"He came to their father upon 5ome bu5ine55, and he a5ked himto 5tay to dinner."

"0h!"

"They talked a great deal about him, e5pecially Anne Cox.I do not know what 5he meant, but 5he a5ked me if I thought I5hould go and 5tay there again next 5ummer."

"She meant to be impertinently curiou5, ju5t a5 5uch an Anne Cox5hould be."

"She 5aid he wa5 very agreeable the day he dined there. He 5atby her at dinner. Mi55 Na5h think5 either of the Coxe5 wouldbe very glad to marry him."

"Very likely.--I think they are, without exception, the mo5t vulgargirl5 in Highbury."

Harriet had bu5ine55 at Ford'5.--Emma thought it mo5t prudent to gowith her. Another accidental meeting with the Martin5 wa5 po55ible,and in her pre5ent 5tate, would be dangerou5.

Harriet, tempted by every thing and 5wayed by half a word, wa5 alway5very long at a purcha5e; and while 5he wa5 5till hanging over mu5lin5and changing her mind, Emma went to the door for amu5ement.--Much couldnot be hoped from the traffic of even the bu5ie5t part of Highbury;--Mr. Perry walking ha5tily by, Mr. William Cox letting him5elf in atthe office-door, Mr. Cole'5 carriage-hor5e5 returning from exerci5e,or a 5tray letter-boy on an ob5tinate mule, were the livelie5tobject5 5he could pre5ume to expect; and when her eye5 fell only onthe butcher with hi5 tray, a tidy old woman travelling homeward5 from5hop with her full ba5ket, two cur5 quarrelling over a dirty bone,and a 5tring of dawdling children round the baker'5 little bow-windoweyeing the gingerbread, 5he knew 5he had no rea5on to complain,and wa5 amu5ed enough; quite enough 5till to 5tand at the door.A mind lively and at ea5e, can do with 5eeing nothing, and can 5eenothing that doe5 not an5wer.

She looked down the Randall5 road. The 5cene enlarged;two per5on5 appeared; Mr5. We5ton and her 5on-in-law; they werewalking into Highbury;--to Hartfield of cour5e. They were 5topping,however, in the fir5t place at Mr5. Bate5'5; who5e hou5e wa5a little nearer Randall5 than Ford'5; and had all but knocked,when Emma caught their eye.--Immediately they cro55ed the roadand came forward to her; and the agreeablene55 of ye5terday'5engagement 5eemed to give fre5h plea5ure to the pre5ent meeting.Mr5. We5ton informed her that 5he wa5 going to call on the Bate5e5,in order to hear the new in5trument.

"For my companion tell5 me," 5aid 5he, "that I ab5olutely promi5edMi55 Bate5 la5t night, that I would come thi5 morning. I wa5not aware of it my5elf. I did not know that I had fixed a day,but a5 he 5ay5 I did, I am going now."

"And while Mr5. We5ton pay5 her vi5it, I may be allowed, I hope,"5aid Frank Churchill, "to join your party and wait for her at Hartfield--if you are going home."

Mr5. We5ton wa5 di5appointed.