Эмма / Emma

The older a person grows, Harriet, the more important it is that their manners should not be bad. What is passable in youth is detestable in later age. Mr. Martin is now awkward and abrupt; what will he be at Mr. Weston’s time of life?”

“There is no saying, indeed,” replied Harriet rather solemnly.

“But there may be pretty good guessing. He will be a completely gross, vulgar farmer, totally inattentive to appearances, and thinking of nothing but profit and loss.”

“Will he, indeed? That will be very bad.

”

“I think his being illiterate and coarse need not disturb us. But, perhaps, Mr. Elton’s manners are superior to Mr. Knightley’s or Mr. Weston’s. They have more gentleness. There is an openness, a quickness, almost a bluntness in Mr. Weston, which everybody likes in him. I think a young man might be very safely recommended to take Mr. Elton as a model. Mr. Elton is good-humoured, cheerful, obliging, and gentle. It strikes me that his manners are softer than they used to be.

If he means anything, it must be to please you. Did not I tell you what he said of you the other day?”

She then repeated some warm personal praise which she had drawn from Mr. Elton; and Harriet blushed and smiled, and said she had always thought Mr. Elton very agreeable.

Emma thought that Mr. Elton was the very person for driving the young farmer out of Harriet’s head. She thought it would be an excellent match – desirable, natural, and probable. The longer she considered it, the greater was her sense of its expediency.

Mr. Elton’s situation was most suitable, quite the gentleman himself, and without low connexions. He had a comfortable home for her, and Emma imagined a very sufficient income; for though the vicarage of Highbury was not large, he was known to have some independent property; and she thought very highly of him as a good-humoured, well-meaning, respectable young man, without any deficiency of useful understanding or knowledge of the world.

Chapter V

“I do not know what your opinion may be, Mrs.

Weston,” said Mr. Knightley, “of this great intimacy between Emma and Harriet Smith, but I think it a bad thing.”

“A bad thing! Do you really think it a bad thing? – why so?”

“I think they will neither of them do the other any good.”

“You surprize me! Emma must do Harriet good, Harriet may be said to do Emma good. I have been seeing their intimacy with the greatest pleasure.