The Annotated Emma

by Jane Austen

  19. She is equal in having genteel manners and habits, and connections, through the Campbells, with those in a high rank of life. Moreover, as the daughter of a military officer and the granddaughter of a clergyman, she definitely comes from a genteel background. The one inequality is her lack of wealth.

  20. The narrator, in outlining Mr. Weston’s history, spoke of the advantage to him in his second marriage because it was better to “excite gratitude than to feel it” (see this page; he had first married a woman of higher rank, who regretted the loss of her grander home, and the second time he married a woman with no home of her own).

  21. He thinks she avoids the topic from fear of hearing an avowal of love that she does not reciprocate and therefore will be uncomfortable to answer.

  22. Her emphatic counsel of silence has confirmed his surmise, and left him mortified and silent.

  23. At this, what will prove to be the most crucial moment in the novel, Emma is swayed from her original intention to suppress the topic by sympathy and concern for him, above her own feelings. It is appropriate that this act of sacrifice is what opens the way for his words below.

  24. Succeeding in winning her affections and gaining her hand.

  25. event: result.

  26. sink: faint.

  27. He has been an indifferent lover in his not offering the compliments and expressions of affection and devotion lovers normally offer. Even now he offers little in that regard.

  28. vouchsafing: deigning to bestow or offer.

  29. On the one hand, even at this moment of supreme personal importance and happiness, Emma thinks of another person, an act that, like her encouraging Mr. Knightley to speak out of concern for him, shows her as morally deserving of happiness. On the other hand, she displays no superhuman virtue or willingness to sacrifice. This combination is found throughout Jane Austen. She always has both her heroine and hero prove themselves to be morally worthy. But unlike some other novelists of the time, her protagonists remain within the realm of normal humanity, that is, what is “probable or reasonable.” In her satirical sketch “Plan of a Novel,” she imagines a novel the opposite of this: a heroine who is a “faultless Character herself—, perfectly good” and a hero who is “all perfection of course,” with the hero “prevented from paying his addresses to her, by some excess of refinement,” and the heroine receiving “repeated offers of Marriage—which she always refers wholly to her Father, exceedingly angry that he shd not be first applied to.”

  30. alliance: marriage; the term connotes the social aspect of marriage, and that is Emma’s intention here, as she thinks of the social inequality of the two people and of Harriet’s lack of family connections. Mr. Elton, in his angry rejection of Emma’s aspirations of a marriage between him and Harriet, also spoke of it as not being “an equal alliance” (see here).

  31. She knows what the way is, but it involves difficulties.

  32. As usual Jane Austen is reticent in her proposal scenes, even though such scenes always form the climax of the story. In this case the scene, especially Mr. Knightley’s declaration to Emma, is longer than in others. One reason for not providing Emma’s words is that the author is showing us her thoughts in such detail. Emma’s need to avoid giving anything away regarding Harriet would make her words much less revealing than her thoughts.

  33. He had assumed that her initial attempt to suppress further conversation resulted from reluctance to hear his declaration of love; knowing now that was not the reason, he could logically wonder what was.

  34. After the focus on Emma, the end of the chapter switches to Mr. Knightley, giving a brief retrospection of his mental evolution. This usually occurs after the proposal scene in Austen’s novels, for the focus on the heroine throughout the novel means that the hero’s thoughts have been presented only through his words and actions, through the interpretations of the heroine, or through occasional glimpses into his mind by the narrator. That still leaves some matters to be explained.

  35. This is analogous to Emma’s becoming aware of her love for Mr. Knightley only when she suddenly had reason to be jealous of Harriet’s love for him.

  36. brilliancy: splendor, brightness.

  37. Staying on “vigorously” suggests the strenuous exertions he needed in order to suppress, day after day, his inclination to rush back and see Emma.

  38. post: mail.

  39. scruple: hesitate.

  40. If he thought Frank Churchill deserving of her, he would hesitate to exult in Frank’s rejection of Emma, for the rejection would, in addition to breaking her heart, deprive her of someone who could make her happy. But his low opinion of Frank means he can rejoice, for Emma’s sake as well as his own, in her being saved from a bad husband.

  41. directly: immediately.

  42. This final passage serves as a reminder that even Mr. Knightley, one of the most rational and virtuous characters Jane Austen ever created, is still capable of allowing his judgment to be swayed by emotion and selfish concerns.

  VOLUME III, CHAPTER XIV

  1. comfortably: pleasantly.

  2. tax: charge.

  A woman drinking tea.

  [From The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, &c, Vol. XIV (1815), p. 240]

  [List of Illustrations]

  3. “Sin of thought” was a term often used then to refer to the contemplation of or inclination toward wicked deeds, for traditional Christian doctrine insisted on the need to be pure in thought as well as deed.

  4. They are not only walking over the same garden paths as yesterday, but also discussing the same subjects.

  A woman writing.

  [From Chandler R. Clifford, The Decorative Periods (New York, 1906), p. 247]

  [List of Illustrations]

  5. A northeast wind in England is generally cold. To the west lies the Atlantic Ocean, which, dominated by the gulf stream there, tends to bring warm winds. To the east lies the North Sea, whose waters are very cold. Winds from the east feed off those waters, and those from the northeast are the coldest of all.

