Chapter 55

by Jane Austen

　　A few days after this visit, Mr. Bingley called again, andalone. His friend had left him that morning for London, butwas to return home in ten days time. He sat with them above anhour, and was in remarkably good spirits. Mrs. Bennet invitedhim to dine with them; but, with many expressions of concern,he confessed himself engaged elsewhere."Next time you call," said she, "I hope we shall be morelucky."He should be particularly happy at any time, &c. &c.; and ifshe would give him leave, would take an early opportunity ofwaiting on them."Can you come to-morrow?"Yes, he had no engagement at all for to-morrow; and herinvitation was accepted with alacrity.He came, and in such very good time that the ladies were noneof them dressed. In ran Mrs. Bennet to her daughter's room, inher dressing gown, and with her hair half finished, crying out,"My dear Jane, make haste and hurry down. He is come --Mr. Bingley is come. -- He is, indeed. Make haste, make haste.Here, Sarah, come to Miss Bennet this moment, and help her onwith her gown. Never mind Miss Lizzy's hair.""We will be down as soon as we can," said Jane; "but I dare sayKitty is forwarder than either of us, for she went up stairshalf an hour ago.""Oh! hang Kitty! what has she to do with it? Come be quick,be quick! Where is your sash, my dear?"But when her mother was gone, Jane would not be prevailed on togo down without one of her sisters.The same anxiety to get them by themselves was visible againin the evening. After tea, Mr. Bennet retired to the library,as was his custom, and Mary went up stairs to her instrument.Two obstacles of the five being thus removed, Mrs. Bennetsat looking and winking at Elizabeth and Catherine for aconsiderable time, without making any impression on them.Elizabeth would not observe her; and when at last Kitty did,she very innocently said, "What is the matter mamma? What doyou keep winking at me for? What am I to do?""Nothing child, nothing. I did not wink at you." She then satstill five minutes longer; but unable to waste such a preciousoccasion, she suddenly got up, and saying to Kitty, "Come here,my love, I want to speak to you," took her out of the room.Jane instantly gave a look at Elizabeth which spoke herdistress at such premeditation, and her intreaty that shewould not give in to it. In a few minutes, Mrs. Bennethalf-opened the door and called out,"Lizzy, my dear, I want to speak with you."Elizabeth was forced to go."We may as well leave them by themselves you know;" said hermother, as soon as she was in the hall. "Kitty and I are goingup stairs to sit in my dressing room."Elizabeth made no attempt to reason with her mother, butremained quietly in the hall, till she and Kitty were out ofsight, then returned into the drawing room.Mrs. Bennet's schemes for this day were ineffectual. Bingleywas every thing that was charming, except the professed loverof her daughter. His ease and cheerfulness rendered him amost agreeable addition to their evening party; and he borewith the ill-judged officiousness of the mother, and heard allher silly remarks with a forbearance and command of countenanceparticularly grateful to the daughter.He scarcely needed an invitation to stay supper; and before hewent away, an engagement was formed, chiefly through his ownand Mrs. Bennet's means, for his coming next morning to shootwith her husband.After this day, Jane said no more of her indifference.Not a word passed between the sisters concerning Bingley; butElizabeth went to bed in the happy belief that all mustspeedily be concluded, unless Mr. Darcy returned within thestated time. Seriously, however, she felt tolerably persuadedthat all this must have taken place with that gentleman'sconcurrence.Bingley was punctual to his appointment; and he and Mr. Bennetspent the morning together, as had been agreed on. The latterwas much more agreeable than his companion expected. There wasnothing of presumption or folly in Bingley that could provokehis ridicule, or disgust him into silence; and he was morecommunicative, and less eccentric, than the other had ever seenhim. Bingley of course returned with him to dinner; and in theevening Mrs. Bennet's invention was again at work to get everybody away from him and her daughter. Elizabeth, who had aletter to write, went into the breakfast room for that purposesoon after tea; for as the others were all going to sit down tocards, she could not be wanted to counteract her mother'sschemes.But on returning to the drawing room, when her letter wasfinished, she saw, to her infinite surprise, there wasreason to fear that her mother had been too ingenious forher. On opening the door, she perceived her sister andBingley standing together over the hearth, as if engaged inearnest conversation; and had this led to no suspicion, thefaces of both, as they hastily turned round and moved awayfrom each other, would have told it all. Their situationwas awkward enough; but her's she thought was still worse.Not a syllable was uttered by either; and Elizabeth was onthe point of going away again, when Bingley, who as well asthe other had sat down, suddenly rose, and whispering a fewwords to her sister, ran out of the room.Jane could have no reserves from Elizabeth, where confidencewould give pleasure; and instantly embracing her, acknowledged,with the liveliest emotion, that she was the happiest creaturein the world."'Tis too much!" she added, "by far too much. I do notdeserve it. Oh! why is not every body as happy?"Elizabeth's congratulations were given with a sincerity, awarmth, a delight, which words could but poorly express. Everysentence of kindness was a fresh source of happiness to Jane.But she would not allow herself to stay with her sister, or sayhalf that remained to be said for the present."I must go instantly to my mother;" she cried. "I would not onany account trifle with her affectionate solicitude; or allowher to hear it from any one but myself. He is gone to myfather already. Oh! Lizzy, to know that what I have to relatewill give such pleasure to all my dear family! how shall Ibear so much happiness!"She then hastened away to her mother, who had purposely brokenup the card party, and was sitting up stairs with Kitty.Elizabeth, who was left by herself, now smiled at the rapidityand ease with which an affair was finally settled, that