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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
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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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bring us to the Turnpike。 You may see the Church Tower over the
hedge； and the White Hart is close by it。—I shall long to know
what you think of Tom Musgrave。’ Such were the last audible
sounds of Miss Watson’s voice； before they passed thro’ the
Turnpike gate and entered on the pitching of the Town—the
jumbling and noise of which made farther Conversation most
thoroughly undesirable。—The old Mare trotted heavily on；
wanting no direction of the reins to take the right Turning； and
making only one Blunder； in proposing to stop at the Milleners；
before she drew up towards Mr。 Edwardes’ door。—Mr。 E。 lived in
the best house in the Street； and the best in the place； if Mr。
Tomlinson the Banker might be indulged in calling his newly
erected House at the end of the Town with a Shrubbery and sweep
in the Country。—Mr。 E。’s House was higher than most of its
neighbours with two windows on each side the door； the windows
guarded by posts and chain； the door approached by a flight of
stone steps。—‘Here we are’—said Elizabeth—as the Carriage
ceased moving—‘safely arrived；—and by the Market Clock； we
have been only five and thirty minutes coming；—which I think is
doing pretty well； tho’ it would be nothing for Penelope。—Is not it
a nice Town？—The Edwardes’ have a noble house you see； and
they live quite in stile。 The door will be opened by a Man in Livery
with a powder’d head； I can tell you。’
Emma had seen the Edwardes only one morning at Stanton；
they were therefore all but Strangers to her； and tho’ her spirits
were by no means insensible to the expected joys of the Evening；
she felt a little uncomfortable in the thought of all that was to
precede them。 Her conversation with Elizabeth too giving her
some very unpleasant feelings； with respect to her own family； had
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made her more open to disagreable impressions from any other
cause； and increased her sense of the awkwardness of rushing into
Intimacy on so slight an acquaintance。—There was nothing in the
manners of Mrs。 or Miss Edwardes to give immediate change to
these Ideas；—the Mother tho’ a very friendly woman； had a
reserved air； and a great deal of formal Civility—and the daughter；
a genteel looking girl of twenty…two； with her hair in papers；
seemed very naturally to have caught something of the stile of the
Mother who had brought her up。—Emma was soon left to know
what they could be； by Elizabeth’s being obliged to hurry away—
and some very； very languid remarks on the probable Brilliancy of
the Ball； were all that broke at intervals a silence of half an hour
before they were joined by the Master of the house。—Mr。
Edwardes had a much easier； and more communicative air than
the Ladies of the Family； he was fresh from the Street； and he
came ready to tell what ever might interest。—After a cordial
reception of Emma； he turned to his daughter with ‘Well Mary； I
bring you good news。—The Osbornes will certainly be at the Ball
tonight。—Horses for two Carriages are ordered from the White
Hart； to be at Osborne Castle by nine。’ ‘I am glad of it’—observed
Mrs。 E。； ‘because their coming gives a credit to our Assemblies。
The Osbornes being known to have been at the first Ball； will
dispose a great many people to attend the secon