Chapter 23

by Jane Austen

　　Elizabeth was sitting with her mother and sisters, reflecting onwhat she had heard, and doubting whether she was authorised tomention it, when Sir William Lucas himself appeared, sent by hisdaughter, to announce her engagement to the family. With manycompliments to them, and much self-gratulation on the prospectof a connection between the houses, he unfolded the matter-- toan audience not merely wondering, but incredulous; for Mrs.Bennet, with more perseverance than politeness, protested hemust be entirely mistaken; and Lydia, always unguarded andoften uncivil, boisterously exclaimed:"Good Lord! Sir William, how can you tell such a story? Do notyou know that Mr. Collins wants to marry Lizzy?"Nothing less than the complaisance of a courtier could haveborne without anger such treatment; but Sir William's goodbreeding carried him through it all; and though he begged leaveto be positive as to the truth of his information, he listened to alltheir impertinence with the most forbearing courtesy.Elizabeth, feeling it incumbent on her to relieve him from sounpleasant a situation, now put herself forward to confirm hisaccount, by mentioning her prior knowledge of it from Charlotteherself; and endeavoured to put a stop to the exclamations of hermother and sisters by the earnestness of her congratulations toSir William, in which she was readily joined by Jane, and bymaking a variety of remarks on the happiness that might beexpected from the match, the excellent character of Mr. Collins,and the convenient distance of Hunsford from London.Mrs. Bennet was in fact too much overpowered to say a greatdeal while Sir William remained; but no sooner had he left themthan her feelings found a rapid vent. In the first place, shepersisted in disbelieving the whole of the matter; secondly, shewas very sure that Mr. Collins had been taken in; thirdly, shetrusted that they would never be happy together; and fourthly,that the match might be broken off. Two inferences, however,were plainly deduced from the whole: one, that Elizabeth wasthe real cause of the mischief; and the other that she herself hadbeen barbarously misused by them all; and on these two pointsshe principally dwelt during the rest of the day. Nothing couldconsole and nothing could appease her. Nor did that day wearout her resentment. A week elapsed before she could seeElizabeth without scolding her, a month passed away before shecould speak to Sir William or Lady Lucas without being rude,and many months were gone before she could at all forgive herdaughter.Mr. Bennet's emotions were much more tranquil on theoccasion, and such as he did experience he pronounced to be ofa most agreeable sort; for it gratified him, he said, to discoverthat Charlotte Lucas, whom he had been used to think tolerablysensible, was as foolish as his wife, and more foolish than hisdaughter!Jane confessed herself a little surprised at the match; but she saidless of her astonishment than of her earnest desire for theirhappiness; nor could Elizabeth persuade her to consider it asimprobable. Kitty and Lydia were far from envying Miss Lucas,for Mr. Collins was only a clergyman; and it affected them in noother way than as a piece of news to spread at Meryton.Lady Lucas could not be insensible of triumph on being able toretort on Mrs. Bennet the comfort of having a daughter wellmarried; and she called at Longbourn rather oftener than usualto say how happy she was, though Mrs. Bennet's sour looks andill-natured remarks might have been enough to drive happinessaway.Between Elizabeth and Charlotte there was a restraint whichkept them mutually silent on the subject; and Elizabeth feltpersuaded that no real confidence could ever subsist betweenthem again. Her disappointment in Charlotte made her turn withfonder regard to her sister, of whose rectitude and delicacy shewas sure her opinion could never be shaken, and for whosehappiness she grew daily more anxious, as Bingley had now beengone a week and nothing more was heard of his return.Jane had sent Caroline an early answer to her letter, and wascounting the days till she might reasonably hope to hear again.The promised letter of thanks from Mr. Collins arrived onTuesday, addressed to their father, and written with all thesolemnity of gratitude which a twelvemonth's abode in thefamily might have prompted. After discharging his conscienceon that head, he proceeded to inform them, with many rapturousexpressions, of his happiness in having obtained the affection oftheir amiable neighbour, Miss Lucas, and then explained