  6. Thus Mrs. Weston called in Mr. Perry. She may be doing so regularly because of her pregnancy, but she also may call him frequently at other times, due to the concern for health seen in this passage and in other statements of hers.

  7. “A. W.” is Anne Weston, earlier identified as Mrs. Weston’s name (see here).

  8. Frank is still at Windsor, where his uncle moved after the death of Mrs. Churchill.

  9. candour: generosity; inclination to judge others favorably.

  10. allow for: make allowances for.

  11. prosperous: fortunate, successful.

  12. The two are probably his uncle, whom he would have asked to pardon him for his secret engagement, and Jane Fairfax, whom he would have asked to pardon him for his recent bad treatment—she is almost certainly the “one who had still more to resent” who already forgave him. He might also have asked his father, but the words on the next page appealing to his father’s compassion suggest this letter is intended to procure his pardon as well as Mrs. Weston’s.

  13. Sash windows go up and down; casement windows, or casements, open outward via hinges at the side. The latter were traditionally used in England, but around 1700 the sash window emerged and soon replaced casements as the dominant type. The existence of casement windows in this building suggests it was constructed in an earlier time, but the owners, people in business who presumably occupy the ground floor, since Mrs. and Miss Bates are not there, probably installed sash windows at a certain point for their own use. They would not care as much about the apartment above that they rent out to others, and Mrs. and Miss Bates lack the money to install new windows themselves or pay additional rent to encourage the landlord to do so. Hence the contrast in the windows suggests their financial state.

  14. His principal difficulty lay in the humble circumstances and finances of Jane Fairfax. High-ranking, wealthy families, especially if dominated by a person as proud as Mrs. Churchill, woul
d normally wish their heirs to marry someone of comparable rank and fortune. Frank’s choice is unusual, though not unheard of. His willingness to overlook money in favor of love echoes that of his father, who also married a penniless governess.

  15. His “the most upright female mind in the creation” and “I should have gone mad” are examples of the hyperbole he habitually employs.

  16. Though he does not say so, his only real hope was to wait for Mrs. Churchill’s death—unless he were willing to renounce his inheritance, and thereby reduce both himself and his bride to constrained circumstances (he presumably could have gotten something from his father, but it might not have been much, especially since his father is now starting a new family of his own). A son might not have to worry about disinheritance, for many estates were governed by an entail that dictated its inheritance by the eldest son, and prevented the current holder of the property from selling the property or giving it to someone else. In the absence of a son the estate would go to another male relative, most likely a paternal nephew. Frank, however, is a maternal nephew, for his mother was sister to Mr. Churchill, and estates rarely descended through the female line; in fact, if there were an entail governing the Churchills’ property, it probably would prevent their making him the heir no matter how much they wished it. In this case, that impediment seems not to exist, but the impediment of Mrs. Churchill’s pride was formidable enough.

  17. This indicates that, as Mr. Knightley argued, Frank’s aunt and uncle were not the principal reason for his failure to visit earlier, for as soon as he had a strong reason to come he managed to do so. The chance to see Frank was also the reason Jane Fairfax came to Highbury.

  18. He uses clever flattery to cover his faults and claim forgiveness.

  19. This would be rare criticism, especially of his son, by Mr. Weston. It signals Mr. Weston’s high regard for Emma, which makes him hate any misbehavior toward her, and perhaps also his disappointment over the failure of a match between Frank and Emma.

  20. This is partly true, for Emma had become indifferent by his second visit. But she was seriously interested during his first visit. Moreover, her current engagement to Mr. Knightley shows that she is far from averse to being attached.

  21. It would be her due because of her social position, the close connection of the two families, and perhaps her intelligence and talents.

  22. penetrated: discerned, discovered.

  23. He is guided by his own wishes in his thoughts here, as in other places.

  24. See here, and accompanying annotation, for this episode, one that Frank here shows he misunderstood.

  25. Jane Fairfax’s dread was confirmed by Mrs. Weston’s account of her visit.

  26. The uncle needs his help and support after the death of his wife.

  27. ult.: ultimo, i.e., of last month.

  28. Respect for the dead usually dictated not conducting business such as this soon after the funeral.

  29. “That woman” is Mrs. Elton, whose treatment of Jane he will shortly denounce. Here it angered him so much that he had to stop writing the letter and calm himself before he could resume, for he does not wish, in a letter asking forgiveness for his faults, to spend time castigating those of another.

  30. disapproved: disapproved of.

  31. An unmarried man and woman would normally not walk together unless they were engaged.

  32. She declared that there was no binding reason why he needed to maintain the engagement; see here.

  33. See here for the exact sequence of events.

  34. He would resent bitterly Mrs. Elton’s treatment of Jane not simply because it made her unhappy and condescended to her, but because the governess position she procured for Jane helped inspire her to break off the engagement when angered by Frank’s behavior.

  35. Jane wrote to him the day after she told Mrs. Elton that she had decided to accept the governess position, and the day after that Mrs. Churchill died (see chronology). Letters over a short distance, and it is only nine miles from Highbury to Richmond, always took only one day.

