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Mr. Darcy’s behaviour astonished and vexed Elizabeth.
“Why did he come?” said she. “He can be amiable to my uncle and aunt, when he was in town; and why not to me? Teasing, teasing, man! I will think no more about him.”
Jane joined her with a cheerful look.
“Now,” said she, “I feel perfectly easy. These men are invited to dine with us on Tuesday. I cannot wait.”
They did not see the gentlemen again till Tuesday. On Tuesday there was a large party assembled at Longbourn; and the two were most anxiously expected. On entering the room, Bingley seemed to hesitate; but Jane happened to smile: it was decided. He placed himself by her.
Mr. Darcy sat near her mother. She was not near enough to hear any of their discourse, but she could see how seldom they spoke to each other.
After the dinner, Darcy had walked away to another part of the room. Elizabeth followed him.
“Is your sister at Pemberley still?”
“Yes, she will remain there till Christmas.”
“And quite alone? Have all her friends left her?”
“Mrs. Annesley is with her.”
She could think of nothing more to say. He stood by her, however, for some minutes, in silence; and, at last, he walked away.
“Well girls,” said Mrs. Bennet, as soon as her daughters were left to themselves, “What will you say? I think everything has been excellent. The soup was fifty times better than what we had at the Lucases’ last week. And, my dear Jane, I never saw you look in greater beauty. I hope we may often meet again.”
Elizabeth smiled.
A few days after this visit, Mr. Bingley came again, and alone. His friend had left him that morning for London, but was to return home in ten days time. He sat with them above an hour, and was in remarkably good spirits. Mrs. Bennet invited him to dine with them; but he thanked and explained that he had a lot of things to do.
“Next time you call,” said she, “I hope we shall be more lucky. Can you come tomorrow?”
Yes, he had no engagement at all for tomorrow; and her invitation was accepted.
After tea, Mr. Bennet retired to the library, and Mary went up stairs to her instrument. In a few minutes, Mrs. Bennet half-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 her mother, as soon as she was in the hall. “Kitty and I are going up stairs to sit in my dressing-room.”
So Mr. Bingley and Jane were left alone. They had much time to talk to each other. After this day, Jane said no more of her indifference. Not a word passed between the sisters concerning Bingley; but Elizabeth went to bed in the happy belief that all must speedily be concluded.
Even Mr. Bennet said:
“Jane, I congratulate you. You will be a very happy woman.”
Jane went to him instantly, kissed him, and thanked him for his goodness.
“You are a good girl,” he replied, “and I have great pleasure in thinking you will be so happily settled.”
Mrs. Bennet was the happiest mother in the world. Wickham, Lydia, were all forgotten. Jane was beyond competition the favourite.
Bingley, from this time, was a daily visitor at Longbourn; coming frequently before breakfast, and always remaining till after supper.
“He has made me so happy,” said Jane, one evening, “by telling me that he was totally ignorant of my being in town last spring! I had not believed it possible. Would you believe it, Lizzy, that when he went to town last November, he really loved me!”
“He made a little mistake.”
“I am certainly the most fortunate person that ever existed!” cried Jane. “Oh! Lizzy, if I could but see you as happy!”
“I never can have your happiness. Perhaps, if I have very good luck, I may meet with another Mr. Collins in time.”
The situation of affairs in the Longbourn family could not be long a secret. Mrs. Bennet whispered it to Mrs. Phillips, and she did the same by all her neighbours in Meryton. The Bennets were speedily declared to be the luckiest family in the world.
One morning, about a week after Bingley’s engagement with Jane, as he and the females of the family were sitting together in the dining-room, their attention was suddenly drawn to the window, by the sound of a carriage. It was too early in the morning for visitors. In some minutes their visitor entered. It was Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
The astonishment was beyond the expectation. She entered the room with an air more than usually ungracious, and sat down without saying a word. Elizabeth had mentioned her name to her mother.
Mrs. Bennet received her with the utmost politeness. After sitting for a moment in silence, Lady Catherine de Bourgh said very stiffly to Elizabeth,
“I hope you are well, Miss Bennet. That lady, I suppose, is your mother.”
Elizabeth replied very concisely that she was.
“And that I suppose is one of your sisters.”
