Abominable?!
Posted by Susan on September 13, 1997 at 00:59:54:
In response to Churchill/Knightley, written by KellyB on September 08, 1997 at 09:30:42
] And that she loves him despite the abominable way he treated her. A point Knightley could not help but ponder since he often was less than kind during his routine dressing downs of Emma.
Oh, I must disagree! Although even Mr. Knightley has to admit that, "God knows, I have been a very indifferent lover.' Emma knows him very well:
She had herself been first with him for many years past.
She had not deserved it; she had often been negligent or perverse, slighting his advice, or even wilfully opposing him, insensible of half his merits, and quarrelling with him because he would not acknowledge her false and insolent estimate of her own--but still, from family attachment and habit, and thorough excellence of mind, he had loved her, and watched over her from a girl, with an endeavour
to improve her, and an anxiety for her doing right, which no
other creature had at all shared. In spite of all her faults, she knew she was dear to him; might she not say, very dear?
Would Emma, as headstrong as she was, have listened to Mr. Knightley at all if he had not been so forceful? I see it as less Mr. Knightley's abominable behavior, than what it took to get Emma to listen to reason. (And even then, it usually didn't work!)
I had the assistance of all your endeavors to counteract the indulgence of other people. I doubt whether my own sense would have corrected me without it."
"...I am sure you were of use to me," cried Emma. "I was very often influenced rightly by you -- oftener than
I would own at the time. I am very sure you did me good."
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