 luckiest woman in the world; for, beyond a
doubt, Mr. Elton had not his equal for beauty or agreeableness.«
 

                                  Chapter IX.

Mr. Knightley might quarrel with her, but Emma could not quarrel with herself.
He was so much displeased, that it was longer than usual before he came to
Hartfield again; and when they did meet, his grave looks shewed that she was not
forgiven. She was sorry, but could not repent. On the contrary, her plans and
proceedings were more and more justified, and endeared to her by the general
appearances of the next few days.
    The Picture, elegantly framed, came safely to hand soon after Mr. Elton's
return, and being hung over the mantle-piece of the common sitting-room, he got
up to look at it, and sighed out his half sentences of admiration just as he
ought; and as for Harriet's feelings, they were visibly forming themselves into
as strong and steady an attachment as her youth and sort of mind admitted. Emma
was soon perfectly satisfied of Mr. Martin's being no otherwise remembered, than
as he furnished a contrast with Mr. Elton, of the utmost advantage to the
latter.
    Her views of improving her little friend's mind, by a great deal of useful
reading and conversation, had never yet led to more than a few first chapters,
and the intention of going on to-morrow. It was much easier to chat than to
study; much pleasanter to let her imagination range and work at Harriet's
fortune, than to be labouring to enlarge her comprehension or exercise it on
sober facts; and the only literary pursuit which engaged Harriet at present, the
only mental provision she was making for the evening of life, was the collecting
and transcribing all the riddles of every sort that she could meet with, into a
thin quarto of hot-pressed paper, made up by her friend, and ornamented with
cyphers and trophies.
    In this age of literature, such collections on a very grand scale are not
uncommon. Miss Nash, head-teacher at Mrs. Goddard's, had written out at least
three hundred; and Harriet, who had taken the first hint of it from her, hoped,
with Miss Woodhouse's help, to get a great many more. Emma assisted with her
invention, memory and taste; and as Harriet wrote a very pretty hand, it was
likely to be an arrangement of the first order, in form as well as quantity.
    Mr. Woodhouse was almost as much interested in the business as
