人性本就乐于善待身处引人关注之境的人，所以一个年轻人，无论结婚还是离世，都必定会赢得善意的称道。
霍金斯小姐的名字在海伯利刚被人提起还不到一周，她便不知通过什么途径，被发觉具备了人品与心性上的一切长处：容貌秀丽、举止优雅、才艺出众，且性情极其和蔼。等到埃尔顿先生本人回来，为他的美满前景扬扬得意，并传扬她的种种美德时，他几乎只需说出她的教名，以及她主要弹奏哪位作曲家的曲子，便再无别的事可做了。
埃尔顿先生回来时，是个极幸福的人。他离去时遭人拒绝、满心羞辱——在一连串在他看来分明是强烈鼓励的迹象之后，却在一个极为乐观的希望中落了空；不仅失去了正确的那位小姐，还发现自己竟沦落到与一位完全错误的姑娘为伍。他离去时深感受辱——归来时却已与另一人订婚——而这位自然比第一位优越得多，因为在此情形下，所得总归胜过所失。他回来时欢快自得、热切忙碌，对伍德豪斯小姐毫不在意，对史密斯小姐也不屑一顾。
迷人的奥古斯塔·霍金斯，除了拥有美貌与美德这些寻常优势外，还握有一笔独立家财，数目总有几千镑，向来被称作一万；这既添了几分体面，也不无实惠：这说头听着漂亮；他并未自轻自贱——他赢得了一位拥有一万镑上下的女人；而且赢得如此神速——初识的第一个时辰过后不久，便受到了青眼相待；他向科尔太太讲述这段情事起承转合的经历，真是光彩之至——从偶然邂逅，到格林先生家的宴席，再到布朗太太家的聚会，步骤何等飞快——微笑与红晕渐次分明——其间自觉与慌乱点缀得淋漓尽致——那位小姐如此轻易便动了心——如此温婉相许——简而言之，用一句再明白不过的话说，竟是那般欣然相就，以至于虚荣与审慎皆各得其所。
他得了实也得了影——既得钱财又得芳心，正该是他这般快活人的模样；只谈自己与自己的事——指望人家道喜——不怕人取笑——带着恳切无畏的微笑，如今对当地所有年轻姑娘说话，而几周前，他对她们还要斟酌着献殷勤。
婚期并不遥远，因双方只需彼此满意，只待必要的准备停当；他再度动身去巴思时，大家普遍预期——科尔太太某一瞥眼神似乎也未予否认——他下次踏入海伯利时，会带着新娘回来。
在此次短暂的逗留中，爱玛只勉强见了他几面；但也足以感到初次见面的尴尬已过，并让她觉得，他因夹杂了恼怒与自负而流露出的神气，并未见好。事实上，她正愈来愈诧异自己当初竟觉得他讨喜；而一见他，便难免牵起某些极不愉快的情绪，若非出于道德层面的考量，当作一种苦修、一桩教训、一股令她心有所愧的谦卑之源，她真要谢天谢地，但愿永不再见此人。她祝他安好；但他令她生厌，他若在二十英里外称心如意，才最让她满意。
不过，他续住海伯利所带来的不快，必会因他的婚事而减轻。许多无谓的牵念会就此免却——许多尴尬也会由此消弭。一位埃尔顿太太，便可为任何交往上的变化提供借口；往日的亲昵尽可不着痕迹地淡去。这几乎等于重开头他们的客套生涯。
至于那位小姐本人，爱玛甚少挂心。她配埃尔顿先生，自是足够；才艺够海伯利水准——容貌够标致——放在哈丽雅特身旁，怕就要显平平了。论及门第，爱玛全然安心；她确信，尽管他自夸身价、鄙薄哈丽雅特，到头来却一事无成。这方面，真相似可探得。她是怎样的人，固然难定；但她是谁，却可查明；且撇开那一万镑不谈，她看来丝毫不在哈丽雅特之上。她无显姓、无贵血、无良姻。霍金斯小姐是布里斯托尔一商人之幼女，商人自是免不了这般称呼；但因其商海一生所获看来甚为微薄，猜他行当的体面也甚为有限，倒不为过。每年冬日，她总要在巴思消磨一段；但布里斯托尔才是她的家，是布里斯托尔的心脏地带；因父母数年前已故，只剩一位舅父——干法律的——关于他，除在法界混饭外，再无更体面的说法；外甥女便与他同住。爱玛猜他不过是某讼师的苦差，蠢得升不上去。而这门亲的所有显赫，似都系于其姐，姐姐嫁得极好，丈夫是布里斯托尔近郊一位阔佬，养着两辆马车！这便是这段历史的收尾；这便是霍金斯小姐的荣光。
她若能把自己对这一切的感受说与哈丽雅特听，该多好！她把哈丽雅特说动了心；可叹的是，要再说退她这番情意，却没那么容易。一个对象足以填满哈丽雅特心中诸多空当的魔力，是说不破的。他或可被另一人取代；确然会的；再明白不过；即便一个罗伯特·马丁也足够；但她怕，除此之外，无药可医。哈丽雅特是那种一旦开了头，便永远要恋着的人。如今，可怜的姑娘！因埃尔顿先生重现，她情形更糟了。她总在哪儿瞥见他。爱玛只见过他一次；但哈丽雅特每日总有三两回，分明刚巧撞见他，或刚巧错过他，刚巧听见他声，或瞧见他肩，刚巧有事发生，好教他在惊疑与揣想的美意中长留于心。况且，她耳边总绕着他；因除在哈特菲尔德外，她总在那些看埃尔顿先生毫无瑕疵、觉议论他的事最有趣的人堆里；于是，每一则传言、每一次猜测——他诸事安排中已发生的、将发生的，连同进项、仆役与家具，皆在她周遭翻腾不息。她的心意因对他不绝的称扬而加固，她的怅惘因反复念叨霍金斯小姐的福气、不断指点他何等倾心而被撩拨——他走过屋前的神气——帽子的戴法，全成了他陷得有多深的明证！
若这摇摆不算失礼，若朋友无苦、己心无疚，爱玛倒要笑看哈丽雅特心思的变幻。有时埃尔顿先生占上风，有时马丁家占上风；彼此偶尔互为制衡。埃尔顿先生订婚，医好了撞见马丁先生的慌乱。而这门亲事传开带来的苦楚，几日后因伊丽莎白·马丁到戈达德太太家拜访，稍得排遣。哈丽雅特不在家；却留下一封写就的便笺，措辞最是动人：些许嗔怪，多半温情；埃尔顿先生亲至前，她为此事费尽心思，反复琢磨如何回礼，愿做的比敢认的还多。但埃尔顿先生一到，诸般忧烦皆被驱散。他留驻时，马丁家便被忘却；恰在他再赴巴思的那日清晨，爱玛为消解由此引的愁绪，判定最好由她去回拜伊丽莎白·马丁。
那回拜该如何作答——需何举措——何者最妥，曾颇费踌躇。受邀而不顾其母其妹，便是忘恩。不可如此：然重续旧交之险——！
苦思良久，她定不下更好的法子，唯有让哈丽雅特去回拜；但须做得教她们若明事理，便知这只是泛泛之交。她打算带她乘车，将她搁在 Abbey Mill，自己再驶前些，旋即来接，不教有空子可钻、勾起旧事，并明示日后只取何种亲疏。
她想不出更好的法子：虽其中自有她本心不以为然之处——不过稍掩了忘恩——但非做不可，不然哈丽雅特将如何是好？
Human nature is so well disposed towards those who are in interesting
situations, that a young person, who either marries or dies, is sure of
being kindly spoken of.
A week had not passed since Miss Hawkins’s name was first mentioned in
Highbury, before she was, by some means or other, discovered to have
every recommendation of person and mind; to be handsome, elegant,
highly accomplished, and perfectly amiable: and when Mr. Elton himself
arrived to triumph in his happy prospects, and circulate the fame of
