Chapter 13

by Jane Austen

　　"I hope, my dear," said Mr. Bennet to his wife, as they were atbreakfast the next morning, "that you have ordered a gooddinner to-day, because I have reason to expect an addition to ourfamily 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-- AndI hope my dinners are good enough for her. I do not believeshe 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 isMr. Bingley, I am sure! Well, I am sure I shall be extremely gladto see Mr. Bingley. But--good Lord! how unlucky! There is nota bit of fish to be got to-day. Lydia, my love, ring the bell-- Imust speak to Hill this moment.""It is not Mr. Bingley," said her husband; "it is a person whomI never saw in the whole course of my life."This roused a general astonishment; and he had the pleasure ofbeing eagerly questioned by his wife and his five daughters atonce.After amusing himself some time with their curiosity, he thusexplained:"About a month ago I received this letter; and about a fortnightago I answered it, for I thought it a case of some delicacy, andrequiring 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 hepleases.""Oh! my dear," cried his wife, "I cannot bear to hear thatmentioned. Pray do not talk of that odious man. I do think it isthe hardest thing in the world, that your estate should be entailedaway from your own children; and I am sure, if I had been you, Ishould have tried long ago to do something or other about it."Jane and Elizabeth tried to explain to her the nature of an entail.They had often attempted to do it before, but it was a subject onwhich Mrs. Bennet was beyond the reach of reason, and shecontinued to rail bitterly against the cruelty of settling and estateaway from a family of five daughters, in favour of a man whomnobody cared anything about."It certainly is a most iniquitous affair," said Mr. Bennet, "andnothing can clear Mr. Collins from the guilt of inheritingLongbourn. But if you will listen to his letter, you may perhapsbe a little softened by his manner of expressing himself.""No, that I am sure I shall not; and I think it is very impertinentof him to write to you at all, and very hypocritical. I hate suchfalse friends. Why could he not keep on quarreling with you, ashis father did before him?""Why, indeed; he does seem to have had some filial scruples onthat head, as you will hear.""Hunsford, near Westerham, Kent,"15th October."Dear Sir,--"The disagreement subsisting between yourself and my latehonoured father always gave me much uneasiness, and since Ihave had the misfortune to lose him, I have frequently wished toheal the breach; but for some time I was kept back by my owndoubts, fearing lest it might seem disrespectful to his memory forme to be on good terms with anyone with whom it had alwayspleased him to be at variance,-- 'There, Mrs. Bennet.'-- Mymind, however, is now made up on the subject, for havingreceived ordination at Easter, I have been so fortunate as to bedistinguished by the patronage of the Right Honourable LadyCatherine de Bourgh, widow of Sir Lewis de Bourgh, whosebounty and beneficence has preferred me to the valuable rectoryof this parish, where it shall be my earnest endeavour to demeanmyself with grateful respect towards her Ladyship, and be everready to perform those rites and ceremonies which are institutedby the Church of England. As a clergyman, moreover, I feel itmy duty to promote and establish the blessing of peace in allfamilies within in the reach of my influence; and on thesegrounds I flatter myself that my present overtures are highlycommendable, and that the circumstance of my being next in theentail of Longbourn estate will be kindly overlooked on yourside, and not lead you to reject the offered olive-branch. Icannot otherwise than be concerned at being the means ofinjuring your amiable daughters, and beg leave to apologise forit, as well as to assure you of my readiness to make them everypossible amends-- but of this hereafter. If you should have noobjection to receive me into your house, I propose myself thesatisfaction of waiting on you and your family, Monday,November 18th, by four o'clock, and shall probably trespass onyour hospitality till the Saturday se'ennight following, which Ican do without any inconvenience, as Lady Catherine is far fromobjecting to my occasional absence on a Sunday, provided thatsome other clergyman is engaged to do the duty of the day.-- Iremain, dear sir, with respectful compliments to your lady anddaughters, your well-wisher and friend,"William Collins""At four o'clock, therefore, we may expect this peace-makinggentleman," said Mr. Bennet, as he folded up the letter. "Heseems to be a most conscientious and polite young man, uponmy word, and I doubt not will prove a valuable acquaintance,especially if Lady Catherine should be so indulgent as to let himcome 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 theperson to discourage him.""Though it is difficult," said Jane, "to guess in what way he canmean to make us the atonement he thinks our due, the wish iscertainly to his credit."Elizabeth was chiefly struck by his extraordinary deference forLady 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 himout. There is something very pompous in his style. And whatcan he mean by apologising for being next in the entail? Wecannot suppose he would help it if he could. Could he be asensible man, sir?""No, my dear, I think not. I have great hopes of finding himquite the reverse. Thee is a mixture of servility andself-importance in his letter, which promises well. I amimpatient to see him.""In point of composition," said Mary, "the letter does not seemdefective. The idea of the olive-branch perhaps is not whollynew, yet I think it is well expressed."To Catherine and Lydia, neither the letter nor its writer were inany degree interesting. It was next to impossible that theircousin should come in a scarlet coat, and it was now someweeks since they had received pleasure from the society of aman in any other colour. As for their mother, Mr. Collins's letterhad done away much of her ill-will, and she was preparing to seehim with a degree of composure which astonished her husbandand daughters.Mr. Collins was punctual to his time, and was received withgreat politeness by the whole family. Mr. Bennet indeed saidlittle; but the ladies were ready enough to talk, and Mr. Collinsseemed neither in need of encouragement, nor inclined to besilent himself. He was a tall, heavy-looking young man offive-and-twenty. His air was grave and stately, and his mannerswere very formal. He had not been long seated before hecomplimented Mrs. Bennet on having so fine a family ofdaughters; said he had heard much of their beauty, but that inthis instance fame had fallen short of the truth; and added, thathe did not doubt her seeing them all in due time disposed of inmarriage. This gallantry was not much to the taste of some ofhis hearers; but Mrs. Bennet, who quarreled with nocompliments, answered most readily."You are very kind, I am sure; and I wish with all my heart itmay prove so, for else they will be destitute enough. Things aresettled 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, youmust confess. Not that I mean to find fault with you, for suchthings I know are all chance in this world. There is no knowinghow 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 ofappearing forward and precipitate. But I can assure the youngladies that I come prepared to admire them. At present I willnot say more; but, perhaps, when we are better acquainted-- "He was interrupted by a summons to dinner; and the girls smiledon each other. They were not the only objects of Mr. Collin'sadmiration. The hall, the dining-room, and all its furniture, wereexamined and praised; and his commendation of everythingwould have touched Mrs. Bennet's heart, but for the mortifyingsupposition of his viewing it all as his own future property. Thedinner too in its turn was highly admired; and he begged toknow to which of his fair cousins the excellency of its cookingwas owing. But he was set right there by Mrs. Bennet, whoassured him with some asperity that they were very well able tokeep a good cook, and that her daughters had nothing to do inthe kitchen. He begged pardon for having displeased her. In asoftened tone she declared herself not at all offended; but hecontinued to apologise for about a quarter of an hour.