NovelGuide: Emma: Novel Summary: Chapter 22- Chapter 24

Chapter 22- Chapter 24

Chapter 22: Mr. Elton comes back to Highbury a happy man, and spreads the news about how charming and beautiful Augusta Hawkins is. The wedding is to be soon, and all expect that the next time Elton returns to Highbury he will bring his new wife with him. Emma barely sees him during this stay in Highbury. She thinks little of the soon-to-be Mrs. Elton, except to note that she brings some money to the marriage, but no name, no blood and no alliance. The entire grandeur of the match seems to be in that Miss Hawkins' sister had made a good match to a man near Bristol. If it did not cause Harriet pain, Emma could almost been amused at how easily she wavers between her anguish over Mr. Martin and Mr. Elton. Miss Martin calls on Harriet at Mrs. Goddard's and leaves a note when she does not find her there. Harriet wants to return the visit, and Emma decides that they will take the carriage and she will drop Harriet off at the Martin's for a short visit before she picks her up again. She will only allow her to be there a short time, so that there is no danger of a rekindling of the friendship between her and Mr. Martin.

Chapter 23: Emma drops Harriet off at the Martins' as planned, and then returns to pick her up a quarter of an hour later. Harriet reports that she had seen only Mrs. Martin and her two daughters, and that they had been cool to her at first. They were all falling back into the friendship they used to have when Harriet was summoned to go. Emma wishes that the Martins were just a little higher in status so that she could allow Harriet to marry Mr. Martin, but she cannot regret her decision. On their way back to Hartfield they stop at Randalls to visit the Westons and learn that they had had a letter from Frank saying that he would be there the next day.

Mrs. Weston is nervous about meeting Frank Churchill, and Emma is thinking of her the next day when she walks into the parlour and sees Mr. Weston and his son with her father. Frank Churchill had arrived a day early. Emma thinks Frank a very good-looking man, and can see that he knows how to make himself agreeable. He praises the new Mrs. Weston. Emma can see that Mr. Weston is observing her and his son, and she feels sure that he and Mrs. Weston desire a match between them. Mr. Weston must leave them on business, and Frank also goes so that he can pay a visit to his acquaintance, Jane Fairfax.

Chapter 24: The next morning Frank Churchill and Mrs. Weston come to visit Hartfield. Emma joins them in a walk about Hartfield and Highbury, and when they stop at the Crown Inn, Frank is interested in how they used to hold balls there. As they continue on, Emma remembers that Frank was going to visit Jane the day before, and asks him how his visit was. He replies that Jane is always too pale, but that now she looks ill. Emma tries to get him to talk more about Jane, asking him if he knows that she is destined to be a governess and how he likes her piano playing. She mentions to him how she does not like how reserved Jane is, and he completely agrees.