His short speech and only reference about their very first meeting hadn’t been in agreement to her pleasure. He could perceive of her disdain upon him but she had refused to take the hint to explain to him what her business at the tavern had been. Though, he admitted to himself that his approach had been less than desirable; so disconcerted he was at the combined thoughts of George Wickham- a subject she had raised quite deliberately, he was certain, to goad him, her reputation and the tolerable feeling she roused within him, and the thoughts of his friend Charles with Jane Bennet, whom he could tell was preventing nothing of his infatuation with Elizabeth’s sister and of which he didn’t think it too wise to do so. All these thoughts were crammed into his head along with the feelings aroused as a consequence of Elizabeth’s body in his arms and he was afraid that his intended gentle enquiry into the affairs of that night had been anything but. He had felt most ignored and the silence that prevailed afterwards was absolute. It was most unfortunate that the end of the dance was not far in coming thence.
At present, he was standing with Caroline Bingley who was filling his ears with the enrapturement that she attributed to none other than Elizabeth with Wickham. This time, he could not fault Caroline’s words for Elizabeth in as many words had impacted on him just so. He still observed her from the corner of his eyes and saw her conversing with her cousin. She appeared to be in alarm over something he was saying and he would be none too surprised if the subject matter was his very self. Shortly, the cousin made his appearance before him.
“Mr. Darcy, sir, accept my unreserved apology for intruding upon your kind self this instant without the benefit of a previous introduction,” began the man with a bow. Caroline gave an offended gasp at the insolence but he quelled her reaction with a look. “Indeed, I am pained to disturb one such as yourself, but I only just gained intelligence of your connections to my patroness, Lady Catherine De Bourgh; and I shall never forgive myself- nor would she forgive me if I did not hasten to introduce myself to anyone who is so connected to her.” Here, he paused for breath and when the man could hear no rebuke for his act, continued: “I had the singular fortune of being recommended by your aunt to be the rector at the vicarage at Kent and have my humble abode for a parsonage only within a few walking distance of Rosings. I have the singular honour of assuring you, dear sir, that her ladyship was quite well yesterday when I left her and her daughter whither here.
To such lengthy and nonsensical speech, Darcy could form no other reply but; “It is pleasing to hear of my aunt and I know with perfect understanding of Lady Catherine's discernment as to be certain she could never bestow a favour unworthily and thus, I am sure that you deserve the recommendation.”
His answer seemed to inflate something in the man for his chest appeared to swell unaccountably and he began another rhapsody- this time in extreme praises of his aunt and her generous nature. Fitzwilliam would have thought the man highly confused in his description were he not so prone to mention his aunt by name in his professions. Darcy then decided that this man alone would have to entertain such impressions of Lady Catherine’s character for Darcy knew his mother’s sister well enough and she was anything but affable, generous and agreeable and all other qualifications with which the man attributed to her. The clergyman’s nonsense soon made him go weary and after his exceeding praises, Darcy took a low bow, and said: “Please extend my warm regards to my dear aunt upon your return to Hunsford,” and left with Caroline on his heels, for Bingley who was attending to Jane in a corner of the room.
In his belief, Fitzwilliam deemed Charles worthy of a rescue from Jane Bennet for if his friend continued in this manner, he would create a scandal of his own making- patronising Jane Bennet as he persevered in doing and would have no other alternative than to make a proposal. However, before he could reach them, Jane took herself off in the direction of her sister who had been joined again by their cousin, the clergyman. Only then did Fitzwilliam realize that the man, though extremely loquacious had forgot to mention his own name to him. He was but three feet away from Bingley when Caroline prevailed upon him to have the last dance with her. When next he chanced to look in Bingley’s direction again, he was with Jane Bennet once more.
Thereafter, they were all called to supper and by some design which Darcy knew could be none other than his friend’s, Jane Bennet was stationed on his right at the head of the table while his sisters sat on his left followed by himself. In increasing concern, Darcy listened to the conversation around the table (as treasured by Mrs. Bennet as she made no attempt to lower her voice in her boasts) about his friend nigh proposing to Miss Bennet before the end of the year.
