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; but where, as in this case, though the conduct is mistaken, the feelings are not, it may not be very material. – Mr. Knightley could not impute to Emma a more relenting heart than she possessed, or a heart more disposed to accept of his.
– Jane Austen
Emma, Chapter 49. Austen’s remarkable statement, made through the narrator, suggests that misreading and deception are a perfectly normal and natural part of human behavior. What really matters is what’s in the heart, it suggests. The quote follows the novel’s romantic climax when Mr. Knightley declares his love for Emma and she returns his love. It reflects how amid all the imperfect human communication, misperception, misinterpretation and disguises, it is the heart that discloses the complete truth. The chapter ends with Emma and Mr. Knightley betrothed after listened to the language of their hearts.