by Jane Austen
Emma in the meanwhile was not unobserved, or unadmired herself. - A new face, and a very pretty one, could not be slighted - her name was whispered from one party to another, and no sooner had the signal been given by the orchestra's striking up a favourite air, which seemed to call the young men to their duty, and people the centre of the room, than she found herself engaged to dance with a brother officer, introduced by Captain Hunter. - Emma Watson was not more than of the middle height - well made and plump, with an air of healthy vigour. - Her skin was very brown, but clear, smooth, and glowing -; which with a lively eye, a sweet smile, and an open countenance, gave beauty to attract, and expression to make that beauty improve on acquaintance. - Having no reason to be dissatisfied with her partner, the evening began very pleasantly to her; and her feelings perfectly coincided with the reiterated observation of others, that it was an excellent ball.
The first two dances were not quite over, when the returning sound of carriages after a long interruption, called general notice, and 'the Osbornes are coming, the Osbornes are coming' - was repeated round the room. - After some minutes of extraordinary bustle without, and watchful curiosity within, the important party, preceded by the attentive master of the inn to open a door which was never shut, made their appearance. They consisted of Lady Osborne, her son Lord Osborne, her daughter Miss Osborne; Miss Carr, her daughter's friend, Mr Howard formerly tutor to Lord Osborne, now clergyman of the parish in which the castle stood, Mrs Blake, a widow-sister who lived with him, her son a fine boy of ten years old, and Mr Tom Musgrave; who probably imprisoned within his own room, had been listening in bitter impatience to the sound of the music, for the last half hour. In their progress up the room, they paused almost immediately behind Emma, to receive the compliments of some acquaintance, and she heard Lady Osborne observe that they had made a point of coining early for the gratification of Mrs Blake's little boy, who was uncommonly fond of dancing. - Emma looked at them all as they passed - but chiefly and with most interest on Tom Musgrave, who was certainly a genteel, good-looking young man. - Of the females, Lady Osborne had by much the finest person; - though nearly fifty, she was very handsome, and had all the dignity of rank.
Lord Osborne was a very fine young man; but there was an air of coldness, of carelessness, even of awkwardness about him, which seemed to speak him out of his element in a ball room. He came in fact only because it was judged expedient for him to please the borough - he was not fond of women's company, and he never danced. - Mr Howard was an agreable-looking man, a little more than thirty.
At the conclusion of the two dances, Emma found herself, she knew not how, seated among the Osborne set; and she was immediately struck with the fine countenance and animated gestures of the little boy, as he was standing before his mother, wondering when they should begin.
'You will not be surprised at Charles's impatience,' said Mrs Blake, a lively, pleasant-looking little woman of five or six and thirty, to a lady who was standing near her, 'when you know what a partner he is to have. Miss Osborne has been so very kind as to promise to dance the two first dances with him.'
'Oh! yes - we have been engaged this week,' cried the boy, 'and we are to dance down every couple.'
On the other side of Emma, Miss Osborne, Miss Carr, and a party of young men were standing engaged in very lively consultation - and soon afterwards she saw the smartest officer of the set, walking off to the orchestra to order the dance, while Miss Osborne passing before her, to her little expecting partner hastily said - 'Charles, I beg your pardon for not keeping my engagement, but I am going to dance these two dances with Colonel Beresford. I know you will excuse me, and I will certainly dance with you after tea.'
And without staying for an answer, she turned again to Miss Carr, and in another minute was led by Colonel Beresford to begin the set If the poor little boy's face had in its happiness been interesting to Emma, it was infinitely more so under this sudden reverse; - he stood the picture of disappointment, with crimsoned cheeks, quivering lips, and eyes bent on the floor. His mother, stifling her own mortification, tried to soothe his, with the prospect of Miss Osborne's second promise; - but though he contrived to utter with an effort of boyish bravery 'Oh! I do not mind it,' - it was very evident by the unceasing agitation of his features that he minded it as much as ever. - Emma did not think, or reflect; - she felt and acted -.
