Emma
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NARRATOR In a time when one's town was one's town was one's world...and the actions at a dance excited greater interest than the movement of armies, there lived a young woman, who knew how this world should be runned. EMMA The most beautiful thing in the world is a match well made, and a happy marriage to you both. MRS WESTON Oh, thank you Emma. Your painting grows more accomplished every day. EMMA You are very kind, but it would be all the better if I had practiced my drawing more, as you urged me. MRS WESTON It's very beautiful. MR ELTON I should never take sides against you, Miss Woodhouse, but your friend is right. It is indeed a job well done. EMMA The job well done, Mr Elton was yours in performing the ceremony. MR WOODHOUSE Must the church be so drafty, Mr Elton? It is very difficult to surrender the soul when one is worried about one's throat. MR ELTON Perhaps some tea and cake would revive you, Mr Woodhouse. MR WOODHOUSE Miss Taylor! Surely you are not serving cake at your wedding! Far too rich! You put us all at peril. And I am not alone in feeling so. Where is Mr Penning, the apothecary, he will support me. MRS WESTON He's over there, Mr Woodhouse, having some cake. MR WOODHOUSE What?! EMMA I have to take father home, but dear Miss Taylor-Oh, no! You are dear Miss Taylor no more! You are dear Mrs Weston now! And how happy this must make you. Such happiness this brings to all of us. MRS WESTON My dear Emma! SCENE 2-HARTFIELD MR WOODHOUSE Poor Miss Taylor! She was so happy here. Why should she give up being your governess, only to be married? EMMA I am grown now. She cannot put up with my ill humors forever. She must wish for children of her own. MR WOODHOUSE You have no ill humors. Your own mother, God rest her, could be no more real than Miss Taylor. Can she truly wish to give life to a mewling infant who will import disease each time it enters the house? No, I say poor Miss Taylor, and poor indeed she is. MR KNIGHTLEY As an old friend of the family, I had to ask as soon as I got back: Who cried the most at the wedding? (later) EMMA And how is my sister? Is your brother giving her the respect we Woodhouse ladies deserve? MR WOODHOUSE Poor Isabella. She was the first to leave me. No doubt that is where Miss Taylor got the notion to go. MR KNIGHTLEY Don't be too hard on Miss Taylor. It must be easier for her to have only one to please than two. EMMA Especially when one of us is such a troublesome creature. MR WOODHOUSE Yes, I am. Most troublesome. EMMA Dear papa, I could never mean you! Mr Knightley loves to find fault with me, that's all. It's his idea of a joke. MR KNIGHTLEY I am practically a brother to you Emma. It is not a brother's job to find fault with his sister? MR WOODHOUSE But where is the fault with you? Emma bears it well, but she is most sorry to lose Miss Taylor. MR KNIGHTLEY We would not like Emma so well if she did not miss her friend. MR WOODHOUSE Thank you. EMMA I shall miss her so. I do not know what I shall do without her. MR KNIGHTLEY She's not far. MR WOODHOUSE Almost half a mile. EMMA Her obligations are there now. She cannot sit and talk with me in the old way, or walk with me, or urge me to better myself. MR KNIGHTLEY Well, that should not matter, as you always did just as you pleased. EMMA Yes, but I shall miss her urging me. She was a selfless a friend as I have ever had, and I hope to say someday that I have done half so much for someone as Mrs Weston did for me. MR KNIGHTLEY You must be happy that she settled so well. EMMA Indeed! One matter of joy in this is that I made the match myself. People said Mr Weston would never marry again, and what a triumph! MR KNIGHTLEY Triumph! You made a lucky guess! EMMA Have you never known a triumph from a lucky guess? Had I not promoted Mr Weston's visits, and given encouragement where encouragement was needed, we might not have had a wedding today. MR WOODHOUSE Then please, my dear, encourage nowhere else. Marriage is so disrupting to one's social circle. EMMA Only one more, papa. When Mr Elton joined their hands today, he looked very much like he would like the same kind of office performed for him. MR KNIGHTLEY *sigh* MR WOODHOUSE Invite him for dinner. That is kindness enough. MR KNIGHTLEY Mr Elton is a man of twenty-six. He knows how to take care of himself. EMMA One does not like to generalize about so many people all at once, Mr Knightley, but you may be sure that men know nothing of their hearts, whether they be six and twenty, or six and eighty. Except you, of course, father. No, Mr Elton will be the next person to benefit from my help. MR KNIGHTLEY Poor Miss Taylor indeed! 'Tis Mr Elton which deserves our pity. SCENE 3-PARTY AT HARTFIELD EMMA Mr Elton! Welcome to our party! MR ELTON Yes, Miss Woodhouse, thank you indeed for including me. A party is a party, but a party on a summers eve... EMMA It relieves my mind very much that you are here, for there is someone new in our group. Her name is Harriet Smith, and she is a former pupil of Mrs Goddard. I had never met Miss Smith before this evening, and am already struck by her charm. I wonder if I might ask you to make certain she is at ease throughout the evening. MR ELTON If helping Miss Smith would help Miss Woodhouse, then I am happy to be of service. EMMA Come, I shall make the introduction. MISS BATES Miss Woodhouse! We've come quite overpowered! EMMA Oh, Mrs Bates, Miss Bates, so happy you could co- MISS BATES No, we are the happy ones- well, ho do you do Mr Elton? We are the happy ones. Not only to be here tonight, but also for the beautiful hindquarter of pork you sent us. It has been heaven itself. What a happy porker it must have come from! {laugh} We are so obliged for you sending it to us. (To Mrs Bates) PORK!. (To Emma and Mr Elton) And we're so obliged for you having us tonight, very much indeed. I was just saying to mother, 'we should be invited' and indeed we are. Oh, doesn't your hair look pretty? Just like an angel. (To Mrs Bates) ANGEL, mother. (to Emma and Mr Elton) Oh, speaking of angels, Mr Elton, your sermon on Daniel in the Lion's Den was so inspiring, so powerful in all it's particulars, it left us speechless. Quite speechless, I tell you, and we have not stopped talking of it since. Oh, isn't this a lovely party? Lovely, lovely, lovely! accomplished- znakomity, doskonały at ease- swobodny be of service- być pomocnym benefit from- odnosić korzyści z better- polepszać charm- czar, urok creature- stworzenie disrupt- przerywać, zakłócać drafty- pełen przeciągów former- poprzedni, były, dawny give up- zaprzestać, porzucić governess- guwernantka hindquarter- tylna ćwiartka tułowia (zwierzęcia) import- przenosić, wnosić include- włączać, uwzględniać indeed- istotnie, w istocie infant- dziecię make the introduction- przedstawiać match- małżeństwo mewl- łkać notion- pragnienie obligation- obowiązek, zobowiązanie obliged- zobowiązany overpowered- pokonany particulars- szczegóły peril- niebezpieczeństwo, zagrożenie promote-popierać, przyspieszać put up with- znosić relieve- odciążać, uwalniać, przynosić ulgę revive- ożywiać selfless- bezinteresowny sermon- kazanie settle- osiąść, ustatkować się speechless- oniemiały speechless- oniemiały struck- być pod silnym wrażeniem surrender- poddawać się, wyrzekać, oddawać take sides against- stawać przeciwko komuś throughout- w ciągu, do końca troublesome- nieznośny, kłopotliwy urge- zalecać, nalegać, przekonywać
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