Emma and Harriet had been walking together one morning, and, in Emma's opinion, had been talking enough of Mr. Elton for that day. She could not think that Harriet's solace1 or her own sins required more; and she was therefore industriously2 getting rid of the subject as they returned; - but it burst out again when she thought she had succeeded, and after speaking some time of what the poor must suffer in winter, and receiving no other answer than a very plaintive3 - `Mr. Elton is so good to the poor!' she found something else must be done.
They were just approaching the house where lived Mrs. and Miss Bates. She determined4 to call upon them and seek safety in numbers. There was always sufficient reason for such an attention; Mrs. and Miss Bates loved to be called on, and she knew she was considered by the very few who presumed ever to see imperfection in her, as rather negligent5 in that respect, and as not contributing what she ought to the stock of their scanty6 comforts.
She had had many a hint from Mr. Knightley and some from her own heart, as to her deficiency - but none were equal to counteract7 the persuasion8 of its being very disagreeable, - a waste of time - tiresome9 women - and all the horror of being in danger of falling in with the second-rate and third-rate of Highbury, who were calling on them for ever, and therefore she seldom went near them. But now she made the sudden resolution of not passing their door without going in - observing, as she proposed it to Harriet, that, as well as she could calculate, they were just now quite safe from any letter from Jane Fairfax.
The house belonged to people in business. Mrs. and Miss Bates occupied the drawing-room floor; and there, in the very moderate-sized apartment, which was every thing to them, the visitors were most cordially and even gratefully welcomed; the quiet neat old lady, who with her knitting was seated in the warmest corner, wanting even to give up her place to Miss Woodhouse, and her more active, talking daughter, almost ready to overpower them with care and kindness, thanks for their visit, solicitude10 for their shoes, anxious inquiries11 after Mr. Woodhouse's health, cheerful communications about her mother's, and sweet-cake from the beaufet - `Mrs. Cole had just been there, just called in for ten minutes, and had been so good as to sit an hour with them, and she had taken a piece of cake and been so kind as to say she liked it very much; and, therefore, she hoped Miss Woodhouse and Miss Smith would do them the favour to eat a piece too.'
The mention of the Coles was sure to be followed by that of Mr. Elton. There was intimacy12 between them, and Mr. Cole had heard from Mr. Elton since his going away. Emma knew what was coming; they must have the letter over again, and settle how long he had been gone, and how much he was engaged in company, and what a favourite he was wherever he went, and how full the Master of the Ceremonies' ball had been; and she went through it very well, with all the interest and all the commendation that could be requisite13, and always putting forward to prevent Harriet's being obliged to say a word.
This she had been prepared for when she entered the house; but meant, having once talked him handsomely over, to be no farther incommoded by any troublesome topic, and to wander at large amongst all the Mistresses and Misses of Highbury, and their card-parties. She had not been prepared to have Jane Fairfax succeed Mr. Elton; but he was actually hurried off by Miss Bates, she jumped away from him at last abruptly14 to the Coles, to usher15 in a letter from her niece.
`Oh! yes - Mr. Elton, I understand - certainly as to dancing - Mrs. Cole was telling me that dancing at the rooms at Bath was - Mrs. Cole was so kind as to sit some time with us, talking of Jane; for as soon as she came in, she began inquiring after her, Jane is so very great a favourite there. Whenever she is with us, Mrs. Cole does not know how to shew her kindness enough; and I must say that Jane deserves it as much as any body can. And so she began inquiring after her directly, saying, ``I know you cannot have heard from Jane lately, because it is not her time for writing;'' and when I immediately said, ``But indeed we have, we had a letter this very morning,'' I do not know that I ever saw any body more surprized. ``Have you, upon your honour?'' said she; ``well, that is quite unexpected. Do let me hear what she says.'''
Emma's politeness was at hand directly, to say, with smiling interest -
`Have you heard from Miss Fairfax so lately? I am extremely happy. I hope she is well?'
