"Nonsense! a man does not imagine any such thing. But what is
the meaning of this? Harriet Smith refuse Robert Martin? madness,
if it is so; but I hope you are mistaken."
"I saw her answer!--nothing could be clearer."
"You saw her answer!--you wrote her answer too. Emma, this is
your doing. You persuaded her to refuse him."
"And if I did, (which, however, I am far from allowing) I should
not feel that I had done wrong. Mr. Martin is a very respectable
young man, but I cannot admit him to be Harriet's equal; and am
rather surprized indeed that he should have ventured to address her.
By your account, he does seem to have had some scruples. It is
a pity that they were ever got over."
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