CHAPTER VII

TheverydayofMr.Elton’sgoingtoLondonproducedafreshoccasionforEmma’sservicestowardsherfriend.HarriethadbeenatHartfield,asusual,soonafterbreakfastand,afteratime,hadgonehometoreturnagaintodinner:shereturned,andsoonerthanhadbeentalkedof,andwithanagitated,hurriedlook,announcingsomethingextraordinarytohavehappenedwhichshewaslongingtotell.Halfaminutebroughtitallout.Shehadheard,assoonasshegotbacktoMrs.Goddard’s,thatMr.Martinhadbeenthereanhourbefore,andfindingshewasnotathome,norparticularlyexpected,hadleftalittleparcelforherfromoneofhissisters,andgoneawayandonopeningthisparcel,shehadactuallyfound,besidesthetwosongswhichshehadlentElizabethtocopy,alettertoherselfandthisletterwasfromhim,fromMr.Martin,andcontainedadirectproposalofmarriage.“Whocouldhavethoughtit?Shewassosurprizedshedidnotknowwhattodo.Yes,quiteaproposalofmarriageandaverygoodletter,atleastshethoughtso.Andhewroteasifhereallylovedherverymuch—butshedidnotknow—andso,shewascomeasfastasshecouldtoaskMissWoodhousewhatsheshoulddo.—”Emmawashalf-ashamedofherfriendforseemingsopleasedandsodoubtful. “Uponmyword,”shecried,“theyoungmanisdeterminednottoloseanythingforwantofasking.Hewillconnecthimselfwellifhecan.” “Willyoureadtheletter?”criedHarriet.“Praydo.II’dratheryouwould.” Emmawasnotsorrytobepressed.Sheread,andwassurprized.Thestyleoftheletterwasmuchaboveherexpectation.Therewerenotmerelynogrammaticalerrors,butasacompositionitwouldnothavedisgracedagentlemanthelanguage,thoughplain,wasstrongandunaffected,andthesentimentsitconveyedverymuchtothecreditofthewriter.Itwasshort,butexpressedgoodsense,warmattachment,liberality,propriety,evendelicacyoffeeling.Shepausedoverit,whileHarrietstoodanxiouslywatchingforheropinion,witha“Well,well,”andwasatlastforcedtoadd,“Isitagoodletter?orisittooshort?” “Yes,indeed,averygoodletter,”repliedEmmaratherslowly—“sogoodaletter,Harriet,thateverythingconsidered,Ithinkoneofhissistersmusthavehelpedhim.IcanhardlyimaginetheyoungmanwhomIsawtalkingwithyoutheotherdaycouldexpresshimselfsowell,ifleftquitetohisownpowers,andyetitisnotthestyleofawomanno,certainly,itistoostrongandconcisenotdiffuseenoughforawoman.Nodoubtheisasensibleman,andIsupposemayhaveanaturaltalentfor—thinks