****
In what seemed like a very long time, the evening came to an end and so did the ball; allowing the Bennet family to finally take their leave of the house. By design of Mrs. Bennet, the family was the last to leave amidst effusiveness of appreciation and insinuations on the part of the mother that gave his sisters, particularly Caroline, no small amount of irritation. Thankfully, Mrs. Bennet’s invitation to dine at Longbourn had been refused by Bingley himself with the sincere excuse and utmost regrets that he was repairing to town for a business affair the next day. The woman had left with a promise from Bingley to act on her invitation as soon as he returned.
Caroline Bingley fell on a chair sofa in a dither in a most unlady like manner with a suffering sigh that bordered between outrage and disbelief.
“Never in all my twenty and two years have I come upon a family so unruly, so ill mannered, so unfashionable as the Bennets!” she cried as soon as she was joined by others. “Mrs. Bennet is so noisy and I cannot begin to speak about her ridiculousness- I have no one else to blame but you, Charles, for making me go through such embarrassment of a family. Upon my word, for a family with absolutely no connections to recommend them, it would be thought that they would know their place, but obviously, they do not!”
Charles only glanced upon her briefly and in perfect disregard for the concerns expressed in her speech, left the room with a besotted smile upon his face.
“Charles!” Caroline cried after him but he did not alter the length of his stride in difference to her calls nor did he pause at all.
“Louisa, Mr. Darcy,” Caroline turned to the others with beseeching eyes; she did not bother to direct her address to Mr. Hurst for no sooner had the man fallen on a chair close to hers had he promptly fell asleep; “what would you have us do? Charles cannot continue so in this, this besotted manner! His manners right now are so appalling to the extent that something needs to be done about it with utmost alacrity.”
“And what would you expect of his manners?” scoffed Mrs. Hurst, “when he has taken to spending large amounts of time with that family. I am afraid that their ill breeding is beginning to tell on him!”
“Did you hear the mother speak over supper? - and so loudly too!” commented Caroline, momentarily distracted by the chance to speak ill of the Bennet family. “She had all the guests believe that they would soon be attending a wedding- her daughter’s and my brother’s- may heavens forbid the very thought!”
“And the middle sister- did you hear her sing at all?” Mrs. Hurst shuddered like the event she described with such disdain would endeavour to repeat itself again. Indeed, Mary had rendered two songs over supper with vocal pride, but without vocal brilliance which was not as bad as the current scorn warranted. “Verily, I have never beheld such pride in a person with such low accomplishments in what she herself professed to be her calling.”
“You did not have the misfortune of sitting close to the two youngest daughters,” Caroline groused. “All they could speak of was who of the red coats were handsomest, who danced better and which was better suited to a match to themselves! I doubt if they touched their food at all with their connivance to ensnare an officer! I certainly could not touch mine for their ceaseless, meaningless prattle!”
The two treated themselves to a hateful laughter before Caroline thus continued:
“I think the entire family insufferable, my heart goes to poor Jane for her lot in life; coming from a family such as the Bennets,” Mrs. Hurst said delicately. “I am afraid that her beauty and manners will afford her ill opportunity of garnering the attentions of a man of any connections at all given the state of her family.”
Mr. Darcy’s presence in the room might as well be forgotten, but at Mrs. Hurst last comment, he made a reply which Caroline had ere dwelled upon before the opportunity to abuse the entire Bennet family presented itself and therefore, caused her to be distracted.
“There will be no need for her to ensnare the attentions of any man since she already has those of your brother,” he pointed out in a quiet voice that nonetheless impacted the weight of his meanings to the two sisters.
For the first time, the Bingley sisters were thrown into a silence that was absolute. They made no gasp, no answer, so great was their shock at the realization that they would have to suffer the presence of the Bennet family in the nearest future if their brother was allowed to continue on the course he seemed to have embarked on already.
