Nanny brought in the dinner; – ‘We will wait upon ourselves,’ continued Elizabeth, ‘and then we shall lose no time. – And so, you would not come home with Tom Musgrave?’‘No. You had said so much against him that I could not wish either for the obligation, or the intimacy which the use of his carriage must have created –. I should not even have liked the appearance of it–’‘You did very right; though I wonder at your forbearance, and I do not think I could have done it myself. – He seemed so eager to fetch you, that I could not say no, though it rather went against me to be throwing you together, so well as I knew his tricks; – but I did long to see you, and it was a clever way of getting you home; besides, it won’t do to be too nice. – Nobody could have thought of the Edwards’ letting you have their coach, – after the horses being out so late. – But what am I to say to Sam?’‘If you are guided by me, you will not encourage him to think of Miss Edwards. – The father is decidedly against him, the mother shows him no favour, and I doubt his having any interest with Mary. She danced twice with Captain Hunter, and I think shows him in general as much encouragement as is consistent with her disposition, and the circumstances she is placed in. – She once mentioned Sam, and certainly with a little confusion – but that was perhaps merely owing to the consciousness of his liking her, which may very probably have come to her knowledge.’‘Oh! dear yes – she has heard enough of that from us all. Poor Sam! – He is out of luck as well as other people. – For the life of me Emma, I cannot help feeling for those that are crossed in love. – Well – now begin, and give me an account of everything as it happened.’Emma obeyed her – and Elizabeth listened with very little interruption till she heard of Mr Howard as a partner.Dance with Mr Howard – good heavens! You don’t say so! Why – he is quite one of the great and grand ones; – Did not you find him very high?’‘His manners are of a kind to give me much more ease and confidence than Tom Musgrave’s.