The Warsons(华森夫妇)

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The

Watsons

Jane Austen

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ebc0051. Jane Austen: The Watsons

Jane Austen: The Watsons

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THE WATSONS

he first winter assembly in the Town of D. in Surry was to

be held on Tuesday October the 13th, and it was generally

expected to be a very good one; a long list of Country

Families was confidently run over as sure of attending, and

sanguine hopes were entertained that the Osbornes themselves

would be there.—The Edwardes’ invitation to the Watsons

followed of course. The Edwardes were people of fortune who

lived in the Town and kept their coach; the Watsons inhabited a

village about three miles distant, were poor and had no close

carriage; and ever since there had been Balls in the place, the

former were accustomed to invite the Latter to dress dine and

sleep at their House, on every monthly return throughout the

winter.—On the present occasion, as only two of Mr. W.’s children

were at home, and one was always necessary as companion to

himself, for he was sickly and had lost his wife, one only could

profit by the kindness of their friends; Miss Emma Watson who

was very recently returned to her family from the care of an Aunt

who had brought her up, was to make her first public appearance

in the Neighbourhood; and her eldest sister, whose delight in a

Ball was not lessened by a ten years Enjoyment, had some merit in

chearfully undertaking to drive her and all her finery in the old

chair

to D. on the important morning.—As they splashed along the

dirty Lane Miss Watson thus instructed and cautioned her

Jane Austen: The Watsons

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inexperienced sister.—‘I dare say it will be a very good Ball, and

among so many officers, you will hardly want partners. You will

find Mrs. Edwardes’ maid very willing to help you, and I would

advise you to ask Mary Edwardes’ opinion if you are at all at a loss

for she has a very good Taste.—If Mr. E. does not lose his money at

cards, you will stay as late as you can wish for; if he does, he will

hurry you home perhaps—but you are sure of some comfortable

soup.—I hope you will be in good looks. I should not be surprised

if you were to be thought one of the prettiest girls in the room,

there is a great deal in Novelty. Perhaps Tom Musgrave may take

notice of you—but I would advise you by all means not to give him

any encouragement. He generally pays attention to every new girl,

but he is a great flirt and never means anything serious.’ ‘I think I

have heard you speak of him before,’ said Emma. ‘Who is he?’ ‘A

young Man of very good fortune, quite independant, and

remarkably agreable, an universal favourite wherever he goes.

Most of the girls hereabouts are in love with him, or have been. I

believe I am the only one among them that have escaped with a

whole heart, and yet I was the first he paid attention to, when he

came into this Country, six years ago; and very great attention

indeed did he pay me. Some people say that he has never seemed

to like any girl so well since, tho’ he is always behaving in a

particular way to one or another.’—

‘And how came your heart to be the only cold one?’ said Emma

smiling. ‘There was a reason for that’—replied Miss W. changing

colour.—‘I have not been very well used Emma among them, I

hope you will have better luck.’—‘Dear Sister, I beg your pardon,

if I have unthinkingly given you pain.’—‘When first we knew Tom

Musgrave,’ continued Miss W. without seeming to hear her, ‘I was

Jane Austen: The Watsons

Classics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook

very much attached to a young Man of the name of Purvis a

particular friend of Robert’s, who used to be with us a great deal.

Every body thought it would have been a Match.’ A sigh

accompanied these words, which Emma respected in silence—but

her sister after a short pause went on—‘You will naturally ask why

it did not take place, and why he is married to another Woman,

while I am still single.—But you must ask him—not me—you must

ask Penelope.—Yes Emma, Penelope was at the bottom of it all.—

She thinks everything fair for a Husband; I trusted her, she set

him against me, with a view of gaining him herself and it ended in

his discontinuing his visits and soon after marrying somebody

else.—Penelope makes light of her conduct, but I think such

Treachery very bad. It has been the ruin of my happiness. I shall

never love any Man as I loved Purvis. I do not think Tom

Musgrave should be named with him in the same day.’—‘You

quite shock me by what you say of Penelope’—said Emma. ‘Could

a sister do such a thing?—Rivalry, Treachery between sisters!—I

shall be afraid of being acquainted with her—but I hope it was not

so. Appearances were against her’—‘You do not know Penelope.—

There is nothing she would not do to get married—she would as

good as tell you so herself.—Do not trust her with any secrets of

your own, take warning by me, do not trust her; she has her good

qualities, but she has no Faith, no Honour, no Scruples, if she can

promote her own advantage.—I wish with all my heart she was

well married. I declare I had rather have her well-married than

myself.’—‘Than yourself!—Yes I can suppose so. A heart, wounded

like yours can have little inclination for Matrimony.’—‘Not much

indeed—but you know we must marry.—I could do very well

single for my own part—A little Company, and a pleasant Ball now

Jane Austen: The Watsons

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and then, would be enough for me, if one could be young for ever,

