Here, for example, is Mr. Weston talking about Frank to Emma:"'…you must not be expecting such a very fine young man; you have only had my account you know; I dare say he is really nothing extraordinary:'—though his own sparkling eyes at the moment were speaking a very different conviction.
He seems handsome OK, we admit, he actually is pretty cute. He seems to be compassionate, witty, the perfect gentleman, and interested in anyone and everyone he meets. In other words, he seems perfect. And like your mother always told you, anything that seems too good to be true…probably is. And, more importantly, why does Mr. Knightley hate his guts? Well, we know that Mr. Knightley might be jealous of all that young hotness, but Emma should be head over heels in love.
Churchill, for cash. Frank is, in many ways, the perfect gentleman. Do not you think so? Jane did not look round. She was not obliged to hear. Weston had been speaking to her at the same moment. Frank needs to leave Highbury. He goes to say goodbye to the Woodhouses, and ostensibly to confess his engagement to Emma which he begins to do before he is interrupted.
He admits visiting the Bateses first, which indicates to us that Jane is always foremost in his mind, even if he does show his love for her in weird ways Ch. I am almost afraid that every moment will bring him.
How unlucky! Miss Bates's powerful, argumentative mind might have strengthened yours. It was a right thing to do. I went in for three minutes, and was detained by Miss Bates's being absent.
She was out; and I felt it impossible not to wait till she came in. She is a woman that one may, that one must laugh at; but that one would not wish to slight. It was better to pay my visit, then" Weston was disengaged and Emma began again -- "Mr. Frank Churchill writes one of the best gentlemen's hands I ever saw. It is like a woman's writing. This was not submitted to by either lady. They vindicated him against the base aspersion.
Had not Mrs. Weston any letter about her to produce? Knightley , rather displeased; "I do not want to think ill of him.
I should be as ready to acknowledge his merits as any other man; but I hear of none, except what are merely personal - that he is well-grown and good-looking, with smooth, plausible manners. Frank saves Harriet from the gipsies, on his way back from the Bateses to see Jane, duh Ch. In this state Frank Churchill had found her, she trembling and conditioning, they loud and insolent. By a most fortunate chance his leaving Highbury had been delayed so as to bring him to her assistance at this critical moment.
The pleasantness of the morning had induced him to walk forward, and leave his horses to meet him by another road, a mile or two beyond Highbury -- and happening to have borrowed a pair of scissors the night before of Miss Bates, and to have forgotten to restore them, he had been obliged to stop at her door, and go in for a few minutes: he was therefore later than he had intended; and being on foot, was unseen by the whole party till almost close to them.
The terror which the woman and boy had been creating in Harriet was then their own portion. He had left them completely frightened; and Harriet eagerly clinging to him, and hardly able to speak, had just strength enough to reach Hartfield, before her spirits were quite overcome.
It was his idea to bring her to Hartfield: he had thought of no other place. With great indignation did he continue to observe him; with great alarm and distrust, to observe also his two blinded companions. He saw a short word prepared for Emma, and given to her with a look sly and demure. He saw that Emma had soon made it out, and found it highly entertaining, though it was something which she judged it proper to appear to censure; for she said, "Nonsense!
It was done however. This gallant young man, who seemed to love without feeling, and to recommend himself without complaisance, directly handed over the word to Miss Fairfax, and with a particular degree of sedate civility entreated her to study it.
Knightley's excessive curiosity to know what this word might be, made him seize every possible moment for darting his eye towards it, and it was not long before he saw it to be Dixon.
Jane Fairfax's perception seemed to accompany his; her comprehension was certainly more equal to the covert meaning, the superior intelligence, of those five letters so arranged. She was evidently displeased; looked up, and seeing herself watched, blushed more deeply than he had ever perceived her, and saying only, "I did not know that proper names were allowed," pushed away the letters with even an angry spirit, and looked resolved to be engaged by no other word that could be offered.
