"There is no desperate hurry, I dare say," interposed Sir William; "you can postpone your engagement without material inconvenience, I should think, for a day or two, after waiting nearly six months."
"Oh yes, Miss Watson is come to pay us a long visit," added Lady Gordon; "so you may easily settle on the day and hour at some future meeting."
"Any time will do for me," said Emma quietly.
"And are you really going out for the whole day to-morrow?" enquired Lady Gordon.
He assented.
"Then we will come down and rifle his strawberry-beds—shall we not Miss Watson?" continued she.
"I protest that will be most unfair," exclaimed he; "since I give you willingly all I have, and only request, in return, the pleasure of your society."
"That is so pretty a speech I can do no less than say in reply, that we shall be most happy whenever Mr. Howard will indulge us with the honour of his company: come whenever you can—the day after to-morrow Mr. and Mrs. Musgrove dine with us, will you meet them?"
He accepted with pleasure, though perhaps he would have preferred their absence to their company.
After loitering away a couple of hours on his lawn, Lady Gordon rose to take her leave, and even then she pressed him so earnestly to accompany them up the hill, to assist Miss Watson, who she was certain was fatigued by her long walk, that he could not have refused had it been an unpleasant task she was imposing on him, instead of the thing which he liked best in the world, and was really wishing to do.