The Courtship of Mrs Elton:
Part I

Frank Churchill first saw Miss Woodhouse in February; and February was also the month which witnessed the meeting of Mr. Elton and Augusta Hawkins in Bath. There was little hope of finding much society in Bath at such a season, but even in the short and gloomy days of February, Augusta figured to herself that she would be more in company, and seen by more persons of elegance, than could happen at her uncle's lodgings in Birmingham, or in the retirement of Maple Grove. If a young woman does not find a husband at home, she must venture father afield; and fortunate it was for Augusta, that in her eight or nine years of young ladyhood, she had contrived a network of friends and acquaintances who were all alive with eagerness to welcome her, as the most desirable guest there could possibly be. Any fee for such service as they provided was trifling, hardly worth mentioning; and Augusta would have paid much more than the sum she gave to Mrs. Partridge, for the privilege of making her home in Bath during the tedious winter weeks that must intervene until she might have hopes of the spring campaign.

Mrs. Partridge was upon the watch, and as soon as Augusta was fairly seated in her front parlour, and the man-servant had conveyed her trunk upstairs to the best bedroom, her hostess was ready to recite her catalogue of personages in Bath who might be worth the attentions of a Miss Hawkins. Mrs. Partridge was a plump, bustling body, whose widowed state did not prevent her from being fond of gossip. If she was reduced to making shift to live by the expedient of taking in a boarder or so, they were never given that name, and were always of the very best sort; and now that she had married off her daughter, Miss Clara, to a fine gentleman who served in an attorney's office, and was known to Miss Hawkins' uncle, she had no more pressing business than to find a husband for Miss Hawkins herself.

This triumphant daughter, Mrs. Jeffreys, was also arrived to welcome Miss Hawkins, together with her two bosom friends, the Miss Milmans, the younger of whom was in that happy and superior state of being engaged before her elder sister. The whole party greeted their visitor with cries of delight, and urged that she would refresh herself by drinking a dish of tea; but it was hardly brought, before the important subject of matrimonial affairs had already been fairly thoroughly canvassed.

Miss Hawkins began with proper congratulations to Mrs. Jeffreys upon her marriage.

"Oh! my dear Augusta, you cannot conceive the happiness of being a married woman, at least, of being married to such a fine man as my Mr. J. Do you know, he never takes spiritous liquor - and he has the dearest little feet in the world, perfect marvels for elegance - and he absolutely adores me, I cannot tell you how much."

"That is all as it should be, my dear Mrs. Jeffreys; I am extremely glad. And Miss Susan - I hear that my congratulations are to be called for again, as you, too, are to enter Hymen's lists."

Miss Susan, a pretty but excessively sily girl, made her best simper. "You are too kind, Miss Hawkins. Yes, only think, I am to be married before Philly, here - I never expected such a thing, upon my word, as I am only seventeen, and *she* is four and twenty; but Mr. Cooper would not have it otherwise, however much I positively made a nuisance of myself, with pleadings and urgings. Mr. Cooper, I said, you do me too much honour; are you absolutely sure you do not prefer my sister Philly? She is seven years older than me, so has much better sense, you know, even though the gentlemen do think me prettier. I should never dream of being insulted if it should turn out that he really loved her instead of me, but he would not hear a word of it. So Belle is to be an old maid after all. After five and twenty, there can be no hope of being married; but I tell her she will always have a home with me and my dearest Mr. Cooper, who is all benevolence."

Augusta, who was five and twenty herself, was not so cheered by this speech as to offer Miss Susan the satisfaction of any farther rejoicings, but Mrs. Partridge reassured both young ladies.

"Five and twenty! For shame, Miss Susan, that is not in the grave yet. There has been ever so many cases of ladies being married older than that. And I am determined, Miss Hawkins and Miss Milman, howsoever old you be, that you shall be off my hands before you are a month older - that I am; and you know yourself, my dear Clara, that even though it is dead of winter Bath is filled with single young gentlemen of rank and fortune, more than ever was seen before."

"You are right, mama," said Mrs. Jeffreys complacently, "I know my dear Mr. J. has such hosts of friends, and I shall be very glad to introduce Miss Hawkins and Miss Milman to them all. That is - I do not know if I dare venture to make them known to Sir Cecil Crowthers, that might be looking a little too high, a baronet, after all, wants only to know baronet's blood, though he makes an exception in his friendship with Mr. Jeffreys - but there are some very fine men amongst his friends, all here playing cards and having ever such a nice time."

"I know who you are thinking of, Clara," said Miss Susan, winking hard, "I do indeed; and it will never do. Mr. Bird is a very fine fellow, and wears the very handsomest light-colored breeches and figured waistcoat in all of Bath, but he is too young. He is not two and twenty. He will not suit my sister or Miss Hawkins. There are some older men - widowers and the like - military men retired on half-pay - that will be much more the thing for them."

"Dear me, how you talk, Miss Susan," cried Mrs. Partridge with energy. "Mr. Bird is only two or three - or four or five - years younger than the young ladies, and he has a good fortune. That is, I do not suppose he has any money of his own, but his older brother is a very well-off gentleman, with a fine house in Kent, and makes Mr. Bird a very handsome allowance. Sure, he is quite worth your attention, Miss Augusta; and you will see him, too, this very evening at the Rooms, for I know he told Miss Milman he would be there tonight, as will all the town, to be sure."

"Oh! I don't know what he told me," said Miss Milman, tossing her head, "he is such a puppy, I declare I could not listen to one word in three that he said."

"Well, well, you are nice in your taste, but I will tell you what, Miss Milman, you will not get a husband if you go on at that rate, being so severe upon the men. I daresay Mr. Bird is no Solomon - but he is single, and has no wife hid away anywhere about him, so you should make up your mind to take him if he asks you."

"I saw a most handsome clergyman walking about the town, this noon," contributed Mrs. Jeffreys, good-naturedly. "Excessively handsome. They do say he is just come, and has a good house and fortune, and is looking for a wife. I will tell you what, Miss Hawkins, if you are not too tired from your journey, we can step out this minute and look at the shops, and I will see if I can catch sight of this gentleman for you. I am sure to be able to contrive a meeting. I must go to the shops in any case, as I cannot endure the trimming upon my hat a moment longer, and have vowed that I shall never tire my dearest Mr. J. by appearing in the same hat trimming twice. Will you walk out with me, my dear Miss Hawkins? I am sure we will see something of this handsome clergyman. Mr. Elton is his name."