Page:Austen Sanditon and other miscellanea.djvu/116

 86 to spend a month with Robert and Jane on purpose to egg him on, by her absence; but I am sure she is mistaken, and that he will no more follow her to Croydon now than he did last Match. He will never marry unless he can marry somebody very great; Miss Osborne perhaps, or something in that style.’ ‘Your account of this Tom Musgrave, Elizabeth, gives me very little inclination for his acquaintance.’ ‘You are afraid of him, I do not wonder at you.’ ‘No, indeed, I dislike and despise him.’ ‘Dislike and Despise Tom Musgrave! No, that you never can. I defy you not to be delighted with him if he takes notice of you. I hope he will dance with you, and I dare say he will, unless the Osbornes come with a large party, and then he will not speak to any body else.’ ‘He seems to have most engaging manners!’ said Emma. ‘Well, we shall see how irresistable Mr. Tom Musgrave and I find each other. I suppose I shall know him as soon as I enter the Ball-room; he must carry some of his Charms in his face.’ ‘You will not find him in the Ball-room, I can tell you. You will go early that Mrs. Edwardes may get a good place by the fire, and he never comes till late; and if the Osbornes are coming, he will wait in the Passage, and come in with them. I should like to look in upon you, Emma. If it was but a good day with my Father, I would wrap myself up, and James should drive me over, as soon as I had made Tea for him; and I should be with you by the time the Dancing began.’ ‘What! would you come late at night in this Chair?’ ‘To be sure I would. There, I said you were very refined; and that’s an instance of it.’ Emma for a moment made no answer. At last she said: ‘I wish, Elizabeth, you had not made a point of my going to this Ball, I wish you were going instead of me. Your pleasure would be greater than mine. I am a stranger here, and know nobody but the Edwardeses; my Enjoyment therefore must be very