her merits, there was very little more for him to do, than to tell her
Christian name, and say whose music she principally played.
Mr. Elton returned, a very happy man. He had gone away rejected and
mortified—disappointed in a very sanguine hope, after a series of what
appeared to him strong encouragement; and not only losing the right
lady, but finding himself debased to the level of a very wrong one. He
had gone away deeply offended—he came back engaged to another—and to
another as superior, of course, to the first, as under such
circumstances what is gained always is to what is lost. He came back
gay and self-satisfied, eager and busy, caring nothing for Miss
Woodhouse, and defying Miss Smith.
The charming Augusta Hawkins, in addition to all the usual advantages
of perfect beauty and merit, was in possession of an independent
fortune, of so many thousands as would always be called ten; a point of
some dignity, as well as some convenience: the story told well; he had
not thrown himself away—he had gained a woman of 10,000 _l_. or
thereabouts; and he had gained her with such delightful rapidity—the
first hour of introduction had been so very soon followed by
distinguishing notice; the history which he had to give Mrs. Cole of
the rise and progress of the affair was so glorious—the steps so quick,
from the accidental rencontre, to the dinner at Mr. Green’s, and the
party at Mrs. Brown’s—smiles and blushes rising in importance—with
consciousness and agitation richly scattered—the lady had been so
easily impressed—so sweetly disposed—had in short, to use a most
intelligible phrase, been so very ready to have him, that vanity and
prudence were equally contented.
He had caught both substance and shadow—both fortune and affection, and
was just the happy man he ought to be; talking only of himself and his
own concerns—expecting to be congratulated—ready to be laughed at—and,
with cordial, fearless smiles, now addressing all the young ladies of
the place, to whom, a few weeks ago, he would have been more cautiously
gallant.
The wedding was no distant event, as the parties had only themselves to
please, and nothing but the necessary preparations to wait for; and
when he set out for Bath again, there was a general expectation, which
a certain glance of Mrs. Cole’s did not seem to contradict, that when
he next entered Highbury he would bring his bride.
During his present short stay, Emma had barely seen him; but just
enough to feel that the first meeting was over, and to give her the
impression of his not being improved by the mixture of pique and
pretension, now spread over his air. She was, in fact, beginning very
much to wonder that she had ever thought him pleasing at all; and his
sight was so inseparably connected with some very disagreeable
feelings, that, except in a moral light, as a penance, a lesson, a
source of profitable humiliation to her own mind, she would have been
thankful to be assured of never seeing him again. She wished him very
well; but he gave her pain, and his welfare twenty miles off would
administer most satisfaction.
