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The next day Mr. Collins made his declaration in form. On finding Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth, and one of the younger girls together, soon after breakfast, he addressed the mother in these words:
“May I hope, madam, can I have a private audience with your fair daughter Elizabeth this morning?”
Before Elizabeth had time for anything but a blush of surprise, Mrs. Bennet answered instantly, “Oh dear! – yes – certainly. I am sure Lizzy will be very happy – I am sure she can have no objection. Come, Kitty.” And, gathering her work together, she was hastening away, when Elizabeth called out:
“Dear madam, do not go. I beg you will not go. Mr. Collins must excuse me. He can have nothing to say to me that anybody need not hear. I am going away myself.”
“No, no, nonsense, Lizzy. I desire you to stay where you are.” And she added: “Lizzy, I insist upon your staying and hearing Mr. Collins.”
Elizabeth sat down again and tried to conceal. Mrs. Bennet and Kitty walked off, and as soon as they were gone, Mr. Collins began.
“Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth, that your modesty rather adds to your other perfections. Allow me to assure you, that I have your respected mother’s permission for this address. You can hardly doubt the purport of my discourse. Almost as soon as I entered the house, I thought about you as the companion of my future life. But perhaps it would be better to state my reasons for marrying. My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish. Secondly, that I am convinced that it will make my life happier; and thirdly – which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness. She said, ‘Mr. Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry. Choose properly, this is my advice. Find such a woman as soon as you can, bring her here, and I will visit her.’ Allow me, by the way, to observe, my fair cousin, that my views were directed towards Longbourn instead of my own neighbourhood, where I can assure you there are many amiable young women. But the fact is, that I will inherit this estate after the death of your honoured father (who, however, may live many years longer). And I decided to choose a wife from among his daughters. This has been my motive, my fair cousin. To money I am perfectly indifferent, and shall make no demand of that nature on your father. On that head, therefore, I shall be silent; and you may assure yourself that no ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married.”
It was absolutely necessary to interrupt him now.
“You are too hasty, sir,” cried Elizabeth. “You forget that I have made no answer. Accept my thanks for the compliment you are paying me. I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals, but I must decline them.”
“Are you serious?” asked Mr. Collins, with a formal wave of the hand.
“Upon my word, sir,” cried Elizabeth, “I am perfectly serious in my refusal. You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last woman in the world who could make you so. I thank you again and again for the honour you have done me in your proposals, but to accept them is absolutely impossible.”
When Elizabeth opened the door, Mrs. Bennet entered the breakfast-room, and congratulated both him and herself in warm terms on the happy prospect or their nearer connection. Mr. Collins related the details of their interview.
“Mr. Collins,” said Mrs. Bennet, “I will speak to Lizzy about it directly. She is a very headstrong, foolish girl, and does not know her own interest but I will make her know it.”
“Pardon me for interrupting you, madam,” cried Mr. Collins; “but if she is really headstrong and foolish, I am not sure that she could be a very desirable wife to a man in my situation, who naturally looks for happiness in the marriage state.”
“Sir, you quite misunderstand me,” said Mrs. Bennet. “Lizzy is only headstrong in such matters as these. In everything else she is as good-natured a girl as ever lived. I will go directly to Mr. Bennet, and we shall very soon settle it with her, I am sure.”
She would not give him time to reply, but hurrying instantly to her husband. “Oh! Mr. Bennet, you must come and make Lizzy marry Mr. Collins.”
Mr. Bennet raised his eyes from his book as she entered, and fixed them on her face with a calm unconcern.
“Of what are you talking?” said he, when she had finished her speech.
“Of Mr. Collins and Lizzy. Lizzy declares she will not marry Mr. Collins, and Mr. Collins begins to say that he will not marry Lizzy.”
“And what am I to do on the occasion? It seems a hopeless business.”
“Speak to Lizzy about it yourself. Tell her that you insist upon her marrying him.”
“Call her. She shall hear my opinion.”
Mrs. Bennet rang the bell, and Miss Elizabeth was called to the library.
“Come here, child,” cried her father as she appeared. “I have sent for you on an affair of importance. I understand that Mr. Collins has made you an offer of marriage. Is it true?” Elizabeth replied that it was. “Very well – and this offer of marriage you have refused?”