but my Father cannot provide for us, and it is very bad to grow old

and be poor and laughed at.—I have lost Purvis, it is true but very

few people marry their first Loves. I should not refuse a man

because he was not Purvis. Not that I can ever quite forgive

Penelope.’—Emma shook her head in acquiescence.—‘Penelope

however has had her Troubles’—continued Miss W.—‘she was

sadly disappointed in Tom Musgrave, who afterwards transferred

his attentions from me to her, and whom she was very fond of; but

he never means anything serious, and when he had trifled with

her long enough, he began to slight her for Margaret, and poor

Penelope was very wretched. And since then, she has been trying

to make some match at Chichester; she wont tell us with whom,

but I believe it is a rich old Dr. Harding, Uncle to the friend she

goes to see;—and she has taken a vast deal of trouble about him

and given up a great deal of Time to no purpose as yet.—When she

went away the other day she said it should be the last time.—I

suppose you did not know what her particular Business was at

Chichester—nor guess at the object that could take her away, from

Stanton just as you were coming home after so many years

absence.’—‘No indeed, I had not the smallest suspicion of it. I

considered her engagement to Mrs. Shaw just at that time as very

unfortunate for me. I had hoped to find all my sisters at home; to

be able to make an immediate friend of each.’—‘I suspect the Dr.

to have an attack of the Asthma,—and that she was hurried away

on that account—the Shaws are quite on her side.—At least I

believe so—but she tells me nothing. She professes to keep her

own counsel; she says, and truly enough, that “too many Cooks

spoil the Broth”.’—‘I am sorry for her anxieties,’ said Emma,—‘but

Jane Austen: The Watsons

Classics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook

I do not like her plans or her opinions. I shall be afraid of her.—

She must have too masculine and bold a temper.—To be so bent

on Marriage—to pursue a Man merely for the sake of situation—is

a sort of thing that shocks me; I cannot understand it. Poverty is a

great Evil, but to a woman of Education and feeling it ought not, it

cannot be the greatest.—I would rather be Teacher at a school

(and I can think of nothing worse) than marry a Man I did not

like.’—‘I would rather do any thing than be Teacher at a school’—

said her sister. ‘I have been at school, Emma, and know what a

Life they lead; you never have.—I should not like marrying a

disagreable Man any more than yourself,—but I do not think there

are many very disagreable Men;—I think I could like any good

humoured Man with a comfortable Income.—I suppose my Aunt

brought you up to be rather refined.’ ‘Indeed I do not know.—My

conduct must tell you how I have been brought up. I am no judge

of it myself. I cannot compare my Aunt’s method with any other

persons, because I know no other.’—‘But I can see in a great many

things that you are very refined. I have observed it ever since you

came home, and I am afraid it will not be for your happiness.

