Mr. and Mrs. John Knightley were not detained long at Hartfield. The weather soon improved enough for those to move who must move; and Mr. Woodhouse having, as usual, tried to persuade his daughter to stay behind with all her children, was obliged to see the whole party set off, and return to his lamentations over the destiny of poor Isabella; - which poor Isabella, passing her life with those she doated on, full of their merits, blind to their faults, and always innocently busy, might have been a model of right feminine happiness.
The evening of the very day on which they went brought a note from Mr. Elton to Mr. Woodhouse, a long, civil, ceremonious note, to say, with Mr. Elton's best compliments, `that he was proposing to leave Highbury the following morning in his way to Bath; where, in compliance1 with the pressing entreaties2 of some friends, he had engaged to spend a few weeks, and very much regretted the impossibility he was under, from various circumstances of weather and business, of taking a personal leave of Mr. Woodhouse, of whose friendly civilities he should ever retain a grateful sense - and had Mr. Woodhouse any commands, should be happy to attend to them.'
Emma was most agreeably surprized. - Mr. Elton's absence just at this time was the very thing to be desired. She admired him for contriving3 it, though not able to give him much credit for the manner in which it was announced. Resentment4 could not have been more plainly spoken than in a civility to her father, from which she was so pointedly5 excluded. She had not even a share in his opening compliments. - Her name was not mentioned; - and there was so striking a change in all this, and such an ill-judged solemnity of leave-taking in his graceful6 acknowledgments, as she thought, at first, could not escape her father's suspicion.
It did, however. - Her father was quite taken up with the surprize of so sudden a journey, and his fears that Mr. Elton might never get safely to the end of it, and saw nothing extraordinary in his language. It was a very useful note, for it supplied them with fresh matter for thought and conversation during the rest of their lonely evening. Mr. Woodhouse talked over his alarms, and Emma was in spirits to persuade them away with all her usual promptitude.
She now resolved to keep Harriet no longer in the dark. She had reason to believe her nearly recovered from her cold, and it was desirable that she should have as much time as possible for getting the better of her other complaint before the gentleman's return. She went to Mrs. Goddard's accordingly the very next day, to undergo the necessary penance7 of communication; and a severe one it was. - She had to destroy all the hopes which she had been so industriously8 feeding - to appear in the ungracious character of the one preferred - and acknowledge herself grossly mistaken and mis-judging in all her ideas on one subject, all her observations, all her convictions, all her prophecies for the last six weeks.
The confession9 completely renewed her first shame - and the sight of Harriet's tears made her think that she should never be in charity with herself again.
Harriet bore the intelligence very well - blaming nobody - and in every thing testifying such an ingenuousness10 of disposition11 and lowly opinion of herself, as must appear with particular advantage at that moment to her friend.
Emma was in the humour to value simplicity12 and modesty13 to the utmost; and all that was amiable14, all that ought to be attaching, seemed on Harriet's side, not her own. Harriet did not consider herself as having any thing to complain of. The affection of such a man as Mr. Elton would have been too great a distinction. - She never could have deserved him - and nobody but so partial and kind a friend as Miss Woodhouse would have thought it possible.
Her tears fell abundantly - but her grief was so truly artless, that no dignity could have made it more respectable in Emma's eyes - and she listened to her and tried to console her with all her heart and understanding - really for the time convinced that Harriet was the superior creature of the two - and that to resemble her would be more for her own welfare and happiness than all that genius or intelligence could do.
It was rather too late in the day to set about being simple-minded and ignorant; but she left her with every previous resolution confirmed of being humble15 and discreet16, and repressing imagination all the rest of her life. Her second duty now, inferior only to her father's claims, was to promote Harriet's comfort, and endeavour to prove her own affection in some better method than by match-making. She got her to Hartfield, and shewed her the most unvarying kindness, striving to occupy and amuse her, and by books and conversation, to drive Mr. Elton from her thoughts.
Time, she knew, must be allowed for this being thoroughly17 done; and she could suppose herself but an indifferent judge of such matters in general, and very inadequate18 to sympathise in an attachment19 to Mr. Elton in particular; but it seemed to her reasonable that at Harriet's age, and with the entire extinction20 of all hope, such a progress might be made towards a state of composure by the time of Mr. Elton's return, as to allow them all to meet again in the common routine of acquaintance, without any danger of betraying sentiments or increasing them.
