by Jane Austen
4. Better-quality spectacles often had frames made of silver, and hence might be fixed by a silversmith.
5. emotion: agitation. Emma assumes that her nervousness results from thoughts of Mr. Dixon prompted by sitting down to the piano, rather than from anything that has just occurred.
6. expose them: hold them up for ridicule or censure.
7. Thus Emma realizes that she was wrong to speak her suspicions to others.
8. “All that party” would include Mr. Dixon, which is why Frank has been directing a smile toward Emma.
9. minute: exact, detailed.
10. For Broadwood, see note 16.
11. It is possible that Frank’s reference to a precise day may be intended to mean Valentine’s Day, for it is currently February (see chronology). Valentine’s Day had been an important occasion for centuries in England, and traditionally involved an exchange of gifts or messages between lovers. During the eighteenth century messages and cards became more prominent and gifts less so, but they were still given, especially by men to women. Moreover, the custom arose during this time of sending a gift or message anonymously to the beloved, rather than indicating one’s preference openly, as before. Hence the pianoforte, if given by someone in love with Jane, would make a very fitting Valentine’s Day present.
12. {CAUTION: PLOT SPOILER} Since, as later revealed, Frank sent the piano, his relief at not being suspected may be the cause of his dwelling on Colonel Campbell’s supposed actions. Emma’s remaining deceived about the real situation would be a further reason for pleasure. He has surely noticed that she is more clever than almost anyone else in Highbury, while he has also heard her suspicions about something not being right in Jane Fairfax’s behavior; both of these factors could lead her to discern the connection between Frank and Jane. Preventing this is one reason he continues to encourage her mistaken surmises about Jane and Mr. Dixon.
13. This is contrary to his declaration to Miss Bates of how much he enjoyed this sort of task (see here).
14. Another half hour would mean another pair of dances, and he could have had her as his partner for them.
15. {CAUTION: PLOT SPOILER} She probably blushes because that piece of music has special significance for them; his words hint that they danced together to it at Weymouth. At the same time, her immediate turning to another piece, like her “voice of forced calmness” above, signals something that will become more apparent later, which is that she finds his joking about the matter and constant attempts at diverting people from the truth to be distressing. She undoubtedly understands his reasons and stratagems, but she may fear his tripping up and thereby exposing their secret, and her guilt at their deceit, which she expresses eloquently later, would make her dislike the constant reminder of it created by Frank’s dishonesty. That he nonetheless persists in this behavior, and takes such delight in teasing Jane and deceiving Emma, reveals a flaw in his character.
16. Johann Baptist Cramer was an extremely popular pianist and composer, especially of piano music. His numerous pieces were widely available in music shops.
17. These would be Moore’s Irish Melodies, which Thomas Moore published in a series of volumes appearing every few years. The first was in 1807; a third came out in 1813 and a fourth in 1815, so any could have been meant here (the novel was written in 1814 and early 1815). Irish and Scottish music had become extremely popular in England during this period. Frank brings up the matter of Irish melodies to raise again with Emma the issue of Mr. Dixon and Jane.
18. {CAUTION: PLOT SPOILER} Jane’s smile results from Frank’s declaration, referring to himself, that true affection prompted the gift of the piano. She also may be feeling, amidst her anxiety and agitation, some enjoyment at Frank’s successful duping of Emma, especially as he has probably informed Jane of Emma’s nasty suspicions about herself.
19. amiable: kind, benevolent.
20. This presumably gives Emma some satisfaction, from knowing that the person about whom she has been voicing suspicions may be more deserving of them, and possibly also from seeing flaws in a person whose talents have always aroused her jealousy.
21. “Robin Adair” is a traditional Irish love song, in which a woman expresses her love for Robin, remembers fondly their time together, and laments that he has now grown cold toward her.
22. Men often traveled by horseback. It would be faster and less tiring than walking, but involve less expense and trouble than a carriage.
23. casement: casement window, which opens outward.
24. apartment: room.
25. She and Emma are thinking of Mr. Knightley’s possible interest in Jane.
26. Kingston is a nearby town, probably bigger than Highbury (see map). Harriet earlier said that Robert Martin went there frequently on business.
A table and chair.
[From Esther Singleton, The Furniture of Our Forefathers (New York, 1916), p. 433]
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27. Since the Crown keeps post horses, it would have a stable where Mr. Knightley could leave his horse.
28. Mr. Knightley’s dislike of Frank Churchill, and possibly of being so crowded in Miss Bates’s small apartment, makes him change his mind.
29. Mr. Knightley is teasing Miss Bates, but in a gentle way that causes no offense. In a critical episode later he will reproach Emma for teasing Miss Bates in a very different manner.
The inside of a stable.
[From George Williamson, George Morland: His Life and Works (London, 1907), frontispiece]
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30. By this time watches—pocket rather than wrist—had developed to the point of being fairly accurate (though not as accurate as clocks, due to the inherent greater difficulty of constructing the internal timekeeping mechanism on such a small scale). Many people owned them.
