Эмма. Уровень 3 / Emma. Джейн Остин
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me! but what shall you do? how shall you employ yourself when you grow old?”
“If I know myself, Harriet, mine is an active, busy mind, with a great many independent resources; and I do not perceive why I should be more in want of employment at forty or fifty than one-and-twenty. Woman's usual occupations will be as open to me then as they are now. If I draw less, I shall read more; if I give up music, I shall take to carpet-work. I shall be very well off, with all the children of a sister I love so much, to care about. My nephews and nieces! – I shall often have a niece with me.”
“Do you know Miss Bates's niece? That is, I know you must have seen her a hundred times-but are you acquainted?”
“Oh! yes; Jane Fairfax[47]. Every letter from her is read forty times over; her compliments to all friends go round and round again. I wish Jane Fairfax very well; but she tires me to death.”
Harriet could just answer, “Oh! yes, yes,” before Mr. Elton joined them. They now walked on together quietly, when a sudden resolution of getting Harriet into the house, made Emma find something wrong about her boot. She broke the lace off short, and dexterously throwing it into a ditch, had to ask them about stopping.
“Part of my lace is gone,” said she, “and I do not know how I am to go further. I really am a most troublesome companion to you both. Mr. Elton, I must beg leave to stop at your house, and ask your housekeeper for a bit of ribbon or string, or anything just to keep my boot on.”
Mr. Elton looked all happiness at this proposition; and led them into the house with all the alertness and attention anyone could imagine. Emma went after the housekeeper and left Mr. Elton and Harriet alone in the adjacent[48] room; the door between them was open. Emma had to leave the door ajar as she found it; but she fully intended that Mr. Elton should close it. It was not closed, however, it still remained ajar. For ten minutes she could hear nothing but herself. She was then obliged to be finished, and make her appearance.
The lovers were standing together at one of the windows. He had been most agreeable, most delightful, and he had told Harriet nothing serious.
“Cautious, very cautious,” thought Emma; “he advances inch by inch.”
Chapter XI
Mr. Elton must now be left to himself. It was no longer in Emma's power to superintend his happiness. The coming of her sister's family was so very near at hand, that it became from that point on her main object of interest.
Mr. Woodhouse was now most nervously and apprehensively happy. He was looking forward to Isabella's visiting. He thought much of the troubles the journey might cause her. Mrs. Knightley was a pretty, elegant little woman, of gentle, quiet manners, and a disposition remarkably amiable and affectionate; a devoted wife, a good mother, and so tenderly attached to her father and sister that a warmer love might have seemed impossible. She could never see a fault in any of them.
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