“Oh,” said she, “I heard you before; but I could not immediately determine what to say in reply.You wanted me, I know, to say ‘Yes,’ that you might have the pleasure of despising my taste;but I always delight in overthrowing those kind of schemes,and cheating a person of their premeditated contempt. I have, therefore,made up my mind to tell you that I do not want to dance a reel at all; and now despise me if you dare.”
“Indeed I do not dare.”
Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry;but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody,and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed that,were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.
Miss Bingley saw, or suspected, enough to be jealous;and her great anxiety for the recovery of her dear friend Jane received some assistance from her desire of getting rid of Elizabeth.
She often tried to provoke Darcy into disliking her guest, by talking of their supposed marriage,and planning his happiness in such an alliance.
“I hope,” said she, as they were walking together in the shrubbery the next day,“you will give your mother-in-law a few hints, when this desirable event takes place,as to the advantage of holding her tongue; and if you can compass it,to cure the younger girls of running after the officers. And,if I may mention so delicate a subject, endeavour to check that little something,bordering on conceit and impertinence, which your lady possesses.”
[Illustration:
“No, no; stay where you are”
[_Copyright 1894 by George Allen._]]
“Have you anything else to propose for my domestic felicity?”
“Oh yes. Do let the portraits of your uncle and aunt Philips be placed in the gallery at Pemberley.Put them next to your great-uncle the judge. They are in the same profession, you know,only in different lines. As for your Elizabeth’s picture, you must not attempt to have it taken,for what painter could do justice to those beautiful eyes?”
“It would not be easy, indeed, to catch their expression; but their colour and shape,and the eyelashes, so remarkably fine, might be copied.”
At that moment they were met from another walk by Mrs. Hurst and Elizabeth herself.
“I did not know that you intended to walk,” said Miss Bingley, in some confusion, lest they had been overheard.
“You used us abominably ill,” answered Mrs. Hurst,“running away without telling us that you were coming out.”
Then taking the disengaged arm of Mr. Darcy, she left Elizabeth to walk by herself.The path just admitted three. Mr. Darcy felt their rudeness, and immediately said,--
“This walk is not wide enough for our party. We had better go into the avenue.”
But Elizabeth, who had not the least inclination to remain with them, laughingly answered,--
“No, no; stay where you are. You are charmingly grouped, and appear to uncommon advantage.The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth. Good-bye.”
She then ran gaily off, rejoicing, as she rambled about,in the hope of being at home again in a day or two.Jane was already so much recovered as to intend leaving her room for a couple of hours that evening.
[Illustration:
“Piling up the fire”
[_Copyright 1894 by George Allen._]]
CHAPTER XI.
[Illustration]
When the ladies removed after dinner Elizabeth ran up to her sister,and seeing her well guarded from cold, attended her into the drawing-room,where she was welcomed by her two friends with many professions of pleasure;and Elizabeth had never seen them so agreeable as they were during the hour which passed before the gentlemen appeared.Their powers of conversation were considerable. They could describe an entertainment with accuracy,relate an anecdote with humour, and laugh at their acquaintance with spirit.
But when the gentlemen entered, Jane was no longer the first object;Miss Bingley’s eyes were instantly turned towards Darcy,and she had something to say to him before he had advanced many steps.He addressed himself directly to Miss Bennet with a polite congratulation; Mr.Hurst also made her a slight bow, and said he was “very glad;” but diffuseness and warmth remained for Bingley’s salutation. He was full of joy and attention.The first half hour was spent in piling up the fire,lest she should suffer from the change of room; and she removed, at his desire,to the other side of the fireplace, that she might be farther from the door.He then sat down by her, and talked scarcely to anyone else. Elizabeth,at work in the opposite corner, saw it all with great delight.
