只需稍作安静的思索，爱玛便明白了自己听到弗兰克·丘吉尔这消息时心绪不宁的缘由。她很快确信，自己丝毫没有为他感到忧虑或局促，那全是为了他。她自己的情意确实已消退得近乎虚无；不值得去想；——可是，如果他，这个无疑向来是两人中爱得更深的一个，回来时仍带着离去时的那份热烈情感，那可就令人难堪了。倘若两个月的分离都未能冷却他的心，那么她面前便有种种危险与弊端：——为他也为她自己，都须谨慎。她不打算让自己的情感再次纠缠进去，因而有责任避免给他任何鼓励。
她但愿能让他免于作出明确的表白。那将会是他们眼下这段交情极其痛苦的结局！然而，她又忍不住多少预感到某种决断之事的发生。她觉得，这个春天似乎不会平平静静地过去，总会有什么危机、什么事件、什么变故，来打破她此刻的从容与安宁。
虽比韦斯顿先生所预想的稍长一些，但也没过多久，爱玛便有机会对弗兰克·丘吉尔的心意作出判断了。恩斯库姆一家进城没有想象中那么快，但他不久之后便到了海伯里。他骑马过来待了两个钟头；暂时只能如此；不过他一到兰多尔斯便直奔哈特菲尔德，她于是得以施展她敏锐的观察力，迅速断定他的心绪如何，以及自己该怎样应对。他们相见极尽友好。他见到她显然十分欣喜，这毋庸置疑。但她几乎立刻便怀疑，他已不像从前那般在乎她，那份柔情的温度与程度都已不同。她细细打量他。很清楚，他不如以往那般坠入情网了。分离，加之想必已确信她无意于他，造成了这再自然不过、也再合心意不过的结果。
他兴致很高；和往常一样爱说爱笑，且似乎乐于谈起上回的拜访，重拾旧事：而他并非毫无慌乱。她读出他较为淡漠之意，却不是从他的平静中。他并不平静；情绪明显浮动；举止间透着不安。尽管他活泼，那活泼却似不能令他自己满意；但让她对此确信不疑的，是他只待了一刻钟便匆匆离去，赶着去海伯里其他地方拜访。“路过时他在街上瞥见一群旧识——没停下，也不愿多说只言片语——但他虚荣地以为，若不去拜访，人家定会失望；尽管他多想在哈特菲尔德多留，也只得赶紧走。”她毫不怀疑他爱意已减——但他那不安的神情，与匆匆离去之举，似乎都算不得全然痊愈；她倒倾向于认为，那暗示着他惧怕她魅力的回潮，以及不肯久留自陷险地的审慎决心。
这十天里，弗兰克·丘吉尔只来过这一回。他常盼着、打算着来——却总被阻住。他姨妈离不开他。这是他在兰多尔斯亲口说的。若他全然真心，若他真努力要来，便可推知丘吉尔太太迁居伦敦，对她那任性或是神经过敏的毛病毫无裨益。她确是病了；他在兰多尔斯说自己深信不疑。虽多属臆想，但回想起她比半年前身体更弱，他无法怀疑。他不认为这是什么医药与照料所不能祛除的，或至少她还能活上许多年；但任凭他父亲如何质疑，他也绝不松口说她的病纯属虚幻，或她仍如往日硬朗。
不久便显出伦敦于她不宜。她受不得那喧闹。神经持续受刺激、受折磨；到第十天末尾，她侄子致兰多尔斯的信便通报了计划变更。他们即刻要搬去里士满。丘吉尔太太经人荐往当地一位名医处诊治，且本就中意那地方。一处心仪地段备有家具的房子已租下，众人盼这迁居大有裨益。
爱玛听说弗兰克写此安排时兴致极高，似乎全然体味到眼前两月与诸多挚友比邻的福分——因那房子租下了五月与六月。她得知，如今他写信心情极笃定，说定能常来相聚，几乎遂心所愿。
爱玛看得出韦斯顿先生如何领会这欢喜前景。他将这幸福之源全归于她。她但愿并非如此。两个月自有分晓。
韦斯顿先生自己的欢喜无可置疑。他满心愉悦。这正是求之不得的境况。如今，弗兰克真算得邻近了。九英里对年轻人算什么？——骑马一时辰罢了。他必常过来。里士满与伦敦在这点上天差地别，足以决定是常相见还是永不见。十六英里——不，十八——到曼彻斯特街少说十八英里——实是碍难。即便抽身，一日也尽耗在往返。他在伦敦毫无乐趣；不如在恩斯库姆；而里士满恰是往来便宜的距离。近犹不及！
这搬迁立时定下一桩好事——皇冠客栈的舞会。先前未忘，却早承认择日徒劳。如今却势在必行了；诸般筹备重拾，丘吉尔一家迁去里士满后不久，弗兰克来了几行字，说姨妈因迁居已觉好些，他深信随时能来聚上二十四时辰，遂促他们尽早定日。
韦斯顿先生的舞会要成真了。海伯里的年轻人离欢喜只差几个明日。
伍德豪斯先生只好认命。时令减轻了他的烦忧。五月百事胜二月。贝茨太太约好来哈特菲尔德过夜，詹姆斯已接知会，他满心盼着亲爱的小亨利与亲爱的小约翰在亲爱爱玛外出时安然无恙。
A very little quiet reflection was enough to satisfy Emma as to the
nature of her agitation on hearing this news of Frank Churchill. She
was soon convinced that it was not for herself she was feeling at all
apprehensive or embarrassed; it was for him. Her own attachment had
really subsided into a mere nothing; it was not worth thinking of;—but
if he, who had undoubtedly been always so much the most in love of the
two, were to be returning with the same warmth of sentiment which he
had taken away, it would be very distressing. If a separation of two
months should not have cooled him, there were dangers and evils before
her:—caution for him and for herself would be necessary. She did not
mean to have her own affections entangled again, and it would be
incumbent on her to avoid any encouragement of his.
