The Watsons by Jane Austen : Part 1

Part 1: Introduction to the Watson Family
The story begins with the Watson family, consisting of the main character, Emma Watson, and her siblings. The family is living in modest circumstances, having fallen from higher social standing due to the father's financial difficulties. Emma, who has been raised by her wealthy aunt, returns to her family home after the death of her aunt. She finds herself facing a less privileged life and must adjust to her new reality.
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Part one of The Watsons. This is a LibriVox recording.
All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more
information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox dot org. Recording
by Gazino. The Watsons a fragment of a novel by
Jane Austen, Part one. The first winter assembly in the

(00:25):
town of d in Surrey was to be held on Tuesday,
October thirteenth, 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 Osborns themselves would be there. The
Edward's invitation to the Watsons followed. Of course, the Edwards

(00:47):
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

(01:11):
mister Watson'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 neighborhood, and her eldest sister,

(01:34):
whose delight in a ball was not lessened by a
ten years enjoyment, had some merite in cheerfully 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
inexperienced sister, I dare say it will be a very

(01:55):
good ball, and among so many officers you will hardly
want partners. You will find missus Edwards's maid very willing
to help you, and I would advise you to ask
Mary Edward's opinion if you are at all at a loss,
for she has very good taste. If mister Edwards does
not lose his money at cards, he will stay as
late as you wish, for if he does, you will
hurry your home. Perhaps, but you are sure of some

(02:17):
comfortable soup. I hope you will be in good looks.
I should not be surprised if you were to be
thought of one of the prettiest girls in the room.
There is a great deal and 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

(02:38):
a great flat 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 independent, and remarkably agreeable, a universal favored wherever he goes.
Most of the girls hear about are in love with him,
or have been. I believe I am the only one

(03:01):
among them that have escaped with a whole heart. And
yet I was the first he paid attention to when
he came to this country six years ago, and very
great attention did he pay me. Some people say that
he has never seemed to like a girl so well since,
though 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

(03:25):
reason for that, replied Miss Watson, changing color. I have
not been very well used among them, Emma. 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 Watson, without seeming to

(03:45):
hear her. I was very much attached to a young
man of the name of Pervis, a particular friend of Robert's,
who used to be with us a great deal. Everybody
thought it would have been a match. A sire accompanied
these words, which Emma respected in silence. But her sister,
after a short pause, went on, you will naturally ask

(04:07):
why it did not take place, and why he is
married to another woman while I am still single. But
you must ask her, 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,

(04:29):
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 love Purvis. I do not think Tom
Musgrave should be named with him. In the same day,

(04:50):
you quite struck 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

(05:13):
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 honor, 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 then yourself. Yes, I

(05:38):
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 and then would be enough for me if one
could be young for ever. But my father cannot provide

(05:58):
for us. And it is very to grow old and
be poor and laughed at. I have lost Pervis. It
is true, but very few people marry their first loves.
I should not refuse a man because he was not Pervis,
not that I can never quite forgive Penelope. Emma shook
her head in acquiescence. Penelope, however, has had her troubles,

(06:22):
continued Miss Watson. She was sadly disappointed in Tom Musgrave,
who afterwards transferred his attention 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 she has been trying to

(06:42):
make some match at Chichester, she won't tell us with whom,
But I believe it is a rich old doctor, 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 purposes.
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

(07:05):
guess at the object which 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 missus shaw Just
at the 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

(07:29):
the doctor to have had an attack of the asthma,
and that she was hurried away on that account. The
Shawls 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,

(07:49):
said Emma, but 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 the sort of thing that shocks me.
I cannot understand it. Poverty is a great evil, but

(08:09):
to a woman of education and feeling it ought not.
It cannot be the greatest. I would rather be a
teacher at a school, and I can think of nothing
worse than marry a man I did not like. I
would rather do anything than be a teacher at a school,
said her sister. I have been at school, Emma, and
know what a life they lead. You never have. I

(08:31):
should not like marrying a disagreeable man any more than yourself.
But I do not think there are many very disagreeable men.
I think I could like any good humored 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

(08:53):
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

(09:16):
they are above my situation, I must endeavor 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.

(09:37):
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 anybody 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

(09:57):
on by her absence. But I am sure she 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 style. Your account of this Tom Musgrave,
Elizabeth gives me very little inclination for his acquaintance. You

(10:20):
are afraid of him. I do not wonder at you. No, Indeed,
I dislike and despise him, dislike and despise Tom Musgrave,
know 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 Osborne's come with a large party,

(10:42):
and then he will not speak to anybody else. He
seems to have the most engaging manners, said Emma. Well,
we shall see how irresistible mister Tom Musgrave and I
find each other. I suppose I shall know him as
soon as I entered the ball room. He must carry
some of his charm in his face. You will not

(11:02):
find him in the ball room, I can tell you.
You will go early that missus Edwards may get a
good place by the fire, and he never comes till late.
If the Osborns 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

(11:23):
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

(11:45):
had not made a point of my going to this ball.
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 Edwardses. 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

(12:07):
could be requisite to the Edwardses, 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 clothes I would undertake to find means of sending
to you, my dearest Emma, cried Elizabeth warmly. Do you