When tea was over Mr. Hurst reminded his sister-in-law of the card-table--but in vain.She had obtained private intelligence that Mr. Darcy did not wish for cards, and Mr.Hurst soon found even his open petition rejected. She assured him that no one intended to play,and the silence of the whole party on the subject seemed to justify her. Mr. Hurst had, therefore,nothing to do but to stretch himself on one of the sofas and go to sleep. Darcy took up a book.Miss Bingley did the same; and Mrs. Hurst,principally occupied in playing with her bracelets and rings,joined now and then in her brother’s conversation with Miss Bennet.
Miss Bingley’s attention was quite as much engaged in watching Mr.Darcy’s progress through _his_ book, as in reading her own;and she was perpetually either making some inquiry, or looking at his page. She could not win him,however, to any conversation; he merely answered her question and read on. At length,quite exhausted by the attempt to be amused with her own book,which she had only chosen because it was the second volume of his, she gave a great yawn and said,“How pleasant it is to spend an evening in this way!I declare, after all, there is no enjoyment like reading!How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
No one made any reply. She then yawned again, threw aside her book,and cast her eyes round the room in quest of some amusement; when,hearing her brother mentioning a ball to Miss Bennet, she turned suddenly towards him and said,--
“By the bye Charles, are you really serious in meditating a dance at Netherfield?I would advise you, before you determine on it, to consult the wishes of the present party;I am much mistaken if there are not some among us to whom a ball would be rather a punishment than a pleasure. ”
“If you mean Darcy,” cried her brother, “he may go to bed, if he chooses, before it begins;but as for the ball, it is quite a settled thing,and as soon as Nicholls has made white soup enough I shall send round my cards.”
“I should like balls infinitely better,” she replied,“if they were carried on in a different manner;but there is something insufferably tedious in the usual process of such a meeting.It would surely be much more rational if conversation instead of dancing made the order of the day. ”
“Much more rational, my dear Caroline, I dare say; but it would not be near so much like a ball.”
Miss Bingley made no answer, and soon afterwards got up and walked about the room.Her figure was elegant, and she walked well; but Darcy, at whom it was all aimed,was still inflexibly studious. In the desperation of her feelings, she resolved on one effort more; and, turning to Elizabeth, said,--
“Miss Eliza Bennet, let me persuade you to follow my example, and take a turn about the room.I assure you it is very refreshing after sitting so long in one attitude.”
Elizabeth was surprised, but agreed to it immediately.Miss Bingley succeeded no less in the real object of her civility: Mr. Darcy looked up.He was as much awake to the novelty of attention in that quarter as Elizabeth herself could be,and unconsciously closed his book. He was directly invited to join their party, but he declined it,observing that he could imagine but two motives for their choosing to walk up and down the room together,with either of which motives his joining them would interfere. What could he mean?She was dying to know what could be his meaning--and asked Elizabeth whether she could at all understand him.
“Not at all,” was her answer; “but, depend upon it, he means to be severe on us,and our surest way of disappointing him will be to ask nothing about it.”
Miss Bingley, however, was incapable of disappointing Mr. Darcy in anything, and persevered,therefore, in requiring an explanation of his two motives.
“I have not the smallest objection to explaining them,” said he,as soon as she allowed him to speak. “You either choose this method of passing the evening because you are in each other’s confidence,and have secret affairs to discuss, or because you are conscious that your figures appear to the greatest advantage in walking:if the first, I should be completely in your way; and if the second,I can admire you much better as I sit by the fire.”
“Oh, shocking!” cried Miss Bingley. “I never heard anything so abominable.How shall we punish him for such a speech?”
“Nothing so easy, if you have but the inclination,” said Elizabeth.“We can all plague and punish one another. Tease him--laugh at him. Intimate as you are, you must know how it is to be done.”
“But upon my honour I do _not_. I do assure you that my intimacy has not yet taught me _that_.Tease calmness of temper and presence of mind!No, no; I feel he may defy us there. And as to laughter, we will not expose ourselves,if you please, by attempting to laugh without a subject. Mr. Darcy may hug himself.”
“Mr. Darcy is not to be laughed at!” cried Elizabeth. “That is an uncommon advantage, and uncommon I hope it will continue,for it would be a great loss to _me_ to have many such acquaintance. I dearly love a laugh.”
