Join Host Bree Carlile as she reads the forty-fifth chapter of Emma by Jane Austen

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Welcome to Bite 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's pensive meditations as she walked home were not interrupted, but on entering the parlor she found those who must Rouse her.

Mr.

Knightley and Harriet had arrived during.

Her absence and were sitting with her father.

Mr.

Knightley immediately got up and in a manner decidedly graver than usual, said.

I would not go away without seeing.

You, but I have no time to spare, and therefore must now be gone directly.

I am going to London to spend.

A few days with John and Isabella.

Have you anything to send or say.

Besides the love which nobody carries, nothing at all.

But is not this a sudden scheme?

Yes, rather.

I've been thinking of it some little time.

Emma was sure he had not forgiven her.

He looked unlike himself.

Time, however, she thought, would tell him that they ought to be friends again.

While he stood, as if meaning to.

Go but not going, her father began his inquiries.

Well, my dear, and did you get there safely?

And how did you find my worthy old friend and her daughter?

I daresay they must have been very.

Much obliged to you for coming, dear.

Emma has been to call on Mrs.

And Miss Bates.

Mr.

Knightley.

As I told you before, she is always so attentive to them.

Emma's color was heightened by this unjust.

Praise, and with a smile and shake of the head which spoke much, she looked at Mr.

Knightley.

It seemed as if there were an.

Instantaneous impression in her favor, as if his eyes received the truth from hers.

And all that had passed of good.

In her feelings were once caught and honored.

He looked at her with a glow of regard.

She was warmly gratified, and in another moment still more so by a little movement of more than common friendliness on his part.

He took her hand.

Whether she had not herself made the first motion she could not say.

She might perhaps have rather offered it, but he took her hand, pressed it.

And certainly was on the point of.

Carrying it to his lips, when from some fancy or other he suddenly let it go.

Why he should feel such a scruple.

Why he should change his mind when it was all but done, she could not perceive.

He would have judged better, she thought.

If he had not stopped.

The intention, however, was indubitable, and whether.

It was that his manners had in general so little gallon tree, or however else had happened.

But, she thought nothing became him more.

It was with him of so simple, yet so dignified in nature, she could not but recall the attempt with great satisfaction.

It spoke such perfect Amity.

He left them immediately afterwards gone in a moment.

He always moved with the alertness of a mind which could neither be undecided.

Nor dilatory, but now he seemed more sudden than usual in his disappearance.

Emma could not regret her having gone to Miss Bates, but she wished she had left her 10 minutes earlier.

It would have been a great pleasure.

To talk over Jane Fairfax's situation with Mr.

Knightley.

Neither would she regret that he should be going to Brunswick Square, for she knew how much his visit would be enjoyed.

But it might have happened at a.

Better time, and to have had longer notice of it would have been pleasant to her.

They parted thorough friends.

However, she could not be deceived as to the meaning of his countenance and his unfinished galliantry.

It was all done to assure her.

That she had fully recovered his good opinion.

He had been sitting with them half an hour.

She found it was a pity that she had not come back earlier.

In the hope of diverting her father's thoughts from the disagreeableness of Mr.

Knightley's.

Going to London and going so suddenly.

And going on horseback, which she knew would be all very bad.

Emma communicated her news of Jane Fairfax, and her dependence on the effect was justified.

It supplied a very useful check interested without disturbing him.

He had long made up his mind.

To Jane Fairfax's going out as governess.

And could talk of it cheerfully.

But Mr.

Knightley's going to London had.

Been an unexpected blow.

I'm very glad indeed, my dear, to.

Hear she is to be so comfortably settled.

Mrs.

Elton is very good natured and.

Agreeable, and I dare say her acquaintances.

Are just what they ought to be.

I hope it is a dry situation.

And that her health will be taken good care of.

It ought to be a first object, as I am sure.

Poor Ms.

Taylor's always was with me.

You know, my dear, she is going to be to this new lady what Ms.

Taylor was to us, and I.

Hope she'll be better off in one.

Respect and not be induced to go away after it has been her home so long.

The following day brought news from Richmond.

To throw everything else into the background.

