Emma still could not get over her wild fantasising. Mr Dixon had saved Jane from being thrown overboard at sea, so there must be a romantic attaachment between the then-engaged (now married) Mr Dixon and Jane! Frank saved Harriet from the gypsies, so they must fall in love!

It is true that this time Emma did not wish to actively meddle -- and admitted that "He is your superior, no doubt, and there do seem objections and obstacles of a very serious nature" (Emma was thinking of Mrs Churchill), so it is really very bad that she can't stop herself from adding "But yet, Harriet, more wonderful things have taken place, there have been matches of greater disparity".

In chap 7, Emma had said she did not wish to influence Harriet when she was actually persuading Harriet to write a refusal to Robert Martin's proposal, and now in chap 40, while saying they should be cautious, Emma is actually encouraging Harriet's hopes of a superior gentleman and risking the poor girl getting disappointed again.