“Miss Bingley,” said he, “has given me credit for more than can be. The wisest and best of men,--nay, the wisest and best of their actions,--may be rendered ridiculous by a person whose first object in life is a joke.”
“Certainly,” replied Elizabeth, “there are such people, but I hope I am not one of _them_.I hope I never ridicule what is wise or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies,_do_ divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can. But these, I suppose, are precisely what you are without.”
“Perhaps that is not possible for anyone.But it has been the study of my life to avoid those weaknesses which often expose a strong understanding to ridicule. ”
“Such as vanity and pride.”
“Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride--where there is a real superiority of mind--pride will be always under good regulation. ”
Elizabeth turned away to hide a smile.
“Your examination of Mr. Darcy is over, I presume,” said Miss Bingley; “and pray what is the result?”
“I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns it himself without disguise.”
“No,” said Darcy, “I have made no such pretension. I have faults enough, but they are not, I hope,of understanding. My temper I dare not vouch for. It is, I believe, too little yielding;certainly too little for the convenience of the world.I cannot forget the follies and vices of others so soon as I ought,nor their offences against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them.My temper would perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost is lost for ever.”
“_That_ is a failing, indeed!” cried Elizabeth. “Implacable resentment _is_ a shade in a character.But you have chosen your fault well. I really cannot _laugh_ at it. You are safe from me.”
“There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect,which not even the best education can overcome.”
“And _your_ defect is a propensity to hate everybody.”
“And yours,” he replied, with a smile, “is wilfully to misunderstand them.”
“Do let us have a little music,” cried Miss Bingley,tired of a conversation in which she had no share. “Louisa, you will not mind my waking Mr. Hurst.”
Her sister made not the smallest objection, and the pianoforte was opened; and Darcy,after a few moments’ recollection, was not sorry for it.He began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER XII.
[Illustration]
In consequence of an agreement between the sisters, Elizabeth wrote the next morning to her mother,to beg that the carriage might be sent for them in the course of the day. But Mrs. Bennet,who had calculated on her daughters remaining at Netherfield till the following Tuesday,which would exactly finish Jane’s week,could not bring herself to receive them with pleasure before. Her answer, therefore,was not propitious, at least not to Elizabeth’s wishes, for she was impatient to get home. Mrs.Bennet sent them word that they could not possibly have the carriage before Tuesday;and in her postscript it was added, that if Mr. Bingley and his sister pressed them to stay longer,she could spare them very well. Against staying longer, however,Elizabeth was positively resolved--nor did she much expect it would be asked; and fearful,on the contrary, of being considered as intruding themselves needlessly long,she urged Jane to borrow Mr. Bingley’s carriage immediately,and at length it was settled that their original design of leaving Netherfield that morning should be mentioned, and the request made.
The communication excited many professions of concern;and enough was said of wishing them to stay at least till the following day to work on Jane;and till the morrow their going was deferred.Miss Bingley was then sorry that she had proposed the delay;for her jealousy and dislike of one sister much exceeded her affection for the other.
The master of the house heard with real sorrow that they were to go so soon,and repeatedly tried to persuade Miss Bennet that it would not be safe for her--that she was not enough recovered;but Jane was firm where she felt herself to be right.
To Mr. Darcy it was welcome intelligence: Elizabeth had been at Netherfield long enough.She attracted him more than he liked; and Miss Bingley was uncivil to _her_ and more teasing than usual to himself.He wisely resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration should _now_ escape him--nothing that could elevate her with the hope of influencing his felicity; sensible that, if such an idea had been suggested, his behaviour during the last day must have material weight in confirming or crushing it. Steady to his purpose, he scarcely spoke ten words to her through the whole of Saturday: and though they were at one time left by themselves for half an hour, he adhered most conscientiously to his book, and would not even look at her.