An express arrived at Randalls to announce the death of Mrs.

Churchill.

Though her nephew had had no particular.

Reason to hasten back on her account.

She had not lived above six and 30 hours after his return.

A sudden seizure of a different nature.

From anything foreboded by her general state had carried her off after a short struggle.

The great Mrs.

Churchill was no more.

It felt as such things must be felt.

Everybody had a degree of gravity and.

Sorrow tenderness towards the departed, solicitude for.

The surviving friends, and in a reasonable time curiosity to know where she would be buried.

Goldsmith tells us that when lovely woman Stoops to folly, she has nothing to do but to die.

And when she Stoops to be disagreeable.

It is equally to be recommended as a clearer of ill Fame.

Mrs.

Churchill, after being disliked at least 25 years, was now spoken of with compassionate allowances.

At one point she was fully justified.

She had never been admitted before to be seriously ill.

The event acquitted her of all the.

Fancifulness and all the selfishness of imaginary complaints.

Poor Mrs.

Churchill, no doubt she had been suffering a great deal more than.

Anybody had ever supposed, and continual pain would try the temper.

It was a sad event, a great shock.

With all her faults, what would Mr.

Churchill do without her?

Mr.

Churchill's loss would be dreadful indeed.

Mr.

Churchill would never get over it.

Even Mr.

Weston shook his head and looked solemn, and said, A poor woman.

Who would have thought it, and resolved that his mourning should be as handsome.

As possible, and his wife sat sighing and moralizing over her broad hymns with.

A commiseration and good sense, true and steady.

How it would affect Frank was among.

The earliest thoughts of both.

It was also a very early speculation.

With Emma, the character of Mrs.

Churchill.

The grief of her husband.

Her mind glanced over them both with.

Awe and compassion, and then rested with.

Lightened feelings on how Frank might be affected by the event, how benefited, how freed.

She saw in the moment all the possible good.

Now an attachment to Harriet Smith would have nothing to encounter.

Mr.

Churchill, independent of his wife, was feared by nobody, an easy, guidable man to be persuaded into anything by his nephew.

All that remained to be wished was that the nephew should form the attachment.

As with all her goodwill and the.

Cause, Emma could feel no certainty of its being already formed.

Harriet behaved extremely well on the occasion, with great selfcommand.

Whatever she might feel of brighter hope, she betrayed nothing.

Emma was gratified to observe such a.

Proof in her of strengthened character, and refrained from any illusion that might endanger its maintenance.

They spoke, therefore, of Mrs.

Churchill's death with mutual forbearance.

Short letters from Frank were received at Randall's, communicating all that was immediately important.

Of their state and plans.

Mr.

Churchill was better than could be.

Expected, and their first removal on the departure of the funeral for Yorkshire was to be to the house of a very old friend in Windsor, to whom Mr.

Churchill had been promising a visit the last ten years.

At present there was nothing to be done for Harriet.

Good wishes for the future were all that could yet be possible.

On Emma's side it was a more pressing concern to show attention to Jane Fairfax, whose prospects were closing while Harriet's opened, and whose engagements now allowed of no delay in anyone at Highbury who wished to show her kindness, and with.

Emma, who was grown into a first wish.

She had scarcely a stronger regret than.

For her past coldness, and the person.

Whom she had been so many months neglecting was now the very one on whom she would have lavished every distinction of regard or sympathy.

She wanted to be of use to.

Her, wanted to show a value for her society, and testify respect and consideration.

She resolved to prevail on her to.

Spend a day at Hartfield.

A note was written to urge it.

The invitation was refused, and by a.

Verbal message Ms.

Fairfax was not well.

Enough to write, and when Mr.

Perry.

Called at Hartfield the same morning, it appeared that she was so much indisposed as to have been visited, though against her own consent, by himself, and that she was suffering under severe headaches and a nervous fever to a degree which.

Made him doubt the possibility of her.

Going to Mrs.

Small Ridges at the time proposed.

Her health seemed for the moment completely.

Deranged, appetite quite gone, and though there were no absolutely alarming symptoms, nothing touching the pulmonary complaint, which was a standing apprehension of the family.

