CHAPTER IX.
Elizabeth was sitting by herself the next morning, and writing to Jane,while Mrs. Collins and Maria were gone on business into the village,when she was startled by a ring at the door, the certain signal of avisitor. As she had heard no carriage, she thought it not unlikely to beLady Catherine, and under that apprehension was putting away herhalf-finished letter that she might escape all impertinent questions,when the door opened, and to her very great surprise, Mr. Darcy, and Mr.Darcy only, entered the room.
He seemed astonished too on finding her alone, and apologised for hisintrusion, by letting her know that he had understood all the ladies tobe within.
They then sat down, and when her enquiries after Rosings were made,seemed in danger of sinking into total silence. It was absolutelynecessary, therefore, to think of something, and in this emergencerecollecting _when_ she had seen him last in Hertfordshire, and feelingcurious to know what he would say on the subject of their hastydeparture, she observed,
”How very suddenly you all quitted Netherfield last November, Mr. Darcy!It must have been a most agreeable surprise to Mr. Bingley to see youall after him so soon; for, if I recollect right, he went but the daybefore. He and his sisters were well, I hope, when you left London.”
”Perfectly so--I thank you.”
She found that she was to receive no other answer--and, after a shortpause, added,
”I think I have understood that Mr. Bingley has not much idea of everreturning to Netherfield again?”
”I have never heard him say so; but it is probable that he may spendvery little of his time there in future. He has many friends, and he isat a time of life when friends and engagements are continuallyincreasing.”
”If he means to be but little at Netherfield, it would be better for theneighbourhood that he should give up the place entirely, for then wemight possibly get a settled family there. But perhaps Mr. Bingley didnot take the house so much for the convenience of the neighbourhood asfor his own, and we must expect him to keep or quit it on the sameprinciple.”
”I should not be surprised,” said Darcy, ”if he were to give it up, assoon as any eligible purchase offers.”
Elizabeth made no answer. She was afraid of talking longer of hisfriend; and, having nothing else to say, was now determined to leave thetrouble of finding a subject to him.
He took the hint, and soon began with, ”This seems a very comfortablehouse. Lady Catherine, I believe, did a great deal to it when Mr.Collins first came to Hunsford.”
”I believe she did--and I am sure she could not have bestowed herkindness on a more grateful object.”
”Mr. Collins appears very fortunate in his choice of a wife.”
”Yes, indeed; his friends may well rejoice in his having met with one ofthe very few sensible women who would have accepted him, or have madehim happy if they had. My friend has an excellent understanding--thoughI am not certain that I consider her marrying Mr. Collins as the wisestthing she ever did. She seems perfectly happy, however, and in aprudential light, it is certainly a very good match for her.”
”It must be very agreeable to her to be settled within so easy adistance of her own family and friends.”
”An easy distance do you call it? It is nearly fifty miles.”
”And what is fifty miles of good road? Little more than half a day'sjourney. Yes, I call it a _very_ easy distance.”
”I should never have considered the distance as one of the _advantages_of the match,” cried Elizabeth. ”I should never have said Mrs. Collinswas settled _near_ her family.”
”It is a proof of your own attachment to Hertfordshire. Any thing beyondthe very neighbourhood of Longbourn, I suppose, would appear far.”
As he spoke there was a sort of smile, which Elizabeth fancied sheunderstood; he must be supposing her to be thinking of Jane andNetherfield, and she blushed as she answered,
”I do not mean to say that a woman may not be settled too near herfamily. The far and the near must be relative, and depend on manyvarying circumstances. Where there is fortune to make the expence oftravelling unimportant, distance becomes no evil. But that is not thecase _here_. Mr. and Mrs. Collins have a comfortable income, but notsuch a one as will allow of frequent journeys--and I am persuaded myfriend would not call herself _near_ her family under less than _half_the present distance.”
Mr. Darcy drew his chair a little towards her, and said, ”_You_ cannothave a right to such very strong local attachment. _You_ cannot havebeen always at Longbourn.”
Elizabeth looked surprised. The gentleman experienced some change offeeling; he drew back his chair, took a newspaper from the table, and,glancing over it, said, in a colder voice,
”Are you pleased with Kent?”
A short dialogue on the subject of the country ensued, on either sidecalm and concise--and soon put an end to by the entrance of Charlotteand her sister, just returned from their walk. The tete-a-tete surprisedthem. Mr. Darcy related the mistake which had occasioned his intrudingon Miss Bennet, and after sitting a few minutes longer without sayingmuch to any body, went away.
”What can be the meaning of this!” said Charlotte, as soon as he wasgone. ”My dear Eliza he must be in love with you, or he would never havecalled on us in this familiar way.”
But when Elizabeth told of his silence, it did not seem very likely,even to Charlotte's wishes, to be the case; and after variousconjectures, they could at last only suppose his visit to proceed fromthe difficulty of finding any thing to do, which was the more probablefrom the time of year. All field sports were over. Within doors therewas Lady Catherine, books, and a billiard table, but gentlemen cannot bealways within doors; and in the nearness of the Parsonage, or thepleasantness of the walk to it, or of the people who lived in it, thetwo cousins found a temptation from this period of walking thitheralmost every day. They called at various times of the morning, sometimesseparately, sometimes together, and now and then accompanied by theiraunt. It was plain to them all that Colonel Fitzwilliam came because hehad pleasure in their society, a persuasion which of course recommendedhim still more; and Elizabeth was reminded by her own satisfaction inbeing with him, as well as by his evident admiration of her, of herformer favourite George Wickham; and though, in comparing them, she sawthere was less captivating softness in Colonel Fitzwilliam's manners,she believed he might have the best informed mind.
But why Mr. Darcy came so often to the Parsonage, it was more difficultto understand. It could not be for society, as he frequently sat thereten minutes together without opening his lips; and when he did speak, itseemed the effect of necessity rather than of choice--a sacrifice topropriety, not a pleasure to himself. He seldom appeared reallyanimated. Mrs. Collins knew not what to make of him. ColonelFitzwilliam's occasionally laughing at his stupidity, proved that he wasgenerally different, which her own knowledge of him could not have toldher; and as she would have liked to believe this change the effect oflove, and the object of that love, her friend Eliza, she sat herselfseriously to work to find it out.--She watched him whenever they were atRosings, and whenever he came to Hunsford; but without much success. Hecertainly looked at her friend a great deal, but the expression of thatlook was disputable. It was an earnest, steadfast gaze, but she oftendoubted whether there were much admiration in it, and sometimes itseemed nothing but absence of mind.
She had once or twice suggested to Elizabeth the possibility of hisbeing partial to her, but Elizabeth always laughed at the idea; and Mrs.Collins did not think it right to press the subject, from the danger ofraising expectations which might only end in disappointment; for in heropinion it admitted not of a doubt, that all her friend's dislike wouldvanish, if she could suppose him to be in her power.
In her kind schemes for Elizabeth, she sometimes planned her marryingColonel Fitzwilliam. He was beyond comparison the pleasantest man; hecertainly admired her, and his situation in life was most eligible; but,to counterbalance these advantages, Mr. Darcy had considerable patronagein the church, and his cousin could have none at all.