that itwas merely with the view of enjoying her society that he hadbeen so ready to close with their kind wish of seeing him againat Longbourn, whither he hoped to be able to return on Mondayfortnight; for Lady Catherine, he added, so heartily approvedhis marriage, that she wished it to take place as soon as possible,which he trusted would be an unanswerable argument with hisamiable Charlotte to name an early day for making him thehappiest of men.Mr. Collins's return into Hertfordshire was no longer a matter ofpleasure to Mrs. Bennet. On the contrary, she was as muchdisposed to complain of it as her husband. It was very strangethat he should come to Longbourn instead of to Lucas Lodge; itwas also very inconvenient and exceedingly troublesome. Shehated having visitors in the house while her health was soindifferent, and lovers were of all people the most disagreeable.Such were the gentle murmurs of Mrs. Bennet, and they gaveway only to the greater distress of Mr. Bingley's continuedabsence.Neither Jane nor Elizabeth were comfortable on this subject.Day after day passed away without bringing any other tidings ofhim than the report which shortly prevailed in Meryton of hiscoming no more to Netherfield the whole winter; a report whichhighly incensed Mrs. Bennet, and which she never failed tocontradict as a most scandalous falsehood.Even Elizabeth began to fear-- not that Bingley was indifferent--but that his sisters would be successful in keeping him away.Unwilling as she was to admit an idea so destructive of Jane'shappiness, and so dishonorable to the stability of her lover, shecould not prevent its frequently occurring. The united efforts ofhis two unfeeling sisters and of his overpowering friend, assistedby the attractions of Miss Darcy and the amusements of Londonmight be too much, she feared, for the strength of hisattachment.As for Jane, her anxiety under this suspense was, of course,more painful than Elizabeth's, but whatever she felt she wasdesirous of concealing, and between herself and Elizabeth,therefore, the subject was never alluded to. But as no suchdelicacy restrained her mother, an hour seldom passed in whichshe did not talk of Bingley, express her impatience for his arrival,or even require Jane to confess that if he did not come back shewould think herself very ill used. It needed all Jane's steadymildness to bear these attacks with tolerable tranquillity.Mr. Collins returned most punctually on Monday fortnight, buthis reception at Longbourn was not quite so gracious as it hadbeen on his first introduction. He was too happy, however, toneed much attention; and luckily for the others, the business oflove-making relieved them from a great deal of his company.The chief of every day was spent by him at Lucas Lodge, and hesometimes returned to Longbourn only in time to make anapology for his absence before the family went to bed.Mrs. Bennet was really in a most pitiable state. The verymention of anything concerning the match threw her into anagony of ill-humour, and wherever she went she was sure ofhearing it talked of. The sight of Miss Lucas was odious to her.As her successor in that house, she regarded her with jealousabhorrence. Whenever Charlotte came to see them, sheconcluded her to be anticipating the hour of possession; andwhenever she spoke in a low voice to Mr. Collins, wasconvinced that they were talking of the Longbourn estate, andresolving to turn herself and her daughters out of the house, assoon as Mr. Bennet were dead. She complained bitterly of allthis to her husband."Indeed, Mr. Bennet," said she, "it is very hard to think thatCharlotte Lucas should ever be mistress of this house, that Ishould be forced to make way for her, and live to see her takeher place in it!""My dear, do not give way to such gloomy thoughts. Let ushope for better things. Let us flatter ourselves that I may bethe survivor."This is not very consoling to Mrs. Bennet, and therefore, insteadof making any answer, she went on as before."I cannot bear to think that they should have all this estate. If itwas not for the entail, I should not mind it.""What should not you mind?""I should not mind anything at all.""Let us be thankful that you are preserved from a state of suchinsensibility.""I never can be thankful, Mr. Bennet, for anything about theentail. How anyone could have the conscience to entail away anestate from one's own daughters, I cannot understand; and allfor the sake of Mr. Collins too! Why should he have it morethan anybody else?""I leave it to yourself to determine," said Mr. Bennet.