The Watsons by Jane Austen : Part 6

Part 6: The Unfinished Conclusion
The final part of The Watsons is incomplete, leaving the resolution of the story unclear. The relationships between Emma, her suitors, and her family are left in suspense. As with many of Austen’s works, the social and romantic dynamics remain at the forefront, but the novel ends abruptly, without providing a definitive conclusion to Emma’s journey. Summary by Dream Audiobooks

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Part six of The Watsons. This LibriVox recording is in
the public domain. Read by Gazino. The Watsons the fragment
of a novel by Jane Austen, Part six. Margaret, in
the joy of her Heart, under circumstances which she chose

(00:21):
to consider as peculiarly propitious, would willingly have made a
confidante of Emma when they were alone for a short
time the next morning, and had proceeded so far as
to say, the young man who was here last night,
my dear Emma, and returns to day, is more interesting
to me than perhaps you may be aware. But Emma,
pretending to understand nothing extraordinary in the words, made some

(00:45):
very inapplicable reply, and jumping up, ran away from a
subject which was odious to her feelings. As Margaret would
not allow a doubt to be repeated. Of Musgrave's coming
to dinner, preparations were made for his entertainment, much exceeding
what had been deemed necessary the day before, and taking
the office of superintendence entirely from her sister, she was

(01:08):
half the morning in the kitchen herself, directing and scolding.
After a great deal of indifferent cooking and anxious suspense. However,
they were obliged to sit down without their guest, Tom Musgrave,
never came, and Margaret was at no pains to conceal
her vexation under the disappointment or repress the peevishness of
her temper. The peace of the party for the remainder

(01:31):
of that day and the whole of the next, which
comprised the length of Robertson Jane's visit, was continually invaded
by her fretful displeasure and querulous attacks. Elizabeth was the
usual object of both. Margaret had just respect enough for
her brother's and sisters opinion to behave properly by them,

(01:51):
But Elizabeth and the maids could never do anything right,
and Emma, whom she seemed no longer to think about,
found the continuance of the gentle voice beyond her calculation.
Short eager to be as little among them as possible,
Emma was delighted with the alternative of sitting above with
her father, and warmly entreated to be his constant companion

(02:13):
each evening. And as Elizabeth loved company of any kind
too well not to prefer being below at all risks,
she had rather talk of Croydon with Jane, with every
interruption of Margaret's perverseness, than sit with only her father,
who frequently could not endure talking at all. The affair
was so settled as soon as she could be persuaded

(02:34):
to believe it. No sacrifice on her sister's part. To Emma,
the change was most acceptable and delightful. Her father, if ill,
required little more than gentleness and silence, and, being a
man of sense and education, was if able to converse,
a welcome companion in his chamber. Emma was at peace

(02:54):
from the dreadful mortifications of unequal society and family discord,
from the immediate endurance of hard hearted prosperity, low minded conceit,
and wrong headed folly engrafted on an untoward disposition. She
still suffered from them in the contemplation of their existence,
in memory and in prospect, but for the moment she

(03:16):
ceased to be tortured by their effects. She was at leisure.
She could read and think. Though her situation was hardly
such as to make reflection very soothing, the evils arising
from the loss of her uncle were neither trifling nor
likely to lessen, and when thought had been freely indulged
in contrasting the past and the present. The employment of

(03:36):
mind and dissipation of unpleasant ideas which only reading could produce,
made her thankfully turn to a book. The change in
her home, society, and style of life, in consequence of
the death of one friend and the imprudence of another,
had indeed been striking. From being the first object of
hope and solicitude to an uncle who had formed her

(03:59):
mind with the care of a parent, and of tenderness,
to an aunt whose amiable temper had delighted to give
her every indulgence, from being the life and spirit of
a house where all had been comfort and elegance, and
the expected heiress of an easy independence, she was become
of importance to no one, a burden on those whose

(04:20):
affections she could not expect, an addition to a house
already overstocked, surrounded by inferior minds, with little chance of
domestic comfort, and as little hope for future support. It
was well for her that she was naturally cheerful, for
the change had been such as might have plunged weak
spirits in despondence. She was very much pressed by Robert

(04:42):
and Jane to return with them to Croydon, and had
some difficulty in getting a refusal accepted, as they thought
too highly of their own kindness and situation to suppose
the offer could appear in a less advantageous light to
anybody else. Elizabeth gave them her interest, though evidently against
her own, in privately urging Emma to go. You do

(05:05):
not know what you refuse, Emma said she, Nor would
you have to bear at home? I would advise you,
by all means to accept the invitation. There is always
something lively going on at Croydon. You will be in
company almost every day, and Robert and Jane will be
very kind to you. As for me, I shall be
no worse off without you than I have been used

(05:25):
to be. But poor Margaret's disagreeable ways are new to you,
and they would vex you more than you think, for
if you stay at home. Emma was of course uninfluenced
except to greater esteem for Elizabeth by such representations, and
the visitors departed without her. End of Part six. End

(05:47):
of the fragment The Watsons by Jane Austen. Note. According
to Austin Lee's memoir, this is how Jane Austen had
intended The Watsons to continue. When the author's sister, Cassandra
showed the manuscript of this work to some of her nieces,
she also told them something of the intended story. For
with this dear sister, though I believe with no one else,

(06:10):
Jane seems to have talked freely of any work that
she might have in hand. Mister Watson was soon to die,
and Emma to become dependent for a home on her
narrow minded sister in law and brother. She was to
decline an offer of marriage from Lord Osborne, and much
of the interest of the tale was to rise from
Lady Osborne's love for mister Howard and his counter affection

(06:34):
for Emma, whom he was finally to marry. End of
the Watsons by Jane Austen