Her face was averted from those who had made the attack, and turned towards her aunt. When they all sat down it was better; to her taste a great deal better, for Frank Churchill grew talkative and gay, making her his first object. Every distinguishing attention that could be paid, was paid to her. To amuse her, and be agreeable in her eyes, seemed all that he cared for -- and Emma, glad to be enlivened, not sorry to be flattered, was gay and easy too, and gave him all the friendly encouragement, the admission to be gallant, which she had ever given in the first and most animating period of their acquaintance; but which now, in her own estimation, meant nothing, though in the judgment of most people looking on it must have had such an appearance as no English word but flirtation could very well describe.
Frank Churchill and Miss Woodhouse flirted together excessively. Not that Emma was gay and thoughtless from any real felicity; it was rather because she felt less happy than she had expected. She laughed because she was disappointed; and though she liked him for his attentions, and thought them all, whether in friendship, admiration, or playfulness, extremely judicious, they were not winning back her heart.
She still intended him for her friend. Let every body on the Hill hear me if they can. Let my accents swell to Mickleham on one side, and Dorking on the other. I saw you first in February. What shall we do to rouse them? Any nonsense will serve. They shall talk. Ladies and gentlemen, I am ordered by Miss Woodhouse who, wherever she is, presides, to say, that she desires to know what you are all thinking of.
Some laughed, and answered good-humouredly. Miss Bates said a great deal Mrs. Elton swelled at the idea of Miss Woodhouse's presiding; Mr. Knightley's answer was the most distinct. Very lucky - marrying as they did, upon an acquaintance formed only in a public place!
They only knew each other, I think, a few weeks in Bath! Peculiarly lucky! For as to any realy knowlede of a person's disposition that Bath, or any public place, can give - it is all nothing; there can be no knowledge. It is only by seeing women in their own homes, among their own set, just as they always are, that you can form any just judgement.
Short of that, it is all guess and luck - and will generally be ill-luck. How many a man has committed himself on a short acquaintance, and rued it all the rest of his life!
Miss Fairfax, who had seldom spoken before, except among her own confederates, spoke now. Frank Churchill turned towards her to listen. A hasty and imprudent attachment may arise - but there is generally time to recover from it afterwards. I would be understood to mean, that it can be only weak, irresolute characters whose happiness must be always at the mercy of chance , who will suffer an unfortunate acquaintance to be an inconvenience, an oppression for ever.
He made no answer; merely looked, and bowed in submission; and soon afterwards said, in a lively tone:. Emma feels guilt for thinking ill of Jane, and for participating in Frank's careless games Ch.
Frank compliments Jane and apologizes to Mrs. Weston for being a crappy stepson in a letter Ch. It is very difficult for the prosperous to be humble. I have already met with such success in two applications for pardon, that I may be in danger of thinking myself too sure of your's, and of those among your friends who have had any ground of offence.
You must all endeavour to comprehend the exact nature of my situation when I first arrived at Randalls; you must consider me as having a secret which was to be kept at all hazards. This was the fact. My right to place myself in a situation requiring such concealment, is another question. I shall not discuss it here. For my temptation to think it a right, I refer every caviller to a brick house, sashed windows below, and casements above, in Highbury. I dared not address her openly; my difficulties in the then state of Enscombe must be too well known to require definition; and I was fortunate enough to prevail, before we parted at Weymouth, and to induce the most upright female mind in the creation to stoop in charity to a secret engagement.
Had she refused, I should have gone mad. But you will be ready to say, what was your hope in doing this? What did you look forward to? To any thing, every thing -- to time, chance, circumstance, slow effects, sudden bursts, perseverance and weariness, health and sickness.
Every possibility of good was before me, and the first of blessings secured, in obtaining her promises of faith and correspondence. If you need farther explanation, I have the honour, my dear madam, of being your husband's son, and the advantage of inheriting a disposition to hope for good, which no inheritance of houses or lands can ever equal the value of.