“I have, sir.”
“Very well. Your mother insists upon your accepting it. Is it not so, Mrs. Bennet?”
“Yes, or I will never see her again.”
“An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”
Mrs. Bennet was excessively disappointed.
“What do you mean, Mr. Bennet, in talking this way? You promised me to insist upon her marrying him.”
“My dear,” replied her husband, “please, allow me to say what I think.”
While the family were in this confusion, Charlotte Lucas came in. She was met in the vestibule by Lydia, who cried in a half whisper, “I am glad you are come, for there is such fun here! What do you think has happened this morning? Mr. Collins has made an offer to Lizzy, and she will not marry him.”
Charlotte hardly had time to answer, before they were joined by Kitty, who came to tell the same news.
“Aye, there she comes,” said Mrs. Bennet, “I tell you, Miss Lizzy – if you take it into your head – I do not know who will maintain you when your father is dead. I shall not be able to keep you – and so I warn you. I have no pleasure in talking to undutiful children.”
Elizabeth passed quietly out of the room, Jane and Kitty followed her.
The next morning Mr. Collins was also in the state of angry pride. After breakfast, the girls walked to Meryton to inquire if Mr. Wickham returned. He joined them on their entering the town.
“I found,” said he, “that I had better not meet Mr. Darcy.”
Elizabeth highly approved his forbearance, and they talked a lot. Soon after their return, a letter was delivered to Miss Bennet; it came from Netherfield. The envelope contained a sheet of elegant, little paper. Elizabeth saw her sister’s face change as she read it. Jane said:
“This is from Caroline Bingley. The whole party have left Netherfield by this time, and are on their way to town – and without any intention of coming back again.”
Elizabeth saw nothing in it really to lament.
“It is unlucky,” said she, after a short pause, “that you should not be able to see your friends before they leave the country.”
“Caroline decidedly says that nobody will return into Hertfordshire this winter. I will read it to you. It is evident that her brother comes back no more this winter.”
“Why do you think so? He is his own master.”
“What do you think of this, my dear Lizzy?” said Jane.
“Is it not clear enough? Miss Bingley sees that her brother is in love with you, and wants him to marry Miss Darcy. She follows him to town in hope of keeping him there, and tries to persuade you that he does not care about you.”
Jane shook her head.
“Indeed, Jane, you ought to believe me. Miss Bingley, I am sure, is more anxious to get Miss Darcy for her brother.”
“But if he returns no more this winter… A thousand things may arise in six months!”
The Bennets were engaged to dine with the Lucases and again was Miss Lucas so kind as to listen to Mr. Collins. Elizabeth took an opportunity of thanking her. Charlotte’s kindness extended farther than Elizabeth could imagine. Next morning Mr. Collins hastened to Charlotte to throw himself at her feet.
In as short a time as Mr. Collins’s long speeches would allow, everything was settled between them to the satisfaction of both; and as they entered the house he earnestly asked her to name the day that would make him the happiest of men. But Miss Lucas, who accepted him from the pure desire of an establishment, cared not how soon that establishment would happen.
Mr. Collins’s present circumstances made it a most eligible match for her, to whom they could give little fortune. The whole family was overjoyed on the occasion. The boys and the girls were relieved: Charlotte would not die an old maid. Charlotte herself was tolerably composed. Mr. Collins, to be sure, was neither sensible nor agreeable; his society was irksome, and his attachment to her must be imaginary. But still he would be her husband. And marriage in general was the only provision for well-educated young women of small fortune.
When Elizabeth learned about Charlotte’s marriage, she could not help crying out:
“Engaged to Mr. Collins! My dear Charlotte – impossible!”
“Why should you be surprised, my dear Eliza? I see what you are feeling,” replied Charlotte. “You must be surprised, very much surprised – so lately as Mr. Collins was wishing to marry you. But when you have had time to think it over, I hope you will be satisfied with what I have done. I am not romantic, you know; I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr. Collins’s character, connection, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state.”
Elizabeth quietly answered, “Undoubtedly;” and after an awkward pause, they returned to the rest of the family. Charlotte did not stay much longer, and Elizabeth was then left to reflect on what she had heard. Charlotte the wife of Mr. Collins was a most humiliating picture!
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