CHAPTER XXI.
The discussion of Mr. Collins's offer was now nearly at an end, andElizabeth had only to suffer from the uncomfortable feelings necessarilyattending it, and occasionally from some peevish allusion of her mother.As for the gentleman himself, _his_ feelings were chiefly expressed, notby embarrassment or dejection, or by trying to avoid her, but bystiffness of manner and resentful silence. He scarcely ever spoke toher, and the assiduous attentions which he had been so sensible ofhimself, were transferred for the rest of the day to Miss Lucas, whosecivility in listening to him, was a seasonable relief to them all, andespecially to her friend.
The morrow produced no abatement of Mrs. Bennet's ill humour or illhealth. Mr. Collins was also in the same state of angry pride. Elizabethhad hoped that his resentment might shorten his visit, but his plan didnot appear in the least affected by it. He was always to have gone onSaturday, and to Saturday he still meant to stay.
After breakfast, the girls walked to Meryton to inquire if Mr. Wickhamwere returned, and to lament over his absence from the Netherfield ball.He joined them on their entering the town and attended them to theiraunt's, where his regret and vexation, and the concern of every body waswell talked over.--To Elizabeth, however, he voluntarily acknowledgedthat the necessity of his absence _had_ been self imposed.
”I found,” said he, ”as the time drew near, that I had better not meetMr. Darcy;--that to be in the same room, the same party with him for somany hours together, might be more than I could bear, and that scenesmight arise unpleasant to more than myself.”
She highly approved his forbearance, and they had leisure for a fulldiscussion of it, and for all the commendation which they civillybestowed on each other, as Wickham and another officer walked back withthem to Longbourn, and during the walk, he particularly attended to her.His accompanying them was a double advantage; she felt all thecompliment it offered to herself, and it was most acceptable as anoccasion of introducing him to her father and mother.
Soon after their return, a letter was delivered to Miss Bennet; it camefrom Netherfield, and was opened immediately. The envelope contained asheet of elegant, little, hot pressed paper, well covered with a lady'sfair, flowing hand; and Elizabeth saw her sister's countenance change asshe read it, and saw her dwelling intently on some particular passages.Jane recollected herself soon, and putting the letter away, tried tojoin with her usual cheerfulness in the general conversation; butElizabeth felt an anxiety on the subject which drew off her attentioneven from Wickham; and no sooner had he and his companion taken leave,than a glance from Jane invited her to follow her up stairs. When theyhad gained their own room, Jane taking out the letter, said,
”This is from Caroline Bingley; what it contains, has surprised me agood deal. The whole party have left Netherfield by this time, and areon their way to town; and without any intention of coming back again.You shall hear what she says.”
She then read the first sentence aloud, which comprised the informationof their having just resolved to follow their brother to town directly,and of their meaning to dine that day in Grosvenor street, where Mr.Hurst had a house. The next was in these words. ”I do not pretend toregret any thing I shall leave in Hertfordshire, except your society, mydearest friend; but we will hope at some future period, to enjoy manyreturns of the delightful intercourse we have known, and in the meanwhile may lessen the pain of separation by a very frequent and mostunreserved correspondence. I depend on you for that.” To these highflown expressions, Elizabeth listened with all the insensibility ofdistrust; and though the suddenness of their removal surprised her, shesaw nothing in it really to lament; it was not to be supposed that theirabsence from Netherfield would prevent Mr. Bingley's being there; and asto the loss of their society, she was persuaded that Jane must sooncease to regard it, in the enjoyment of his.
”It is unlucky,” said she, after a short pause, ”that you should not beable to see your friends before they leave the country. But may we nothope that the period of future happiness to which Miss Bingley looksforward, may arrive earlier than she is aware, and that the delightfulintercourse you have known as friends, will be renewed with yet greatersatisfaction as sisters?--Mr. Bingley will not be detained in London bythem.”
”Caroline decidedly says that none of the party will return intoHertfordshire this winter. I will read it to you--
”When my brother left us yesterday, he imagined that the business whichtook him to London, might be concluded in three or four days, but as weare certain it cannot be so, and at the same time convinced that whenCharles gets to town, he will be in no hurry to leave it again, we havedetermined on following him thither, that he may not be obliged to spendhis vacant hours in a comfortless hotel. Many of my acquaintance arealready there for the winter; I wish I could hear that you, my dearestfriend, had any intention of making one in the croud, but of that Idespair. I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound inthe gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beauxwill be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three, ofwhom we shall deprive you.”
”It is evident by this,” added Jane, ”that he comes back no more thiswinter.”
”It is only evident that Miss Bingley does not mean he _should_.”