31. These would be the gates to the property.
VOLUME II, CHAPTER XI
1. heavy: dull, listless.
2. Dancing had long been one of the most popular leisure activities, and it is consistently a source of great interest in Austen’s novels.
3. The most solicitous for ensuring everyone’s comforts and for ensuring proper forms were followed. This tempers her zeal, from knowing the difficulties in accomplishing these goals.
4. This suggests Mrs. Weston has two parlors. Her drawing room, a room usually distinguished from the parlor as a more spacious and elegant sitting or living room, was mentioned earlier. It may be the same as one of the parlors being mentioned now, for it seems doubtful that Randalls, not that large a house, would have three sitting rooms.
A drawing room of the period.
[From John Swarbrick, Robert Adam and His Brothers (New York, 1915), p. 64]
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5. This is William Cox, the son of Mr. Cox (see here, and note 36).
6. stand up: dance.
7. Mr. Weston always shows an inclination to invite as many people as possible.
8. She would be the hostess and would wish to serve supper in one of the rooms; thus she worries about having them both opened for dancing.
9. Passages were colder than rooms, for only the latter had fireplaces.
10. This suggests Harriet is probably here. She often accompanies Emma on her visits and yet, as is the case here, never says anything, even though she can be talkative and long-winded when speaking to Emma alone and seems, from her reports, to engage freely in conversation at Mrs. Goddard’s and the Martins’. But in other gatherings she is surrounded by people of a superior social status, and this intimidates her (when alone with Emma she is heartened by the latter’s patronage and encouragement of her). This consistent silence suggests the dubious nature of the benefit Emma is conferring by making Harriet her constant companion.
11. The doors, by leading to the passages, would allow in cold air as well as drafts.
12. This is the only time Mr. Woodhouse utters serious criticism of anyone in the novel.
13. Emma assumes his
interest in her. She has some basis, for his friendliness toward her and the hyperbolic compliments he offers were usually signs of possible interest.
A woman in evening dress. People would change into more formal attire like this even for a small evening gathering.
[From The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, &c, Vol. X (1813), p. 176]
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14. representations: arguments; statements made to sway or influence someone.
15. Innkeepers were of distinctly lower social rank, so Mr. Woodhouse would never have encountered them socially, and his tendency to stay at home and lack of any reason to go to an inn would make him unlikely to see the owners at their place of work.
16. Mr. Woodhouse is remarkably quick, for him, to grasp Frank’s meaning, that Mr. Perry would wish for illness so that he could make money from his patients. One reason is that this was a common stereotype of medical men. Another is Mr. Woodhouse’s sensitivity to any aspersion cast against Mr. Perry—this is the only time in the novel he ever speaks heatedly.
Curtains.
[From The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, &c, Vol. XIV (1815), p. 177]
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17. That this posed a particular danger was standard medical opinion then; Mrs. Weston earlier expressed a fear that Jane Fairfax’s walking home after being heated at the Coles’ party might do her harm (see here).
18. The term “window-curtain” distinguishes them from other types of curtains, since curtains traditionally served a variety of purposes. Their original use, still prominent at this time, was for enclosing beds, and they also were employed to sequester parts of a room or block drafts at doorways. For an example of curtains from the time, see previous page.
19. sash: the outer wooden frame and inner glass forming a section of a window. For more on sash windows, see note 13.
20. The idea of living out of the world, and therefore being unaware of new fashions and innovations or of scandalous behavior, was a common one. Of course, those who were so sheltered could encounter far more serious causes of shock and alarm than opening windows at a ball.
21. Emma intervenes hastily because she knows that talk of time pressure will only disturb her father and delay his acquiescence.
22. Randalls is on the other side of Highbury from Hartfield. Hence a dance at the Crown, in Highbury, will mean a shorter drive than one at Randalls.
23. The rooms’ infrequent use would make airing seem especially essential.
24. It would be normal for Mrs. Stokes, the woman of the house, to take care of the cleaning and housekeeping, while her husband took charge of other matters, such as managing the finances or dealing with guests.
25. Measles had long been a serious infectious disease, striking children particularly. It was often fatal, and during the eighteenth century it became even more prominent as a cause of childhood death, partly because of the decline of smallpox. There had been particularly deadly measles epidemics in 1807 and 1808.
26. “Miss Emma” would be what people called Emma when she was young and her sister was still unmarried. Isabella would have been “Miss Woodhouse” then.
27. paper: wallpaper. This is what it was always called, for the word “wallpaper” did not come into usage until later in the nineteenth century. Wallpaper had been around for a while, though it had become more popular and elaborate during the eighteenth century.
28. wainscot: wooden paneling on walls. A popular eighteenth-century interior style was to have wallpaper within panel frames. For an example of a paneled wall, see this page.