'I shall be very happy to dance with you sir, if you like it,' said she, holding out her hand with the most unaffected good humour.
The boy in one moment restored to all his first delight - looked joyfully at his mother and stepping forwards with an honest and simple 'Thank you ma'am,' was instantly ready to attend his new acquaintance. - The thankfulness of Mrs Blake was more diffuse; - with a look, most expressive of unexpected pleasure and lively gratitude, she turned to her neighbour with repeated and fervent acknowledgements of so great and condescending a kindness to her boy. - Emma with perfect truth could assure her that she could not be giving greater pleasure than she felt herself - and Charles being provided with his gloves and charged to keep them on, they joined the set which was now rapidly forming, with nearly equal complacency.
It was a partnership which could not be noticed without surprise. It gained her a broad stare from Miss Osborne and Miss Carr as they passed her in the dance.
'Upon my word Charles you are in luck,' (said the former as she turned him) 'you have got a better partner than me,' - to which the happy Charles answered, 'Yes.'
Tom Musgrave who was dancing with Miss Carr, gave her many inquisitive glances; and after a time Lord Osborne himself came and under pretence of talking to Charles, stood to look at his partner. - Though rather distressed by such observation, Emma could not repent what she had done, so happy had it made both the boy and his mother; the latter of whom was continually making opportunities of addressing her with the warmest civility. - Her little partner she found, though bent chiefly on dancing, was not unwilling to speak, when her questions or remarks gave him anything to say; and she learned, by a sort of inevitable enquiry that he had two brothers and a sister, that they and their Mama all lived with his uncle at Wickstead, that his uncle taught him Latin, that he was very fond of riding, and had a horse of his own given him by Lord Osborne; and that he had been out once already with Lord Osborne's hounds.
At the end of these dances Emma found they were to drink tea; - Miss Edwards gave her a caution to be at hand, in a manner which convinced her of Mrs Edwards' holding it very important to have them both close to her when she moved into the tea-room; and Emma was accordingly on the alert to gain her proper station. It was always the pleasure of the company to have a little bustle and crowd when they thus adjourned for refreshment; - the tea room was a small room within the card-room, and in passing through the latter, where the passage was straightened by tables, Mrs Edwards and her party were for a few moments hemmed in. It happened close by Lady Osborne's Cassino15 table; Mr Howard who belonged to it spoke to his nephew; and Emma on perceiving herself the object of attention both to Lady Osborne and him, had just turned away her eyes in time, to avoid seeming to hear her young companion delightedly whisper aloud, 'Oh! Uncle, do look at my partner. She is so pretty!' As they were immediately in motion again however Charles was hurried off without being able to receive his uncle's suffrage.
On entering the tea-room, in which two long tables were prepared, Lord Osborne was to be seen quite alone at the end of one, as if retreating as far as he could from the ball, to enjoy his own thoughts and gape without restraint - Charles instantly pointed him out to Emma.
'There's Lord Osborne - Let you and I go sit by him.'
'No, no,' said Emma, laughing, 'you must sit with my friends.'
Charles was now free enough to hazard a few questions in his turn.
'What o'clock was it?'.
'Eleven.'
'Eleven! - And I am not at all sleepy. Mama said I should be asleep before ten. - Do you think Miss Osborne will keep her word with me, whe
n tea is over?'
'Oh yes. - I suppose so - 'though she felt that she had no better reason to give than that Miss Osborne had not kept it before.
'When shall you come to Osborne Castle?'
'Never, probably. - I am not acquainted with the family.'
'But you may come to Wickstead and see Mama, and she can take you to the Castle. - There is a monstrous curious stuffed fox there, and a badger - anybody would think they were alive. It is a pity you should not see them.'
On rising from tea, there was again a scramble for the pleasure of being first out of the room, which happened to be increased by one or two of the card parties having just broken up and the players being disposed to move exactly the different way. Among these was Mr Howard - his sister leaning on his arm - and no sooner were they within reach of Emma, than Mrs Blake calling her notice by a friendly touch, said, Tour goodness to Charles, my dear Miss Watson, brings all his family upon you. Give me leave to introduce my brother - Mr Howard.'
