NovelGuide: Emma: Novel Summary: Chapter 40- Chapter 42

Chapter 40- Chapter 42

Chapter 40: A few days later Harriet comes to Emma's and tells her that she is going to destroy some remembrances of Mr. Elton, as she will not give him another thought. Emma does not know what Harriet could have, as he never gave her anything, but the things turn out to be a piece of court-plaster he had played with one day and a pencil stub he had discarded. Harriet had been saving them, and now throws them into the fire. Harriet then says she will never marry, and Emma asks if she is saying this because the person she now prefers is superior to her. Harriet agrees, and says that it is a pleasure just to admire him at a distance, and Emma says that she is not surprised she admires him considering what a service he did her. Harriet agrees, saying that she was miserable, and then she saw him and all was perfect happiness. Emma says to be observant of him, but that she will not interfere, and Harriet is glad she feels that way. They never mention the name of the person they are talking about.

Chapter 41: June comes, and Mr. Knightley dislikes Frank Churchill even more than he did before. He fears that there is some double-dealing going on and that Emma will be hurt. He sees that outwardly Frank seems to be making Emma his object, but he thinks that he is really interested in Jane. He has seen him look at her, and an incident from a few days before also leads him to believe that he and Jane have been writing to each other. Frank said something about Mrs. Weston writing to him about how Mr. Perry (the doctor) was going to set up his carriage, but Mrs. Weston said that she never heard of it before, so could not have written him. Later Miss Bates said that she and Jane knew. Later that day, when Emma and Frank and Jane are playing a word game, he spelled out 'blunder,' and when he spelled out 'Dixon,' Emma and Frank laughed, and Jane was displeased. Mr. Knightley feels that he must warn Emma against Frank, and he asks her if she is sure she understands the degree of acquaintance between Frank and Jane. She assures him that she does, and when he suggests that Frank may admire Jane, Emma assures him that he does not.

Chapter 42: After Mrs. Elton had talked so much about her sister and brother-in-law visiting, it turns out they cannot visit. It is decided that they will all take a trip to Box Hill (where the Eltons were going to take her family) anyway. When a horse goes lame they make the plan of going to Donwell (Knightley's home) instead. Mrs. Elton tries to take charge over who will be invited and what it will be like, but Knightley will not have it, and says that he will take care of it. The horse gets better, and it is decided that they will go to Donwell one day and Box Hill the next. The day at Donwell goes well, and at one point, Emma overhears Mrs. Elton tell Jane that she found her a position. Jane is sorry that she went to the trouble, as she will not accept it, but Mrs. Elton tries to talk her into it. Jane suggests they all walk around the gardens. They do, and Emma sees Mr. Knightley and Harriet walking together. Then they eat, and Mrs. Weston is worried that Frank, who was to meet them there, has not yet arrived. The party goes out to walk again, and Emma stays in the house with her father. She is surprised when Jane returns, saying that she wants to be alone and is going to walk back home. A bit later Frank shows up, and Emma sees that he is quite cranky, and he blames it on the heat. She invites him to go to Box Hill the next day, and while he at first says he will not, he later decides to go.