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"But you should tell them of the letter, my dear," said her father. "He wrote a letter to poor Mrs.
Weston, to congratulate her, and a very proper, handsome letter it was. She shewed it to me. I thought it
very well done of him indeed. Whether it was his own idea you know, one cannot tell. He is but young,
and his uncle, perhaps--"
"My dear papa, he is three-and-twenty. You forget how time passes."
"Three-and-twenty!--is he indeed?--Well, I could not have thought it-- and he was but two years old
when he lost his poor mother! Well, time does fly indeed!--and my memory is very bad. However, it was
an exceeding good, pretty letter, and gave Mr. and Mrs. Weston a great deal of pleasure. I remember it
was written from Weymouth, and dated Sept. 28th--and began, `My dear Madam,' but I forget how it
went on; and it was signed `F. C. Weston Churchill.'-- I remember that perfectly."
"How very pleasing and proper of him!" cried the good-hearted Mrs. John Knightley. "I have no
doubt of his being a most amiable young man. But how sad it is that he should not live at home with his
father! There is something so shocking in a child's being taken away from his parents and natural home! I
never could comprehend how Mr. Weston could part with him. To give up one's child! I really never
could think well of any body who proposed such a thing to any body else."
"Nobody ever did think well of the Churchills, I fancy," observed Mr. John Knightley coolly. "But
you need not imagine Mr. Weston to have felt what you would feel in giving up Henry or John. Mr.
Weston is rather an easy, cheerful-tempered man, than a man of strong feelings; he takes things as he
finds them, and makes enjoyment of them somehow or other, depending, I suspect, much more upon
what is called society for his comforts, that is, upon the power of eating and drinking, and playing whist
with his neighbours five times a week, than upon family affection, or any thing that home affords."
Emma could not like what bordered on a reflection on Mr. Weston, and had half a mind to take it up;
but she struggled, and let it pass. She would keep the peace if possible; and there was something
honourable and valuable in the strong domestic habits, the all-sufficiency of home to himself, whence
resulted her brother's disposition to look down on the common rate of social intercourse, and those to
whom it was important.--It had a high claim to forbearance.
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CHAPTER XII
r. Knightley was to dine with them--rather against the inclination of Mr. Woodhouse, who did not
M
like that any one should share with him in Isabella's first day. Emma's sense of right however had decided
it; and besides the consideration of what was due to each brother, she had particular pleasure, from the
circumstance of the late disagreement between Mr. Knightley and herself, in procuring him the proper
invitation.
She hoped they might now become friends again. She thought it was time to make up. Making-up
indeed would not do. She certainly had not been in the wrong, and he would never own that he had.
Concession must be out of the question; but it was time to appear to forget that they had ever quarrelled;
and she hoped it might rather assist the restoration of friendship, that when he came into the room she
had one of the children with her--the youngest, a nice little girl about eight months old, who was now
making her first visit to Hartfield, and very happy to be danced about in her aunt's arms. It did assist; for
though he began with grave looks and short questions, he was soon led on to talk of them all in the usual
way, and to take the child out of her arms with all the unceremoniousness of perfect amity. Emma felt
they were friends again; and the conviction giving her at first great satisfaction, and then a little sauciness,
she could not help saying, as he was admiring the baby,
"What a comfort it is, that we think alike about our nephews and nieces. As to men and women, our
opinions are sometimes very different; but with regard to these children, I observe we never disagree."
"If you were as much guided by nature in your estimate of men and women, and as little under the
power of fancy and whim in your dealings with them, as you are where these children are concerned, we [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]