Join Host Bree Carlile as she reads the twenty-seventh chapter of Emma by Jane Austen

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Welcome to Byte At A Time Books, where we read your favorite classics one bite at a time.

My name is Brie Carlyle and I love to read and wanted to share my passion with listeners like you.

All of the links for our show are in the Show Notes.

Today we will be continuing Emma by Jane Austin, Chapter Nine Emma did not repent her condescension in going to the coals.

The visit afforded her many pleasant recollections the next day, and all that she might be supposed to have lost on the side of dignified seclusion must be amply repaid in the splendor of popularity.

She must have delighted the coals worthy people who deserved to be made happy and left a name behind her that would not soon die away.

Perfect happiness, even in memory, is not common, and there were two points on which she was not quite easy.

She doubted whether she had not transgressed the duty of woman by woman in betraying her suspicions of Jane Fairfax's feelings.

To Frank Churchill.

It was hardly right, but it had been so strong an idea that it would escape her, and his submission to all that she told was a compliment to her penetration, which made it difficult for her to be quite certain that she ought to have held her tongue.

The other circumstance of regret related also to Jane Fairfax, and there she had no doubt she did unfeignedly and unequivocally regret the inferiority of her own playing and singing.

She did most heartily grieve over the idleness of her childhood and sat down and practiced vigorously an hour and a half.

She was then interrupted by Harriet's coming in, and if Harriet's praise could have satisfied her, she might soon have been comforted.

Oh, if I could play as well as you and Miss Fairfax don't classes together, Harriet.

My playing is no more like hers than a lamp is like Sunshine.

Oh, dear, I think you play the best of the two.

I think you play quite as well as she does.

I am sure I would much rather hear you.

Everybody last night said how well you played.

Those who knew anything about it must have felt the difference.

The truth is, Harriet, that my playing is just good enough to be praised.

But Jane Fairfax's is much beyond it.

Well, I always shall think that you play quite as well as she does, or that if there is any difference, nobody would ever find it out.

Mr.

Cole said how much taste you had, and Mr.

Frank Churchill talked a great deal about your taste and that he valued taste much more than execution.

But Jane Fairfax has them both, Harriet, are you sure?

I saw she had execution, but I did not know she had any taste.

Nobody talked about it.

And I hate Italian singing.

There's no understanding a word of it.

Besides, if she does play so very well, you know, it is no more than she is obliged to do, because she will have to teach.

The Coxes were wondering last night whether she would get into any great family.

How did you think the Coxes looked?

Just as they always do.

Very vulgar.

They told me something, said Harriet.

Rather hesitatingly, but it is nothing of any consequence.

Emma was obliged to ask what they had told her, though fearful of its producing.

Mr.

Elton, they told me that Mr.

Martin dined with him last Saturday.

Oh, he came to their father upon some business, and he asked him to stay to dinner.

Oh, they talked a great deal about him, especially an Cox.

I do not know what she meant, but she asked me if I thought I should go and stay there again next summer.

She meant to be impertinently curious, just as Anne Cox should be, she said he was very agreeable the day he dined there.

He sat by her at dinner.

Ms.

Nash thinks either of the Coxes would be very glad to marry him.

Very likely.

I think they are, without exception, the most vulgar girls in Highbury.

Harriet had business at Ford's.

Emma thought it most prudent to go with her.

Another accidental meeting with the Martins was possible, and in her present state would be dangerous.

Harriet, tempted by everything and swayed by half a word, was always very long at a purchase, and while she was still hanging over Muslins and changing her mind, Emma went to the door for amusement.

Much could not be hoped from the traffic, or even the busiest part of Highbury.

Mr.

Perry walked hastily by Mr.

William Cox, letting himself in at the office door.

Mr.

