Emma Chapter Forty-Nine Summary

Let us just interject a quick note:
Please read this chapter! Please! OK, we’re begging now. Please!
Ahem. We’ll begin again:
In the afternoon, the weather clears.
Emma wanders in the garden, thinking about her sad, sad future.
Suddenly, Mr. Knightley appears.
He’s returned from London.
He’s heard about Jane and Frank’s marriage.
Assuming that Emma still loves Frank, he gently begins to console her.
It takes awhile for Emma to figure out what’s happening, but when she catches on, she corrects him.
Mr. Knightley is silent for a few minutes, and then begins to talk about how happy Frank’s life is. At 23, Frank found the woman of his dreams.
Mr. Knightley declares that he envies Frank – and he asks Emma if she wants to know why.
Convinced that Mr. Knightley is about to reveal his feelings for Harriet, Emma tries to shut him up.
Mr. Knightley looks deeply hurt, but he agrees that Emma must be right.
Emma immediately feels sorry.
Wouldn’t a true friend want to help Mr. Knightley, even if it were at her own expense?
She asks Mr. Knightley – as a friend – to tell her what he meant.
Mr. Knightley confesses that he loves Emma.
He just wants to know that he could someday have the chance to make her love him.
Love birds start singing. Bands start playing.
Not really. But Emma’s pretty happy. And she tells Mr. Knightley that she loves him.
Now they’re both really happy. For several pages.
They agree to get married.
Of course.