obtained my affections and hand, I shall soon cease to regret him at all."
* * * * *
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The surprise of the rest of the family, on hearing who their visitor had been, was very great; but
they obligingly satisfied it, with the same kind of supposition which had appeased Mrs. Bennet's
curiosity; and Elizabeth was spared from much teasing on the subject.
The next morning, as she was going down stairs, she was met by her father, who came out of his
library with a letter in his hand.
"Lizzy," said he, "I was going to look for you; come into my room."
She followed him thither; and her curiosity to know what he had to tell her was heightened by
the supposition of its being in some manner connected with the letter he held. It suddenly struck
her that it might be from Lady Catherine; and she anticipated with dismay all the consequent
explanations.
She followed her father to the fire place, and they both sat down. He then said,
"I have received a letter this morning that has astonished me exceedingly. As it principally
concerns yourself, you ought to know its contents. I did not know before, that I had two
daughters on the brink of matrimony. Let me congratulate you on a very important conquest."
The colour now rushed into Elizabeth's cheeks in the instantaneous conviction of its being a
letter from the nephew, instead of the aunt; and she was undetermined whether most to be
pleased that he explained himself at all, or offended that his letter was not rather addressed to
herself; when her father continued:
"You look conscious. Young ladies have great penetration in such matters as these; but I think I
may defy even YOUR sagacity, to discover the name of your admirer. This letter is from Mr.
Collins."
"From Mr. Collins! and what can HE have to say?"
"Something very much to the purpose of course. He begins with congratulations on the
approaching nuptials of my eldest daughter, of which, it seems, he has been told by some of the
good-natured, gossiping Lucases. I shall not sport with your impatience, by reading what he says
on that point. What relates to yourself, is as follows." "Having thus offered you the sincere
congratulations of Mrs. Collins and myself on this happy event, let me now add a short hint on
the subject of another; of which we have been advertised by the same authority. Your daughter
Elizabeth, it is presumed, will not long bear the name of Bennet, after her elder sister has
258
resigned it, and the chosen partner of her fate may be reasonably looked up to as one of the most
illustrious personages in this land."
"Can you possibly guess, Lizzy, who is meant by this?" "This young gentleman is blessed, in a
peculiar way, with every thing the heart of mortal can most desire,—splendid property, noble
kindred, and extensive patronage. Yet in spite of all these temptations, let me warn my cousin
Elizabeth, and yourself, of what evils you may incur by a precipitate closure with this
gentleman's proposals, which, of course, you will be inclined to take immediate advantage of."
"Have you any idea, Lizzy, who this gentleman is? But now it comes out."
"My motive for cautioning you is as follows. We have reason to imagine that his aunt, Lady
Catherine de Bourgh, does not look on the match with a friendly eye."
"MR. DARCY, you see, is the man! Now, Lizzy, I think I HAVE surprised you. Could he, or the
Lucases, have pitched on any man within the circle of our acquaintance, whose name would have
given the lie more effectually to what they related? Mr. Darcy, who never looks at any woman
but to see a blemish, and who probably never looked at you in his life! It is admirable!"
Elizabeth tried to join in her father's pleasantry, but could only force one most reluctant smile.
Never had his wit been directed in a manner so little agreeable to her.
"Are you not diverted?"
"Oh! yes. Pray read on."
"After mentioning the likelihood of this marriage to her ladyship last night, she immediately,
with her usual condescension, expressed what she felt on the occasion; when it become apparent,
that on the score of some family objections on the part of my cousin, she would never give her
consent to what she termed so disgraceful a match. I thought it my duty to give the speediest
intelligence of this to my cousin, that she and her noble admirer may be aware of what they are
about, and not run hastily into a marriage which has not been properly sanctioned." "Mr. Collins
moreover adds," "I am truly rejoiced that my cousin Lydia's sad business has been so well
hushed up, and am only concerned that their living together before the marriage took place
should be so generally known. I must not, however, neglect the duties of my station, or refrain
from declaring my amazement at hearing that you received the young couple into your house as
soon as they were married. It was an encouragement of vice; and had I been the rector of
Longbourn, I should very strenuously have opposed it. You ought certainly to forgive them as a
259
christian, but never to admit them in your sight, or allow their names to be mentioned in your
hearing." "That is his notion of christian forgiveness! The rest of his letter is only about his dear
Charlotte's situation, and his expectation of a young olive-branch. But, Lizzy, you look as if you
did not enjoy it. You are not going to be Missish, I hope, and pretend to be affronted at an idle
report. For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our
turn?"
"Oh!" cried Elizabeth, "I am excessively diverted. But it is so strange!"
"Yes—THAT is what makes it amusing. Had they fixed on any other man it would have been
nothing; but HIS perfect indifference, and YOUR pointed dislike, make it so delightfully absurd!
Much as I abominate writing, I would not give up Mr. Collins's correspondence for any
consideration. Nay, when I read a letter of his, I cannot help giving him the preference even over
Wickham, much as I value the impudence and hypocrisy of my son-in-law. And pray, Lizzy,
what said Lady Catherine about this report? Did she call to refuse her consent?"
To this question his daughter replied only with a laugh; and as it had been asked without the least
suspicion, she was not distressed by his repeating it. Elizabeth had never been more at a loss to
make her feelings appear what they were not. It was necessary to laugh, when she would rather
have cried. Her father had most cruelly mortified her, by what he said of Mr. Darcy's
indifference, and she could do nothing but wonder at such a want of penetration, or fear that
perhaps, instead of his seeing too little, she might have fancied too much.
Chapter 58
Instead of receiving any such letter of excuse from his friend, as Elizabeth half expected Mr.
Bingley to do, he was able to bring Darcy with him to Longbourn before many days had passed