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John Knightley , who was staying at Hartfield for a few days , turned to Jane with a smile . “ When you have lived to my age , ” he said , “ you will begin to think that letters are never worth going through the rain for . ” “ I do not think that I shall ever feel that , ” said Jane , and her voice shook a little . “ I have no husband and no children here . Letters are the only way I have of being near my friends . ” Later that evening Mr Weston came in with a letter in his hand and a happy face . Mrs Churchill had decided that she could not bear Yorkshire any longer , and she was moving to a house at Richmond , only nine miles from Highbury . “ So Frank will be able to ride over whenever he likes ! ” said Mr Weston . “ And now we can have the ball at the Crown after all ! ” XI . The Ball at the Crown The ball took place in May . The old room at the Crown was full of candles and flowers , and it seemed that the whole of Highbury was there . Frank Churchill was in high spirits . He danced and talked and laughed with everyone , but Emma noticed that he looked towards the door again and again before Miss Bates and Jane came in . When they did , Miss Bates thanked everybody at once for everything , from the candles to the carriage , and she did not stop talking for a quarter of an hour . “ So very obliging of you ! No rain at all , nothing to signify . I do not care for myself . Quite thick shoes . And Jane says . . . well ! This is brilliant indeed ! This is admirable ! Excellently arranged ! Nothing wanting . I could not have imagined it . Such lights ! Jane , Jane , look ! Did you ever see anything like it ? Oh , Mr Weston , you must really have had Aladdin’s lamp . Good Mrs Stokes would not know her own room again . ” Jane said very little , and Frank stood close by her and said even less . As the bride , Mrs Elton had the honour of opening the ball with Mr Weston , and Emma had to dance second . She did not like it , but she was too happy to mind for long . While she danced , she looked about her . Mr Knightley was not dancing . He was standing among the older men and the husbands who played cards , and Emma thought how tall and straight he looked beside them , and how young . If he would only dance , she thought , he would dance well . She looked at him more than once , and more than once she found that he was looking at her . Then she saw a thing that made her very angry . Harriet was sitting alone without a partner , and Mr Elton was standing near her with nothing to do . Mrs Weston went up to him and asked him kindly if he would like to dance with Miss Smith . “ Miss Smith ? Oh , I had not noticed her , ” he said , quite loudly . “ But I am an old married man now , Mrs Weston , and my dancing days are over . I would much rather sit with you , if you will allow me . ”
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