CHAPTER XIX.
The next day opened a new scene at Longbourn. Mr. Collins made hisdeclaration in form. Having resolved to do it without loss of time, ashis leave of absence extended only to the following Saturday, and havingno feelings of diffidence to make it distressing to himself even at themoment, he set about it in a very orderly manner, with all theobservances which he supposed a regular part of the business. On findingMrs. Bennet, Elizabeth, and one of the younger girls together, soonafter breakfast, he addressed the mother in these words,
”May I hope, Madam, for your interest with your fair daughter Elizabeth,when I solicit for the honour of a private audience with her in thecourse of this morning?”
Before Elizabeth had time for any thing but a blush of surprise, Mrs.Bennet instantly answered,
”Oh dear!--Yes--certainly.--I am sure Lizzy will be very happy--I amsure she can have no objection.--Come, Kitty, I want you up stairs.” Andgathering her work together, she was hastening away, when Elizabethcalled out,
”Dear Ma'am, do not go.--I beg you will not go.--Mr. Collins must excuseme.--He can have nothing to say to me that any body need not hear. I amgoing away myself.”
”No, no, nonsense, Lizzy.--I desire you will stay where you are.”--Andupon Elizabeth's seeming really, with vexed and embarrassed looks, aboutto escape, she added, ”Lizzy, I _insist_ upon your staying and hearingMr. Collins.”
Elizabeth would not oppose such an injunction--and a moment'sconsideration making her also sensible that it would be wisest to get itover as soon and as quietly as possible, she sat down again, and triedto conceal by incessant employment the feelings which were dividedbetween distress and diversion. Mrs. Bennet and Kitty walked off, and assoon as they were gone Mr. Collins began.
”Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth, that your modesty, so far fromdoing you any disservice, rather adds to your other perfections. Youwould have been less amiable in my eyes had there _not_ been this littleunwillingness; but allow me to assure you that I have your respectedmother's permission for this address. You can hardly doubt the purportof my discourse, however your natural delicacy may lead you todissemble; my attentions have been too marked to be mistaken. Almost assoon as I entered the house I singled you out as the companion of myfuture life. But before I am run away with by my feelings on thissubject, perhaps it will be advisable for me to state my reasons formarrying--and moreover for coming into Hertfordshire with the design ofselecting a wife, as I certainly did.”
The idea of Mr. Collins, with all his solemn composure, being run awaywith by his feelings, made Elizabeth so near laughing that she could notuse the short pause he allowed in any attempt to stop him farther, andhe continued:
”My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing forevery clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the exampleof matrimony in his parish. Secondly, that I am convinced it will addvery greatly to my happiness; and thirdly--which perhaps I ought to havementioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendationof the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness.Twice has she 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. Jenkinson wasarranging Miss de Bourgh's foot-stool, that she said, 'Mr. Collins, youmust marry. A clergyman like you must marry.--Chuse properly, chuse agentlewoman for _my_ sake; and for your _own_, let her be an active,useful sort of person, not brought up high, but able to make a smallincome go a good way. This is my advice. Find such a woman as soon asyou can, bring her to Hunsford, and I will visit her.' Allow me, by theway, to observe, 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 manners beyond anything I can describe; and your wit and vivacity I think must beacceptable to her, especially when tempered with the silence and respectwhich her rank will inevitably excite. Thus much for my generalintention in favour of matrimony; it remains to be told why my viewswere directed to Longbourn instead of my own neighbourhood, where Iassure you there are many amiable young women. But the fact is, thatbeing, as I am, to inherit this estate after the death of your honouredfather, (who, however, may live many years longer,) I could not satisfymyself without resolving to chuse a wife from among his daughters, thatthe loss to them might be as little as possible, when the melancholyevent takes place--which, however, as I have already said, may not befor several years. This has been my motive, my fair cousin, and Iflatter myself it will not sink me in your esteem. And now nothingremains for me but to assure you in the most animated language of theviolence of my affection. To fortune I am perfectly indifferent, andshall make no demand of that nature on your father, since I am wellaware that it could not be complied with; and that one thousand poundsin the 4 per cents. which will not be yours till after your mother'sdecease, is all that you may ever be entitled to. On that head,therefore, I shall be uniformly silent; and you may assure yourself thatno ungenerous reproach shall ever 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 have made noanswer. Let me do it without farther loss of time. Accept my thanks forthe compliment you are paying me. I am very sensible of the honour ofyour proposals, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise than declinethem.”
”I am not now to learn,” replied Mr. Collins, with a formal wave of thehand, ”that it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of theman whom they secretly mean to accept, when he first applies for theirfavour; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a second or even athird time. I am therefore by no means discouraged by what you have justsaid, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere long.”
”Upon my word, Sir,” cried Elizabeth, ”your hope is rather anextraordinary one after my declaration. I do assure you that I am notone of those young ladies (if such young ladies there are) who are sodaring as to risk their happiness on the chance of being asked a secondtime. 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 whowould make _you_ so.--Nay, were your friend Lady Catherine to know me, Iam persuaded she would find me in every respect ill qualified for thesituation.”
”Were it certain that Lady Catherine would think so,” said Mr. Collinsvery gravely--”but I cannot imagine that her ladyship would at alldisapprove of you. And you may be certain that when I have the honour ofseeing her again I shall speak in the highest terms of your modesty,economy, and other amiable qualifications.”
”Indeed, Mr. Collins, all praise of me will be unnecessary. You mustgive me leave to judge for myself, and pay me the compliment ofbelieving what I say. I wish you very happy and very rich, and byrefusing your hand, do all in my power to prevent your being otherwise.In making me the offer, you must have satisfied the delicacy of yourfeelings with regard to my family, and may take possession of Longbournestate whenever it 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 not Mr. Collins thusaddressed her,
”When I do myself the honour of speaking to you next on this subject Ishall hope to receive a more favourable answer than you have now givenme; though I am far from accusing you of cruelty at present, because Iknow it to be the established custom of your sex to reject a man on thefirst application, and perhaps you have even now said as much toencourage my suit as would be consistent with the true delicacy of thefemale character.”
”Really, Mr. Collins,” cried Elizabeth with some warmth, ”you puzzle meexceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can appear to you in the formof encouragement, I know not how to express my refusal in such a way asmay convince you of its being one.”
”You must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear cousin, that yourrefusal of my addresses is merely words of course. My reasons forbelieving it are briefly these:--It does not appear to me that my handis unworthy your acceptance, or that the establishment I can offer wouldbe any other than highly desirable. My situation in life, my connectionswith the family of De Bourgh, and my relationship to your own, arecircumstances highly in my favour; and you should take it into fartherconsideration that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by nomeans certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you. Yourportion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo theeffects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications. As I musttherefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of me, Ishall chuse to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love bysuspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females.”
”I do assure you, Sir, that I have no pretension whatever to that kindof elegance which consists in tormenting a respectable man. I wouldrather be paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I thank youagain and again for the honour you have done me in your proposals, butto accept them is absolutely impossible. My feelings in every respectforbid it. Can I speak plainer? Do not consider me now as an elegantfemale intending to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking thetruth from her heart.”
”You are uniformly charming!” cried he, with an air of awkwardgallantry; ”and I am persuaded that when sanctioned by the expressauthority of both your excellent parents, my proposals will not fail ofbeing acceptable.”
To such perseverance in wilful self-deception Elizabeth would make noreply, and immediately and in silence withdrew; determined, if hepersisted in considering her repeated refusals as flatteringencouragement, to apply to her father, whose negative might be utteredin such a manner as must be decisive, and whose behaviour at least couldnot be mistaken for the affectation and coquetry of an elegant female.