On Sunday, after morning service, the separation, so agreeable to almost all, took place.Miss Bingley’s civility to Elizabeth increased at last very rapidly,as well as her affection for Jane; and when they parted,after assuring the latter of the pleasure it would always give her to see her either at Longbourn or Netherfield,and embracing her most tenderly, she even shook hands with the former.Elizabeth took leave of the whole party in the liveliest spirits.
They were not welcomed home very cordially by their mother. Mrs. Bennet wondered at their coming,and thought them very wrong to give so much trouble,and was sure Jane would have caught cold again. But their father,though very laconic in his expressions of pleasure, was really glad to see them;he had felt their importance in the family circle. The evening conversation,when they were all assembled, had lost much of its animation, and almost all its sense, by the absence of Jane and Elizabeth.
They found Mary, as usual, deep in the study of thorough bass and human nature;and had some new extracts to admire and some new observations of threadbare morality to listen to.Catherine and Lydia had information for them of a different sort. Much had been done,and much had been said in the regiment since the preceding Wednesday;several of the officers had dined lately with their uncle; a private had been flogged;and it had actually been hinted that Colonel Forster was going to be married.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER XIII
[Illustration]
“I hope, my dear,” said Mr. Bennet to his wife, as they were at breakfast the next morning,“that you have ordered a good dinner to-day,because I have reason to expect an addition to our family party.”
“Who do you mean, my dear?I know of nobody that is coming, I am sure, unless Charlotte Lucas should happen to call in;and I hope _my_ dinners are good enough for her. I do not believe she often sees such at home.”
“The person of whom I speak is a gentleman and a stranger.”
Mrs. Bennet’s eyes sparkled. “A gentleman and a stranger!It is Mr. Bingley, I am sure. Why, Jane--you never dropped a word of this--you sly thing!Well, I am sure I shall be extremely glad to see Mr. Bingley. But--good Lord!how unlucky!there is not a bit of fish to be got to-day. Lydia, my love, ring the bell. I must speak to Hill this moment.”
“It is _not_ Mr. Bingley,” said her husband;“it is a person whom I never saw in the whole course of my life.”
This roused a general astonishment; and he had the pleasure of being eagerly questioned by his wife and five daughters at once.
After amusing himself some time with their curiosity, he thus explained:--“About a month ago I received this letter, and about a fortnight ago I answered it;for I thought it a case of some delicacy, and requiring early attention. It is from my cousin, Mr.Collins, who, when I am dead, may turn you all out of this house as soon as he pleases.”
“Oh, my dear,” cried his wife, “I cannot bear to hear that mentioned.Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it is the hardest thing in the world,that your estate should be entailed away from your own children; and I am sure, if I had been you,I should have tried long ago to do something or other about it.”
Jane and Elizabeth attempted to explain to her the nature of an entail.They had often attempted it before: but it was a subject on which Mrs.Bennet was beyond the reach of reason; and she continued to rail bitterly against the cruelty of settling an estate away from a family of five daughters,in favour of a man whom nobody cared anything about.
“It certainly is a most iniquitous affair,” said Mr. Bennet; “and nothing can clear Mr.Collins from the guilt of inheriting Longbourn. But if you will listen to his letter, you may,perhaps, be a little softened by his manner of expressing himself.”
“No, that I am sure I shall not: and I think it was very impertinent of him to write to you at all,and very hypocritical. I hate such false friends. Why could not he keep on quarrelling with you, as his father did before him?”
“Why, indeed, he does seem to have had some filial scruples on that head, as you will hear.”
