The Unselected Journals of Emma M. Lion: Vol. 4

In a written exchange, Pierce asks Emma about her trip to the country. She describes it as “very, very dangerous” and compares Charles to a “fowl” (94). Emma recounts that when he tried to hold her hand during a church service, she stomped on his foot, but this failed to dissuade him, leaving her no recourse but to flee. Pierce teases her for being a “proper transcendentalist,” a term Emma does not understand, and tells her to continue reading Emerson.

Roland visits Emma to give her a blue leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre with her name inscribed on the cover. To his disappointment, Emma admits she already owns a copy. Frustrated at having failed for a second time to give her a book she doesn’t already have, Roland makes a sarcastic comment about her needing a spare copy of the novel for her future children. In response, Emma balls up the wrapping paper and throws it at him. Later, she reflects on the idea of marrying Roland solely to gain access to a library, debating whether his good looks would make such a union more or less ethical.

A new leak appears in the roof of the west garret, and Emma instructs Parian to fix it. She reminds him of his past ingenuity in building a still on the property, suggesting he apply the same skill to the repair.

Emma makes a list of possible occupations for herself. Her ideas range from practical, such as “Personal Secretary,” to absurd, like “Leading an Insurrection” and “Dancer at The Drunken Duck” (98). She also includes a marriage to Roland as a possibility, noting the appeal of the books he would buy her. She jokes that her true strength is “Standing on Corner Making Clever Comments to Passersby” and then concludes that the most realistic first step is to ask her friend Mary about her work (99).

Emma visits her friend, Mary, to learn about her typewriter, a Sholes and Glidden model. Mary explains that the machine was an inheritance and allows her to supplement her income with transcription work. Emma finds typing to be very difficult and recognizes that the machine is too expensive for her to acquire. The two friends discuss the large volume of mail Pierce receives, concluding that he must have many friends, which seems inconsistent with Emma’s image of him as a man with a troubled past.

Emma encounters the Duke of Islington as she enters the Reed and Rite, and they engage in a brief conversation regarding the proper way she should address him. After sparring over formalities and their patronage of the shop, Islington mentions that he is unoccupied the following afternoon. Acting on this social cue, Emma invites him for tea.

On Sunday, Emma realizes that Agnes has the day off, leaving her to prepare tea for Islington herself. She attempts to bake a cake three times, each attempt failing. Just as she is about to give up, Agnes sweeps into the kitchen and takes over, sending Emma upstairs to get ready. Islington arrives, and soon after, Agnes serves an impressive tea. Pierce joins them, and he and Islington greet each other as acquaintances. They explain that they recently attended the same dinner, where they were delayed by a pair of sisters. The three share a relaxed and teasing conversation, during which Pierce mentions he has developed the photographs he took of Emma and Tybalt.

While observing couples on Primrose Hill, Emma wonders how many people have married the wrong partners. Later, at home, she finds a letter for “Agnes Dowd,” the fictional chaperone she invented to satisfy her aunt. In the letter, Lady Eugenia proposes opening a correspondence to guide Emma toward a respectable marriage. She also expresses her approval of the chaperone’s supposed warts.

Emma finds Agnes making chicken broth for a sick neighbor, Mrs. Spires. Agnes explains that her mother taught her that a great lady’s servants must perform her acts of Christian service for her. Later, Emma sends a note to Mary proposing a game of cards for the next evening.

Pierce informs Emma that they are to have dinner at Islington’s house that evening. Emma rearranges her tentative plans with Mary and walks with Pierce to Islington’s home. Upon their arrival, Islington’s surprised reaction leads Emma to fear that she was not on the original guest list and that Pierce had simply brought her along. Islington then reveals it was he who told Pierce to invite her, and Pierce confesses he volunteered to relay the invitation rather than Islington sending a formal message. The only other guest is Young Hawkes. The informal dinner is a success, and the four of them form an easy, comfortable group. Islington begins calling her “Lion,” which leads Emma to comment that it’s considered inappropriate for her to be alone with three unmarried men. The Duke reassures her that his aunt, the Countess of Alwick, is acting as a chaperone of sorts by being present in the house, though she has remained in the library to write her novel about women pirates and brigands who rescue desperate men.

To maintain her ruse with her aunt, Emma writes a letter in the persona of her fictional chaperone, Agnes Dowd. Because Lady Eugenia would recognize Emma’s handwriting, she Saffronia transcribe it for her. In the letter, “Agnes” assures Lady Eugenia of her dedication to managing Emma’s behavior, advises that Emma isn’t ready for marriage yet, and confirms the existence of her facial warts, clarifying they are more like moles.

Emma provides an update on her Emerson studies, noting she’s completed three essays, “Friendship,” “Experience,” and “Circles.” After listing a key quote from each piece, she expresses deep admiration for Emerson, concluding that anyone who could describe the world with the phrase, “All things swim and glitter” (126), is a rare and remarkable individual.

At church, the Reprobates Ten, a group of young men known for their disruptive behavior, intercepted Emma . The group insists she sit with them in the back row and refer to her as Eleanor of Aquitaine. They promise to be on their “second-best Sunday behaviour” and collectively blow a kiss toward the vicar as he begins the service (127).

Emma contemplates the profitability of piracy.

Through their shared wall, Emma asks Pierce about the legal and moral consequences of piracy. He replies that it is illegal and that its morality is subjective, dryly noting that she first needs a ship. Emma muses that she might be hanged if she pursued this profession and requests that Pierce bring Hawkes for her last rites but not Islington. Pierce and Emma continue the morbidly humorous exchange, with Emma assuring Pierce he will eventually recover from the grief of her death.