Mr. Knightley’s Diary

I had high hopes of the dinner party at Hartfield, and I was not disappointed. I wished to see a further intimacy developing between Emma and Jane Fairfax, and I was gratified to see that it was so.

Emma was polite, Jane was graceful, and they seemed to enjoy each other’s company.

Emma was an excellent hostess. She drew Miss Fairfax out by talking of Miss Fairfax’s friend, Miss Campbell, and Miss Campbell’s new husband, Mr. Dixon. He sounded to be a gentlemanlike man, and it seemed that Miss Campbell had been fortunate in her choice.

Emma also drew forth some information about Frank Churchill. He was at Weymouth in the autumn, at the same time as Miss Fairfax, and so Miss Fairfax had made his acquaintance. This fact was of great interest to our fellow guests, not all of whom had heard of it, and it made the conversation particularly gratifying to the Westons, who were eager to hear further details about him.

Miss Fairfax said little, being still in low spirits, but what she said amounted to the fact that he was a very gentlemanlike man with agreeable manners, and was a general favourite.

I was surprised, but pleased, that Emma did not want to know more about him. She seemed more interested in the Dixons. Indeed, her questions were so pointed that I suspected some mischief but what mischief could there be in her asking about Jane’s newly married friend? It was just a woman’s curiosity, I suppose, as to how Miss Campbell and Mr. Dixon met, and how often Miss Fairfax was with them.

Thursday 28 January

January has proved to be busy both for me and for Highbury. I have had a great deal to do at the Abbey, and when I called in on Cole this morning, I heard that Elton was to marry! Cole showed me the letter. It was short and to the point.

My dear Cole, You must congratulate me. I have been so fortunate as to win the affection of a most beautiful young woman by the name of Augusta Hawkins. She is a goddess! We met quite by chance, and soon afterwards sat next to each other at a dinner party. I was taken with her straight away, but she was so far above me, her sister being married to Mr. Suckling of Maple Park, that I hardly dared hope - and yet her looks, her smiles! We met again, and my heart took flight! She is the embodiment of my dreams. My dear Augusta! An heiress, a beauty, and soon to be mine!

Your friend, PE

Poor Emma! I had better warn her of it, so that she is prepared when it becomes generally spoken of. It will give her a chance to prepare her little friend as well. If it were not for Harriet, I would be glad that this has happened. It will make intercourse between us all much easier, and smooth over any problems that might have arisen. Otherwise, embarrassment and coldness must have been the result of Emma’s misunderstanding. But Elton’s forthcoming marriage will provide so much to talk about, that the past will be forgotten. Any change in his habits will be attributed to his new situation. He will no longer be expected to dine at Hartfield so much, which will be a blessing both for him and for Emma.

For Harriet, though, the news must hurt. I comforted myself with the thought that it will hurt her pride only. I do not believe she was ever in love with Elton, or that she would have thought of him at all if Emma had not put the idea into her mind.

Perhaps now she may be allowed to go back to her own life, and to marry Robert Martin, as she should have done in the first place.

As for Emma, there will be some humiliation for her, but she will take no lasting harm from it. Besides, she has other things to occupy her mind.

I was pleased to see her being so friendly to Jane Fairfax yesterday. If I do not mistake my guess, the two of them are well on the way to becoming friends, and a far more suitable friendship it will be than the ones Emma has so far indulged in.

I went round to Hartfield after leaving Cole, to persuade Mr. Woodhouse that he really must build a new hen-house, and then I was free to talk to Emma.

"It was a very pleasant evening yesterday," I said. "I think everyone thought so."

"Once, I felt the fire rather too much; but then I moved back my chair a little, a very little, and it did not disturb me," said Mr. Woodhouse. "I like old friends; and Miss Jane Fairfax is a very pretty sort of young lady, a very pretty and a very well-behaved young lady indeed."

I was pleased to have the subject of Jane Fairfax introduced, and I could not agree more with Mr. Woodhouse. Jane Fairfax is very pretty indeed.

"You and Miss Fairfax gave us some very good music," I said to Emma. "I was glad you made her play so much, for having no instrument at her grandmother’s, it must have been a real indulgence."

"I am happy you approved, but I hope I am not often deficient in what is due to guests at Hartfield," she said, rebuking me.

I let it pass. I encouraged her to talk of Jane Fairfax, saying that she had seemed pleased with Miss

Fairfax.