Emma By Jane Austen 

Part 4 - A Trifling Young Fellow

By John plummer
Sunday, April 13, 2003

Trifling - not serious in character

Fiancee - A woman engaged to be married

Fortnight - Two weeks

Inn - A large pub with room for guests

Flattery - Praise from another person

nonsensical - ridiculous or silly

Inherit - To recieve property after someones death

A Trifling Young Fellow

Mr Elton arrived back at Highbury with a smug smile all over his face, his new fiancee was supposed to be very beautiful charming and also had alot of money. In just a few weeks he had snared himself wealth and beauty while he was holidaying in Bath. Do we think Mr Elton married for love or for something other?

Harriet went to visit the Martins with Emma but they didnt stay long as Emma didnt want Harriet to fall in love again and wished that the Martin family belonged to a higher class so she could have married Harriet off to Mr Martin. Why Emma does not let Harriet pick her own Husband even though she can see her suffering shows that her god fantasy is very very strong

Oh their way home they meet the Westons and learn that Frank is going to be visiting them tomorrow and staying for a whole fortnite. Mr Weston is so excited about his son arriving. Remember Frank never visits very often

Next day Frank had arrived in Highbury with his father, Emma thought him to be very good looking. Frank was very interested in the social calendar wanting to know... Do you ride? Are there pleasant walks? are there balls?  Emma knew that the Westons hoped that she and Frank would fall in love and marry but emma had no such plans. Her father offered him gruel to help him to build up his strength after his long journey Frank tells them that he needs to pay a visit to a young lady he met in Weymouth called Miss Fairfax and that it would be impolite not to call on her

The next day the ladies take Frank to see the village and as soon as he sees the Crown Inn he wants to hold a ball there. They talk of his meeting with Miss Fairfax and Frank tells them of The Cambells whom Jane had lived with. After listening to the conversation Emma smiles and thinks that Jane and Mr Dixon were madly in love and begins to question Frank about the two of them. Frank though tells her that he has no idea what Janes feelings were towards Mr Dixon which Emma puts down to Jane being a very reserved person.

The following day Frank goes all the way to London to get a haircut which angers Mr Knightley who calls him A Trifling young Fellow. But in all other ways Frank was definately an excellent person who was kind open and cheerful and also warm hearted despite what Mr Knightley thought of him. There was alot of prejudice with social class and status in this period of history

emma found that she has a problem after she is invited to a party by a family from the village. Her biggest problem was that emma was a snob and felt that the Family were from too low a social class for her to attend but she spoke with Mrs Weston about it. Mrs Weston thought it was an excellent idea though and told emma that The Coles would be honored to have her attend their party. After hearing this Emma knew she just had to attend.. The main reason Emma decides to go is because it will boost her image with the family she sees as poor because the mistress of the house has visited them

At the party Frank seems to want to spend all his time with Emma but there is bigger news. A very beautiful piano has been delivered for Miss Fairfax and no one knows who is it from but people guess its from colonel Cambell. Emma though suspects that its from Mr Dixon and asks Frank about it and he says that he thinks the same way too. but is Frank hiding something here?

When Harriet and Jane arrive Frank cant stop staring at Jane and when Emma asks him about this he tells her that its because Jane has a very unusual haircut and leaves to ask her about it. While Frank is talking with Jane Mrs Weston and Emma talk of Mr Knightley and Mrs Weston lets slip that she thinks that Jane and Mr Knightley may be falling in love. Emma is quite worried about this as she doesnt want Isabellas children to not inherit Donwell Abbey and asks Mrs Weston not to play matchmaker with the pair. Mrs Weston sends emma off to sing with Frank at the piano. Here Emma wants to make sure she is the only one who is planning peoples lives

After singing Emma decides that she will try to find out if Mr Knightley was the one who sent Jane the piano but he reveals nothing to her. The dancing follows and Frank and Emma lead the dancing but Jane doesnt dance with mr Knightley. Frank flatters emma by telling her how beautifully she dances at the end of the party.

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