29. These would be their whist club meetings, which occur regularly at the Crown and consist of various men of Highbury (see here). They probably did see little of the dirt then, for not only would candles emit limited light, but their expense meant that people employed few of them to illuminate a room. However, dances were one of the few times when a large number of candles were used.
30. Until the late eighteenth century supper was the main evening meal, a substantial one taken at the beginning of the evening (dinner occurred at midday). Therefore when this room was built those attending balls would have had supper just before they came and not require anything more than drinks or a snack while there. Now, however, with dinner in the later part of the day, and supper a late evening meal, people would need to take a break from dancing to partake of the latter.
31. It would be conveniently voted unnecessary because all of them are focused on dancing. Card rooms were attached to ballrooms because balls were important social events that would attract entire families, and this would include many, especially men and older people, who did not wish to dance and needed another means of entertainment.
32. Sandwiches had been invented around 1760 by the Earl of Sandwich. They were usually served as part of a light meal or snack.
33. A private dance was attended only by those invited by the hosts. Public dances or balls, usually occurring at assembly rooms, were open to anyone paying a subscription fee (see note 7). In the latter case, with no host, people would not expect to be offered a meal.
34. “The rights of men and women” was a phrase that had attained increasing currency in this period. In 1791 Tom Paine’s The Rights of Man, which celebrated the French Revolution and called for much greater democracy in Britain, attracted a large readership as well as a great deal of attention and controversy; it was followed the next year by Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, a pioneering work of feminism. Many other writers and political figures evoked the notion of rights in various contexts. It is uncertain whether Jane Austen meant to make any comment on the matter in this passage, or merely to make humorous use of a grand phrase in a trivial cause, as she never commented on the subject in her extant letters. In part she is simply recording a social fact, which is that the concept of rights had permeated people’s attitudes sufficiently that it would appear in very ordinary circumstances.
35. chief: greater part.
36. Miss Bates’s living in the village itself, unlike the others here, along with her inclination to be friendly and to socialize with a vast range of people, might qualify her to know the state of general opinion.
37. Both Mrs. Weston and Emma see no merit in his proposal, but Mrs. Weston is too polite to be as blunt as Emma.
38. do away: do away with. This construction is found elsewhere in Jane Austen.
39. nice: fastidious, delicate.
40. {CAUTION: PLOT SPOILER} Frank pretends to think his father means Mrs. Bates, just as he spoke above about not bringing the whole family, in order to disguise his hope that he will be able to bring Jane Fairfax, the real reason for his insistence on fetching Miss Bates. Knowing that Mrs. Bates’s feebleness makes her no candidate for being asked to venture to another part of the village on such an unimportant errand, he depends on his father’s correcting him and suggesting Jane instead.
41. “Ran” suggests his eagerness rather than his actual gait. He would not actually run through the village, since that would be ungenteel behavior.
42. Tea would be a separate meal, taken early in the evening. When the dance eventually occurs tea is offered upon everyone’s arrival.
43. Mrs. Stokes would coordinate the arrangements with Mrs. Weston, who is serving as hostess.
44. Meaning a character or role it is safer to rely on her to perform well.
A paneled wall by a leading designer of the time.
[From Chandler R. Clifford, The Decorative Periods (New York, 1906), p. 237]
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A woman dancing.
[From The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, &c, Vol. V (1811), p. 232]
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VOLUME II, CHAPTER XII
1. fact: deed.
2. prosperous: favorable, auspicious.
3. These are presumably Emma’s reflections on his possible reasons, spurred by her vex
ation at his lack of enthusiasm. The second reason seems highly unlikely for him. Another reason, completely unsuspected by Emma, will become apparent later.
4. He will be obligated to come because it is an important event and he is a leading local personage.
5. Balls often ran late. One in Mansfield Park runs past three a.m., and though the habits of this neighborhood mean their ball is not likely to last that long, it will certainly keep them up well past their normal bedtime.
6. The suggestion is that the dancers may hope to excite the admiration of bystanders. Emma had earlier felt pleasure at the thought of dancing as an activity at which she can outshine Jane, unlike music.
7. Emma, always alert to Mr. Knightley’s meaning, especially when critical of her, would be sensitive to the suggestion of dancers being motivated by vanity. She also senses his apparent indifference about observing her dance.
8. This is the most enthusiastic speech she ever gives, until the end of the novel, when her circumstances have greatly changed.
A woman in morning dress.
[From The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, &c, Vol. VIII (1812), p. 230]
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9. His slowness signals lack of interest in her, which is why his sorrow at leaving redeems him. She never imagines that he might have other reasons for this sorrow.
10. horrid: a slang term at the time when used in this general manner (as opposed to its use to describe something bloody and dreadful, which was correct English then). Frank’s resort to the expression may signal an underlying petulance or immaturity now coming to the fore.
11. Wealthy people often visited London in the winter and spring, when its social life and entertainments were at their height.