/* RIGHT “Hunsford, near Westerham, Kent, _15th October_. */
“Dear Sir,
“The disagreement subsisting between yourself and my late honoured father always gave me much uneasiness;and, since I have had the misfortune to lose him, I have frequently wished to heal the breach: but,for some time, I was kept back by my own doubts,fearing lest it might seem disrespectful to his memory for me to be on good terms with anyone with whom it had always pleased him to be at variance.”--‘There, Mrs. Bennet.’--“My mind, however, is now made up on the subject; for,having received ordination at Easter, I have been so fortunate as to be distinguished by the patronage of the Right Honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh,widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, whose bounty and beneficence has preferred me to the valuable rectory of this parish,where it shall be my earnest endeavour to demean myself with grateful respect towards her Ladyship,and be ever ready to perform those rites and ceremonies which are instituted by the Church of England.As a clergyman, moreover, I feel it my duty to promote and establish the blessing of peace in all families within the reach of my influence;and on these grounds I flatter myself that my present overtures of good-will are highly commendable,and that the circumstance of my being next in the entail of Longbourn estate will be kindly overlooked on your side,and not lead you to reject the offered olive branch.I cannot be otherwise than concerned at being the means of injuring your amiable daughters,and beg leave to apologize for it, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them every possible amends;but of this hereafter. If you should have no objection to receive me into your house,I propose myself the satisfaction of waiting on you and your family, Monday, November 18th,by four o’clock, and shall probably trespass on your hospitality till the Saturday se’nnight following,which I can do without any inconvenience,as Lady Catherine is far from objecting to my occasional absence on a Sunday,provided that some other clergyman is engaged to do the duty of the day. I remain, dear sir,with respectful compliments to your lady and daughters, your well-wisher and friend,
“WILLIAM COLLINS.”
“At four o’clock, therefore, we may expect this peace-making gentleman,” said Mr. Bennet,as he folded up the letter. “He seems to be a most conscientious and polite young man,upon my word; and, I doubt not, will prove a valuable acquaintance,especially if Lady Catherine should be so indulgent as to let him come to us again.”
“There is some sense in what he says about the girls, however; and,if he is disposed to make them any amends, I shall not be the person to discourage him.”
“Though it is difficult,” said Jane, “to guess in what way he can mean to make us the atonement he thinks our due, the wish is certainly to his credit.”
Elizabeth was chiefly struck with his extraordinary deference for Lady Catherine,and his kind intention of christening, marrying,and burying his parishioners whenever it were required.
“He must be an oddity, I think,” said she. “I cannot make him out.There is something very pompous in his style.And what can he mean by apologizing for being next in the entail?We cannot suppose he would help it, if he could. Can he be a sensible man, sir?”
“No, my dear; I think not. I have great hopes of finding him quite the reverse.There is a mixture of servility and self-importance in his letter which promises well. I am impatient to see him.”
“In point of composition,” said Mary, “his letter does not seem defective.The idea of the olive branch perhaps is not wholly new, yet I think it is well expressed.”
To Catherine and Lydia neither the letter nor its writer were in any degree interesting.It was next to impossible that their cousin should come in a scarlet coat,and it was now some weeks since they had received pleasure from the society of a man in any other colour.As for their mother, Mr. Collins’s letter had done away much of her ill-will,and she was preparing to see him with a degree of composure which astonished her husband and daughters.
Mr. Collins was punctual to his time, and was received with great politeness by the whole family.Mr. Bennet indeed said little; but the ladies were ready enough to talk, and Mr.Collins seemed neither in need of encouragement, nor inclined to be silent himself. He was a tall,heavy-looking young man of five-and-twenty. His air was grave and stately,and his manners were very formal. He had not been long seated before he complimented Mrs.Bennet on having so fine a family of daughters, said he had heard much of their beauty, but that,in this instance, fame had fallen short of the truth; and added,that he did not doubt her seeing them all in due time well disposed of in marriage.This gallantry was not much to the taste of some of his hearers; but Mrs. Bennet,who quarrelled with no compliments, answered most readily,--
“You are very kind, sir, I am sure; and I wish with all my heart it may prove so;for else they will be destitute enough. Things are settled so oddly.”
“You allude, perhaps, to the entail of this estate.”
“Ah, sir, I do indeed. It is a grievous affair to my poor girls, you must confess.Not that I mean to find fault with _you_, for such things, I know, are all chance in this world.There is no knowing how estates will go when once they come to be entailed.”
