Harriet certainly was not clever,but she had a sweet,docile,grateful disposition,was totally free from conceit,and only desiring to be guided by any one she looked up to.Her early attachment to herself was very amiable;and her inclination for good company,and power of appreciating what was elegant and clever,showed that there was no want of taste,though strength of understanding must not be expected.Altogether she was quite convinced of Harriet Smith's being exactly the young friend she wanted-exactly the something which her home required.Such a friend as Mrs Weston was out of the question.Two such could never be granted.Two such she did not want.It was quite a different sort of thing,a sentiment distinct and independent.Mrs Weston was the object of a regard which had its basis in gratitude and esteem.Harriet would be loved as one to whom she could be useful.For Mrs Weston there was nothing to be done;for Harriet everything.
Her first attempts at usefulness were in an endeavour to find out who were the parents;but Harriet could not tell.She was ready to tell everything in her power,but on this subject questions were vain.Emma was obliged to fancy what she liked;but she could never believe that in the same situation she should not have discovered the truth.Harriet had no penetration.She had been satisfied to hear and believe just what Mrs Goddard chose to tell her;and looked no farther.
Mrs Goddard and the teachers,and the girls,and the affairs of the school in general,formed naturally a great part of the conversation-and but for her acquaintance with the Martins of Abbey Mill Farm,it must have been the whole.But the Martins occupied her thoughts a good deal;she had spent two very happy months with them,and now loved to talk of the pleasures of her visit,and describe the many comforts and wonders of the place.Emma encouraged her talkativeness,amused by such a picture of another set of beings,and enjoying the youthful simplicity which could speak with so much exultation of Mrs Martin's having ‘two parlours,two very good parlours,indeed;one of them quite as large as Mrs Goddard's drawing-room;and of her having an upper maid who had lived five-and-twenty years with her;and of their having eight cows,two of them Alderneys,and one a little Welsh cow,a very pretty little Welsh cow,indeed;and of Mrs Martin's saying,as she was so fond of it,it should be called her cow;and of their having a very handsome summer-house in their garden,where some day next year they were all to drink tea;a very handsome summer-house,large enough to hold a dozen people.’
For some time she was amused,without thinking beyond the immediate cause;but as she came to understand the family better,other feelings arose.She had taken up a wrong idea,fancying it was a mother and daughter,a son and son's wife,who all lived together;but when it appeared that the Mr Martin,who bore a part in the narrative,and was always mentioned with approbation for his great good-nature in doing something or other,was a single man-that there was no young Mrs Martin,no wife in the case-she did suspect danger to her poor little friend from all this hospitality and kindness,and that,if she were not taken care of,she might be required to sink herself for ever.
With this inspiriting notion,her questions increased in number and meaning;and she particularly led Harriet to talk more of Mr Martin,and there was evidently no dislike to it.Harriet was very ready to speak of the share he had had in their moonlight walks and merry evening games;and dwelt a good deal upon his being so very good-humoured and obliging.‘He had gone three miles round one day in order to bring her some walnuts,because she had said how fond she was of them,and in everything else he was so very obliging.He had his shepherd's son into the parlour one night on purpose to sing to her.She was very fond of singing.He could sing a little himself.She believed he was very clever,and understood everything.He had a very fine flock,and,while she was with them,he had been bid more for his wool than anybody in the country.She believed everybody spoke well of him.His mother and sisters were very fond of him.Mrs Martin had told her one day (and there was a blush as she said it)that it was impossible for anybody to be a better son,and therefore she was sure,whenever he married,he would make a good husband.Not that she wanted him to marry.She was in no hurry at all.’
‘Well done,Mrs Martin!’thought Emma.‘You know what you are about.’
‘And when she had come away,Mrs Martin was so very kind as to send Mrs Goddard a beautiful goose-the finest goose Mrs Goddard had ever seen.Mrs Goddard had dressed it on a Sunday,and asked all the three teachers,Miss Nash,and Miss Prince,and Miss Richardson,to sup with her.’
‘Mr Martin,I suppose,is not a man of information beyond the line of his own business?He does not read?’
‘Oh,yes!-that is,no-I do not know-but I believe he has read a good deal-but not what you would think anything of.He reads the Agricultural Reports,and some other books that lay in one of the window seats-but he reads all them to himself.But sometimes of an evening,before we went to cards,he would read something aloud out of the Elegant Extracts,very entertaining.And I know he has read the Vicar of Wakefield.He never read the Romance of the Forest,nor the Children of the Abbey.He had never heard of such books before I mentioned them,but he is determined to get them now as soon as ever he can.’
The next question was:
‘What sort of looking man is Mr Martin?’
‘Oh!not handsome-not at all handsome.I thought him very plain at first,but I do not think him so plain now.One does not,you know,after a time.But did you never see him?He is in Highbury every now and then,and he is sure to ride through every week in his way to Kingston.He has passed you very often.’