`Thank you. You are so kind!' replied the happily deceived aunt, while eagerly hunting for the letter. - `Oh! here it is. I was sure it could not be far off; but I had put my huswife upon it, you see, without being aware, and so it was quite hid, but I had it in my hand so very lately that I was almost sure it must be on the table. I was reading it to Mrs. Cole, and since she went away, I was reading it again to my mother, for it is such a pleasure to her - a letter from Jane - that she can never hear it often enough; so I knew it could not be far off, and here it is, only just under my huswife - and since you are so kind as to wish to hear what she says; - but, first of all, I really must, in justice to Jane, apologise for her writing so short a letter - only two pages you see - hardly two - and in general she fills the whole paper and crosses half. My mother often wonders that I can make it out so well. She often says, when the letter is first opened, ``Well, Hetty, now I think you will be put to it to make out all that checker-work'' - don't you, ma'am? - And then I tell her, I am sure she would contrive16 to make it out herself, if she had nobody to do it for her - every word of it - I am sure she would pore over it till she had made out every word. And, indeed, though my mother's eyes are not so good as they were, she can see amazingly well still, thank God! with the help of spectacles. It is such a blessing17! My mother's are really very good indeed. Jane often says, when she is here, ``I am sure, grandmama, you must have had very strong eyes to see as you do - and so much fine work as you have done too! - I only wish my eyes may last me as well.'''
All this spoken extremely fast obliged Miss Bates to stop for breath; and Emma said something very civil about the excellence18 of Miss Fairfax's handwriting.
`You are extremely kind,' replied Miss Bates, highly gratified; `you who are such a judge, and write so beautifully yourself. I am sure there is nobody's praise that could give us so much pleasure as Miss Woodhouse's. My mother does not hear; she is a little deaf you know. Ma'am,' addressing her, `do you hear what Miss Woodhouse is so obliging to say about Jane's handwriting?'
And Emma had the advantage of hearing her own silly compliment repeated twice over before the good old lady could comprehend it. She was pondering, in the meanwhile, upon the possibility, without seeming very rude, of making her escape from Jane Fairfax's letter, and had almost resolved on hurrying away directly under some slight excuse, when Miss Bates turned to her again and seized her attention.
`My mother's deafness is very trifling19 you see - just nothing at all. By only raising my voice, and saying any thing two or three times over, she is sure to hear; but then she is used to my voice. But it is very remarkable20 that she should always hear Jane better than she does me. Jane speaks so distinct! However, she will not find her grandmama at all deafer than she was two years ago; which is saying a great deal at my mother's time of life - and it really is full two years, you know, since she was here. We never were so long without seeing her before, and as I was telling Mrs. Cole, we shall hardly know how to make enough of her now.'
`Are you expecting Miss Fairfax here soon?'
`Oh yes; next week.'
`Indeed! - that must be a very great pleasure.'
`Thank you. You are very kind. Yes, next week. Every body is so surprized; and every body says the same obliging things. I am sure she will be as happy to see her friends at Highbury, as they can be to see her. Yes, Friday or Saturday; she cannot say which, because Colonel Campbell will be wanting the carriage himself one of those days. So very good of them to send her the whole way! But they always do, you know. Oh yes, Friday or Saturday next. That is what she writes about. That is the reason of her writing out of rule, as we call it; for, in the common course, we should not have heard from her before next Tuesday or Wednesday.'
`Yes, so I imagined. I was afraid there could be little chance of my hearing any thing of Miss Fairfax to-day.'
`So obliging of you! No, we should not have heard, if it had not been for this particular circumstance, of her being to come here so soon. My mother is so delighted! - for she is to be three months with us at least. Three months, she says so, positively21, as I am going to have the pleasure of reading to you. The case is, you see, that the Campbells are going to Ireland. Mrs. Dixon has persuaded her father and mother to come over and see her directly. They had not intended to go over till the summer, but she is so impatient to see them again - for till she married, last October, she was never away from them so much as a week, which must make it very strange to be in different kingdoms, I was going to say, but however different countries, and so she wrote a very urgent letter to her mother - or her father, I declare I do not know which it was, but we shall see presently in Jane's letter - wrote in Mr. Dixon's name as well as her own, to press their coming over directly, and they would give them the meeting in Dublin, and take them back to their country seat, Baly-craig, a beautiful place, I fancy. Jane has heard a great deal of its beauty; from Mr. Dixon, I mean - I do not know that she ever heard about it from any body else; but it was very natural, you know, that he should like to speak of his own place while he was paying his addresses - and as Jane used to be very often walking out with them - for Colonel and Mrs. Campbell were very particular about their daughter's not walking out often with only Mr. Dixon, for which I do not at all blame them; of course she heard every thing he might be telling Miss Campbell about his own home in Ireland; and I think she wrote us word that he had shewn them some drawings of the place, views that he had taken himself. He is a most amiable22, charming young man, I believe. Jane was quite longing23 to go to Ireland, from his account of things.'