”Why will you think so? It must be his own doing.--He is his own master.But you do not know _all_. I _will_ read you the passage whichparticularly hurts me. I will have no reserves from _you_.” ”Mr. Darcyis impatient to see his sister, and to confess the truth, _we_ arescarcely less eager to meet her again. I really do not think GeorgianaDarcy has her equal for beauty, elegance, and accomplishments; and theaffection she inspires in Louisa and myself, is heightened intosomething still more interesting, from the hope we dare to entertain ofher being hereafter our sister. I do not know whether I ever beforementioned to you my feelings on this subject, but I will not leave thecountry without confiding them, and I trust you will not esteem themunreasonable. My brother admires her greatly already, he will havefrequent opportunity now of seeing her on the most intimate footing, herrelations all wish the connection as much as his own, and a sister'spartiality is not misleading me, I think, when I call Charles mostcapable of engaging any woman's heart. With all these circumstances tofavour an attachment and nothing to prevent it, am I wrong, my dearestJane, in indulging the hope of an event which will secure the happinessof so many?”
”What think you of _this_ sentence, my dear Lizzy?”--said Jane as shefinished it. ”Is it not clear enough?--Does it not expressly declarethat Caroline neither expects nor wishes me to be her sister; that sheis perfectly convinced of her brother's indifference, and that if shesuspects the nature of my feelings for him, she means (most kindly!) toput me on my guard? Can there be any other opinion on the subject?”
”Yes, there can; for mine is totally different.--Will you hear it?”
”Most willingly.”
”You shall have it in few words. Miss Bingley sees that her brother isin love with you, and wants him to marry Miss Darcy. She follows him totown in the hope of keeping him there, and tries to persuade you that hedoes not care about you.”
Jane shook her head.
”Indeed, Jane, you ought to believe me.--No one who has ever seen youtogether, can doubt his affection. Miss Bingley I am sure cannot. She isnot such a simpleton. Could she have seen half as much love in Mr. Darcyfor herself, she would have ordered her wedding clothes. But the case isthis. We are not rich enough, or grand enough for them; and she is themore anxious to get Miss Darcy for her brother, from the notion thatwhen there has been _one_ intermarriage, she may have less trouble inachieving a second; in which there is certainly some ingenuity, and Idare say it would succeed, if Miss de Bourgh were out of the way. But,my dearest Jane, you cannot seriously imagine that because Miss Bingleytells you her brother greatly admires Miss Darcy, he is in the smallestdegree less sensible of _your_ merit than when he took leave of you onTuesday, or that it will be in her power to persuade him that instead ofbeing in love with you, he is very much in love with her friend.”
”If we thought alike of Miss Bingley,” replied Jane, ”yourrepresentation of all this, might make me quite easy. But I know thefoundation is unjust. Caroline is incapable of wilfully deceiving anyone; and all that I can hope in this case is, that she is deceivedherself.”
”That is right.--You could not have started a more happy idea, since youwill not take comfort in mine. Believe her to be deceived by all means.You have now done your duty by her, and must fret no longer.”
”But, my dear sister, can I be happy, even supposing the best, inaccepting a man whose sisters and friends are all wishing him to marryelsewhere?”
”You must decide for yourself,” said Elizabeth, ”and if upon maturedeliberation, you find that the misery of disobliging his two sisters ismore than equivalent to the happiness of being his wife, I advise you byall means to refuse him.”
”How can you talk so?”--said Jane faintly smiling,--”You must know thatthough I should be exceedingly grieved at their disapprobation, I couldnot hesitate.”
”I did not think you would;--and that being the case, I cannot consideryour situation with much compassion.”
”But if he returns no more this winter, my choice will never berequired. A thousand things may arise in six months!”
The idea of his returning no more Elizabeth treated with the utmostcontempt. It appeared to her merely the suggestion of Caroline'sinterested wishes, and she could not for a moment suppose that thosewishes, however openly or artfully spoken, could influence a young manso totally independent of every one.
She represented to her sister as forcibly as possible what she felt onthe subject, and had soon the pleasure of seeing its happy effect.Jane's temper was not desponding, and she was gradually led to hope,though the diffidence of affection sometimes overcame the hope, thatBingley would return to Netherfield and answer every wish of her heart.
They agreed that Mrs. Bennet should only hear of the departure of thefamily, without being alarmed on the score of the gentleman's conduct;but even this partial communication gave her a great deal of concern,and she bewailed it as exceedingly unlucky that the ladies should happento go away, just as they were all getting so intimate together. Afterlamenting it however at some length, she had the consolation of thinkingthat Mr. Bingley would be soon down again and soon dining at Longbourn,and the conclusion of all was the comfortable declaration that, thoughhe had been invited only to a family dinner, she would take care to havetwo full courses.