"I"ve come to ask for your advice, Mr. Knightley," he said.
"I will give you whatever help I can, Robert, you know that," I said.
"Yes, I do."
"What is the matter?" I asked him, to help him on his way.
"It is this way," he said, then added, not very helpfully: "I trust your judgement, Mr. Knightley.
You"ve helped me many a time in the past, and I hope you can help me now." He cleared his throat, and I wondered if he would ever get to the point. "I am beforehand with the world, and doing well with the farm. My mother and sisters want for nothing, I"ve seen to that."
I said nothing, wondering where all this was leading.
"Well, Mr. Knightley, the thing is this. I am of an age to marry, and being so well set up with the farm, and after seeing Harriet - that is, Miss Smith - and her being so pretty and well-spoken, and being a good friend of my sisters, and a favourite with my mother - that is, I am not marrying her for my mother or my sisters but for myself, because a man needs a wife and I am a man..."
He stopped, having tied himself in knots, and I could feel some sympathy for him. I remembered how it was with John, when he proposed to Isabella. He, too, was like a schoolboy when he left the Abbey that morning. His air of address had completely deserted him.
"You do not need my permission to marry, Robert," I said, as he paused.
"No, Mr. Knightley, I know that, I need no man’s permission, but I was just wanting a bit of advice. I was wondering what you would think of me marrying so young, and whether you think I would be wrong to ask Miss Smith, as she is so young, too. And then…" He went as red as a turkey-cock. "The thing is, Mr. Knightley, Miss Smith being a friend of Miss Woodhouse’s, and being so pretty and all, I was wondering if she wasn"t too far above me?"
I was astounded! A penniless girl with no name, being above an honest farmer? A man with a comfortable living and a good name in the neighbourhood?
"Not at all," I told him. I felt I should offer a word of caution. "As long as you are sure you can afford it?"
"Oh, yes, I"ve been into all that, and I"ve talked it over with my mother and sisters, too. They"re as eager for it as I am."
"Then I advise you to marry Miss Smith, with my blessing. She is a pretty young woman with a very sweet nature and, moreover, she seemed to be very contented when I saw her at Abbey Mill Farm.
I am sure you will be very happy together."
"Thank you, Mr. Knightley," he said, with a smile spreading across his face. "She’s the prettiest thing I"ve ever seen, and she has such a taking way with her. I"ll be a lucky man if she"ll have me."
And she will be a lucky girl when she marries you, I thought as he left the room.
It is a very pleasing solution to the situation! Emma’s influence has improved Harriet, and made her more worthy of such a good and solid man, and once Emma knows her friend is to marry Robert Martin, all her nonsensical thoughts regarding Elton will be nipped in the bud. Neither Elton nor Harriet need ever know of the fate she had arranged for them.
Mrs. Weston was right and I was wrong. I worried about nothing. This is a most happy conclusion to events.
Saturday 5 December
I cannot believe it was only yesterday that I was convinced a happy end was in view for Harriet: a poor girl, deposited in a school by unknown parents, to end up, not as an old maid, but as a happy and prosperous wife. And yet it has come to nothing. Because of Harriet? No, because of Emma! I have never been so out of charity with her in my life.
I called on her and her father this morning and, as her father went out for a walk, I felt I could give her an intimation of the good fortune about to befall her friend. To my astonishment, if not to say anger, she informed me that she already knew of it, and that Harriet had refused him!
I saw Emma’s hand in it and, when challenged, it became clear that it was she who had been, not just a false advisor, but the principal in the affair.
"Mr. Martin is a very respectable young man," she said coolly, "but I cannot admit him to be Harriet’s equal."
"Not her equal!" I exclaimed. "No, he is not her equal indeed." She could not see that Robert Martin was superior to Harriet in both sense and situation. "It crossed my mind immediately that you would not regret your friend’s leaving Highbury, for the sake of her being settled so well," I went on. "I remember saying to myself, “Even Emma, with all her partiality for Harriet, will think this a good match.” "
"I cannot help wondering at your knowing so little of Emma as to say any such thing," she returned.
"What! think a farmer a good match for my intimate friend!"
"You had no business making her your intimate friend," I returned angrily.
"You are not just to Harriet’s claims," she went on. "Mr. Martin may be the richer of the two, but he is undoubtedly the inferior as to rank in society. The sphere in which she moves is much above his. It would be a degradation."
A degradation! For Harriet Smith, an illegitimate girl, to marry respectable Robert Martin! Emma has never been so foolish. If only I could think it was her youth that was to blame, but she is not a child any more, she is a young woman. She should know better.
" "Til you chose to turn her into a friend, her mind had no distaste for her own set, nor any ambition beyond it," I said angrily. "She was as happy as possible with the Martins in the summer. You have been no friend to Harriet Smith, Emma. Robert Martin would never have proceeded so far, unless he had had encouragement."
She did not reply, but I could see my words had given her pause. Good! It was a grave day’s work, to separate two people who would have been happy together. And why? Because she thought Elton would offer for Harriet.
I felt sorry for her. She was unaware of the damage she was doing, because she was too confident of her powers, and did not know that she still had a lot to learn. I was worried at how much damage she might do before she saw her mistake, and I felt I had to give her a word of warning.
"As you make no secret of your love of matchmaking, it is fair to suppose that you have views, and plans, and projects, and as a friend I shall just hint to you that if Elton is the man, I think it will be all labour in vain."
"I have no idea of Harriet’s marrying Mr. Elton," she returned.
"Elton is a very good sort of man, and a very respectable vicar of Highbury, but not at all likely to make an imprudent match. He knows the value of a good income as well as anybody," I said, to make sure she was under no illusions about him.
She disclaimed all thoughts of such a match, but from her uncomfortable manner, I could tell that that was what she had been hoping for. Foolish girl! With no more than twenty summers, to try to counsel a girl of seventeen! Better to say nothing and let Mrs. Goddard counsel Harriet, rather than apply her own influence so badly.
I felt sorry I had encouraged Robert Martin to propose. If I had known he would meet with rejection, I would not have done so. And to think that Emma was the cause of such unhappiness!
In an effort to put my ill-humour behind me I walked to Randalls. I hoped to see Weston as I had a matter of business to discuss with him, but he was not at home. Mrs. Weston, however, bade me stay.