Emma Page #5

EMMA:

What?

MR ELTON:

You are putting yourself at risk, and we cannot allow that, can we

Knightley? I mean, is this fair?

ISABELLA:

Father!

MR ELTON:

Have I not some right to complain?

MR JOHN KNIGHTLEY

Emma, the weather's distressing your father and he wants to leave. Isabella

and I will take him home now in our carriage. Will you...?

MR ELTON:

Not to worry, sir. I will ensure that your sister is safe.

MRS WESTON:

Come Mr Woodhouse. Let's wrap you up warmly.

SCENE 18-CARRIAGE TO HARTFIELD

EMMA:

Certainly the weather-

MR ELTON:

Miss Woodhouse, please! Fate has left us alone for a reason!

EMMA:

What? What are you...? Release my hand!

MR ELTON:

I do not so much as seize your hand so much as the opportunity to-

EMMA:

Good heavens. Go back!

MR ELTON:

Please! I am hoping...fearing...ready to die if you refuse me. Surely my

odd and attachment to you, my love and passion cannot help to make an

impression

EMMA:

Mr Elton! This is I, Miss Woodhouse! The party spirit has confused you!

I'll be happy to deliver your message to Miss Smith, but you must direct no

more of it to me.

MR ELTON:

Miss Smith? What sort of message would I want to send to her? Miss Smith?!

EMMA:

Mr Elton, the wine has weakened you, for you to--

MR ELTON:

If the wine has had any effect, it has only strengthened my will to tell

you that I love you! And-

EMMA:

My astonishment is beyond anything I can express. For you to address me in

this manner, after your behaviour to Miss Smith, is--

MR ELTON:

I never cared whether Miss Smith were dead or alive except she was your

friend. Who can think of Miss Smith when Miss Woodhouse is near?

EMMA:

Oh, no!

MR ELTON:

Everything I have ever done was to prove my adoration for you. Why else

would I go to London to have your picture framed?

EMMA:

Oh, no...

MR ELTON:

Allow me to--! Allow me to interpret the silence. You have long understood

me.

EMMA:

I said back, and kindly refrain from the intimacy of whispering. Am I to

understand that you never sought to recommend yourself to Miss Smith?

MR ELTON:

How can you be surprised? Did you not understand the riddle I wrote?

EMMA:

That was for Harriet!

MR ELTON:

I most obviously did not address it to her and left it at your home!

EMMA:

But--oh...But--

MR ELTON:

She's a very good sort of girl, and I'm sure there are men who would not

object to...Everybody has their level. But I am need so totally despair of

an equal alliance as to address myself to Miss Smith...

EMMA:

Sir!

MR ELTON:

No! I sought to recommend myself to YOU with those visits.

EMMA:

Sir...I have seen you only as the admirer of my friend.

MR ELTON:

I cannot believe that!

EMMA:

It is well to the mistake--

MR ELTON:

It is her mistake

EMMA:

It is mine as well.

MR ELTON:

She will manage her disappointment, leave her out of it. How do you feel

about what I've said?

EMMA:

Mr Elton, any hopes I had with regard to you were for Harriet and Harriet

alone.

SCENE 19-RANDALL

MRS WESTON:

My dear child! What is it?

EMMA:

Miss Taylor! ...Mrs Weston! There has been an overthrow of everything I

have been wishing for for Harriet and Mr Elton, a development most

unwelcome, most painful. Oh, dear. You will not believe it, but, Mr Elton,

now prepare yourself, but, Mr Elton is--

MRS WESTON:

Mr Elton is in love with you...?

EMMA:

You knew?

MRS WESTON:

I had my suspicions, but the party confirmed it.

EMMA:

The worst of it is that I persuaded her to care for him! Had I not done

that, I could bear anything, but it was I and I alone! Even Mr Knightley

warned me.

MRS WESTON:

Mr Knightley?