hadgiven them so many previous months of suspense and vexation."And this," said she, "is the end of all his friend's anxiouscircumspection! of all his sister's falsehood and contrivance!the happiest, wisest, most reasonable end!"In a few minutes she was joined by Bingley, whose conferencewith her father had been short and to the purpose."Where is your sister?" said he hastily, as he opened the door."With my mother up stairs. She will be down in a moment,I dare say."He then shut the door, and, coming up to her, claimed the goodwishes and affection of a sister. Elizabeth honestly andheartily expressed her delight in the prospect of theirrelationship. They shook hands with great cordiality; andthen, till her sister came down, she had to listen to all hehad to say of his own happiness, and of Jane's perfections;and in spite of his being a lover, Elizabeth really believedall his expectations of felicity to be rationally founded,because they had for basis the excellent understanding, andsuper-excellent disposition of Jane, and a general similarityof feeling and taste between her and himself.It was an evening of no common delight to them all; thesatisfaction of Miss Bennet's mind gave a glow of such sweetanimation to her face, as made her look handsomer than ever.Kitty simpered and smiled, and hoped her turn was coming soon.Mrs. Bennet could not give her consent or speak her approbationin terms warm enough to satisfy her feelings, though she talkedto Bingley of nothing else for half an hour; and when Mr.Bennet joined them at supper, his voice and manner plainlyshewed how really happy he was.Not a word, however, passed his lips in allusion to it, tilltheir visitor took his leave for the night; but as soon as hewas gone, he turned to his daughter, and said,"Jane, I congratulate you. You will be a very happy woman."Jane went to him instantly, kissed him, and thanked him for hisgoodness."You are a good girl;" he replied, "and I have great pleasurein thinking you will be so happily settled. I have not a doubtof your doing very well together. Your tempers are by no meansunlike. You are each of you so complying, that nothing willever be resolved on; so easy, that every servant will cheatyou; and so generous, that you will always exceed your income.""I hope not so. Imprudence or thoughtlessness in money matterswould be unpardonable in me.""Exceed their income! My dear Mr. Bennet," cried his wife,"what are you talking of? Why, he has four or five thousand ayear, and very likely more." Then addressing her daughter,"Oh! my dear, dear Jane, I am so happy! I am sure I shan'tget a wink of sleep all night. I knew how it would be. Ialways said it must be so, at last. I was sure you could notbe so beautiful for nothing! I remember, as soon as ever I sawhim, when he first came into Hertfordshire last year, I thoughthow likely it was that you should come together. Oh! he isthe handsomest young man that ever was seen!"Wickham, Lydia, were all forgotten. Jane was beyondcompetition her favourite child. At that moment, she caredfor no other. Her younger sisters soon began to make interestwith her for objects of happiness which she might in future beable to dispense.Mary petitioned for the use of the library at Netherfield; andKitty begged very hard for a few balls there every winter.Bingley, from this time, was of course a daily visitor atLongbourn; coming frequently before breakfast, and alwaysremaining till after supper; unless when some barbarousneighbour, who could not be enough detested, had given himan invitation to dinner which he thought himself obliged toaccept.Elizabeth had now but little time for conversation with hersister; for while he was present, Jane had no attention tobestow on any one else; but she found herself considerablyuseful to both of them in those hours of separation that mustsometimes occur. In the absence of Jane, he always attachedhimself to Elizabeth, for the pleasure of talking of her; andwhen Bingley was gone, Jane constantly sought the same meansof relief."He has made me so happy," said she, one evening, "by tellingme that he was totally ignorant of my being in town lastspring! I had not believed it possible.""I suspected as much," replied Elizabeth. "But how did heaccount for it?""It must have been his sister's doing. They were certainly nofriends to his acquaintance with me, which I cannot wonder at,since he might have chosen so much more advantageously in manyrespects. But when they see, as I trust they will, that theirbrother is happy with me, they will learn to be contented, andwe shall be on good terms again; though we can never be what weonce were to each other.""That is the most unforgiving speech," said Elizabeth, "thatI ever heard you utter. Good girl! It would vex me, indeed,to see you again the dupe of Miss Bingley's pretended regard.""Would you believe it, Lizzy, that when he went to town lastNovember, he really loved me, and nothing but a persuasion ofmy being indifferent would have prevented his coming downagain!""He made a little mistake to be sure; but it is to the creditof his modesty."This naturally introduced a panegyric from Jane on hisdiffidence, and the little value he put on his own goodqualities. Elizabeth was pleased to find that he had notbetrayed the interference of his friend; for, though Jane hadthe most generous and forgiving heart in the world, she knewit was a circumstance which must prejudice her against him."I am certainly the most fortunate creature that ever existed!"cried Jane. "Oh! Lizzy, why am I thus singled from my family,and blessed above them all! If I could but see you as happy!If there were but such another man for you!""If you were to give me forty such men, I never could be sohappy as you. Till I have your disposition, your goodness,I never can have your happiness. No, no, let me shift formyself; and, perhaps, if I have very good luck, I may meetwith another Mr. Collins in time."The situation of affairs in the Longbourn family could not belong a secret. Mrs. Bennet was privileged to whisper it toMrs. Philips, and she ventured, without any permission, to dothe same by all her neighbours in Meryton.The Bennets were speedily pronounced to be the luckiest familyin the world, though only a few weeks before, when Lydia hadfirst run away, they had been generally proved to be marked outfor misfortune.