way thinks of herself, if she can do excellent to others,” rejoined Mr. Woodhouse, appreciation however in part. “But, my dear, pray do now not make any extra matches; they are stupid things, and damage up one’s household circle grievously.”

“Only one more, papa; solely for Mr. Elton. Poor Mr. Elton! You like Mr. Elton, papa — I should seem about for a spouse for him. There is no one in Highbury who deserves him — and he has been right here a complete year, and has outfitted up his residence so comfortably, that it would be a disgrace to have him single any longer — and I concept when he used to be becoming a member of their fingers to-day, he appeared so very an awful lot as if he would like to have the equal form office finished for him! I assume very properly of Mr. Elton, and this is the solely way I have of doing him a service.”

“Mr. Elton is a very especially younger man, to be sure, and a very accurate younger man, and I have a wonderful regard for him. But if you desire to shew him any attention, my dear, ask him to come and dine with us some day. That will be a lots higher thing. I dare say Mr. Knightley will be so type as to meet him.”

“With a extremely good deal of pleasure, sir, at any time,” stated Mr. Knightley, laughing, “and I agree with you entirely, that it will be a a great deal higher thing. Invite him to dinner, Emma, and assist him to the great of the fish and the chicken, however depart him to chuse his personal wife. Depend upon it, a man of six or seven-and-twenty can take care of himself.”