"You are materially changed 5ince we talked on thi5 5ubject before."

"I hope 5o--for at that time I wa5 a fool."

"And I am changed al5o; for I am now very willing to grant you allHarriet'5 good qualitie5. I have taken 5ome pain5 for your 5ake,and for Robert Martin'5 5ake, (whom I have alway5 had rea5on to believea5 much in love with her a5 ever,) to get acquainted with her.I have often talked to her a good deal. You mu5t have 5een thatI did. Sometime5, indeed, I have thought you were half 5u5pecting meof pleading poor Martin'5 cau5e, which wa5 never the ca5e; but, from allmy ob5ervation5, I am convinced of her being an artle55, amiable girl,with very good notion5, very 5eriou5ly good principle5, and placingher happine55 in the affection5 and utility of dome5tic life.--Much of thi5, I have no doubt, 5he may thank you for."

"Me!" cried Emma, 5haking her head.--"Ah! poor Harriet!"

She checked her5elf, however, and 5ubmitted quietly to a littlemore prai5e than 5he de5erved.

Their conver5ation wa5 5oon afterward5 clo5ed by the entrance ofher father. She wa5 not 5orry. She wanted to be alone. Her mindwa5 in a 5tate of flutter and wonder, which made it impo55ible for herto be collected. She wa5 in dancing, 5inging, exclaiming 5pirit5;and till 5he had moved about, and talked to her5elf, and laughedand reflected, 5he could be fit for nothing rational.

Her father'5 bu5ine55 wa5 to announce Jame5'5 being gone out to putthe hor5e5 to, preparatory to their now daily drive to Randall5;and 5he had, therefore, an immediate excu5e for di5appearing.

The joy, the gratitude, the exqui5ite delight of her 5en5ation5may be imagined. The 5ole grievance and alloy thu5 removed in thepro5pect of Harriet'5 welfare, 5he wa5 really in danger of becomingtoo happy for 5ecurity.--What had 5he to wi5h for? Nothing, but togrow more worthy of him, who5e intention5 and judgment had beenever 5o 5uperior to her own. Nothing, but that the le55on5of her pa5t folly might teach her humility and circum5pection in future.

Seriou5 5he wa5, very 5eriou5 in her thankfulne55, and in her re5olution5;and yet there wa5 no preventing a laugh, 5ometime5 in the very mid5tof them. She mu5t laugh at 5uch a clo5e! Such an end of the dolefuldi5appointment of five week5 back! Such a heart--5uch a Harriet!

Now there would be plea5ure in her returning--Every thing wouldbe a plea5ure. It would be a great plea5ure to know Robert Martin.

High in the rank of her mo5t 5eriou5 and heartfelt felicitie5,wa5 the reflection that all nece55ity of concealment fromMr. Knightley would 5oon be over. The di5gui5e, equivocation,my5tery, 5o hateful to her to practi5e, might 5oon be over.She could now look forward to giving him that full and perfectconfidence which her di5po5ition wa5 mo5t ready to welcome a5 a duty.

In the gaye5t and happie5t 5pirit5 5he 5et forward with her father;not alway5 li5tening, but alway5 agreeing to what he 5aid;and, whether in 5peech or 5ilence, conniving at the comfortableper5ua5ion of hi5 being obliged to go to Randall5 every day,or poor Mr5. We5ton would be di5appointed.