“My dear Emma, as long as he thinks so, it is so; but if he really loves Jane Fairfax—­”

“Nonsense!  He does not care about Jane Fairfax.  In the way of love, I am sure he does not.  He would do any good to her, or her family; but—­”

“Well,” said Mrs. Weston, laughing, “perhaps the greatest good he could do them, would be to give Jane such a respectable home.”

“If it would be good to her, I am sure it would be evil to himself; a very shameful and degrading connexion.  How would he bear to have Miss Bates belonging to him?—­To have her haunting the Abbey, and thanking him all day long for his great kindness in marrying Jane?—­ `So very kind and obliging!—­But he always had been such a very kind neighbour!’ And then fly off, through half a sentence, to her mother’s old petticoat. `Not that it was such a very old petticoat either—­for still it would last a great while—­and, indeed, she must thankfully say that their petticoats were all very strong.’”

“For shame, Emma!  Do not mimic her.  You divert me against my conscience.  And, upon my word, I do not think Mr. Knightley would be much disturbed by Miss Bates.  Little things do not irritate him.  She might talk on; and if he wanted to say any thing himself, he would only talk louder, and drown her voice.  But the question is not, whether it would be a bad connexion for him, but whether he wishes it; and I think he does.  I have heard him speak, and so must you, so very highly of Jane Fairfax!  The interest he takes in her—­ his anxiety about her health—­his concern that she should have no happier prospect!  I have heard him express himself so warmly on those points!—­Such an admirer of her performance on the pianoforte, and of her voice!  I have heard him say that he could listen to her for ever.  Oh! and I had almost forgotten one idea that occurred to me—­this pianoforte that has been sent here by somebody—­ though we have all been so well satisfied to consider it a present from the Campbells, may it not be from Mr. Knightley?  I cannot help suspecting him.  I think he is just the person to do it, even without being in love.”

“Then it can be no argument to prove that he is in love.  But I do not think it is at all a likely thing for him to do.  Mr. Knightley does nothing mysteriously.”

“I have heard him lamenting her having no instrument repeatedly; oftener than I should suppose such a circumstance would, in the common course of things, occur to him.”

“Very well; and if he had intended to give her one, he would have told her so.”

“There might be scruples of delicacy, my dear Emma.  I have a very strong notion that it comes from him.  I am sure he was particularly silent when Mrs. Cole told us of it at dinner.”

“You take up an idea, Mrs. Weston, and run away with it; as you have many a time reproached me with doing.  I see no sign of attachment—­ I believe nothing of the pianoforte—­and proof only shall convince me that Mr. Knightley has any thought of marrying Jane Fairfax.”