The Watsons by Jane Austen : Part 4

Part 4: The Love Interests Develop
The relationships between Emma and her suitors continue to develop. Emma is still uncertain about who to marry and finds herself in a complicated situation. She starts to develop an attachment to Mr. Howard but also experiences the attraction of Mr. Weston. The social scene in their town plays a significant role in their interactions, and Emma is influenced by the opinions of others.
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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Part four of The Watsons. This LibriVox recording is in
the public domain. Read by Gazina. The Watsons a fragment
of a novel by Jane Austen, Part four. On the
third day after the ball, as Nanny, at five minutes

(00:22):
before three, was beginning to bustle into the parlor with
the tray and the knife case, she was suddenly called
to the front door by the sound of as smart
a rap as the end of a riding whip could give, and,
though charged by Miss Watson to let nobody in, returned
in half a minute with a look of awkward dismay,
to hold the parlor door open for Lord Osborne and

(00:44):
Tom Musgrave. The surprise of the young ladies may be imagined.
No visitors would have been welcome at such a moment,
but such visitors as these, such a one as Lord Osborne,
at least a nobleman and a stranger, was really distressing.
He looked a little embarrassed himself, as on being introduced

(01:07):
by his easy, voluble friend, he muttered something of doing
himself the honor of waiting upon mister Watson. Though Emma
could not but take the compliment of the visit to herself,
she was very far from enjoying it. She felt all
the inconsistency of such an acquaintance, with a very humble
style in which they were obliged to live, and, having

(01:27):
in her aunt's family been used to so many of
the elegancies of life, was fully sensible of all that
must be opened to the ridicule of richer people in
her present home. Of the pain of such feelings, Elizabeth
knew very little. Her simple mind or juster reason saved
her from such mortification, and though shrinking under a general

(01:49):
sense of inferiority, she felt no particular shame. Mister Watson,
as the gentleman had already heard from Nanny, was not
well enough to be downstairs. With much concern, they took
their seats, Lord Osborne near Emma, and the convenient mister
Musgrave in high spirits at his own importance on the

(02:10):
other side of the fireplace with Elizabeth. He was at
no loss for words, But when Lord Osborne had hoped
that Emma had not caught cold at the ball, he
had nothing more to say for some time, and could
only gratify his eye by occasional glances at his fair
neighbor Emma was not inclined to give herself much trouble

(02:30):
for his entertainment, and after hard labor of mind, he
produced the remark of its being a very fine day,
and followed it up with a question of have you
been walking this morning? No, my lord, we sought it
too dirty. You should wear half boots. After another pause,

(02:51):
nothing sets off a neat angle more than a half boot.
Nankeen galoshed with black looks very well. Do you not
like half boots? Yes? But unless they are so stout
as to injure their beauty, they are not fit for
country walking. Ladies should ride in dirty weather. Do you ride? No,

(03:12):
my lord? I wonder every lady does not. A woman
never looks better than on horseback. But every woman may
not have the inclination or the means. If they knew
how much it became them, they would all have the inclination.
And I fancy Miss Watson, when once they had the inclination,

(03:33):
the means would soon follow. Your lordship thinks we always
have our own way. That is a point on which
ladies and gentlemen have long disagreed. But without pretending to
decide it, I may say that there are some circumstances
which even women cannot control. Female economy will do a
great deal, my lord, but it cannot turn a small

(03:55):
income into a large one. Lord Osborne was silenced. Her
manner had been neither sententious nor sarcastic, but there was
something in its smiled seriousness, as well as in the
words themselves, which made his lordship think. And when he
addressed her again, it was with a degree of considerate propriety,
totally unlikely half awkward, half fearless style of his former remarks.

(04:20):
It was a new thing with him to wish to
please a woman. It was the first time that he
had ever felt what was due a woman in Emma's situation.
But as he wanted neither in sense nor a good disposition,
he did not feel it without effect. You have not
belong in this country, I understand, he said, in the

(04:40):
tone of a gentleman. I hope you are pleased with it.
He was rewarded by a gracious answer and a more
liberal full view of her face than she had yet bestowed.
Unused to exert himself and happy in contemplating her, he
then sat in silence for some minutes longer, while Tom
Musgrave was chattering to Elizabeth till they were interrupted by

(05:03):
Nanny's approach, who, half opening the door and putting in
her head, said, please, ma'am, Master wants to know why
he meant to have his dinner. The gentleman, who had
hitherto disregarded every symptom, however positive of the nearness of
that meal, now jumped up with apologies, while Elizabeth called

(05:25):
briskly after Nanny to tell Betty to take up the fowls.
I am sorry it happens, so she added, turning good
humoredly towards Musgrave. But you know what early hours we keep.
Tom had nothing to say for himself. He knew it
very well, and such honest simplicity, such shameless truth, rather

(05:49):
bewildered him. Lord Osborne's parting compliments took some time, his
inclination for speech seeming to increase with the shortness of
the term for indulgence. He recommended exercise in defiance of dirt,
spoke again in praise of half boots, begged that his
sister might be allowed to send Emma the name of
her shoemaker, and concluded with saying, my hands will be

(06:12):
hunting this country next week. I believe they will throw
off at Stanton Wood on Thursday at nine o'clock. I
mention this in hopes of you being drawn out to
see what's going on. If the morning's tolerable, pray do
us the honor of giving as your good wishes in person.
The sisters looked on each other with astonishment when their

(06:33):
visitors had withdrawn. Here is an unaccountable honor, cried Elizabeth.
At last. Who would have thought of Lord Osborne's coming
to Stanton? He is very handsome, but Tom Musgrave looks
all to nothing, the smartest and most fashionable man of
the two. I am glad he did not say anything
to me. I would not have had to talk to

(06:54):
such a great man for the world. Tom was very agreeable,
was not he? But did ye hear him ask where
Miss Penelope and Miss Margaret were when he first came in?
It put me out of patience. I am glad Nanny
had not laid the cloth. However it would have looked
so awkward. Just the trade did not signify. To say

(07:16):
Emma was not flattered by Lord Osbourne's visit would be
to assert a very unlikely thing and describe a very
odd young lady but the gratification was by no means unalloyed.
His coming was a sort of notice which might please
her vanity, but did not suit her pride, and she
would rather have known that he wished the visit without
presuming to make it, than have seen him at Stanton.

(07:40):
Among other unsatisfactory feelings, it once occurred to her to
wonder why mister Howard had not taken the same privilege
of coming and accompanied his lordship. But she was willing
to suppose that he had either known nothing about it,
or had declined any share in a measure which carried
quite as much impertinence in its form as good breeding.

(08:01):
Mister Watson was very far from being delighted when he
heard what had passed A little peevish under immediate pain,
and ill disposed to be pleased, he only replied, Poo, poo,
what occasion could there be for Lord Osborne's coming? I
have lived here for fourteen years without being noticed by
any of the family. It is some foolery of that

(08:22):
idle fellow Tom Musgrave. I cannot return the visit. I
would not if I could. And when Tom Musgrave was
met with again, he was commissioned with a message of
excuse to Osborne Castle on the too sufficient plea of
mister Watson's infirm state of health. End of Part four