  36. Many desks then had locked drawers.

  37. direction to: address of.

  A writing desk of the period.

  [From Esther Singleton, The Furniture of Our Forefathers (New York, 1916), p. 577]

  [List of Illustrations]

  38. He closes with more hyperbole, from “no moment’s uneasiness can ever occur between us again” to ten thousand thanks.

  VOLUME III, CHAPTER XV

  A young woman contemplating a letter.

  [From The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, &c, Vol. IX (1813), p. 303]

  [List of Illustrations]

  1. The history of Mr. Weston described him as first earning his fortune and buying Randalls before getting married again.

  2. His words suggest that even in this early conversation about Frank Churchill, Mr. Knightley’s feelings toward Emma influenced him some.

  3. Jane Fairfax made a similar point in her discussion with Mrs. Weston, saying, “the fortunate turn that every thing has taken, and the kindness I am now receiving, is what my conscience tells me ought not to be” (see here). Frank exhibits no compunction along those lines, but is happy to proclaim himself at the end of his letter to be the child of good fortune.

  4. understanding: mind.

  5. She had more to contend with because she was living in close quarters with her aunt and grandmother, who could easily have detected her secret correspondence if she had been careless. Frank, with plenty of money, a much larger home, and the greater freedom of movement enjoyed by men, would have needed to struggle less for secrecy.

  6. Various actions and words of his indicate his low opinion of the Eltons, but he consistently refrains from strong direct condemnation.

  7. liberal: generous, free.

  8. Though he would still be free in his activities and movements during the day, he would inevitably need to accede to the general arrangements and daily routine of the house, including meal and sleeping times. He also would lack his own library, earlier described as a great interest of his, for only a select number of his books could be brought with him, and since he would still be involved in running his estate, the frequent need to go back and forth between there and Hartfield would add to his time spent on tasks during the day. Finally, the constant company of Mr. Woodhouse could be tiring even to the most patient and rational of beings.

  9. William Larkins, his steward, would wish to discuss with him matters relating to the estate.

  10. amiable: kind, benevolent.

  11. She is presumably anticipating her father’s eventual decline in health and the anxiety and struggles this will produce.

  12. It would be charitable to Harriet by saving her the pain of having to watch Mr. Knightley with Emma.

  A woman with a ridicule (see note 10).

  [From The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, &c, Vol. IX (1813), p. 55]

  [List of Illustrations]

  VOLUME III, CHAPTER XVI

  1. Dentistry had only recently emerged as a distinct medical practice, with the first recorded use of “dentist” in English in 1759 (though prior to that some dental work had been performed by people in other lines of work, particularly barbers). During the eighteenth century a number of books appeared in various European countries advocating a more scientific approach to dentistry and new methods of treating teeth, and full-time practitioners gradually increased in number. This growth stemmed both from new abilities to treat long-standing problems and from an actual rise in tooth decay, due to increasing consumption of sugar. Even so, by the time of this novel, fewer than one hundred dentists in all of England were listed in trade directories, and some still combined dentistry with other services. The majority were in London, with the remainder in other large towns. Thus Highbury would certainly have had no dentist.

  2. Once it has delivered Harriet to London, the carriage would be driven back to Hartfield; the distance m
eans the total round trip could easily be accomplished in a day. Using the carriage would save Harriet the cost of renting one, and perhaps some of the cost of hiring horses, if the Woodhouses let her use their own horses for part of the way.

  London Bridge, one of the leading landmarks of London. It is not far from where John Knightley works.

  [From The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, &c, Vol. XII (1814), p. 51]

  [List of Illustrations]

  3. London contained a vast array of entertainments and amusements, as well as stores, especially compared with a country village like Highbury.

  4. Complications during childbirth were one of the leading causes of death among women, so the friends and family of a woman giving birth would have good reason to be anxious, and to avoid anything that might agitate the mother further, even in a joyful way.

  5. anticipation: prior action.

  6. The warmer, but more agitating, delight would be her love for and marriage with Mr. Knightley.

  7. She is waiting downstairs, since the Bateses’ apartment is on the second floor.

  8. This was when Jane wished to avoid seeing Emma and forced her aunt to wait to open the door until she had moved to another room (see here).

  The London shop of Wedgwood, one of the leading sellers of fine ceramics.

  [From The Repository of Arts, Literature, Fashions, Manufactures, &c, Vol. I (1809), p. 102]

  [List of Illustrations]

  9. The Bateses have only one room that serves as a living room or sitting room for all their activities and guests.

  10. ridicule: a small purse. Also known as indispensables, and a little later as reticules, ridicules had emerged as popular items around 1800, when the change to thin, close-fitting dresses for women eliminated the capacious pockets that earlier, expansive skirts had allowed, and thereby made necessary another receptacle for carrying personal items. Ridicules tended to come in bright colors and contain elaborate and inventive decorations, which were often prized as a contrast with the mostly plain, pale-colored gowns of the period; hence they are an appropriate accessory for Mrs. Elton. For a picture of a woman with a ridicule, see this page.