She was now so 'delighted to see dear, dear Emma'that she could hardly speak a word in a minute.—'I am sure we shall be great friends'—she observed, with much sentiment, as they weresitting together.—Emma scarcely knew how to answer such a proposition—and the manner in which it was spoken, she could not attempt to equal.Mrs.R.W.eyed her with much familiar curiosity and Triumphant Compassion;—the loss of the Aunt's fortune was uppermost in her mind, at the moment of meeting;— and she could not but feel how much better it was to be the daughter of a gentleman of property in Croydon, than the niece of an old woman who threw herself away on an Irish Captain.— Robert was carelessly kind, as became a prosperous Man and a brother; more intent on settling with the Post-Boy, inveighing against the Exorbitant advance in Posting, and pondering over a doubtful halfcrown, than on welcoming a Sister, who was no longer likely to have any property for him to get the direction of.— 'Your road through the village is infamous, Elizabeth;'said he, 'worse than ever it was.By Heaven! I would endite it if I lived near you.Who is Surveyor now?'—There was a little niece at Croydon, to be fondly enquired after by the kind-hearted Elizabeth, who regretted very much her not being of the party.—'You are very good'—replied her Mother—'and I assure you it went very hard with Augusta to have us come away without her.I was forced to say we were only going to Church and promise to come back for her directly.—But you know it would not do, to bring her without her maid, and I am as particular as ever in having her properly attended to.''Sweet little Darling!'—cried Margaret—'It quite broke my heart to leave her.''Then why was you in such a hurry to run away from her?'cried Mrs.R.—'You are a sad shabby girl.—I have been quarrelling with you all the way we came, have not I?— Such a visit as this, I never heard of!—You know how glad we are to have any of you with us—if it be for months together.—And Iam sorry, (with a witty smile) we have not been able to make Croydon agreable this autumn.'—'My dearest Jane—do not overpower me with your Raillery.—You know what inducements I had to bring me home,—spare me, I entreat you.I am no match for your arch sallies.''Well, I only beg you will not set your Neighbours against the place.—Perhaps Emma may be tempted to go back with us, and stay till Christmas, if you don't put in your word.'—Emma was greatly obliged.'I assure you we have very good society at Croydon.—I do not much attend the Balls, they are rather too mixed,—but our parties are very select and good.—I had seven Tables last week in my Drawingroom.Are you fond of the Country? How do you like Stanton?'—'Very much'—replied Emma, who thought a comprehensive answer, most to the purpose.—She saw that her Sister-in-law despised her immediately.—Mrs.R.W.was indeed wondering what sort of a home Emma could possibly have been used to in Shropshire, and setting it down as certain that the Aunt could never have had six thousand pounds.—'How charming Emma is!—'whispered Margaret to Mrs.Robert in her most languishing tone.—Emma was quite distress'd by such behaviour;—and she did not like it better when she heard Margaret five minutes afterwards say to Elizabeth in a sharp quick accent, totally unlike the first—'Have you heard from Pen.since she went to Chichester?—I had a letter the other day.—I don't find she is likely to make anything of it.I fancy she'll come back “Miss Penelope” as she went.'
Such, she feared would be Margaret's common voice, when the novelty of her own appearance were over; the tone of artificial Sensibility was not recommended by the idea.—The Ladies were invited upstairs to prepare for dinner.'I hope you will find thingstolerably comfortable Jane'—said Elizabeth as she opened the door of the spare bedchamber.—'My good creature,'replied Jane, 'use no ceremony with me, I intreat you.I am one of those who always take things as they find them.I hope I can put up with a small apartment for two or three nights, without making a piece of work.I always wish to be treated quite “en famille” when I come to see you—and now I do hope you have not been getting a great dinner for us.—Remember we never eat suppers.'—'I suppose,'said Margaret rather quickly to Emma, 'you and I are to be together; Elizabeth always takes care to have a room to herself.'— 'No—Elizabeth gives me half her's.'—'Oh I'—(in a soften'd voice, and rather mortified to find she was not ill used) 'I am sorry I am not to have the pleasure of your company—especially as it makes me nervous to be much alone.'
