“Seldom, very seldom, does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken . . .”
Of Emma’s conversation with Mr. Knightley as he proposes, when she cuts him off and then suggests they “take another turn” in the garden. Knightley was ready to forgive any sort of awkwardness, because he understood Emma’s heart.
Emma, volume 3, chapter 13
The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman (May, 2012)
A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love, and Faith