(12:28):
think I would do such a thing not for the universe?
But I shall never forget your good nature in proposing it.
You must have a sweet temper. Indeed I never met
with anything 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, though I am nine years older than

(12:49):
you are, I would not be the means of keeping
you from being seen. And it should 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 sha'n't be you.
I am sure I should never have forgiven the person
who kept me from a ball at nineteen Emma expressed

(13:09):
her gratitude, and for a few minutes they drogged on
in silence. Elizabeth first spoke, you will take notice whom
Mary Edwards dances with. I will remember her partners if
I can, but you know they will all be strangers
to me. Only observe whether she dances with Captain Hunter
more than once. I have my fears in that quarter,

(13:32):
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 Edwards? Did you
not know that? How should I know it? How should
I know? In Shropshire? What is passing off that nature?
In Surrey? It is not likely that circumstances of such

(13:55):
delicacy should have made 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

(14:18):
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 mister Curtis won't often
spare him, and just now it is a sickly time
at Guildford. Do you suppose miss Edwards inclined to like him?
I am afraid not. You know she is an only
child and will have at least ten thousand pounds. But

(14:42):
still she may like our brother. Oh no, the Edwards
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 Edwards is
rather prim and reserved. I do not always know what
she would be at unless Sam feels on shore grounds

(15:04):
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 he not be as lucky as Robert, who
has a good wife and six thousand pounds. We must
not all expect to be individually lucky, replied Emma. The

(15:24):
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 Pervis. 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

(15:45):
will bring us to the turnpike. You may see the
church tower over the hedge, and the White Heart 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 through the turnpike
gate and entered on the pitching of the town, the
jumbling and noise of which made farther conversation most thoroughly undesirable.

(16:10):
The old mare trotted heavily on, wanting no direction of
the rains to take the right turning at making only
one blunder in proposing to stop at the Milliner's before
she drew up towards mister Edward's door. Mister Edward lived
in the best house in the street, and the best
in the place, if mister Tomlinson, the banker might be
indulged in calling his newly erected house at the end

(16:31):
of the town with a shrubbery and sweep in the country.
Mister Edward's house was higher than most of its neighbors,
with four windows on each side of the door, the
windows guarded by posts and chains, and the door approached
by a flight of stone steps. Here we are, said Elizabeth,
as the carriage ceased moving safely arrived and by the

(16:54):
market clock we have been only five and thirty minutes coming,
which I think is doing pretty well, though it would
be nothing for Penelope. Is not it a nice town?
The Edwards have a noble house, you see, and they
live quite in style. The door will be opened by
a man in livery with the powdered head, I can
tell you. Emma had seen the Edwardses only one morning

(17:16):
at Stanton. They were therefore all but strangers to her,
and though her spirits were by no means indispensable 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 made her
more open to disagreeable impressions from any other cause, and

(17:39):
increased her sense of the awkwardness of rushing into intimacy
on so slight an acquaintance. There was nothing in the
manner of Missus or miss edwards to give immediate change
to these ideas. The mother, though a very friendly woman,
had a reserved air and a great deal of formal civility,
and her daughter, a genteel looking girl of twenty two,

(18:00):
with her hair in papers, seemed very naturally to have
caught something of the style of her mother, who had
brought her up. Emma was soon left to know what
there could be by Elizabeth's being obliged to hurry away,
and some 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

(18:22):
master of the house, Mister Edwards 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 whatever might interest. After a cordial reception of Emma,
he turned to his daughter with well, Mary, I bring
you good news. The Osborns will certainly be at the

(18:43):
ball to night Horses, for two carriages are ordered from
the White Hart to be at Osborne Castle by nine.
I am glad of it, observed Missus Edwards, because their
coming gives a credit to our assembly. The Osborne's being
known to have been at the first ball will dispose
a great many people to attend the second. It is

(19:03):
more than they deserve, for in fact, they add nothing
to the pleasure of the evening. They come so late
and go so early. But great people have always their charm.
Mister Edwards proceeded to relate every other article of news
which his morning's lounge had supplied him with, and they
chatted with greater briskness till Missus Edwards's moment for dressing arrived,

(19:25):
and the young ladies were carefully recommended to lose no time.
Emma was shown to a very comfortable apartment, and as
soon as Missus Edward's civilities could leave her to herself
the happy occupation the first bliss of a ball began.
The girls, dressing in some measure together, grew unavoidably better acquainted.

