 unvarying
kindness, striving to occupy and amuse her, and by books and conversation, to
drive Mr. Elton from her thoughts.
    Time, she knew, must be allowed for this being thoroughly done; and she
could suppose herself but an indifferent judge of such matters in general, and
very inadequate to sympathize in an attachment to Mr. Elton in particular; but
it seemed to her reasonable that at Harriet's age, and with the entire
extinction of all hope, such a progress might be made towards a state of
composure by the time of Mr. Elton's return, as to allow them all to meet again
in the common routine of acquaintance, without any danger of betraying
sentiments or increasing them.
    Harriet did think him all perfection, and maintain the non-existence of any
body equal to him in person or goodness - and did, in truth, prove herself more
resolutely in love than Emma had foreseen; but yet it appeared to her so
natural, so inevitable to strive against an inclination of that sort unrequited,
that she could not comprehend its continuing very long in equal force.
    If Mr. Elton, on his return, made his own indifference as evident and
indubitable as she could not doubt he would anxiously do, she could not imagine
Harriet's persisting to place her happiness in the sight or the recollection of
him.
    Their being fixed, so absolutely fixed, in the same place, was bad for each,
for all three. Not one of them had the power of removal, or of effecting any
material change of society. They must encounter each other, and make the best of
it.
    Harriet was further unfortunate in the tone of her companions at Mrs.
Goddard's; Mr. Elton being the adoration of all the teachers and great girls in
the school; and it must be at Hartfield only that she could have any chance of
hearing him spoken of with cooling moderation or repellant truth. Where the
wound had been given, there must the cure be found if anywhere; and Emma felt
that, till she saw her in the way of cure, there could be no true peace for
herself.
 

                                 Chapter XVIII.

Mr. Frank Churchill did not come. When the time proposed drew near, Mrs.
Weston's fears were justified in the arrival of a letter of excuse. For the
present, he could not be spared, to his »very great mortification and regret;
but still he looked forward with the hope of coming to Randalls at no distant
period.«
    Mrs. Weston was exceedingly disappointed - much more disappointed, in fact,
