The next day opened a new scene at Longbourn. Mr. Collins made his
declaration in form. Having resolved to do it without loss of time, as
his leave of absence extended only to the following Saturday, and having
no feelings of diffidence to make it distressing to himself even at the
moment, he set about it in a very orderly manner, with all the
observances, which he supposed a regular part of the business. 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, for your interest with your fair daughter Elizabeth,
when I solicit for the honour of a private audience with her in the
course of 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, I want you upstairs." 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 upon Elizabeth's seeming really,
with vexed and embarrassed looks, about to escape, she added: "Lizzy, I
_insist_ upon your staying and hearing Mr. Collins."
Elizabeth
would not oppose such an injunction--and a moment's consideration making
her also sensible that it would be wisest to get it over as soon and as
quietly as possible, she sat down again and tried to conceal, by
incessant employment the feelings which were divided between distress
and diversion. 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, so far from doing you any disservice, rather adds to
your other perfections. You would have been less amiable in my eyes had
there _not_ been this little unwillingness; but 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, however your natural
delicacy may lead you to dissemble; my attentions have been too marked
to be mistaken. Almost as soon as I entered the house, I singled you out
as the companion of my future life. But before I am run away with by my
feelings on this subject, perhaps it would be advisable for me to state
my reasons for marrying--and, moreover, for coming into Hertfordshire
with the design of selecting a wife, as I certainly did."
The idea
of Mr. Collins, with all his solemn composure, being run away with by
his feelings, made Elizabeth so near laughing, that she could not use
the short pause he allowed in any attempt to stop him further, and he
continued:
"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 add very greatly to my happiness; 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. Twice has she condescended to give me
her opinion (unasked too!) on this subject; and it was but the very
Saturday night before I left Hunsford--between our pools at quadrille,
while Mrs. Jenkinson was arranging Miss de Bourgh's footstool, that she
said, 'Mr. Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry.
Choose properly, choose a gentlewoman 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 small income go a good way. This is my advice. Find such a
woman as soon as you can, bring her to Hunsford, and I will visit her.'
Allow me, by the way, to observe, my fair cousin, that I do not reckon
the notice and kindness of Lady Catherine de Bourgh as among the least
of the advantages in my power to offer. You will find her manners beyond
anything I can describe; and your wit and vivacity, I think, must be
acceptable to her, especially when tempered with the silence and respect
which her rank will inevitably excite. Thus much for my general
intention in favour of matrimony; it remains to be told why 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 being, as I am, to inherit this estate after the death of your
honoured father (who, however, may live many years longer), I could not
satisfy myself without resolving to choose a wife from among his
daughters, that the loss to them might be as little as possible, when
the melancholy event takes place--which, however, as I have already
said, may not be for several years. This has been my motive, my fair
cousin, and I flatter myself it will not sink me in your esteem. And now
nothing remains for me but to assure you in the most animated language
of the violence of my affection. To fortune I am perfectly indifferent,
and shall make no demand of that nature on your father, since I am well
aware that it could not be complied with; and that one thousand pounds
in the four per cents, which will not be yours till after your mother's
decease, is all that you may ever be entitled to. On that head,
therefore, I shall be uniformly 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," she cried. "You forget that I have made no answer.
Let me do it without further loss of time. Accept my thanks for the
compliment you are paying me. I am very sensible of the honour of your
proposals, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise than to decline
them."
"I am not now to learn," replied Mr. Collins, with a formal
wave of the hand, "that it is usual with young ladies to reject the
addresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept, when he first
applies for their favour; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a
second, or even a third time. I am therefore by no means discouraged by
what you have just said, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere
long."
"Upon my word, sir," cried Elizabeth, "your hope is a
rather extraordinary one after my declaration. I do assure you that I am
not one of those young ladies (if such young ladies there are) who are
so daring as to risk their happiness on the chance of being asked a
second time. 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. Nay, were your friend Lady Catherine to know me, I
am persuaded she would find me in every respect ill qualified for the
situation."
"Were it certain that Lady Catherine would think so,"
said Mr. Collins very gravely--"but I cannot imagine that her ladyship
would at all disapprove of you. And you may be certain when I have the
honour of seeing her again, I shall speak in the very highest terms of
your modesty, economy, and other amiable qualification."
"Indeed,
Mr. Collins, all praise of me will be unnecessary. You must give me
leave to judge for myself, and pay me the compliment of believing what I
say. I wish you very happy and very rich, and by refusing your hand, do
all in my power to prevent your being otherwise. In making me the
offer, you must have satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard
to my family, and may take possession of Longbourn estate whenever it
falls, without any self-reproach. This matter may be considered,
therefore, as finally settled." And rising as she thus spoke, she would
have quitted the room, had Mr. Collins not thus addressed her:
"When
I do myself the honour of speaking to you next on the subject, I shall
hope to receive a more favourable answer than you have now given me;
though I am far from accusing you of cruelty at present, because I know
it to be the established custom of your sex to reject a man on the first
application, and perhaps you have even now said as much to encourage my
suit as would be consistent with the true delicacy of the female
character."
"Really, Mr. Collins," cried Elizabeth with some
warmth, "you puzzle me exceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can
appear to you in the form of encouragement, I know not how to express my
refusal in such a way as to convince you of its being one."
"You
must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear cousin, that your refusal
of my addresses is merely words of course. My reasons for believing it
are briefly these: It does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy
your acceptance, or that the establishment I can offer would be any
other than highly desirable. My situation in life, my connections with
the family of de Bourgh, and my relationship to your own, are
circumstances highly in my favour; and you should take it into further
consideration, that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no
means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you. Your
portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the
effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications. As I must
therefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of me, I
shall choose to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by
suspense, according to the usual practice of elegant females."
"I
do assure you, sir, that I have no pretensions whatever to that kind of
elegance which consists in tormenting a respectable man. I would rather
be paid the compliment of being believed sincere. I thank you again and
again for the honour you have done me in your proposals, but to accept
them is absolutely impossible. My feelings in every respect forbid it.
Can I speak plainer? Do not consider me now as an elegant female,
intending to plague you, but as a rational creature, speaking the truth
from her heart."
"You are uniformly charming!" cried he, with an
air of awkward gallantry; "and I am persuaded that when sanctioned by
the express authority of both your excellent parents, my proposals will
not fail of being acceptable."
To such perseverance in wilful
self-deception Elizabeth would make no reply, and immediately and in
silence withdrew; determined, if he persisted in considering her
repeated refusals as flattering encouragement, to apply to her father,
whose negative might be uttered in such a manner as to be decisive, and
whose behavior at least could not be mistaken for the affectation and
coquetry of an elegant female. _