At this moment, an ingenious and animating24 suspicion entering Emma's brain with regard to Jane Fairfax, this charming Mr. Dixon, and the not going to Ireland, she said, with the insidious25 design of farther discovery,
`You must feel it very fortunate that Miss Fairfax should be allowed to come to you at such a time. Considering the very particular friendship between her and Mrs. Dixon, you could hardly have expected her to be excused from accompanying Colonel and Mrs. Campbell.'
`Very true, very true, indeed. The very thing that we have always been rather afraid of; for we should not have liked to have her at such a distance from us, for months together - not able to come if any thing was to happen. But you see, every thing turns out for the best. They want her (Mr. and Mrs. Dixon) excessively to come over with Colonel and Mrs. Campbell; quite depend upon it; nothing can be more kind or pressing than their joint26 invitation, Jane says, as you will hear presently; Mr. Dixon does not seem in the least backward in any attention. He is a most charming young man. Ever since the service he rendered Jane at Weymouth, when they were out in that party on the water, and she, by the sudden whirling round of something or other among the sails, would have been dashed into the sea at once, and actually was all but gone, if he had not, with the greatest presence of mind, caught hold of her habit - (I can never think of it without trembling!) - But ever since we had the history of that day, I have been so fond of Mr. Dixon!'
`But, in spite of all her friends' urgency, and her own wish of seeing Ireland, Miss Fairfax prefers devoting the time to you and Mrs. Bates?'
`Yes - entirely27 her own doing, entirely her own choice; and Colonel and Mrs. Campbell think she does quite right, just what they should recommend; and indeed they particularly wish her to try her native air, as she has not been quite so well as usual lately.'
`I am concerned to hear of it. I think they judge wisely. But Mrs. Dixon must be very much disappointed. Mrs. Dixon, I understand, has no remarkable degree of personal beauty; is not, by any means, to be compared with Miss Fairfax.'
`Oh! no. You are very obliging to say such things - but certainly not. There is no comparison between them. Miss Campbell always was absolutely plain - but extremely elegant and amiable.'
`Yes, that of course.'
`Jane caught a bad cold, poor thing! so long ago as the 7th of November, (as I am going to read to you,) and has never been well since. A long time, is not it, for a cold to hang upon her? She never mentioned it before, because she would not alarm us. Just like her! so considerate! - But however, she is so far from well, that her kind friends the Campbells think she had better come home, and try an air that always agrees with her; and they have no doubt that three or four months at Highbury will entirely cure her - and it is certainly a great deal better that she should come here, than go to Ireland, if she is unwell. Nobody could nurse her, as we should do.'
`It appears to me the most desirable arrangement in the world.'
`And so she is to come to us next Friday or Saturday, and the Campbells leave town in their way to Holyhead the Monday following - as you will find from Jane's letter. So sudden! - You may guess, dear Miss Woodhouse, what a flurry it has thrown me in! If it was not for the drawback of her illness - but I am afraid we must expect to see her grown thin, and looking very poorly. I must tell you what an unlucky thing happened to me, as to that. I always make a point of reading Jane's letters through to myself first, before I read them aloud to my mother, you know, for fear of there being any thing in them to distress28 her. Jane desired me to do it, so I always do: and so I began to-day with my usual caution; but no sooner did I come to the mention of her being unwell, than I burst out, quite frightened, with ``Bless me! poor Jane is ill!'' - which my mother, being on the watch, heard distinctly, and was sadly alarmed at. However, when I read on, I found it was not near so bad as I had fancied at first; and I make so light of it now to her, that she does not think much about it. But I cannot imagine how I could be so off my guard. If Jane does not get well soon, we will call in Mr. Perry. The expense shall not be thought of; and though he is so liberal, and so fond of Jane that I dare say he would not mean to charge any thing for attendance, we could not suffer it to be so, you know. He has a wife and family to maintain, and is not to be giving away his time. Well, now I have just given you a hint of what Jane writes about, we will turn to her letter, and I am sure she tells her own story a great deal better than I can tell it for her.'
