Kitabı oku: «Эмма. Уровень 3 / Emma», sayfa 10
“Is he sure,” said Emma; “that Harriet means to marry him?”
“Well, well, means to make her an offer then. Robert Martin came to the Abbey two evenings ago, on purpose to consult me about it. He came to ask me whether I approved his choice. I was very much pleased with all that he said. He told me everything; his circumstances and plans, and what they all proposed doing in the event of his marriage. He is an excellent young man, both as son and brother. I had no hesitation in advising him to marry.”
“Pray, Mr. Knightley,” said Emma, who had been smiling to herself through a great part of this speech, “he wrote a letter, and was refused.”
Mr. Knightley looked red with surprise and displeasure. He stood up and said,
“Then she is more stupid than I ever believed her. What does the foolish girl think about?”
“Oh!” cried Emma, “A man always imagines a woman to be ready for anybody who asks her.”
“Nonsense! a man does not imagine any such thing. But what is the meaning of this? Harriet Smith refused Robert Martin? Madness, if it is so; but I hope you are mistaken.”
“I saw her answer! – nothing could be clearer.”
“You saw her answer! – you wrote her answer too. Emma, this is your doing. You persuaded her to refuse him.”
“And if I did, I should not feel that I had done wrong. Mr. Martin is a very respectable young man, but I cannot admit him to be Harriet's equal; and am rather surprised indeed that he should have had enough courage to ask her.”
“Not Harriet's equal!” exclaimed Mr. Knightley loudly and warmly; and added, a few moments afterwards, “No, he is not her equal indeed, for he is as much her superior in sense as in situation. Emma, your infatuation about that girl blinds you. What are Harriet Smith's claims, either of birth, nature or education, to any connexion higher than Robert Martin? She is the natural daughter of nobody knows whom, with probably no settled income at all, and certainly no respectable relations. She has been taught nothing useful, and is too young and too simple. At her age she can have no experience, and with her little wit, is not very likely ever to have any that can help her. She is pretty, and she is good tempered, and that is all. I remember saying to myself, 'Even Emma, with all her love for Harriet, will think this a good match.'”
“I cannot help wondering at your knowing so little of Emma. What! think a farmer, (and with all his sense and all his merit Mr. Martin is nothing more) a good match for my intimate friend! She would leave Highbury for the sake of marrying a man whom I could never admit as an acquaintance of my own!”
“She could be married to a respectable, intelligent gentleman-farmer!”
“As to the circumstances of her birth, there can scarcely be a doubt that her father is a gentleman. Her allowance is very liberal. That she is a gentleman's daughter, is obvious to me; that she associates with gentlemen's daughters, no one, I apprehend, will deny. She is superior to Mr. Robert Martin.”
“Whoever might be her parents,” said Mr. Knightley, “whoever may have had the charge of her, they do not want to introduce her into what you would call good society. After receivinga very indifferent education42 she is left in Mrs. Goddard's hands. She desired nothing better herself. Till you chose to turn her into a friend, her mind had no dislike for her own company. She was as happy as possible with the Martins in the summer. She had no sense of superiority then. If she has it now, you have given it. You have been no friend to Harriet Smith, Emma.”
“You are a very warm friend to Mr. Martin; but, as I said before, are unjust to Harriet. She is not a clever girl, but she does not deserve to be spoken of so slightingly. And she, at seventeen, just entering into life, does not accept the first offer she receives. Let her have time to look about her.”
“I have always thought it a very foolish intimacy,” said Mr. Knightley, “though I have kept my thoughts to myself; but I now understand that it will be a very unfortunate one for Harriet. You feed her such ideas of her own beauty, and of what she must demand, that, in a little while, nobody will be good enough for her. Let her marry Robert Martin, and she is safe, respectable, and happy for ever.”
