Emma

front of them, as if to shew his liberty, and his resolution of
maintaining it. He did not omit being sometimes directly before Miss
Smith, or speaking to those who were close to her.—Emma saw it. She was
not yet dancing; she was working her way up from the bottom, and had
therefore leisure to look around, and by only turning her head a little
she saw it all. When she was half-way up the set, the whole group were
exactly behind her, and she would no longer allow her eyes to watch;
but Mr. Elton was so near, that she heard every syllable of a dialogue
which just then took place between him and Mrs. Weston; and she
perceived that his wife, who was standing immediately above her, was
not only listening also, but even encouraging him by significant
glances.—The kind-hearted, gentle Mrs. Weston had left her seat to join
him and say, “Do not you dance, Mr. Elton?” to which his prompt reply
was, “Most readily, Mrs. Weston, if you will dance with me.”

“Me!—oh! no—I would get you a better partner than myself. I am no
dancer.”

“If Mrs. Gilbert wishes to dance,” said he, “I shall have great
pleasure, I am sure—for, though beginning to feel myself rather an old
married man, and that my dancing days are over, it would give me very