`I am afraid we must be running away,' said Emma, glancing at Harriet, and beginning to rise - `My father will be expecting us. I had no intention, I thought I had no power of staying more than five minutes, when I first entered the house. I merely called, because I would not pass the door without inquiring after Mrs. Bates; but I have been so pleasantly detained! Now, however, we must wish you and Mrs. Bates good morning.'
And not all that could be urged to detain her succeeded. She regained29 the street - happy in this, that though much had been forced on her against her will, though she had in fact heard the whole substance of Jane Fairfax's letter, she had been able to escape the letter itself.
一天早上，爱玛和哈丽特在一起散步。爱玛觉得，这一天她们谈论埃尔顿先生已经谈够了。她认为无论是为了安慰哈丽特，还是为了忏悔她自己的罪过，都不需要再多谈了。所以，在回家的路上，她极力回避这个话题。可是，她刚以为她回避成功了，这个话题重又冒了出来。她说了一阵穷人冬天一定很苦的话，只听哈丽特十分悲哀地回了一声：“埃尔顿先生对穷人真好！”爱玛意识到只得另想个办法。
这时，两人刚好走近了贝茨太太和贝茨小姐的家。爱玛决定去看看她们，人一多哈丽特就无法再提埃尔顿先生了。要去看望贝茨母女俩，总会找到充分理由的。她们喜欢别人去看望她们。她还知道，有极少数人自以为看到了她的不足，认为她在这方面有些疏忽，而那母女俩本来就很少得到安慰，她也没有尽到自己应尽的责任。
对于她的缺点，奈特利先生多次提醒过她，她自己心里也时而有所觉察，但这都不足于抵消这样一个想法：去看望这母女俩是很不愉快的事，是浪费时间，她们俩令人讨厌罢了，更令人可怕的是，还会碰到海伯里一些二三流的人，这种人总往她们家里跑，因此她很少去接近那母女俩。可是眼下她突然打定主意，不能过门而不入——她对哈丽特提出这一建议时，说照她的估计，简-费尔法克斯最近不会有信来，她们可以尽管放心去。
这幢房子是一些买卖人的。贝茨母女住在客厅的那一层，这里有一个不大的房间，也是母女俩仅有的一间屋子，两位客人在这里受到了极其热烈、甚至极其感人的欢迎。那个安安静静、喜欢整洁的老太太正坐在最暖和的角落做针线活，见伍德豪斯小姐来了，甚至想把她的位置让给她；她那个比她活跃、比她话多的女儿，时而感谢她们来访，时而为她们的鞋子担心，时而焦急地询问伍德豪斯先生身体如何，时而兴冲冲地说起她自己的母亲的身体，时而从食品柜里拿出甜饼来，那个亲切友好劲儿，几乎让两位客人受不了。“科尔太太刚来过，本来只打算待十分钟，后来却坐了一个钟头。她还吃了一块甜饼，而且好心好意地说她很喜欢吃。因此，希望伍德豪斯小姐和哈丽特小姐也都赏脸吃一块。”
一提起科尔家的人，紧跟着势必要提起埃尔顿先生。他们彼此关系密切，埃尔顿先生走后还给科尔先生来过信。爱玛知道下面要怎么办了。她们一定会再谈起那封信，算算他走了多久，猜想他怎样忙于应酬，走到哪里都如何受人喜爱，典礼官的舞会如何热闹。爱玛对此应付自如，怀着必要的兴趣，做了必要的赞许，而且总是抢在前面，免得哈丽特不得不说一两句。
爱玛进屋时就作好了这样的思想准备，不过她原打算把埃尔顿先生恰如其分地议论一番之后，就不再去谈论任何惹人心烦的话题，而只想东拉西扯地随便聊聊海伯里的太太小姐，以及她们打牌的事。她没料到谈完埃尔顿先生之后，居然会谈起简·费尔法克斯小姐。原来，贝茨小姐不愿多谈埃尔顿先生，匆匆说了几句之后，就突然把话题转到科尔家，扯出了科尔太太收到她外甥女的一封信。
“哦！是的——埃尔顿先生，我明白——说到跳舞嘛——科尔太太告诉我说巴思的舞会很——科尔太太真好，跟我们坐了好久，谈起了简。她一进门就问起了简，简在这儿可讨人喜欢啦。科尔太太每次来我们家，对她关心得不得了。我得说一句，简比谁都不差，这样的关心受之无愧。就这样，科尔太太一进门就问起了简，说道：‘我知道你们近来不会收到简的信，因为这不是她写信的时候。’我连忙说：‘可是我们还真收到了，就在今天早上收到的。’我从没见到有谁比她更吃惊的。‘真有这事呀！’她说。‘哎，真是意想不到。跟我说说她都写了些什么。”’
爱玛马上露出客客气气的样子，笑吟吟地说道：
“你们刚收到费尔法克斯小姐的来信？我太高兴了。我想她身体还好吧？”
