Itistobeasecret,Iconclude,\'saidhe.`Thesemattersarealwaysasecret,tillitisfoundoutthateverybodyknowsthem.OnlyletmebetoldwhenImayspeakout-IwonderwhetherJanehasanysuspicion.\'
HewenttoHighburythenextmorning,andsatisfiedhimselfonthatpoint.Hetoldherthenews.Wasnotshelikeadaughter,hiseldestdaughter?-hemusttellher;andMissBatesbeingpresent,itpassed,ofcourse,toMrs.Cole,Mrs.Perry,andMrs.Elton,immediatelyafterwards.Itwasnomorethantheprincipalswerepreparedfor;theyhadcalculatedfromthetimeofitsbeingknownatRandalls,howsoonitwouldbeoverHighbury;andwerethinkingofthemselves,astheeveningwonderinmanyafamilycircle,withgreatsagacity.
Ingeneral,itwasaverywellapprovedmatch.Somemightthinkhim,andothersmightthinkher,themostinluck.OnesetmightrecommendtheirallremovingtoDonwell,andleavingHartfieldfortheJohnKnightleys;andanothermightpredictdisagreementsamongtheirservants;butyet,uponthewhole,therewasnoseriousobjectionraised,exceptinonehabitation,theVicarage-There,thesurprizewasnotsoftenedbyanysatisfaction.Mr.Eltoncaredlittleaboutit,comparedwithhiswife;heonlyhoped`theyounglady\'spridewouldnowbecontented;\'andsupposed`shehadalwaysmeanttocatchKnightleyifshecould;\'and,onthepointoflivingatHartfield,coulddaringlyexclaim,`RatherhethanI!\'-ButMrs.Eltonwasverymuchdiscomposedindeed-`PoorKnightley!poorfellow!-sadbusinessforhim-Shewasextremelyconcerned;for,thoughveryeccentric,hehadathousandgoodqualities-Howcouldhebesotakenin?-Didnotthinkhimatallinlove-notintheleast-PoorKnightley!-Therewouldbeanendofallpleasantintercoursewithhim-Howhappyhehadbeentocomeanddinewiththemwhenevertheyaskedhim!Butthatwouldbeallovernow-Poorfellow!-NomoreexploringpartiestoDonwellmadeforher.Oh!no;therewouldbeaMrs.Knightleytothrowcoldwateroneverything-Extremelydisagreeable!Butshewasnotatallsorrythatshehadabusedthehousekeepertheotherday-Shockingplan,livingtogether.Itwouldneverdo.SheknewafamilynearMapleGrovewhohadtriedit,andbeenobligedtoseparatebeforetheendofthefirstquarter.
CHAPTERXVIII
Timepassedon.Afewmoreto-morrows,andthepartyfromLondonwouldbearriving.Itwasanalarmingchange;andEmmawasthinkingofitonemorning,aswhatmustbringagreatdealtoagitateandgrieveher,whenMr.Knightleycamein,anddistressingthoughtswereputby.Afterthefirstchatofpleasurehewassilent;andthen,inagravertone,beganwith,