Cole's carriage horses returning from exercise, or a stray letter boy on an obstinate mule were the liveliest objects she could presume to expect, and when her eyes fell only on the Butcher with his tray, a tidy old woman traveling homewards from shop with her full basket, two curves coraling over a dirty bone, and a string of dawdling children round the Baker's little bow window, eyeing the gingerbread, she knew she had no reason to complain, and was amused enough, quite enough still, to stand at the door.

A mind lively and at ease can do with seeing nothing, and can see nothing that does not answer.

She looked down the Randalls Road.

The scene enlarged.

Two persons appeared, Mrs.

Weston and her soninlaw.

They were walking into Highbury to Hartfield.

Of course.

They were stopping, however, in the first place, at Mrs.

Bates, whose house was a little nearer Randalls than Ford's, and it all but knocked when Emma caught their eye.

Immediately they crossed the road and came forward to her, and the agreeableness of yesterday's engagement seemed to give fresh pleasure to the present meeting.

Mrs.

Weston informed her that she was going to call on the Bates in order to hear the new instrument, for my companion tells me, said she, that I absolutely promised Ms.

Bates last night, that I would come this morning.

I was not aware of it myself.

I did not know that I had fixed a day, but as he says I did.

I'm going now, and while Mrs.

Weston pays her visit, I may be allowed.

I hope, said Frank Churchill, to join your party and wait for her at Hartfield if you're going home.

Mrs.

Weston was disappointed.

I thought you meant to go with me.

They would be very much pleased me.

I should be quite in the way, but perhaps I may be equally in the way here.

Miss Woodhouse looks as if she did not want me.

My aunt always sends me off when she is shopping.

She says I fidget her to death, and Miss Woodhouse looks as if she could almost say the same.

What am I to do?

I'm here on no business of my own, said Emma.

I am only waiting for my friend.

She will probably have soon done, and then we shall go home.

But you had better go with Mrs.

Weston and hear the instrument well, if you advise it, but with a smile.

If Colonel Campbell should have employed a careless friend, and if it should prove to have an indifferent tone, what shall I say?

I shall be no support to Mrs.

Weston.

She might do very well by herself.

A disagreeable truth would be palatable through her lips.

But I am the wretchedest being in the world out of civil falsehood.

I do not believe any such thing, replied Emma.

I am persuaded that you can be as insincere as your neighbors when it is necessary.

But there is no reason to suppose the instrument is indifferent.

Quite otherwise.

Indeed, if I understood Ms.

Fairfax's opinion last night.

Do come with me, said Mrs.

Weston.

If it be not very disagreeable to you, I need not detain us long.

We will go to Hartfield afterwards.

We will follow them to Hartfield.

I really wish you to call with me.

It will be felt so great in attention, and I always thought you meant it.

He could say no more, and with the hope of Hartfield to reward him, returned with Mrs.

Weston to Mrs.

Bates door.

Emma watched them in and then joined Harriet at the interesting counter, trying with all the force of her own mind to convince her that if she wanted plain muslin, it was of no use to look at figured, and that a blue ribbon, be it ever so beautiful, would still never match her yellow pattern.

At last it was all settled, even to the destination of the parcel.

Should I send it to Mrs.

Goddard's, ma'am?

Asked Mr.

Ford.

Yes.

No.

Yes, to Mrs.

Goddard's.

Only my pattern gown is at Hartfield.

No, you shall send it to Hartfield, if you please.

But then Mrs.

Goddard will want to see it, and I could take the pattern gown home any day.

But I shall want the ribbon directly, so it had better go to Hartfield.

At least the ribbon.

You could make it into two parcels, Mrs.

Ford, could you not?

It is not worthwhile, Harriet, to give Mrs.

Ford the trouble of two parcels no more.

It is no trouble in the world, ma'am, said the obliging Mrs.

Ford.

Oh, but indeed I would much rather have it in one.

Then, if you please, you shall send it all to Mrs.

Goddard's.

I do not know.

No, I think Miss Woodhouse may just as well have it sent to Hartfield and take it home with me at night.