Harriet did think him all perfection, and maintained the non-existence of any body equal to him in person or goodness - and did, in truth, prove herself more resolutely21 in love than Emma had foreseen; but yet it appeared to her so natural, so inevitable22 to strive against an inclination23 of that sort unrequited, that she could not comprehend its continuing very long in equal force.
If Mr. Elton, on his return, made his own indifference24 as evident and indubitable as she could not doubt he would anxiously do, she could not imagine Harriet's persisting to place her happiness in the sight or the recollection of him.
Their being fixed25, so absolutely fixed, in the same place, was bad for each, for all three. Not one of them had the power of removal, or of effecting any material change of society. They must encounter each other, and make the best of it.
Harriet was farther unfortunate in the tone of her companions at Mrs. Goddard's; Mr. Elton being the adoration26 of all the teachers and great girls in the school; and it must be at Hartfield only that she could have any chance of hearing him spoken of with cooling moderation or repellent truth. Where the wound had been given, there must the cure be found if anywhere; and Emma felt that, till she saw her in the way of cure, there could be no true peace for herself.
约翰·奈特利夫妇没有在哈特菲尔德逗留多久。天气很快好转，该走的人可以走了。伍德豪斯先生像往常一样，先是挽留女儿跟孩子们多住些日子，后来不得不把他们全都送走了，回头又哀叹起可怜的伊莎贝拉的命运来。而这位可怜的伊莎贝拉跟自己心爱的人朝夕相处，光知道他们有这样那样的优点，全然看不到他们有什么缺点，而且总是天真地忙来忙去，或许真可以说是女人生活幸福的一个典范。
就在他们走的那天晚上，埃尔顿先生叫人给伍德豪斯先生送来了一封信。这是一封礼仪周全、客客气气的长信，表达了埃尔顿先生的崇高敬意。信里说：“我打算明天早上离开海伯里去巴思（译注：巴思：英国西南部埃文郡东北部一城市，著名的矿泉疗养胜地）。我接受了几位朋友的盛情邀请，答应去那里住上几周。由于天气和事务的关系，我不能亲临府上辞行，深感抱歉。我将永远铭记先生的深情厚谊——先生如有吩咐，我将乐意效劳。”
爱玛感到惊喜不已。埃尔顿先生这时候走开，真是求之不得。她佩服他能想出这一招，但他采取这种方式通知他们，她却无法赞赏。他客客气气地给她父亲写信，对她却只字不提，这再明显不过地表露了他的忿懑之情。共至在开头的问候中，也把她撇在一边，连她的名字都不提一下。他这番变化太明显了，辞别中虽然表示了谢意，但是一本正经的并不明智，因此她从一开始就担心，这难免会引起她父亲的猜疑。
不过这倒没有。她父亲光顾得为埃尔顿先生这次突然出门感到诧异，还担心他能否安全抵达目的地，并没有察觉他的言词有什么异乎寻常的地方。这封信很有用处，在这孤寂的夜晚余下的时间里，他们可以有新鲜的事可以想、可以谈了。伍德豪斯先生谈起了他的担忧，爱玛则兴致勃勃地劝说他，像往常一样迅速打消了他的忧虑。
她现在打定主意，不再让哈丽特蒙在鼓里。她有理由相信，哈丽特的感冒差不多痊愈了，她最好赶在埃尔顿先生回来之前，尽可能多花些时间治好她的心病。于是，第二天她就跑到戈达德太太家，去承受说明真情的苦差。这还真是一件苦不堪言的差事。她不得不把她辛勤培育出来的希望全部摧毁——摆出一个令人喜爱之人的令人讨厌的身份，承认最近六个星期以来，她在这个问题上的所有想法、所有看法、所有信念、所有预言；全都是大错特错，荒谬绝伦。
这番坦白又彻底勾起了她起初的羞愧——眼见哈丽特流出了眼泪，她觉得她永远也不能原谅自己了。
哈丽特听了这消息，表现得倒挺能担待的——也不责怪谁——处处表明了她那纯朴的性情和自卑的心理，而此时此刻，这对她的朋友一定具有特别重要的意义。
爱玛这时的心情，倒是再推崇纯朴和谦逊不过了。天下一切最可爱、最迷人的优点，似乎都属于哈丽特的，而不为她所有。哈丽特认为自己没有什么好抱怨的。要是能被埃尔顿先生这样的男人所爱上，那该是多大的荣幸。她根本配不上他——只有伍德豪斯小姐这种好心加偏心的朋友，才会认为有这个可能。
她泪如泉涌——不过她是真的伤心，丝毫也不做作，在爱玛看来，不管多高贵的人，也不会比她表现得更可敬——爱玛听她说话，真心诚意地安慰她、体谅她——这时她还真觉得，她们两人比起来，哈丽特倒是更强些——她若是能像哈丽特那样，那她就会感到无比安乐、无比幸福，任何富有聪明才智的人都要望尘莫及。
天已经很晚了，要从这一天学着变得头脑简单、愚昧无知，那是来不及了。但她离开哈丽特时，还是坚定了先前的决心：从今以后，一定要谦虚谨慎，不再胡思乱想。现在，除了伺候父亲之外，她的第二职责就是让哈丽特过得快活，用一种比做媒更好的方式，证实自己对她的一片真心。她把她接到哈特菲尔德，始终无微不至地关怀她，想方设法让她做事，帮她解闷，给她书看，陪她聊天，使她不再去想埃尔顿先生。
她知道，要彻底做到这一点还需要时间。一般说来，她觉得自己对这类事不是很明鉴，特别是有人竟然爱上了埃尔顿先生，真叫她不可思议。不过，哈丽特毕竟年轻，加上希望已经完全破灭，只要这样发展下去，等到埃尔顿先生回来时，双方的情绪就可以归于平静，大家又能像一般熟人那样往来，既不会流露柔情，也不会增添蜜意。这似乎也是舍情合理的。
哈丽特确实把埃尔顿先生视为完人，认定世上没有人在品貌上能与他媲美，事实证明她还真比爱玛料想的更爱埃尔顿先生。不过，爱玛觉得这种单相思会自然而然地、不可避免地受到抑制，因此她无法理解这样的感情能持续多久。
她认为埃尔顿先生回来后，肯定会明确无疑地摆出一副毫不在乎的架势，如果真是如此，那她可就想象不出：哈丽特为什么非要把自己的幸福寄托在见到他或回想他上。
他们住在同一个地方，而且是绝对无法改变的，这对谁都不利，对三个人都不利。他们谁也搬不走，谁也无法改变自己的社交环境。他们必定要见面，而且要尽可能随遇而安。