“I am very sensible, madam, of the hardship to my fair cousins, and could say much on the subject,but that I am cautious of appearing forward and precipitate.But I can assure the young ladies that I come prepared to admire them.At present I will not say more, but, perhaps, when we are better acquainted----”
He was interrupted by a summons to dinner; and the girls smiled on each other.They were not the only objects of Mr. Collins’s admiration. The hall, the dining-room,and all its furniture, were examined and praised;and his commendation of everything would have touched Mrs. Bennet’s heart,but for the mortifying supposition of his viewing it all as his own future property. The dinner,too, in its turn, was highly admired; and he begged to know to which of his fair cousins the excellence of its cookery was owing.But here he was set right by Mrs. Bennet, who assured him, with some asperity,that they were very well able to keep a good cook,and that her daughters had nothing to do in the kitchen.He begged pardon for having displeased her.In a softened tone she declared herself not at all offended;but he continued to apologize for about a quarter of an hour.
[Illustration]
CHAPTER XIV
[Illustration]
During dinner, Mr. Bennet scarcely spoke at all; but when the servants were withdrawn,he thought it time to have some conversation with his guest,and therefore started a subject in which he expected him to shine,by observing that he seemed very fortunate in his patroness.Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s attention to his wishes, and consideration for his comfort,appeared very remarkable. Mr. Bennet could not have chosen better. Mr.Collins was eloquent in her praise. The subject elevated him to more than usual solemnity of manner;and with a most important aspect he protested that he had never in his life witnessed such behaviour in a person of rank--such affability and condescension,as he had himself experienced from Lady Catherine.She had been graciously pleased to approve of both the discourses which he had already had the honour of preaching before her.She had also asked him twice to dine at Rosings, and had sent for him only the Saturday before,to make up her pool of quadrille in the evening. Lady Catherine was reckoned proud by many people,he knew, but _he_ had never seen anything but affability in her.She had always spoken to him as she would to any other gentleman;she made not the smallest objection to his joining in the society of the neighbourhood,nor to his leaving his parish occasionally for a week or two to visit his relations.She had even condescended to advise him to marry as soon as he could,provided he chose with discretion; and had once paid him a visit in his humble parsonage,where she had perfectly approved all the alterations he had been making,and had even vouchsafed to suggest some herself,--some shelves in the closets upstairs.
“That is all very proper and civil, I am sure,” said Mrs. Bennet,“and I dare say she is a very agreeable woman.It is a pity that great ladies in general are not more like her. Does she live near you, sir?”
“The garden in which stands my humble abode is separated only by a lane from Rosings Park, her Ladyship’s residence.”
“I think you said she was a widow, sir?has she any family?”
“She has one only daughter, the heiress of Rosings, and of very extensive property.”
“Ah,” cried Mrs. Bennet, shaking her head, “then she is better off than many girls. And what sort of young lady is she?Is she handsome?”
“She is a most charming young lady, indeed. Lady Catherine herself says that,in point of true beauty, Miss de Bourgh is far superior to the handsomest of her sex;because there is that in her features which marks the young woman of distinguished birth.She is unfortunately of a sickly constitution,which has prevented her making that progress in many accomplishments which she could not otherwise have failed of,as I am informed by the lady who superintended her education, and who still resides with them.But she is perfectly amiable, and often condescends to drive by my humble abode in her little phaeton and ponies. ”
“Has she been presented?I do not remember her name among the ladies at court.”
“Her indifferent state of health unhappily prevents her being in town; and by that means,as I told Lady Catherine myself one day, has deprived the British Court of its brightest ornament.Her Ladyship seemed pleased with the idea;and you may imagine that I am happy on every occasion to offer those little delicate compliments which are always acceptable to ladies.I have more than once observed to Lady Catherine,that her charming daughter seemed born to be a duchess; and that the most elevated rank,instead of giving her consequence, would be adorned by her.These are the kind of little things which please her Ladyship,and it is a sort of attention which I conceive myself peculiarly bound to pay.”
“You judge very properly,” said Mr. Bennet;“and it is happy for you that you possess the talent of flattering with delicacy.May I ask whether these pleasing attentions proceed from the impulse of the moment, or are the result of previous study?”