“Yes, madam,” said Mrs. Bennet, delighted to speak to Lady Catherine. “She is my young girl. My youngest of all is lately married, and my eldest is walking with a young man who, I believe, will soon become a part of the family.”
“You have a very small park here,” said Lady Catherine after a short silence.
“It is nothing in comparison of Rosings, my lady, but it is much larger than Sir William Lucas’s.”
Lady Catherine very resolutely, and not very politely, rising up, said to Elizabeth,
“Miss Bennet, I should be glad to take a walk with you in the park.”
They proceeded in silence along the gravel walk that led to the copse; Elizabeth decided not to begin a conversation with a woman who was now more than usually insolent and disagreeable.
As soon as they entered the copse, Lady Catherine began in the following manner:
“Miss Bennet, you can understand the reason of my journey here. Your own heart, your own conscience, must tell you why I come.”
Elizabeth looked with astonishment.
“Indeed, you are mistaken, Madam. I cannot even imagine that.”
“Miss Bennet,” replied her ladyship, in an angry tone, “Two days ago I was told that you, Miss Elizabeth Bennet, would be soon united to my nephew, my own nephew, Mr. Darcy. I know it must be a scandalous falsehood.”
“If you believed it impossible to be true,” said Elizabeth, colouring with astonishment and disdain, “I wonder you took the trouble of coming so far.”
“You must contradict it.”
“Your coming to Longbourn, to see me and my family,” said Elizabeth coolly, “will be rather a confirmation of it; if such a report is in existence.”
“Do you then pretend to be ignorant of it? Do you not know that such a report is spread abroad?”
“I never heard that it was.”
“And can you declare, that there is no foundation for it?”
“Your ladyship, you may ask questions which I shall not choose to answer. Your ladyship has declared it to be impossible.”
“But you may have drawn him in.”
“If I have, I shall be the last person to confess it.”
“Miss Bennet, do you know who I am? I have not been accustomed to such language as this. You know, this marriage can never take place. No, never. Mr. Darcy is engaged to my daughter. Now what have you to say?”
“Only this; that if he is so, you can have no reason to suppose he will make an offer to me.”
Lady Catherine hesitated for a moment, and then replied:
“Have you not heard me say that from his earliest hours he was destined for his cousin?”
“Yes, and I had heard it before. But what is that to me? Why can not Mr. Darcy make another choice?”
“Because honour, decorum, prudence, interest, forbid it. Obstinate, headstrong girl! I am ashamed of you! Tell me, are you engaged to him?”
Elizabeth answered:
“I am not.”
Lady Catherine seemed pleased.
“And will you promise me, never to enter into such an engagement?”
“I will make no promise of the kind.”
“Miss Bennet, I am shocked and astonished. I expected to find a more reasonable young woman. I shall not go away till you give me the assurance I require.”
“And I certainly never shall give it. You can now have nothing further to say. You have insulted me in every possible method. I must return to the house.”
And she rose as she spoke. Lady Catherine rose also, and they turned back.
“Unfeeling, selfish girl!”
“Lady Catherine, I have nothing further to say. You know my sentiments.”
“And this is your final resolve! Very well. I shall now know how to act. I am most seriously displeased.”
In this manner Lady Catherine talked on, till they were at the door of the carriage.
Elizabeth, for many hours, was excited. Lady Catherine has come to break her supposed engagement with Mr. Darcy! Elizabeth did not know the exact degree of his affection for his aunt, or his dependence on her judgment.
The surprise of the rest of the family, on hearing who their visitor had been, was very great. The next morning, as she was going downstairs, 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.”
What is the letter he held? It suddenly struck her that it might be from Lady Catherine.
She followed her father to the fireplace, and they both sat down. He then said,
“I have received a letter this morning that has astonished me exceedingly. As it principally concerns you, you must know its contents. So, let me congratulate you on a very important conquest.”
The colour now rushed into Elizabeth’s cheeks; when her father continued:
“You look conscious. This letter is from Mr. Collins.”
“From Mr. Collins! and what can he have to say?”
“He writes that everybody is talking about you and Mr. Darcy. But, Lizzy, what did Lady Catherine say about this? Is she satisfied? I suppose not.”
To this question his daughter replied only with a laugh.
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