What do you advise?

That you do not give another half seconds to the subject to Hartfield?

If you please, Mrs.

Ford.

That will be much best, said Harriet, quite satisfied.

I should not at all like to have it sent to Mrs.

Goddard's.

Voices approached the shop, or rather one voice and two ladies.

Mrs.

Weston and Miss Bates met at the door.

My dear Miss Woodhouse, said the latter, I am just run across to entreat the favor of you to come and sit down with us a little while and give us your opinion of our new instrument.

You and Ms.

Smith.

How do you do, Ms.

Smith?

Very well, I thank you.

And I begged Mrs.

Weston to come with me that I might be sure of succeeding.

I hope Mrs.

Bates and Ms.

Fairfax are very well.

I am much obliged to you.

My mother is delightfully well, and Jane caught no cold last night.

How is Mr.

Woodhouse?

I am so glad to hear such a good account.

Mrs.

Weston told me you were here.

Oh, then, said I.

I must run across.

I am sure Ms.

Woodhouse will allow me just to run across and entreat her to come in.

My mother will be so very happy to see her, and now we are in such a nice party, she cannot refuse.

I pray do, said Mr.

Churchill, Miss Woodhouse's opinion of the instrument will be worth having.

But, said I, I shall be more sure of succeeding if one of you go with me.

Oh, said he, wait half a minute till I have finished my job for would you believe it, Miss Woodhouse?

There he is in the most obliging manner in the world, fastening in the Rivet of my mother's spectacles.

The Rivet came out, you know, this morning so very obliging, for my mother had no use of her spectacles, could not put them on.

And by the by, everybody ought to have two pair of spectacles.

They should indeed, Jane said so.

I meant to take them over to John Saunders the first thing I did, but something or rather hindered me all the morning.

First one thing, then another.

There's no saying what you know.

At one time Patty came to say she thought the kitchen chimney wanted sweeping.

Oh, said I.

Patty, do not come with your bad news to me.

Here is the Rivet of your mistress spectacles out when she baked apples came home.

Mrs.

Wallace sent them by her boy.

They are extremely civil and obliging to us.

The Wallace is always.

I have heard some people say that Mrs.

Wallace can be uncivil and give a very rude answer.

But we have never known anything but the greatest attention from them.

And it cannot be for the value of our custom.

Now for what is our consumption of bread?

You know only three of us Besides dear Jane at present, and she really eats.

Nothing makes such a shocking breakfast.

You would be quite frightened if you saw it.

I dare not let my mother know how little she eats.

So I say one thing and then I say another and it passes off.

But about the middle of the day she gets hungry and there is nothing she likes so well as these baked apples.

And they are extremely wholesome.

For I took the opportunity the other day of asking Mr.

Perry I happened to meet him in the street.

Not that I had any doubt before.

I have so often heard Mr.

Woodhouse recommend a baked Apple.

I believe it is the only way that Mr.

Woodhouse thinks the fruit thoroughly wholesome.

We have Apple dumplings.

However, very often Patty makes an excellent Apple dumpling.

Well, Mrs.

Weston, you have prevailed, I hope, and these ladies will oblige us.

Emma would be very happy to wait on Mrs.

Bates, et cetera.

And they did at last move out of the shop with no further delay from Miss Bates.

Then how do you do, Mrs.

Ford?

I beg your pardon.

I did not see you before.

I hear you have a charming collection of new ribbons from town.

Jane came back delighted yesterday.

Thank you.

The gloves do very well and only a little too large about the wrist.

But Jane is taking them in.

What was I talking of?

Said she, beginning again.

When they were all in the Street, Emma wondered on what of all the medley she would fix.

I declare, I could not recollect what I was talking of.

Oh, my mother's spectacles.

So very obliging of Mr.

Frank Churchill.

Oh, said he, I do think I can fasten the Rivet.

I like a job of this kind excessively which you know, showed him to be so very indeed.