Emma curtsied, the gentleman bowed - made a hasty request for the honour of her hand in the next two dances, to which as hasty an affirmative was given, and they were immediately impelled in opposite directions. - Emma was very well pleased with the circumstances; - there was a quietly-cheerful, gentlemanlike air in Mr Howard which suited her - and in a few minutes afterwards, the value of her engagement increased, when as she was sitting in the card-room somewhat screened by a door, she heard Lord Osborne, who was lounging on a vacant table near her, call Tom Musgrave towards him and say, 'Why do you not dance with that beautiful Emma Watson? I want you to dance with her, and I will come and stand by you.'
'I was determining on it this very moment my Lord, I'll be introduced and dance with her directly.'
'Aye do - and if you find she does not want much talking to, you may introduce me by and bye.'
'Very well my Lord -. If she is like her sisters, she will only want to be listened to. - I will go this moment I shall find her in the tea-room. That stiff old Mrs Edwards has never done tea.'
Away he went - Lord Osborne after him - and Emma lost no time in hurrying from her corner, exactly the other way, forgetting in her haste that she left Mrs Edwards behind.
We had quite lost you - ' said Mrs Edwards, who followed her with Mary, in less than five minutes. - 'If you prefer this room to the other, there is no reason why you should not be here, but we had better all be together.'
Emma was saved the trouble of apologizing, by their being joined at the moment by Tom Musgrave, who requesting Mrs Edwards aloud to do him the honour of presenting him to Miss Emma Watson, left that good lady without any choice in the business, but that of testifying by the coldness of her manner that she did it in unwillingly. The honour of dancing with her was solicited without loss of time - and Emma, however she might like to be thought a beautiful girl by lord and commoner, was so little disposed to favour Tom Musgrave himself, that she had considerable satisfaction in avowing her prior engagement.
He was evidently surprised and discomposed. - The style of her last partner had probably led him to believe her not overpowered with applications.
'My little friend Charles Blake,' he cried, 'must not expect to engross you the whole evening. We can never suffer this - It is against the rules of the assembly - and I am sure it will never be patronized by our good friend here, Mrs Edwards; she is by much too nice a judge of decorum to give her licence to such a dangerous particularity.'
'I am not going to dance with Master Blake sir.'
The gentleman a little disconcerted, could only hope he might be more fortunate another time - and seemed unwilling to leave her, though his friend Lord Osborne was waiting in the doorway for the result as Emma with some amusement perceived - he began to make civil enquiries after her family.
'How comes it, that we have not the pleasure of seeing your sisters here this evening? Our assemblies have been used to be so well treated by them, that we do not know how to take this neglect.'
'My eldest sister is the only one at home - and she could not leave my father'.
'Miss Watson the only one at home! - You astonish me! - It seems but the day before yesterday that I saw them all three in this town. But I am afraid I have been a very sad neighbour of late. I hear dreadful complaints of my negligence wherever I go, and I confess it is a shameful length of time since I was at Stanton. - But I shall now endeavour to make myself amends for the past.'
Emma's calm curtsey in reply must have struck him as very unlike the encouraging warmth he had been used to receive from her sisters, and gave him probably the novel sensation of doubting his own influence, and of wishing for more attention than she bestowed. The dancing now recommenced; Miss Carr being impatient to call, everybody was required to stand up - and Tom Musgrave's curiosity was appeased, on seeing Mr Howard come forward and claim Emma's hand. 'That will do as well for me' - was Lord Osborne's remark, when his friend carried him the news - and he was continually at Howard's elbow during the two dances.16 The frequency of his appearance there, was the only unpleasant part of her engagement, the only objection she could make to Mr Howard. - In himself, she thought him as agreable as he looked; though chatting on the commonest topics he had a sensible, unaffected way of expressing himself which made them all worth hearing, and she only regretted that he had not been able to make his pupil's manners as unexceptionable as his own.
