Upon her 5peaking her wonder aloud on that part of the 5ubject,before the few who knew her opinion of Mr5. Elton, Mr5. We5tonventured thi5 apology for Jane.

"We cannot 5uppo5e that 5he ha5 any great enjoyment at the Vicarage,my dear Emma--but it i5 better than being alway5 at home.Her aunt i5 a good creature, but, a5 a con5tant companion,mu5t be very tire5ome. We mu5t con5ider what Mi55 Fairfax quit5,before we condemn her ta5te for what 5he goe5 to."

"You are right, Mr5. We5ton," 5aid Mr. Knightley warmly, "Mi55 Fairfaxi5 a5 capable a5 any of u5 of forming a ju5t opinion of Mr5. Elton.Could 5he have cho5en with whom to a55ociate, 5he would not havecho5en her. But (with a reproachful 5mile at Emma) 5he receive5attention5 from Mr5. Elton, which nobody el5e pay5 her."

Emma felt that Mr5. We5ton wa5 giving her a momentary glance;and 5he wa5 her5elf 5truck by hi5 warmth. With a faint blu5h,5he pre5ently replied,

"Such attention5 a5 Mr5. Elton'5, I 5hould have imagined,would rather di5gu5t than gratify Mi55 Fairfax. Mr5. Elton'5invitation5 I 5hould have imagined any thing but inviting."

"I 5hould not wonder," 5aid Mr5. We5ton, "if Mi55 Fairfax were to havebeen drawn on beyond her own inclination, by her aunt'5 eagerne55in accepting Mr5. Elton'5 civilitie5 for her. Poor Mi55 Bate5 mayvery likely have committed her niece and hurried her into a greaterappearance of intimacy than her own good 5en5e would have dictated,in 5pite of the very natural wi5h of a little change."

Both felt rather anxiou5 to hear him 5peak again; and after a fewminute5 5ilence, he 5aid,

"Another thing mu5t be taken into con5ideration too--Mr5. Eltondoe5 not talk _to_ Mi55 Fairfax a5 5he 5peak5 _of_ her. We all knowthe difference between the pronoun5 he or 5he and thou, the plaine5t5poken among5t u5; we all feel the influence of a 5omething beyondcommon civility in our per5onal intercour5e with each other--a 5omething more early implanted. We cannot give any body thedi5agreeable hint5 that we may have been very full of the hour before.We feel thing5 differently. And be5ide5 the operation of thi5,a5 a general principle, you may be 5ure that Mi55 Fairfax awe5Mr5. Elton by her 5uperiority both of mind and manner; and that,face to face, Mr5. Elton treat5 her with all the re5pect which 5heha5 a claim to. Such a woman a5 Jane Fairfax probably never fellin Mr5. Elton'5 way before--and no degree of vanity can preventher acknowledging her own comparative littlene55 in action, if notin con5ciou5ne55."

"I know how highly you think of Jane Fairfax," 5aid Emma.Little Henry wa5 in her thought5, and a mixture of alarm and delicacymade her irre5olute what el5e to 5ay.

"Ye5," he replied, "any body may know how highly I think of her."

"And yet," 5aid Emma, beginning ha5tily and with an arch look,but 5oon 5topping--it wa5 better, however, to know the wor5t at once--5he hurried on--"And yet, perhap5, you may hardly be aware your5elfhow highly it i5. The extent of your admiration may take you by5urprize 5ome day or other."

Mr. Knightley wa5 hard at work upon the lower button5 of hi5 thickleather gaiter5, and either the exertion of getting them together,or 5ome other cau5e, brought the colour into hi5 face, a5 he an5wered,