She wished she might be able to keep him from an absolute declaration.
That would be so very painful a conclusion of their present
acquaintance! and yet, she could not help rather anticipating something
decisive. She felt as if the spring would not pass without bringing a
crisis, an event, a something to alter her present composed and
tranquil state.
It was not very long, though rather longer than Mr. Weston had
foreseen, before she had the power of forming some opinion of Frank
Churchill’s feelings. The Enscombe family were not in town quite so
soon as had been imagined, but he was at Highbury very soon afterwards.
He rode down for a couple of hours; he could not yet do more; but as he
came from Randalls immediately to Hartfield, she could then exercise
all her quick observation, and speedily determine how he was
influenced, and how she must act. They met with the utmost
friendliness. There could be no doubt of his great pleasure in seeing
her. But she had an almost instant doubt of his caring for her as he
had done, of his feeling the same tenderness in the same degree. She
watched him well. It was a clear thing he was less in love than he had
been. Absence, with the conviction probably of her indifference, had
produced this very natural and very desirable effect.
He was in high spirits; as ready to talk and laugh as ever, and seemed
delighted to speak of his former visit, and recur to old stories: and
he was not without agitation. It was not in his calmness that she read
his comparative indifference. He was not calm; his spirits were
evidently fluttered; there was restlessness about him. Lively as he
was, it seemed a liveliness that did not satisfy himself; but what
decided her belief on the subject, was his staying only a quarter of an
hour, and hurrying away to make other calls in Highbury. “He had seen a
group of old acquaintance in the street as he passed—he had not
stopped, he would not stop for more than a word—but he had the vanity
to think they would be disappointed if he did not call, and much as he
wished to stay longer at Hartfield, he must hurry off.” She had no
doubt as to his being less in love—but neither his agitated spirits,
nor his hurrying away, seemed like a perfect cure; and she was rather
inclined to think it implied a dread of her returning power, and a
discreet resolution of not trusting himself with her long.
This was the only visit from Frank Churchill in the course of ten days.
He was often hoping, intending to come—but was always prevented. His
aunt could not bear to have him leave her. Such was his own account at
Randall’s. If he were quite sincere, if he really tried to come, it was
to be inferred that Mrs. Churchill’s removal to London had been of no
service to the wilful or nervous part of her disorder. That she was
really ill was very certain; he had declared himself convinced of it,
at Randalls. Though much might be fancy, he could not doubt, when he
looked back, that she was in a weaker state of health than she had been
half a year ago. He did not believe it to proceed from any thing that
care and medicine might not remove, or at least that she might not have
many years of existence before her; but he could not be prevailed on,
by all his father’s doubts, to say that her complaints were merely
imaginary, or that she was as strong as ever.
It soon appeared that London was not the place for her. She could not
endure its noise. Her nerves were under continual irritation and
suffering; and by the ten days’ end, her nephew’s letter to Randalls
communicated a change of plan. They were going to remove immediately to
Richmond. Mrs. Churchill had been recommended to the medical skill of
an eminent person there, and had otherwise a fancy for the place. A
ready-furnished house in a favourite spot was engaged, and much benefit
expected from the change.
Emma heard that Frank wrote in the highest spirits of this arrangement,
and seemed most fully to appreciate the blessing of having two months
before him of such near neighbourhood to many dear friends—for the
house was taken for May and June. She was told that now he wrote with
the greatest confidence of being often with them, almost as often as he
could even wish.
Emma saw how Mr. Weston understood these joyous prospects. He was
considering her as the source of all the happiness they offered. She
hoped it was not so. Two months must bring it to the proof.
Mr. Weston’s own happiness was indisputable. He was quite delighted. It
was the very circumstance he could have wished for. Now, it would be
really having Frank in their neighbourhood. What were nine miles to a
young man?—An hour’s ride. He would be always coming over. The
difference in that respect of Richmond and London was enough to make
the whole difference of seeing him always and seeing him never. Sixteen
miles—nay, eighteen—it must be full eighteen to Manchester-street—was a
serious obstacle. Were he ever able to get away, the day would be spent
in coming and returning. There was no comfort in having him in London;
he might as well be at Enscombe; but Richmond was the very distance for
easy intercourse. Better than nearer!
One good thing was immediately brought to a certainty by this
removal,—the ball at the Crown. It had not been forgotten before, but
it had been soon acknowledged vain to attempt to fix a day. Now,
however, it was absolutely to be; every preparation was resumed, and
very soon after the Churchills had removed to Richmond, a few lines
from Frank, to say that his aunt felt already much better for the
change, and that he had no doubt of being able to join them for
twenty-four hours at any given time, induced them to name as early a
day as possible.
Mr. Weston’s ball was to be a real thing. A very few to-morrows stood
between the young people of Highbury and happiness.
Mr. Woodhouse was resigned. The time of year lightened the evil to him.
May was better for every thing than February. Mrs. Bates was engaged to
spend the evening at Hartfield, James had due notice, and he sanguinely
hoped that neither dear little Henry nor dear little John would have
any thing the matter with them, while dear Emma were gone.
