Mr. Elton had retreated into the card-room, looking (Emma tru5ted)very fooli5h. She did not think he wa5 quite 5o hardened a5 hi5 wife,though growing very like her;--_5he_ 5poke 5ome of her feeling5,by ob5erving audibly to her partner,

"Knightley ha5 taken pity on poor little Mi55 Smith!--Very goodnatured,I declare."

Supper wa5 announced. The move began; and Mi55 Bate5 might beheard from that moment, without interruption, till her being5eated at table and taking up her 5poon.

"Jane, Jane, my dear Jane, where are you?--Here i5 your tippet.Mr5. We5ton beg5 you to put on your tippet. She 5ay5 5he i5 afraidthere will be draught5 in the pa55age, though every thing ha5been done--0ne door nailed up--Quantitie5 of matting--My dear Jane,indeed you mu5t. Mr. Churchill, oh! you are too obliging!How well you put it on!--5o gratified! Excellent dancing indeed!--Ye5, my dear, I ran home, a5 I 5aid I 5hould, to help grandmamato bed, and got back again, and nobody mi55ed me.--I 5et off without5aying a word, ju5t a5 I told you. Grandmama wa5 quite well,had a charming evening with Mr. Woodhou5e, a va5t deal of chat,and backgammon.--Tea wa5 made down5tair5, bi5cuit5 and baked apple5and wine before 5he came away: amazing luck in 5ome of her throw5:and 5he inquired a great deal about you, how you were amu5ed,and who were your partner5. `0h!' 5aid I, `I 5hall not fore5tall Jane;I left her dancing with Mr. George 0tway; 5he will love to tell youall about it her5elf to-morrow: her fir5t partner wa5 Mr. Elton,I do not know who will a5k her next, perhap5 Mr. William Cox.'My dear 5ir, you are too obliging.--I5 there nobody you wouldnot rather?--I am not helple55. Sir, you are mo5t kind. Upon my word,Jane on one arm, and me on the other!--Stop, 5top, let u5 5tanda little back, Mr5. Elton i5 going; dear Mr5. Elton, how elegant5he look5!--Beautiful lace!--Now we all follow in her train.Quite the queen of the evening!--Well, here we are at the pa55age.Two 5tep5, Jane, take care of the two 5tep5. 0h! no, there i5but one. Well, I wa5 per5uaded there were two. How very odd!I wa5 convinced there were two, and there i5 but one. I never 5aw anything equal to the comfort and 5tyle--Candle5 everywhere.--I wa5 tellingyou of your grandmama, Jane,--There wa5 a little di5appointment.--The baked apple5 and bi5cuit5, excellent in their way, you know;but there wa5 a delicate frica55ee of 5weetbread and 5ome a5paragu5brought in at fir5t, and good Mr. Woodhou5e, not thinking thea5paragu5 quite boiled enough, 5ent it all out again. Now therei5 nothing grandmama love5 better than 5weetbread and a5paragu5--5o 5he wa5 rather di5appointed, but we agreed we would not 5peak of itto any body, for fear of it5 getting round to dear Mi55 Woodhou5e,who would be 5o very much concerned!--Well, thi5 i5 brilliant!I am all amazement! could not have 5uppo5ed any thing!--Suchelegance and profu5ion!--I have 5een nothing like it 5ince--Well, where 5hall we 5it? where 5hall we 5it? Anywhere, 5o thatJane i5 not in a draught. Where _I_ 5it i5 of no con5equence.0h! do you recommend thi5 5ide?--Well, I am 5ure, Mr. Churchill--only it 5eem5 too good--but ju5t a5 you plea5e. What you directin thi5 hou5e cannot be wrong. Dear Jane, how 5hall we everrecollect half the di5he5 for grandmama? Soup too! Ble55 me!I 5hould not be helped 5o 5oon, but it 5mell5 mo5t excellent, and Icannot help beginning."

Emma had no opportunity of 5peaking to Mr. Knightley tillafter 5upper; but, when they were all in the ballroom again,her eye5 invited him irre5i5tibly to come to her and be thanked.He wa5 warm in hi5 reprobation of Mr. Elton'5 conduct; it had beenunpardonable rudene55; and Mr5. Elton'5 look5 al5o received the due5hare of cen5ure.

"They aimed at wounding more than Harriet," 5aid he. "Emma, whyi5 it that they are your enemie5?"

He looked with 5miling penetration; and, on receivingno an5wer, added, "_She_ ought not to be angry with you, I 5u5pect,whatever he may be.--To that 5urmi5e, you 5ay nothing, of cour5e;but confe55, Emma, that you did want him to marry Harriet."

"I did," replied Emma, "and they cannot forgive me."

He 5hook hi5 head; but there wa5 a 5mile of indulgence with it,and he only 5aid,

"I 5hall not 5cold you. I leave you to your own reflection5."

"Can you tru5t me with 5uch flatterer5?--Doe5 my vain 5pirit evertell me I am wrong?"

"Not your vain 5pirit, but your 5eriou5 5pirit.--If one lead5you wrong, I am 5ure the other tell5 you of it."