EMMA:

He was very cross because I had urged Harriet to reject a proposal from

Robert Martin.

MRS WESTON:

That nice farmer?

EMMA:

At least there I was right! Well done, Emma! But otherwise I have made a

dreadful mistake. I sought to bring two people together, and I shall never

do it again! Never! That poor girl...

MRS WESTON:

She'll recover. She's young.

EMMA:

I wish I could ease the pain of this fall, but I have no idea who might be

right for her. William Cox?

MRS WESTON:

Emma!

EMMA:

Too pert?

MRS WESTON:

My dear, you said you would never try to match anyone again.

EMMA:

Yes. Indeed. I just wish there was some way to soften the news when I tell

her.

MRS WESTON:

I'm afraid the best way is always the most straightforward.

EMMA:

Yes. I suppose I will just say, 'Harriet!'--

SCENE 20-HARTFIELD

EMMA:

I have some news about Mr Elton. He has had to leave town.

HARRIET:

Why?

EMMA:

In his letter to father, he wrote that he was going to Bath to relax and to

meet new people. And this brings me to something most unpleasant.

HARRIET:

Oh, Miss Woodhouse, nothing you say could ever be unpleasant.

EMMA:

This is full. I must acknowledge myself grossly mistaken on the one subject

that has occupied us for some time past.

HARRIET:

Mr Elton?

EMMA:

While expressing his fervent admiration for you as a person, it is

unhappily I who have captured his fancy. Naturally I do not return his

feelings, but that does not make it any less of an embarrassment and I

place the responsibility for this directly on my own shoulders.

HARRIET:

Oh, no! I have always felt that I did not deserve Mr Elton's affections. So

I cannot blame him for believing the same. I could never blame you, who

have been so kind a friend that I could never dream it possible.

EMMA:

Harriet, I had always hoped that I might have something to teach you. Now I

see that I shall be lucky to resemble you in any small way.

SCENE 21-PUPPY FARM

EMMA:

They have just been weaned! I thought that you might enjoy them. They

cannot help but lift the spirits.

HARRIET:

Do you suppose that Mr Elton is meeting young ladies while he's away?

EMMA:

I do not know. Feel her paws.

HARRIET:

I would not blame him. I wonder when he will return.

EMMA:

Dear, you must try to empty your mind of Mr Elton. Really.

HARRIET:

Oh, I'm sorry. It was kind of you to invite me!

EMMA:

Look at her eyes!

HARRIET:

Mr Elton had brown eyes too!

EMMA:

Oh! Harriet, there is only one place that I can think of where you will not

be able to speak of Mr Elton. Indeed you may not be able to speak at all!

SCENE 22-BATES' HOUSE

MISS BATES:

Oh, Miss Woodhouse, what a special, special treat! It was so lovely to you

to come and visit us. Isn't it mother! TREAT! And the best of it is, the

best of i-i-it is that we were just speaking of a topic that would interest

you both.

EMMA (thinking)

Please, do not let it be a letter from that ninny Jane Fairfax!

MISS BATES:

Yes, here it is. It is a letter from Mrs Cole, who has news of Mr Elton!

Yes, here we are. 'He has been the toast of every young ladies eye!' Well

of course, that can be no surprise to any of us! Oh, dear. Miss Smith, you

look pale! You must be hungry! Let me get you some cake! Wasn't it nice for

them to visit us mother? The most amazing thing just happened. Mother was

asking about Jane Fairfax, asking if there was any news from her, even

though she knew it was not Jane's day for writing. Remember, mother, not,

JANE'S DAY! Oh, napkins, sorry. You see, we always have a letter from Jane

on Tuesday, and today as you must know is Thursday! So I said, 'Mother we

have had a letter from Jane this very morning!' And she said, 'But it's

Thursday! For you see Jane writes on Tuesday and this is Thursday! And I

said, 'Upon my honor!' Here you are, Miss Smi--oh, napkins, sorry! Here you

are.

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