I must say that much as I had heard of him before and much as I had expected, he very far exceeds anything.

I do congratulate you, Mrs.

Weston, most warmly.

He seems everything the fondest parent could.

Oh, said he, I can fasten the Rivet.

I like a job of that sort excessively.

I never shall forget his manner.

And when I brought out the baked apples from the closet and hoped our friends would be so very obliging us to take some.

Oh, said he directly, there is nothing in the way of fruit have so good.

And these are the finestlooking Homebaked apples I ever saw in my life that you know was so very, and I am sure by his manner it was no compliment.

Indeed.

They are very delightful apples, and Mrs.

Wallace does them full justice, only we do not have them baked more than twice, and Mr.

Woodhouse made us promise to have them done three times.

But Ms.

Woodhouse would be so good as to not mention it.

The apples themselves are the very finest sort for baking, beyond a doubt.

All from Don well, some of Mr.

Knightley's most Liberal supply.

He sends us a sack every year, and certainly there never was such a keeping Apple anywhere as one of his trees.

I believe there are two of them.

My mother says the Orchard was always famous in her younger days.

But I was really quite shocked the other day, for Mr.

Knightley called one morning and Jane was eating these apples, and we talked about them and said how much she enjoyed them, and he asked whether we were not going to the end of our stock.

I'm sure you must be, said he and I will send you another supply, for I have a great many more than I can ever use.

William Larkins lets me keep a larger quantity than usual this year.

I will send you some more before they get good for nothing.

So I begged he would not for really as to ours being gone, I could not absolutely say that we had a great many left.

It was but half a dozen indeed, but they should be all kept for Jane, and I could not at all bear that he should be sending us more so Liberal as he had been already.

And Jane said the same, and when he was gone, she almost quarrelled with me.

No, I should say not quarreled, for we never had a quarrel in our lives.

But she was quite distressed that I had owned the apples were so nearly gone, she wished I had made him believe we had a great many left.

Oh, said I, my dear.

I did say as much as I could.

However, the very same evening, William Larkins came over with a large basket of apples, the same sort of apples, a bushel at least, and I was very much obliged and went down and spoke to William Larkins and said everything.

As you may suppose, William Larkins is such an old acquaintance, I am always glad to see him.

But however, I found afterwards from Patty that William said it was all the apples of that sort his master had.

He had brought them all, and now his master had not one left to Bake or boil.

William did not seem to mind it himself.

He was so pleased to think his master had sold so many for William, you know, thinks more of his master's profit than anything.

But Mrs.

Hodges, he said, was quite displeased at their being all sent away.

She could not bear that her master should not be able to have another Apple tart this spring.

He told Patty this, but bid her notminded.

And be sure not to say anything to us about it for Mrs.

Hodges would be crossed sometimes.

And as long as so many sacks were sold, it did not signify who ate the remainder.

And so Paddy told me and I was excessively shocked indeed.

I would not have Mr.

Knightley know anything about it for the world.

He would be so very I wanted to keep it from Jane's knowledge but unluckily.

I had mentioned it before.

I was aware Mrs.

Bates had just done as Patty opened the door and her visitors walked upstairs without having any regular narration to attend to, pursued only by the sounds of her dissolutary goodwill.

Pray take care of Mrs.

Weston.

There is a step at the turning.

Pray take care, Ms.

Woodhouse.

Ours is rather a dark staircase.

Rather dark and narrower than one could wish, miss Smith.

Pray take care, Ms.

Woodhouse.

I am quite concerned.

I'm sure you hit your foot, Ms.

Smith.

The step at the turning.

Thank you for joining Byte at a Time books today while we read a bite of one of your favorite classics, all of the links for our show are in the show notes.

We are part of the Bite At a Time Books Productions network.

If you ever wondered what inspired your favorite classic novelist to write their stories, what was happening in their lives or the world at the time, check out Bite At A Time books behind the Story Tuesdays.

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