'The house is empty at last.'
'Is it? And you have gone to live there?'
'Not yet. I must get some furniture in first.'
Emma kept silence; the shadows of a smile journeyed trembling from
her eyes to her lips.
The question voiced itself from Richard:
'When will you be ready to go thither?'
'I'm afraid--I don't think I must leave them just yet--for a little
longer.'
He did not look at her. Emma was reading his face; the characters
had become all at once a little puzzling; her own fault, of course,
but the significance she sought was not readily discoverable.
'Can't they manage without you?' he asked. He believed his tone to
express annoyance: in fact, it scarcely did so.
'I think it won't be very long before they can,' Emma replied; 'we
have some plain sewing to do for Mrs. Robinson at the "Queen's
Head," and she's promised to recommend us. I've just called there,
and she really seems anxious to help. If Jane was stronger I
shouldn't mind so much, but she mustn't work hard just yet, and Kate
has a great deal to do with the children. Besides, Kate can't get
out of the slop sewing, and of course that won't do for this kind of
work. She'll get the stitch very soon.'
Richard seemed to be musing.
'You see'--she moved nearer to his side,--'it's only just the
beginning.
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