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EMMA — Volume Two
by Jane Austen
CHAPTER IV
Human nature is so well disposed towards those who are in interesting situations, that a young person, who either marries or dies, is sure of being kindly1 spoken of.
A week had not passed since Miss Hawkins's name was first mentioned in Highbury, before she was, by some means or other, discovered to have every recommendation of person and mind; to be handsome, elegant, highly accomplished2, and perfectly3 amiable4: and when Mr. Elton himself arrived to triumph in his happy prospects5, and circulate the fame of her merits, there was very little more for him to do, than to tell her Christian6 name, and say whose music she principally played.
Mr. Elton returned, a very happy man. He had gone away rejected and mortified—disappointed in a very sanguine7 hope, after a series of what appeared to him strong encouragement; and not only losing the right lady, but finding himself debased to the level of a very wrong one. He had gone away deeply offended—he came back engaged to another—and to another as superior, of course, to the first, as under such circumstances what is gained always is to what is lost. He came back gay and self–satisfied, eager and busy, caring nothing for Miss Woodhouse, and defying Miss Smith.
The charming Augusta Hawkins, in addition to all the usual advantages of perfect beauty and merit, was in possession of an independent fortune, of so many thousands as would always be called ten; a point of some dignity, as well as some convenience: the story told well; he had not thrown himself away—he had gained a woman of 10,000 l. or thereabouts; and he had gained her with such delightful8 rapidity—the first hour of introduction had been so very soon followed by distinguishing notice; the history which he had to give Mrs. Cole of the rise and progress of the affair was so glorious—the steps so quick, from the accidental rencontre, to the dinner at Mr. Green's, and the party at Mrs. Brown's—smiles and blushes rising in importance— with consciousness and agitation9 richly scattered—the lady had been so easily impressed—so sweetly disposed—had in short, to use a most intelligible10 phrase, been so very ready to have him, that vanity and prudence11 were equally contented12.
He had caught both substance and shadow—both fortune and affection, and was just the happy man he ought to be; talking only of himself and his own concerns—expecting to be congratulated—ready to be laughed at—and, with cordial, fearless smiles, now addressing all the young ladies of the place, to whom, a few weeks ago, he would have been more cautiously gallant13.
The wedding was no distant event, as the parties had only themselves to please, and nothing but the necessary preparations to wait for; and when he set out for Bath again, there was a general expectation, which a certain glance of Mrs. Cole's did not seem to contradict, that when he next entered Highbury he would bring his bride.
During his present short stay, Emma had barely seen him; but just enough to feel that the first meeting was over, and to give her the impression of his not being improved by the mixture of pique14 and pretension15, now spread over his air. She was, in fact, beginning very much to wonder that she had ever thought him pleasing at all; and his sight was so inseparably connected with some very disagreeable feelings, that, except in a moral light, as a penance16, a lesson, a source of profitable humiliation17 to her own mind, she would have been thankful to be assured of never seeing him again. She wished him very well; but he gave her pain, and his welfare twenty miles off would administer most satisfaction.
The pain of his continued residence in Highbury, however, must certainly be lessened18 by his marriage. Many vain solicitudes19 would be prevented—many awkwardnesses smoothed by it. A Mrs. Elton would be an excuse for any change of intercourse20; former intimacy21 might sink without remark. It would be almost beginning their life of civility again.
Of the lady, individually, Emma thought very little. She was good enough for Mr. Elton, no doubt; accomplished enough for Highbury— handsome enough—to look plain, probably, by Harriet's side. As to connexion, there Emma was perfectly easy; persuaded, that after all his own vaunted claims and disdain22 of Harriet, he had done nothing. On that article, truth seemed attainable23. What she was, must be uncertain; but who she was, might be found out; and setting aside the 10,000 l., it did not appear that she was at all Harriet's superior. She brought no name, no blood, no alliance. Miss Hawkins was the youngest of the two daughters of a Bristol—merchant, of course, he must be called; but, as the whole of the profits of his mercantile life appeared so very moderate, it was not unfair to guess the dignity of his line of trade had been very moderate also. Part of every winter she had been used to spend in Bath; but Bristol was her home, the very heart of Bristol; for though the father and mother had died some years ago, an uncle remained—in the law line—nothing more distinctly honourable24 was hazarded of him, than that he was in the law line; and with him the daughter had lived. Emma guessed him to be the drudge25 of some attorney, and too stupid to rise. And all the grandeur26 of the connexion seemed dependent on the elder sister, who was very well married, to a gentleman in a great way, near Bristol, who kept two carriages! That was the wind–up of the history; that was the glory of Miss Hawkins.
