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Men of sense, whatever you may chuse to say, do not want silly wives.
Men of family would not be very fond of connecting themselves
with a girl of such obscurity--and most prudent men would be
afraid of the inconvenience and disgrace they might be involved in,
when the mystery of her parentage came to be revealed. Let her marry
Robert Martin, and she is safe, respectable, and happy for ever;
but if you encourage her to expect to marry greatly, and teach
her to be satisfied with nothing less than a man of consequence
and large fortune, she may be a parlour-boarder at Mrs. Goddard's
all the rest of her life--or, at least, (for Harriet Smith is a
girl who will marry somebody or other,) till she grow desperate,
and is glad to catch at the old writing-master's son."

"We think so very differently on this point, Mr. Knightley,
that there can be no use in canvassing it. We shall only be making
each other more angry. But as to my _letting_ her marry Robert Martin,
it is impossible; she has refused him, and so decidedly, I think,
as must prevent any second application. She must abide by the evil
of having refused him, whatever it may be; and as to the refusal itself,
I will not pretend to say that I might not influence her a little;
but I assure you there was very little for me or for any body to do.
His appearance is so much against him, and his manner so bad,
that if she ever were disposed to favour him, she is not now.
I can imagine, that before she had seen any body superior,
she might tolerate him. He was the brother of her friends,
and he took pains to please her; and altogether, having seen
nobody better (that must have been his great assistant)
she might not, while she was at Abbey-Mill, find him disagreeable.
But the case is altered now. She knows now what gentlemen are;
and nothing but a gentleman in education and manner has any chance
with Harriet."

"Nonsense, errant nonsense, as ever was talked!" cried Mr. Knightley.--"Robert
Martin's manners have sense, sincerity, and good-humour to recommend
them; and his mind has more true gentility than Harriet Smith could understand."

Emma made no answer, and tried to look cheerfully unconcerned, but was
really feeling uncomfortable and wanting him very much to be gone.
She did not repent what she had done; she still thought herself
a better judge of such a point of female right and refinement than he
could be; but yet she had a sort of habitual respect for his judgment
in general, which made her dislike having it so loudly against her;
and to have him sitting just opposite to her in angry state,
was very disagreeable. Some minutes passed in this unpleasant silence,
with only one attempt on Emma's side to talk of the weather,
but he made no answer. He was thinking. The result of his thoughts
appeared at last in these words.

"Robert Martin has no great loss--if he can but think so; and I
hope it will not be long before he does. Your views for Harriet
are best known to yourself; but as you make no secret of your love

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