See me, then, under these circumstances, arriving on my first visit to Randalls; and here I am conscious of wrong, for that visit might have been sooner paid. You will look back and see that I did not come till Miss Fairfax was in Highbury; and as you were the person slighted, you will forgive me instantly; but I must work on my father's compassion, by reminding him, that so long as I absented myself from his house, so long I lost the blessing of knowing you.
Knightley comments on Frank's "apology" letter, at Emma's request Ch. He began -- stopping, however, almost directly to say, "Had I been offered the sight of one of this gentleman's letters to his mother-in-law a few months ago, Emma, it would not have been taken with such indifference. He proceeded a little farther, reading to himself; and then, with a smile, observed, "Humph!
One man's style must not be the rule of another's. We will not be severe. By doing it, I shall feel that I am near you. It will not be so great a loss of time: but if you dislike it -- ".
He knows he is wrong, and has nothing rational to urge. He ought not to have formed the engagement. Weston's sanguine temper was a blessing on all his upright and honourable exertions; but Mr.
Weston earned every present comfort before he endeavoured to gain it. Very true; he did not come till Miss Fairfax was here. You pass it over very handsomely; but you were perfectly right. When he came to Miss Woodhouse, he was obliged to read the whole of it aloud -- all that related to her, with a smile; a look; a shake of the head; a word or two of assent, or disapprobation; or merely of love, as the subject required; concluding, however, seriously, and, after steady reflection, thus Playing a most dangerous game.
Too much indebted to the event for his acquittal. No judge of his own manners by you. Always deceived in fact by his own wishes, and regardless of little besides his own convenience. Fancying you to have fathomed his secret.
Natural enough! Mystery -- finesse -- how they pervert the understanding! My Emma, does not every thing serve to prove more and more the beauty of truth and sincerity in all our dealings with each other? Emma agreed to it, and with a blush of sensibility on Harriet's account, which she could not give any sincere explanation of. He did so, but very soon stopt again to say, "the piano-forte! That was the act of a very, very young man, one too young to consider whether the inconvenience of it might not very much exceed the pleasure.
A boyish scheme, indeed! I cannot comprehend a man's wishing to give a woman any proof of affection which he knows she would rather dispense with; and he did know that she would have prevented the instrument's coming if she could. After this, he made some progress without any pause. Frank Churchill's confession of having behaved shamefully was the first thing to call for more than a word in passing. You never wrote a truer line. He had induced her to place herself, for his sake, in a situation of extreme difficulty and uneasiness, and it should have been his first object to prevent her from suffering unnecessarily.
She must have had much more to contend with, in carrying on the correspondence, than he could. He should have respected even unreasonable scruples, had there been such; but her's were all reasonable. We must look to her one fault, and remember that she had done a wrong thing in consenting to the engagement, to bear that she should have been in such a state of punishment. Emma knew that he was now getting to the Box-Hill party, and grew uncomfortable.
Her own behaviour had been so very improper! She was deeply ashamed, and a little afraid of his next look. It was all read, however, steadily, attentively, and without the smallest remark; and, excepting one momentary glance at her, instantly withdrawn, in the fear of giving pain, no remembrance of Box-Hill seemed to exist.
She felt the engagement to be a source of repentance and misery to each: she dissolved it. What a view this gives of her sense of his behaviour! Well, he must be a most extraordinary -- ".
Knightley coolly, and resuming the letter. What is all this? Smallridge's children -- a dear friend of Mrs. Elton's -- a neighbour of Maple Grove; and, by the bye, I wonder how Mrs. Elton bears the disappointment. Only one page more. I shall soon have done. What a letter the man writes!
He does seem to have suffered in finding her ill. Certainly, I can have no doubt of his being fond of her. He is a very liberal thanker, with his thousands and tens of thousands. And a fine ending -- and there is the letter. The child of good fortune!
That was your name for him, was it? I hope it does him some service with you. He has had great faults, faults of inconsideration and thoughtlessness; and I am very much of his opinion in thinking him likely to be happier than he deserves: but still as he is, beyond a doubt, really attached to Miss Fairfax, and will soon, it may be hoped, have the advantage of being constantly with her.