Mr.

Perry was uneasy about her.

He thought she had undertaken more than.

She was equal to, and that she felt it so herself, though she would.

Not own it, her spirit seemed overcome.

Her present home he could not but observe, was unfavorable to a nervous disorder.

Confined always to one room.

He could have wished it otherwise, and.

Her good aunt, though his very old friend he must acknowledge to be not the best companion for an Invalid of that description.

Her care and attention could not be questioned.

They were, in fact only too great.

He was very much feared that Ms.

Fairfax derived more evil than good from them.

Emma listened with the warmest concern, grieved.

For her more and more, and looked around, eager to discover some way of being useful, to take her, be it only for an hour or two from.

Her aunt, to give her change of.

Air and scene and quiet, rational conversation, even for an hour or two, might.

Do her good, and the following morning.

She wrote again to say, in the most feeling language she could command, that she would call for her in the carriage at any hour, that Jane would.

Deign, mentioning that she had Mr.

Perry's.

Decided opinion in favor of such exercise for his patient.

The answer was only in this short.

Note, Mrs.

Fairfax's compliments and thanks, but it is quite unequal to any exercise.

Emma felt that her own note had deserved something better, but it was impossible to quarrel with words whose tremulous inequality showed indisposition so plainly, and she thought only of how she might best counteract this unwillingness to be seen or assisted in spite of the answer.

Therefore, she ordered the carriage and drove to Mrs.

Bates in the hope that Jane would be induced to join her.

But it would not do Miss Bates.

Came to the carriage door, all gratitude and agreeing with her most earnestly and thinking an airing might be of the.

Greatest service, and everything that message could.

Do was tried, but all in vain.

Miss Bates was obliged to return without success.

Jane was quite unpersuadable.

The mere proposal of going out seemed to make her worse.

Emma wished she could have seen her and tried her own powers, but almost before she could hint the wish, Miss Bates made it appear that she had promised her niece on no account, to let Miss Woodhouse in.

Indeed, the truth was that poor dear Jane could not bear to see anybody, anybody at all.

Mrs.

Elton, indeed, could not be denied.

And Mrs.

Cole had made such a point, and Mrs.

Perry had said so much.

But except them, Jane would really see nobody.

Emma did not want to be clasped.

With the Mrs.

Eltons, the Mrs.

Perrys, and the Mrs.

Coles, who would force themselves anywhere.

Neither could she feel any right of preference herself.

She submitted, therefore, and only questioned Miss Bates further as to her niece's appetite.

And diet, which she longed to be.

Able to assist on that subject.

Poor Miss Bates was very unhappy and very communicative.

Jane would hardly eat anything Mr.

Perry recommended, nourishing food, but everything they could command, and never had anybody such good neighbors was distasteful.

Emma, on reaching home, called the housekeeper.

Directly to an examination of her stores and some arrowroot.

A very superior quality was speedily dispatched to Miss Bates with the most friendly note.

In half an hour the arrowroot was.

Returned with a thousand thanks for Miss Bates, but dear Jane would not be satisfied without it being sent back.

It was a thing she could not take, and Moreover, she insisted on her saying that she was not at all in want of anything.

When Emma afterwards heard that Jane Fairfax had been seen wandering about the Meadows.

At some distance from Highbury on the afternoon of the very day on which.

She had, under the plea of being.

Unequal to any exercise, so peremptorily refused to go out with her in the.

Carriage, she could have no doubt putting.

Everything together that Jane was resolved to receive no kindness from her.

She was sorry, very sorry.

Her heart was grieved for a state.

Which seemed but the more pitiable from.

This sort of irritation of spirits, inconsistency.

Of action, and inequality of powers, and.

It mortified her that she was given.

So little credit for proper feeling or esteemed so little worthy as a friend.

But she had the consolation of knowing.

That her intentions were good, and of being able to say to herself that could Mr.

Knightley have been privy to all her attempts of assisting Jane Fairfax?

Could he even have seen into her heart?

He would not on this occasion have.

Found anything to reprove.

Thank you for joining Bite 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.