 the very natural wish of a little
change.«
    Both felt rather anxious to hear him speak again; and after a few minutes
silence, he said,
    »Another thing must be taken into consideration too - Mrs. Elton does not
talk to Miss Fairfax as she speaks of her. We all know the difference between
the pronouns he or she and thou, the plainest-spoken amongst us; we all feel the
influence of a something beyond common civility in our personal intercourse with
each other - a something more early implanted. We cannot give any body the
disagreeable hints that we may have been very full of the hour before. We feel
things differently. And besides the operation of this, as a general principle,
you may be sure that Miss Fairfax awes Mrs. Elton by her superiority both of
mind and manner; and that face to face Mrs. Elton treats her with all the
respect which she has a claim to. Such a woman as Jane Fairfax probably never
fell in Mrs. Elton's way before - and no degree of vanity can prevent her
acknowledging her own comparative littleness in action, if not in
consciousness.«
    »I know how highly you think of Jane Fairfax,« said Emma. Little Henry was
in her thoughts, and a mixture of alarm and delicacy made her irresolute what
else to say.
    »Yes,« he replied, »any body may know how highly I think of her.«
    »And yet,« said Emma, beginning hastily and with an arch look, but soon
stopping - it was better, however, to know the worst at once - she hurried on -
»And yet, perhaps, you may hardly be aware yourself how highly it is. The extent
of your admiration may take you by surprize some day or other.«
    Mr. Knightley was hard at work upon the lower buttons of his thick leather
gaiters, and either the exertion of getting them together, or some other cause,
brought the colour into his face, as he answered,
    »Oh! are you there? - But you are miserably behindhand. Mr. Cole gave me a
hint of it six weeks ago.«
    He stopped. - Emma felt her foot pressed by Mrs. Weston, and did not herself
know what to think. In a moment he went on -
    »That will never be, however, I can assure you. Miss Fairfax, I dare say,
would not have me if I were to ask her - and I am very sure I shall never ask
her.«
    Emma returned her friend's pressure with interest; and
