Chapter 19

by Jane Austen

　　The next day opened a new scene at Longbourn. Mr. Collinsmade his declaration in form. Having resolved to do it withoutloss of time, as his leave of absence extended only to thefollowing Saturday, and having no feelings of diffidence to makeit distressing to himself even at the moment, he set about it in avery orderly manner, with all the observances, which hesupposed a regular part of the business. On finding Mrs.Bennet, Elizabeth, and one of the younger girls together, soonafter breakfast, he addressed the mother in these words: "May Ihope, madam, for your interest with your fair daughterElizabeth, when I solicit for the honour of a private audiencewith her in the course of this morning?"Before Elizabeth had time for anything but a blush of surprise,Mrs. Bennet answered instantly, "Oh dear certainly. Iam sure Lizzy will be very happy-- I am sure she can have noobjection, Come, Kitty, I want you upstairs." And, gatheringher work together, she was hastening away, when Elizabethcalled out:"Dear madam, do not go. I beg you will not go. Mr. Collinsmust excuse me. He can have nothing to say to me that anybodyneed not hear. I am going away myself.""No, no, nonsense, Lizzy. I desire you to stay where you are."And upon Elizabeth's seeming really, with vexed andembarrassed looks, about to escape, she added: "Lizzy, Iinsist upon your staying and hearing Mr. Collins."Elizabeth would not oppose such and injunction-- and amoment's consideration making her also sensible that it wouldbe wisest to get it over as soon and as quietly as possible, she satdown again and tried to conceal, by incessant employment thefeelings which were divided between distress and diversion.Mrs. Bennet and Kitty walked off, and as soon as they weregone, Mr. Collins began."Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth, that your modesty, so farfrom doing you any disservice, rather adds to your otherperfections. You would have been less amiable in my eyes hadthere not been this little unwillingness; but allow me to assureyou, that I have your respected mother's permission for thisaddress. You can hardly doubt the purport of my discourse,however your natural delicacy may lead you to dissemble; myattentions have been too marked to be mistaken. Almost assoon as I entered the house, I singled you out as the companionof my future life. But before I am run away with by my feelingson this subject, perhaps it would be advisable for me to statemy reasons for marrying-- and, moreover, for coming intoHertfordshire with the design of selecting a wife, as I certainlydid."The idea of Mr. Collins, with all his solemn composure, beingrun away with by his feelings, made Elizabeth so near laughing,that she could not use the short pause he allowed in any attemptto stop him further, and he continued:"My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thingfor every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to setthe example of matrimony in his parish; secondly, that I amconvinced that it will add very greatly to my happiness; andthirdly--which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that itis the particular advice and recommendation of the very noblelady whom I have the honour of calling patroness. Twice hasshe condescended to give me her opinion (unasked too!) on thissubject; and it was but the very Saturday night before I leftHunsford-- between our pools at quadrille, while Mrs. Jenkinswas arranging Miss de Bourgh's footstool, that she said, 'Mr.Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry.Choose properly, choose a gentlewoman for my sake; and foryour own, let her be an active, useful sort of person, not broughtup high, but able to make a small income go a good way. This ismy advice. Find such a woman as soon as you can, bring her toHunsford, and I will visit her.' Allow me, by the way, toobserve, my fair cousin, that I do not reckon the notice andkindness of Lady Catherine de Bourgh as among the least of theadvantages in my power to offer. You will find her mannersbeyond anything I can describe; and your wit and vivacity, Ithink, must be acceptable to her, especially when tempered withthe silence and respect which her rank will inevitably excite.Thus much for my general intention in favour of matrimony; itremains to be told why my views were directed towardsLongbourn instead of my own neighbourhood, where I canassure you there are many amiable young women. But the factis, that being, as I am, to inherit this estate after the death ofyour honoured father (who, however, may live many yearslonger), I could not satisfy myself without resolving to choose awife from among his daughters, that the loss to them might be aslittle as possible, when the melancholy event takes place-- which,however, as I have already said, may not be for several years.This has been my motive, my fair cousin, and I flatter myself itwill not sink me in your esteem. And now nothing remains butfor me but to assure you in the most animated language of theviolence of my affection. To fortune I am perfectly indifferent,and shall make no demand of that nature on your father, since Iam well aware that it could not be complied with; and that onethousand pounds in the four per cents, which will not be yourstill