The two dances seemed very short, and she had her partner's authority for considering them so. - At their conclusion the Osbornes and their train were all on the move.
'We are off at last,' said his Lordship to Tom - 'How much longer do you stay in this heavenly place? - till sunrise?'
'No faith! my Lord, I have had quite enough of it. I assure you - I shall not show myself here again when I have had the honour of attending Lady Osborne to her carriage. I shall retreat in as much secrecy as possible to the most remote corner of the house, where I shall order a barrel of oysters, and be famously snug.'
'Let us see you soon at the Castle; and bring me word how she looks by daylight.'
Emma and Mrs Blake parted as old acquaintances, and Charles shook her by the hand and wished her 'goodbye' at least a dozen times. From Miss Osborne and Miss Carr she received something like a jerking curtsey as they passed her; even Lady Osborne gave her a look of complacency - and his Lordship actually came back after the others were out of the room, to 'beg her pardon', and look in the window seat behind her for the gloves which were visibly compressed in his hand.
As Tom Musgrave was seen no more, we may suppose his plan to have succeeded, and imagine him mortifying with his barrel of oysters, in dreary solitude - or gladly assisting the landlady in her bar to make fresh negus17 for the happy dancers above. Emma could not help missing the party, by whom she had been, though in some respects unpleasantly, distinguished, and the two dances which followed and concluded the ball, were rather flat, in comparison with the others. - Mr Edwards having played with good luck, they were some of the last in the room.
'Here we are, back again I declare - ' said Emma sorrowfully, as she walked into the dining room, where the tables was prepared, and the neat upper maid was lighting the candles - 'My dear Miss Edwards - how soon it is at an end! - I wish it could come all over again! -'
A great deal of kind pleasure was expressed in her having enjoyed the evening so much - and Mr Edwards was as warm as herself, in praise of the fullness, brilliancy and spirit of the meeting, though as he had been fixed the whole time at the same table in the same room, with only one change of chairs, it might have seemed a matter scarcely perceived. - But he had won four rubbers out of five, and everything went well His daughter felt the advantage of this gratified state of mind, in the course of the remarks and retrospections which now ensued, over the welcome soup.
'How came you not to dance with either of the Mr Tomlinsons, Mary?' - said her mother.
'I was always engaged when they asked me.'
'I thought you were to have stood up with Mr J
ames, the last two dances; Mrs Tomlinson told me he was gone to ask you - and I had heard you say two minutes before that you were not engaged.'
'Yes - but - there was a mistake - I had misunderstood - I did not know I was engaged. - I thought it had been for the two dances after, if we stayed so long - but Captain Hunter assured me it was for those very two. -'
'So you ended with Captain Hunter Mary, did you?' said her father. 'And who did you begin with?'
'Captain Hunter.' was repeated, in a very humble tone.
'Hum! - That is being constant however. But who else did you dance with?'
'Mr Norton, and Mr Styles.'
'And who are they?'
'Mr Norton is a cousin of Captain Hunter's.'
'And who is Mr Styles?'
'One of his particular friends.'
'All in the same regiment,' added Mrs Edwards. 'Mary was surrounded by Red coats the whole evening. I should have been better pleased to see her dancing with some of our old neighbours, I confess. -'
'Yes, yes, we must not neglect our old neighbours -. But if these soldiers are quicker than other people in a ballroom, what are young ladies to do?'
'I think there is no occasion for their engaging themselves so many dances beforehand, Mr Edwards.'
'No - perhaps not - but I remember my dear when you and I did the same.'
Mrs Edwards said no more, and Mary breathed again. - A great deal of goodhumoured pleasantry followed - and Emma went to bed in charming spirits, her head full of Osbornes, Blakes and Howards.
The next morning brought a great many visitors. It was the way of the place always to call on Mrs Edwards on the morning after a ball, and this neighbourly inclination was increased in the present instance by a general spirit of curiosity on Emma's account, as everybody wanted to look again at the girl who had been admired the night before by Lord Osborne.