(19:45):
Emma found in miss Edwards the show of good sense,
a modest, unpretending mind, and a great wish of obliging.
And when they returned to the parlor where Missus Edwards
was sitting respectably attired in one of the two satin gowns,
which whence with winter and a new cap from the milliner's,
they entered it with much easier feelings and more natural
smiles than they had taken away. Their dress was now

(20:10):
to be examined. Missus Edwards acknowledged herself too old fashioned
to approve of every modern extravagance, however sanctioned, and though
complacently viewing her daughter's good looks, would give but a
qualified admiration, and mister Edwards, not less satisfied with Mary,
paid some compliments of good humored gallantry to Emma at
her expense. The discussion led to more intimate remarks, and

(20:34):
miss Edwards gently asked Emma if she were not often
reckoned very like her youngest brother. Emma thought she could
perceive a faint blush accompany the question, and there seemed
something still more suspicious in the manner in which mister
Edward took up the subject. You are paying miss Emma,
no great compliment, I think, Mary, he said hastily. Mister

(20:55):
Sam Watson is a very good sort of young man,
and I dare say a very clever surgeon. But his
complexion has been rather too much exposed to all weathers
to make a likeness of him very flattering. Mary apologized,
in some confusion she had not thought to a strong
likeness at all incompatible with very different degrees of beauty.
There might be a resemblance and countenance, and the complexion

(21:17):
and even the features be very unlike. I know nothing
of my brother's beauty, said Emma, for I have not
seen him since he was seven years old. But my
father reckons us alike. Mister Watson, cried mister Edwards, Well,
you astonish me. There is not the least likeness in
the world. Your brother's eyes are gray, yours are brown.

(21:40):
He has a long face and a wide mouth. My dear,
do you perceive the least resemblance, not the least Miss
Emma Watson puts me very much in mind of her
eldest sister, and sometimes I see a look of Miss Penelope,
and once or twice there has been a glance of
mister Robert. But I cannot perceive any likeness to mister Samuel.

(22:02):
I see the likeness between her and Miss Watson, replied
mister Edwards very strongly. But I am not sensible of
the others. I do not much think she is like
any of the family, but miss Watson. But I am
sure there is no resemblance between her and sam This
matter was settled and they went to dinner. Your father,
Miss Emma, is one of my oldest friends, said mister Edwards,

(22:25):
as he helped her to whine when they were drawn
round the fire to enjoy their dessert. We must drink
to his better health. It is a great concern to me.
I assure you that he should be such an invalid.
I know nobody who likes a game of cards in
a social way better than he does, and very few
people play a fairer robber. It is a thousand pities

(22:46):
that he should be so deprived of the pleasure. For now,
we have a quiet little whist club that meets three
times a week at the White Heart. And if you
could but have his health, how much he would enjoy it?
I dare he would, sir, and I wish with all
my heart he were equal to it. Your club would
be better fitted for an invalid, said Missus Edwards, if

(23:09):
you did not keep it up so late. This was
an old grievance. So late, my dear, what are ye
talking of, cried the husband, with sturdy pleasantry. We are
always at home before midnight, They would laugh at Osborne
Castle to hear you call that late. They are but
just rising from dinner at midnight. That is nothing to

(23:32):
the purpose, retorted the lady calmly. The Osborns are to
be no rule for us. You had better meet every
night and break out two hours sooner. So far the
subject was very often carried, but mister and Missus Edwards
were so wise as never to pass that point. And
mister Edwards now turned to something else. He had lived

(23:53):
long enough in the idleness of a town to become
a little of a gossip, and, having some anxiety to
know more of the circumstances of his youngest guest than
had yet reached him, he began with I think, Miss Emma,
I remember your aunt very well, about thirty years ago.
I am pretty sure I danced with her in the
old rooms at Bath the year before I married. She

(24:15):
was a very fine woman then, But like other people,
I suppose she has grown somewhat older since that time.
I hope she is likely to be happy in her
second choice. I hope so, I believe, so, sir, said Emma,
in some agitation. Mister Turner has not been dared a
great while. I think about two years, sir, I forget

(24:39):
what her name is now O'Brien irish Ah, I remember,
and she is gone to settle in Ireland. I do
wonder that you should not wish to go with her
into that country, miss Emma, But it must be a
great deprivation to her, poor lady, after bringing you up
like a child of her own. I was not so ungrateful, sir,

(25:00):
said Emma, warmly, as to wish to be anywhere, but
with her. It did not suit them. It did not
suit Captain o' brien that I should be of the party, Captain,
repeated missus Edwards. The gentleman is in the army, then, yes,
ma'am ay, there is nothing like your officers for captivating

(25:22):
the ladies, young or old. There is no resisting a cockade,
my dear, I hope there is, said Missus Edwards gravely,
with a quick glance at her daughter. And Emma had
just recovered from her own perturbation in time to see
a blush on Miss Edward's cheek, and in remembering what
Elizabeth had said of Captain Hunter to wander and waver

(25:44):
between his influence and her brothers. Elderly ladies should be
careful how they make a second choice, observed mister Edwards.
Carefulness discretion should not be confined to elderly ladies or
to a second choice, added his wife. They are quite
as necessary to young ladies in their first Rather more so,

(26:07):
my dear, replied he, because young ladies are likely to
feel the effects of it longer. When an old lady
plays the fool, it is not in the course of
nature that she should suffer from it many years. Emma
drew her hand across her eyes, and Missus Edwards, on
perceiving it, changed the subject of one to less anxiety
to all. The entrance of the tea things at seven

(26:31):
o'clock was some relief, and luckily mister and missus Edwards
always drank a dish extraordinary and at an additional muffin
when they were going to sit up late, which lengthened
the ceremony almost to the wistful moment end of Part one.