对哈丽特来说，更加不幸的，是她在戈达德太太学校里的同伴们的说话腔调。埃尔顿先生成了学校里所有女教师和了不起的女学生的崇拜对象。只有在哈特菲尔德，她才有机会听到有人对他作出冷静而适度的分析，说出令人反感的事实。创伤如果可以在哪儿治愈的话，那就该哪儿受伤就在哪儿治愈。爱玛感到，不看见哈丽特治愈创伤，她自己就不可能有真正的安宁。
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compliance
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| n.顺从；服从；附和；屈从 | |
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entreaties
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| n.恳求，乞求( entreaty的名词复数 ) | |
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contriving
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| （不顾困难地）促成某事( contrive的现在分词 )； 巧妙地策划，精巧地制造（如机器）； 设法做到 | |
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resentment
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| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
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pointedly
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| adv.尖地，明显地 | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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penance
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| n.（赎罪的）惩罪 | |
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industriously
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confession
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| n.自白，供认，承认 | |
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ingenuousness
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| n.率直；正直；老实 | |
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disposition
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| n.性情，性格；意向，倾向；排列，部署 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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modesty
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| n.谦逊，虚心，端庄，稳重，羞怯，朴素 | |
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amiable
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| adj.和蔼可亲的，友善的，亲切的 | |
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humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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discreet
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| adj.(言行)谨慎的；慎重的；有判断力的 | |
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thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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inadequate
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| adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的 | |
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attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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extinction
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| n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种 | |
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resolutely
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| adj.坚决地，果断地 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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indifference
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| n.不感兴趣，不关心，冷淡，不在乎 | |
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fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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adoration
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| n.爱慕，崇拜 | |
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