“谢谢。你真是太好了！”当姨妈的信以为真，兴高采烈，一边急急忙忙找信，一边回答说。“哦！在这儿。我知道就在手边嘛。可是你瞧，我没留意把针线盒放在上面了，把信给盖住了。不过我刚才还拿在手里，因此我几乎可以肯定，一定放在桌上。我先是念给科尔太太听，科尔太太走了以后，我又念给我妈妈听，因为简一来信她就高兴，听多少次都听不厌。所以我知道这信就在手边，这不是嘛，就在针线盒下面——承蒙你关心，想听听简说了些什么，可为了对简公正起见，首先我真得为她写丁这么封短信表示歉意——你瞧只有两页——几乎连两页都不到——她一般是写满一张信纸，再把信纸翻过来交叉着写上半张。妈妈总觉得奇怪，我怎么能看得这么清楚。每次一打开信，她总说：‘唉，赫蒂，我看你又要费劲地辨认那方格式的玩意儿了。’是吧，妈妈？然后我就对她说，如果没有人替她念，我相信她自己一定能认出来——认出每个字——我相信她会盯着信仔细看，直至把每个字都看清楚。说真的，尽管我妈妈的眼睛不像以前那么好了，但是感谢上帝，她戴着眼镜还能看得很清楚，真令人惊奇！这是她的福气呀！我妈妈的眼睛确实很好。简在这儿的时候常说：‘外婆，你现在看东西这么清楚，我相信你以前的眼睛一定很好——你还能做那么细的活儿！但愿以后我的眼睛也像你那样就好了。”’
贝茨小姐这席话说得太快了，不得不停下来喘口气。于是爱玛趁机美言了两句，说费尔法克斯小姐字写得漂亮。
“你真是太好了，”贝茨小姐十分得意地说。“你真是个有眼力的人，你自己的字又写得那么漂亮。我敢说，谁的称赞也比不上伍德豪斯小姐的称赞，让人听了这么开心。我妈妈听不见，你知道她有点耳聋。妈妈，”贝茨小姐对她妈妈说，“你有没有听见伍德豪斯小姐夸奖简字写得好啊？”
爱玛听见她那拙劣的恭维被重复了两遍，那位好老太太才听明白是怎么回事。爱玛就趁着这个当儿，心里在琢磨如何避开简·费尔法克斯的那封信，而又不显得很唐突。她刚想找个小小的借口赶忙离开，不料贝茨小姐又转过身，冲她说话了。
“你看，我妈妈只是有一点点耳聋——根本算不了什么。我只要抬高嗓门，说上两三遍，她准能听得见。再说她也听惯了我的声音。不过真奇怪，她听简说话总是比听我说话容易听懂。简的口齿可清楚啦！然而，她会发现她外婆的耳朵一点也不比两年前差；处在我妈妈这样的年纪，能这样就相当不错了——你瞧，简已有整整两年没来这儿了。我们以前从没隔这么久见不到她，我刚才还对科尔太太说，我们简直不知道怎样款待她才好。”
“费尔法克斯小姐快来了吗？”
“哦，是的，就在下星期。”
“真的呀！那太叫人高兴了。”
“谢谢。你真好。是的，就在下星期。准都没有料到，谁都说这事叫人高兴。我敢说，海伯里的朋友们看到她高兴，她看到他们也一样高兴。是呀，星期五或星期六，她说不准哪一天，因为这两天里有一天坎贝尔上校自己要用车。他们真是好啊，把她一路送过来！不过你知道，他们每次都这样。哦，是的，下星期五或星期六。她信里是这样写的。正是由于这个原因，照我们的说法，她这次破例写了信。按一般情况，我们要到下星期二或星期三才收到她的信。”
“是呀，我本来也是这么想的。我还担心今天听不到费尔法克斯小姐的消息呢。”
“你真是太好啦！是呀，要不是出现了特殊情况，我们是不会听到她马上要来的消息的。我妈妈高兴极了！因为她至少要在我们这里住上三个月。三个月，她信上说得很明确，我可以马上念给你听。你知道，事情是这样的：坎贝尔夫妇要去爱尔兰。迪克逊夫人劝说她父母马上去看看她。那做父母的本来打算到了夏天再去，可是迪克逊夫人迫不及待地要再见到他们——她在去年十月结婚以前，从来没有离开过他们一个星期，因此分住在不同的王国就会感到很不自在。我原想说不同的王国，不过还是说不同的地区为好。所以她写了一封十分急迫的信给她妈妈——也许是给她爸爸，我声明我不知道究竟是写给谁的，不过我们马上会从简的信中看个分明——她信里用她自己和迪克逊先生的名义，恳请他们马上就去。他们在都柏林接他们，然后带他们去他们的乡间住宅巴利克莱格，我想那地方一定很美。简经常听人说起那地方有多美，我是指听迪克逊先生说的——我知道别人是不会对她说这事的。不过你知道，迪克逊先生向她求爱的时候，自然而然是要夸自己的家的……而且简经常和他们一起出去散步……因为坎贝尔上校夫妇管得很严，不许女儿常和迪克逊先生单独出去散步，我看这也不能怪他们。不用说，迪克逊先生向坎贝尔小姐夸他爱尔兰老家的话，简肯定都听到了。简在信里告诉我们说，迪克逊先生给她们看过他家乡的一些素描，那都是他自己画的。我相信，他是个极其可爱、极其迷人的青年。听到他的描述，简眼巴巴地就想去爱尔兰。”
这时，爱玛想着简·费尔法克斯，想着那位迷人的迪克逊先生，想着简不打算去爱尔兰，脑子灵机一动，顿时起了疑心，便暗自算计要探听一下真相，于是说道：
“简·费尔法克斯小姐能在这个时候来看望你们，你们一定觉得很庆幸吧。她与迪克逊夫人特别要好，按理说免不了要陪坎贝尔上校夫妇一道去的。”
“一点不错，的确如此。我们一直担心的就是这件事。我们不喜欢她离我们这么远，一去就是好几个月——万一有什么事儿也来不了。不过你瞧，结果却再好不过了。他们（迪克逊夫妇）非要叫她跟坎贝尔上校夫妇一道去不可。千真万确。他们夫妇俩联名邀请，真是恳切极了，这是简说的，你马上就会听到。看来，迪克逊先生关心起人来，丝毫也不甘落后。他是个十分讨人喜欢的年轻人。他在韦默斯救了简一命。当时，他们一伙人正在海上玩，突然船帆中间有个什么东西飞旋过来，要不是迪克逊先生临危不惧，一把抓住了她的衣服，她会给一下子撞到海里，差一点送了命——（我一想起这件事就要发抖！）——但是，自从我们听说了那天的事以后，我就非常喜欢迪克逊先生！”
“可是，尽管朋友一再恳请，她自己也很想去爱尔兰，但费尔法克斯小姐还是宁愿把这段时间奉献给你和贝茨太太吧？”
