“I hope so – for at that time I was a fool.”
– Jane Austen
Emma, Chapter 54. Responding to Mr. Knightley’s observation that she has changed, Emma admits to being a fool with her past misguided matchmaking efforts. Having tried to stop her friend Harriet marrying Robert Martin, she welcomes Mr. Knightley’s news that they are now engaged. This shows how she has grown in maturity with her newfound humility and awareness of her past flaws.