Penelope will laugh at you very much.’ ‘That will not be for my

happiness I am sure.—If my opinions are wrong, I must correct

them—if they are above my situation, I must endeavour to conceal

them.—But I doubt whether Ridicule,—Has Penelope much

wit?’—‘Yes—she has great spirits, and never cares what she

says.’—‘Margaret is more gentle I imagine?’—‘Yes—especially in

company; she is all gentleness and mildness when anybody is

by.—But she is a little fretful and perverse among ourselves.—

Poor creature! she is possessed with the notion of Tom Musgrave’s

being more seriously in love with her, than he ever was with any

Jane Austen: The Watsons

Classics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook

body else, and is always expecting him to come to the point. This is

the second time within this twelvemonth that she has gone to

spend a month with Robert and Jane on purpose to egg him on, by

her absence—but I am sure she is mistaken, and that he will no

more follow her to Croydon now than he did last March.—He will

never marry unless he can marry somebody very great; Miss

Osborne perhaps, or something in that stile.’ ‘Your account of this

Tom Musgrave, Elizabeth, gives me very little inclination for his

acquaintance.’ ‘You are afraid of him, I do not wonder at you.’—

‘No indeed—I dislike and despise him.’—‘Dislike and Despise Tom

Musgrave! No, that you never can. I defy you not to be delighted

with him if he takes notice of you.—I hope he will dance with

you—and I dare say he will, unless the Osbornes come with a large

party, and then he will not speak to any body else.’ ‘He seems to

have most engaging manners!’—said Emma.—‘Well, we shall see

how irresistable Mr. Tom Musgrave and I find each other.—I

suppose I shall know him as soon as I enter the Ball-room; he must

carry some of his Charm in his face.’—‘You will not find him in the

Ball-room I can tell you, You will go early that Mrs. Edwardes may

get a good place by the fire, and he never comes till late; and if the

Osbornes are coming, he will wait in the Passage, and come in

with them.—I should like to look in upon you Emma. If it was but

a good day with my Father, I would wrap myself up, and James

should drive me over, as soon as I had made Tea for him; and I

should be with you by the time the Dancing began.’ ‘What! would

you come late at night in this Chair?’—‘To be sure I would.—

There, I said you were very refined;—and that’s an instance of

it.’—Emma for a moment made no answer—at last she said—‘I

wish Elizabeth, you had not made a point of my going to this Ball,

Jane Austen: The Watsons

Classics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook

I wish you were going instead of me. Your pleasure would be

greater than mine. I am a stranger here, and know nobody but the

Edwardes; my Enjoyment therefore must be very doubtful. Yours

among all your acquaintance would be certain.—It is not too late

to change. Very little apology could be requisite to the Edwardes,

who must be more glad of your company than of mine, and I

should most readily return to my Father; and should not be at all

afraid to drive this quiet old Creature, home. Your Cloathes I

would undertake to find means of sending to you.’—‘My dearest

Emma’ cried Elizabeth warmly—‘do you think I would do such a

thing? Not for the Universe—but I shall never forget your

goodnature in proposing it. You must have a sweet temper

indeed;—I never met with any thing like it!—And would you really

give up the Ball, that I might be able to go to it!—Believe me

Emma, I am not so selfish as that comes to. No, tho’ I am nine

years older than you are, I would not be the means of keeping you

from being seen.—You are very pretty, and it would be very hard

that you should not have as fair a chance as we have all had, to

make your fortune.—No Emma, whoever stays at home this

winter, it shan’t be you. I am sure I should never have forgiven the

person who kept me from a Ball at nineteen.’ Emma expressed her

gratitude, and for a few minutes they jogged on in silence.—

Elizabeth first spoke.—‘You will take notice who Mary Edwardes

dances with.’—‘I will remember her partners if I can—but you

know they will be all strangers to me.’ ‘Only observe whether she

dances with Captain Hunter, more than once; I have my fears in

that quarter. Not that her Father or Mother like officers, but if she

does you know, it is all over with poor Sam.—And I have promised

to write him word who she dances with.’ ‘Is Sam attached to Miss

Jane Austen: The Watsons

Classics in Literature: Jane Austen ElecBook

Edwardes?’—‘Did not you know that?’—‘How should I know it?

How should I know in Shropshire, what is passing of that nature

in Surry? It is not likely that circumstances of such delicacy

should make any part of the scanty communication which passed

between you and me for the last fourteen years.’ ‘I wonder I never

mentioned it when I wrote. Since you have been at home, I have

been so busy with my poor Father and our great wash that I have

had no leisure to tell you anything—but indeed I concluded you

knew it all.—He has been very much in love with her these two

years, and it is a great disappointment to him that he cannot

always get away to our Balls—but Mr. Curtis won’t often spare

him, and just now it is a sickly time at Guilford—’ ‘Do you suppose

Miss Edwardes inclined to like him?’ ‘I am afraid not: You know

she is an only Child, and will have at least ten thousand pounds.’—

‘But still she may like our Brother.’ ‘Oh! no —. The Edwardes look

much higher. Her Father and Mother would never consent to it.

Sam is only a Surgeon you know.—Sometimes I think she does

like him. But Mary Edwardes is rather prim and reserved; I do not

always know what she would be at.’—‘Unless Sam feels on sure

grounds with the Lady herself, it seems a pity to me that he should

be encouraged to think of her at all.’—‘A young Man must think of

somebody,’ said Elizabeth—‘and why should not he be as lucky as

Robert, who has got a good wife and six thousand pounds?’ ‘We

must not all expect to be individually lucky’ replied Emma. ‘The

Luck of one member of a Family is Luck to all.’ ‘Mine is all to

come I am sure’—said Elizabeth giving another sigh to the

remembrance of Purvis.—‘I have been unlucky enough, and I

cannot say much for you, as my Aunt married again so foolishly.—

Well—you will have a good Ball I dare say. The next turning will

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