after your mother's decease, is all that you may ever beentitled to. On that head, therefore, I shall be uniformly silent;and you may assure yourself that no ungenerous reproach shallever pass my lips when we are married."It was absolutely necessary to interrupt him now."You are too hasty, sir," she cried. "You forget that I havemade no answer. Let me do it without further loss of time.Accept my thanks for the compliment you are paying me. I amvery sensible of the honour of your proposals, but it isimpossible for me to do otherwise than to decline them.""I am not now to learn," replied Mr. Collins, with a formal waveof the hand, "that it is usual with young ladies to reject theaddresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept, whenhe first applies for their favour; and that sometimes the refusal isrepeated a second, or even a third time. I am therefore by nomeans discouraged by what you have just said, and shall hope tolead you to the altar ere long.""Upon my word, sir," cried Elizabeth, "your hope is a ratherextraordinary one after my declaration. I do assure you that Iam not one of those young ladies (if such young ladies there are)who are so daring as to risk their happiness on the chance ofbeing asked a second time. I am perfectly serious in my refusal.You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I amthe last woman in the world who could make you so. Nay, wereyour friend Lady Catherine to know me, I am persuaded shewould find me in every respect ill qualified for the situation.""Were it certain that Lady Catherine would think so," said Mr.Collins very gravely-- "but I cannot imagine that her ladyshipwould at all disapprove of you. And you may be certain when Ihave the honour of seeing her again, I shall speak in the veryhighest terms of your modesty, economy, and other amiablequalification.""Indeed, Mr. Collins, all praise of me will be unnecessary. Youmust give me leave to judge for myself, and pay me thecompliment of believing what I say. I wish you very happy andvery rich, and by refusing you hand, do all in my power toprevent your being otherwise. In making me the offer, you musthave satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard to myfamily, and may take possession of Longbourn estate wheneverit falls, without any self-reproach. This matter may beconsidered, therefore, as finally settled." And rising as she thusspoke, she would have quitted the room, had Mr. Collins notthus addressed her:"When I do myself the honour of speaking to you next on thesubject, I shall hope to receive a more favourable answer thanyou have now given me; though I am far from accusing you ofcruelty at present, because I know it to be the establishedcustom of your sex to reject a man on the first application, andperhaps you have even now said as much to encourage my suitas would be consistent with the true delicacy of the femalecharacter.""Really, Mr. Collins," cried Elizabeth with some warmth, "youpuzzle me exceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can appearto you in the form of encouragement, I know not how to expressmy refusal in such a way as to convince you of its being one.""You must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear cousin, thatyour refusal of my addresses is merely words of course. Myreasons for believing it are briefly these: It does not appear tome that my hand is unworthy your acceptance, or that theestablishment I can offer would be any other than highlydesirable. My situation in life, my connections with the family ofde Bourgh, and my relationship to your own, are circumstanceshighly in my favour; and you should take it into furtherconsideration, that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is byno means certain that another offer of marriage may ever bemade you. Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in alllikelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiablequalifications. As I must therefore conclude that you are notserious in your rejection of me, I shall choose to attribute it toyour wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to theusual practice of elegant females.""I do assure you, sir, that I have no pretensions whatever to thatkind of elegance which consists in tormenting a respectable man.I would rather be paid the compliment of being believed sincere.I thank you again and again for the honour you have done me inyour proposals, but to accept them is absolutely impossible. Myfeelings in every respect forbid it. Can I speak plainer? Do notconsider me now as an elegant female, intending to plague you,but as a rational creature, speaking the truth from her heart.""You are uniformly charming!" cried he, with an air of awkwardgallantry; "and I am persuaded that when sanctioned by theexpress authority of both your excellent parents, my proposalswill not fail of being acceptable."To such perseverance in wilful self-deception Elizabeth wouldmake no reply, and immediately and in silence withdrew,determined, that if he persisted in considering her repeatedrefusals as flattering encouragement, to apply to her father,whose negative might be uttered in such a manner as to bedecisive, and whose behavior at least could not be mistaken forthe affectation and coquetry of an elegant female.