“是的——完全是她自己的决定，完全是她自己的选择。坎贝尔上校夫妇认为她做得很对，他们本来也正想劝她这样做。说真的，他们特别想让她呼吸一下家乡的空气，因为她近来身体不如往常好。”
“听你这么说，我为她担心。我认为他们很明断。不过，迪克逊夫人一定很失望。我知道，迪克逊夫人长得不是很漂亮，无论如何也比不上费尔法克斯小姐。”
“哦！是的。你这样说太好了——的确比不上。她们俩没法比。坎贝尔小姐长得极其一般——但是却非常文雅，非常可爱。”
“是的，那当然。”
“简这可怜的东西！早在十一月七日那天就得了重感冒（我马上念给你听），从那天起就一直没好过。她得的是感冒，拖的时间是不是太长了？她一直没有提起过，就怕我们着急。她就是这样！这么体贴人！不过，她身体很不好，她好心的朋友坎贝尔夫妇认为她最好还是回家去，呼吸呼吸一向对她很合适的空气。他们相信，在海伯里住上三四个月，她就定会痊愈——她既然身体不好，来这儿当然要比去爱尔兰好得多。要是去爱尔兰，就没有人像我们这样护理她。”
“我看这样安排最好。”
“所以，她下星期五或星期六就来到我们这儿啦，再下星期一坎贝尔夫妇动身去霍利赫德——你从简的信里可以了解到。这么突然！亲爱的伍德豪斯小姐，你可以想象我有多么激动啊！要不是简在生病——恐怕她看上去一定又黄又瘦。说到这儿，我得告诉你我做了一件很遗憾的事。你知道，每次简来信，我总是先自己看一遍，然后再念给我妈妈听，就怕信里有什么东西惹她难过。简要我这么做，所以我总是这么做。今天一开始我也像往常一样小心，后来看到简身体不好，我吓了一跳，便嚷了起来：‘天哪！可怜的简病了！’我妈妈当时正留着神儿，听得清清楚楚，心里不禁十分担忧。不过，我再往下念时，发现病情并不像我起先想象的那么重。于是我就不把她的病当做一回事，我妈妈也不把这件事放在心上了。可我怎么也想不通，我怎么会这么疏忽大意！要是简不能马上复原，我们就去请佩里先生。费用不必考虑。佩里先生为人慷慨，又很喜欢简，也许不会收钱，但是我们可不能容许他不收，这你知道的。他要养活老婆孩子，不能白白耗费时间。好啦，我已经简单地提了提信里的内容，现在就来看看信吧。我敢说，她那些事儿听她讲，一定比我讲的清楚得多。”
“恐怕我们得赶快走，”爱玛望了哈丽特一眼，一边立起身，一边说道。“我父亲会等我们的。我刚进屋的时候，只打算待五分钟，没法再多待了。我只是进来看一看，因为我不想过门而不入，不来问候一下贝茨太太。可我已经愉快地多待了这么久！现在，我该向你和贝茨太太告辞了。”
主人家虽然一再挽留，但还是未能留住爱玛。她又回到了街上——虽然她被迫听了许多她不愿听的话，虽然事实上她已经听完了简·费尔法克斯来信的主要内容，但她却用不着去听贝茨小姐念信了，她还是为此感到高兴。
收听单词发音 |
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solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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industriously
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plaintive
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| adj.可怜的，伤心的 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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negligent
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| adj.疏忽的；玩忽的；粗心大意的 | |
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scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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counteract
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| vt.对…起反作用，对抗，抵消 | |
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persuasion
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| n.劝说；说服；持有某种信仰的宗派 | |
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tiresome
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| adj.令人疲劳的，令人厌倦的 | |
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solicitude
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| n.焦虑 | |
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inquiries
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| n.调查( inquiry的名词复数 )；疑问；探究；打听 | |
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intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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requisite
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| adj.需要的，必不可少的；n.必需品 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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usher
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| n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员 | |
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contrive
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| vt.谋划，策划；设法做到；设计，想出 | |
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blessing
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| n.祈神赐福；祷告；祝福，祝愿 | |
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excellence
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| n.优秀，杰出，(pl.)优点，美德 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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positively
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| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
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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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longing
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| n.（for）渴望 | |
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animating
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| v.使有生气( animate的现在分词 )；驱动；使栩栩如生地动作；赋予…以生命 | |
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insidious
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| adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧 | |
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joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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distress
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| n.苦恼，痛苦，不舒适；不幸；vt.使悲痛 | |
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regained
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| 复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地 | |
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