Could she but have given Harriet her feelings about it all! She had talked her into love; but, alas27! she was not so easily to be talked out of it. The charm of an object to occupy the many vacancies28 of Harriet's mind was not to be talked away. He might be superseded29 by another; he certainly would indeed; nothing could be clearer; even a Robert Martin would have been sufficient; but nothing else, she feared, would cure her. Harriet was one of those, who, having once begun, would be always in love. And now, poor girl! she was considerably30 worse from this reappearance of Mr. Elton. She was always having a glimpse of him somewhere or other. Emma saw him only once; but two or three times every day Harriet was sure just to meet with him, or just to miss him, just to hear his voice, or see his shoulder, just to have something occur to preserve him in her fancy, in all the favouring warmth of surprize and conjecture31. She was, moreover, perpetually hearing about him; for, excepting when at Hartfield, she was always among those who saw no fault in Mr. Elton, and found nothing so interesting as the discussion of his concerns; and every report, therefore, every guess—all that had already occurred, all that might occur in the arrangement of his affairs, comprehending income, servants, and furniture, was continually in agitation around her. Her regard was receiving strength by invariable praise of him, and her regrets kept alive, and feelings irritated by ceaseless repetitions of Miss Hawkins's happiness, and continual observation of, how much he seemed attached!—his air as he walked by the house—the very sitting of his hat, being all in proof of how much he was in love!
Had it been allowable entertainment, had there been no pain to her friend, or reproach to herself, in the waverings of Harriet's mind, Emma would have been amused by its variations. Sometimes Mr. Elton predominated, sometimes the Martins; and each was occasionally useful as a check to the other. Mr. Elton's engagement had been the cure of the agitation of meeting Mr. Martin. The unhappiness produced by the knowledge of that engagement had been a little put aside by Elizabeth Martin's calling at Mrs. Goddard's a few days afterwards. Harriet had not been at home; but a note had been prepared and left for her, written in the very style to touch; a small mixture of reproach, with a great deal of kindness; and till Mr. Elton himself appeared, she had been much occupied by it, continually pondering over what could be done in return, and wishing to do more than she dared to confess. But Mr. Elton, in person, had driven away all such cares. While he staid, the Martins were forgotten; and on the very morning of his setting off for Bath again, Emma, to dissipate some of the distress32 it occasioned, judged it best for her to return Elizabeth Martin's visit.
How that visit was to be acknowledged—what would be necessary—and what might be safest, had been a point of some doubtful consideration. Absolute neglect of the mother and sisters, when invited to come, would be ingratitude33. It must not be: and yet the danger of a renewal34 of the acquaintance!—
After much thinking, she could determine on nothing better, than Harriet's returning the visit; but in a way that, if they had understanding, should convince them that it was to be only a formal acquaintance. She meant to take her in the carriage, leave her at the Abbey Mill, while she drove a little farther, and call for her again so soon, as to allow no time for insidious35 applications or dangerous recurrences36 to the past, and give the most decided37 proof of what degree of intimacy was chosen for the future.
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1
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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2
accomplished
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| adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的 | |
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3
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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4
amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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5
prospects
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| n.希望，前途(恒为复数) | |
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6
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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7
sanguine
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| adj.充满希望的，乐观的，血红色的 | |
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8
delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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9
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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10
intelligible
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| adj.可理解的，明白易懂的，清楚的 | |
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11
prudence
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| n.谨慎，精明，节俭 | |
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12
contented
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| adj.满意的，安心的，知足的 | |
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13
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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14
pique
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| v.伤害…的自尊心，使生气 n.不满，生气 | |
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15
pretension
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| n.要求；自命，自称；自负 | |
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16
penance
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| n.（赎罪的）惩罪 | |
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17
humiliation
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| n.羞辱 | |
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18
lessened
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| 减少的，减弱的 | |
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19
solicitudes
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| n.关心，挂念，渴望( solicitude的名词复数 ) | |
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20
intercourse
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| n.性交；交流，交往，交际 | |
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21
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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22
disdain
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| n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑 | |
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23
attainable
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| a.可达到的，可获得的 | |
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24
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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25
drudge
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| n.劳碌的人；v.做苦工，操劳 | |
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26
grandeur
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| n.伟大，崇高，宏伟，庄严，豪华 | |
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27
alas
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| int.唉(表示悲伤、忧愁、恐惧等) | |
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28
vacancies
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| n.空房间( vacancy的名词复数 )；空虚；空白；空缺 | |
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29
superseded
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| [医]被代替的，废弃的 | |
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30
considerably
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| adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上 | |
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31
conjecture
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| n./v.推测，猜测 | |
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32
distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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33
ingratitude
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| n.忘恩负义 | |
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34
renewal
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| adj.(契约)延期，续订，更新，复活，重来 | |
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35
insidious
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| adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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36
recurrences
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| n.复发，反复，重现( recurrence的名词复数 ) | |
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37
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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38
glossed
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| v.注解( gloss的过去式和过去分词 )；掩饰（错误）；粉饰；把…搪塞过去 | |
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