Observing now that he had their attentions to himself, Darcy explained to them how he planned to have Bingley’s ridiculous enchantment done away with and the Bennet family out of their lives forever. Both sisters praised him immensely for his ingenuity and thereafter expressed further abuse to the Bennet family. Caroline especially now thought him a confidant in her dislike for the family but little did she know that he had no quarrels with the family at all. His understanding of the world did not delude him to the intelligence that there were no families with their nonsensicalities and affectations and that those of the Bennet’s family was in the silliness of the mother and the youngest daughters- outside these, Darcy thought the family was as much the same as any other.
His only quarrel with the lot was Elizabeth Bennet and it was because of her that he derived the plot he just narrated to the sisters. Her other preoccupation if word of it were to leak to the society would destroy not only her family but Bingley’s too. This, Darcy could not allow befall his beloved friend not even for his obvious attractions for Jane Bennet.
He reckoned that there were many such handsome women in Great Britain, and that Charles would sooner forget Jane and meet another of such than fall into peril of a mismatch.
Chapter Fifteen
There was not a place in the whole of Hertfordshire that was hotter than Longbourn at the precise moment. In the space of a night’s sleep and a morning’s breakfast, all hell had come loose; precipitated entirely by Mr. Collin’s proposal to Elizabeth’s and fuelled by Mrs. Bennet’s outrage at her audacity to refuse ‘such a fine gentleman and brilliant offer’.
The proposal in itself was very lengthy and not lacking in effusive display of feelings but as was the character of the man doing the proposal, it was an epitome of such arrant nonsense that were she in a position to advise him upon his mannerisms, Elizabeth certainly would do so but since it would only add injury to insult, her decline would have to do.
“Believe me, my dear Miss Elizabeth,” so Mr. Collins had started after excusing Mrs. Bennet and Kitty to speak in confinement with 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.”
Since he was saying nothing of which Elizabeth had no inkling before, she had allowed him to continue uninterrupted, though his words were grating on her ears, not to mention her nerves.
“My reasons for marrying are, first,” continued he, “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 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 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.”
The lengthiness alone was enough to put a woman of less strength and fortitude to sleep but Elizabeth bore it all with forbearance worthy of praises; but since there was none other than herself and Mr. Collins in the room, she contended herself with:
“You are too hasty, sir. 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.”
This, Mr. Collins waved off with one impertinent hand saying: “I am not now to learn 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.”
No amount of conviction would persuade Mr. Collins that she spoke gravely and without pretence- not even her remark that Lady Catherine might as well disapprove of her. He relegated her decline to the coquettishness of elegant females and hoped that the persuasion of her ‘excellent parents’ would yield in his favour. Elizabeth saw no other recourse than to repeat her position to him firmly and withdraw from t
he room.
News of Elizabeth’s decline reached her mother from Mr. Collin’s mouth himself and he was left with a state of assurance- that Elizabeth shall be prevailed upon by herself and her father to accept the proposal albeit her headstrong nature and foolishness was prone to make her act in a brash manner. To this later statement, Mr. Collins deemed it fit to add a threat that, “but if she is really headstrong and foolish, I know not whether she would altogether be a very desirable wife to a man in my situation, who naturally looks for happiness in the marriage state. If therefore, she actually persists in rejecting my suit, perhaps it were better not to force her into accepting me, because if liable to such defects of temper, she could not contribute much to my felicity.”
Mrs. Bennet was quick to assure him that it was only in cases such as this that her second eldest daughter was headstrong and he should be assured of her acceptance. However, her petition to Mr. Bennet who was in the library all the while the drama was unfolding in his house was most unfavourable. After lending voice to her complaint, Mr. Bennet had Elizabeth herself summoned to the library to give her account of the story.
“I have sent for you on an affair of importance,” said he when she made her entrance and Mrs. Bennet nodded in agreement to his words. “I understand that Mr. Collins has made you an offer of marriage. Is it true?”
“Yes, it is true sir,” replied Elizabeth with utmost confidence that her father, unlike her mother, shared her opinion that Mr. Collins was conceited, pompous and as such unfitting for any of his daughters.
When Mr. Darcy Met Lizzy Page 11