I am very ready to believe his character will improve, and acquire from her's the steadiness and delicacy of principle that it wants. And now, let me talk to you of something else. I have another person's interest at present so much at heart, that I cannot think any longer about Frank Churchill. Ever since I left you this morning, Emma, my mind has been hard at work on one subject.
Frank thanks Emma for her forgiveness, in person and bounces around between contrition and self-absorbed happiness Ch. Weston's letters. I hope time has not made you less willing to pardon. I hope you do not retract what you then said. I am particularly glad to see and shake hands with you, and to give you joy in person.
He thanked her with all his heart, and continued some time to speak with serious feeling of his gratitude and happiness. You see how my father and Mrs. Weston doat upon her. But his spirits were soon rising again, and with laughing eyes, after mentioning the expected return of the Campbells, he named the name of Dixon. Emma blushed, and forbad its being pronounced in her hearing. But is it possible that you had no suspicion?
I mean of late. Early, I know you had none. I was once very near -- and I wish I had; it would have been better. But though I was always doing wrong things, they were very bad wrong things, and such as did me no service. It would have been a much better transgression had I broken the bond of secrecy and told you everything. When the Campbells are returned, we shall meet them in London, and continue there, I trust, till we may carry her northward.
But now, I am at such a distance from her -- is not it hard, Miss Woodhouse? Till this morning, we have not once met since the day of reconciliation. Do not you pity me? Knightley is well? She coloured and laughed. Let me return your congratulations.
I assure you that I have heard the news with the warmest interest and satisfaction. He is a man whom I cannot presume to praise. Emma was delighted, and only wanted him to go on in the same style; but his mind was the next moment in his own concerns and with his own Jane, and his next words were,.
One cannot call her fair. It is a most uncommon complexion, with her dark eye-lashes and hair -- a most distinguishing complexion! So peculiarly the lady in it. Just colour enough for beauty. When we first began to talk of her.
Have you quite forgotten? I am sure you had. I am sure it was a consolation to you. I was the most miserable wretch! Read an in-depth analysis of Emma Woodhouse. Knightley is a respected landowner in his late thirties. He lives at Donwell Abbey and leases property to the Martins, a family of wealthy farmers whom he likes and counsels.
Knightley is the only character who is openly critical of Emma, pointing out her flaws and foibles with frankness, out of genuine concern and care for her. Though Mr. Woodhouse is nervous, frail, and prone to hypochondria, he is also known for his friendliness and his attachment to his daughter. A pretty but unremarkable seventeen-year-old woman of uncertain parentage, who lives at the local boarding school.
Frank Churchill lives at Enscombe with his aunt and uncle, Mr. He is considered a potential suitor for Emma, but she learns that though Frank is attractive, charming, and clever, he is also irresponsible, deceitful, rash, and ultimately unsuited to her.
Read an in-depth analysis of Frank Churchill. Jane rivals Emma in accomplishment and beauty; she possesses a kind heart and a reserved temperament. Read an in-depth analysis of Jane Fairfax. Known for her kind temperament and her devotion to Emma, Mrs. The widower and proprietor of Randalls, who has just married Miss Taylor when the novel begins. Weston is warm, sociable, and perpetually optimistic. The village vicar, a handsome and agreeable man considered a welcome addition to any social gathering.
When he reveals his indifference to Harriet and his desire to marry Emma, only to take a bride at Bath shortly thereafter, he comes to seem proud, conceited, and superficial. A twenty-four-year-old farmer. Martin is industrious and good-hearted, though he lacks the refinements of a gentleman. He lives at Abbey-Mill Farm, a property owned by Knightley, with his mother and sisters.
Friend of Mr. Woodhouse and aunt of Jane Fairfax, Miss Bates is a middle-aged spinster without beauty or cleverness but with universal goodwill and a gentle temperament. John Knightley, and their five children.
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