“I hope you do not mind us speaking so openly, but we have your well being very much in mind.”
“I take no offense at hearing your opinion,” he assured them. “It is very thoughtful of you to have such concern for my welfare. I can only liken your goodness and generosity to that of Lady Catherine.”
Both sisters smiled happily at this, and he smiled back in reciprocation of their warm regard for him. They were truly exceptionally generous ladies.
“In fact, I am very glad that you decided to bring this up,” he said. “I can see your point. My cousin Elizabeth is a delightful lady, and I hope that she may have the good fortune to make a tolerable match in the future, but you are quite right in your advice. She has not the serious mind which a parson’s wife ought to possess. Indeed, earlier this morning I noted a disconcerting frivolity in her manner. You need not fear that I will make the mistake of choosing my wife so unwisely.”
“I am very pleased to hear it,” Mrs. Hurst said. “We would not want you to suffer the misfortune of an ill-suited marriage.”
“There is also Lady Catherine to think of,” Miss Bingley added. “One cannot imagine that she would find Eliza to be the most suitable company. I am sorry to say it, but you are quite right that our friend has an unfortunate levity in her manners. The gentleman who marries her would need to have a great deal of tolerance.”
Mr. Collins felt the horror of his near disaster. It was shocking to think how close he had come to taking a wife of whom his patroness would have been unable to approve. Thank goodness these dear ladies had seen fit to rescue him from a mistake which would have haunted him all his remaining days. And even worse, the invitations to Rosings would at best have dwindled to the occasional cup of tea if he had introduced Elizabeth in that quarter. There would have been no more dinners, no more pleasant evenings playing cards, no more of Lady Catherine’s generous solicitude in his household affairs.
“Your perspicacity does you great credit,” he declared. “I believe you are quite correct. If Lady Catherine were to meet my cousin in any other situation, I am certain that she would be forgiving of the flaws which you have correctly pointed out. Her ladyship is very generous in that way; however, she could not overlook such defects in my wife. You have saved me, ladies. I am afraid that I was nearly carried away by my great desire to be of use to the family at Longbourn. You may perhaps be aware that the estate is entailed?”
“We have heard it mentioned.”
Mr. Collins drew himself up proudly. “The property is to be mine one day. Naturally, I hope that is a very distant day, but I have recently been giving much thought to the fate of my fair cousins when that moment arrives. I felt that the most generous thing I could do, indeed the most honourable, would be to marry one of my cousins and thus ensure the future security of them all.”
“A very generous idea indeed,” Miss Bingley said. “You are truly a charitable man.”
Mr. Collins was filled with joy at receiving such compliments. He was accustomed to being the giver of praise rather than the recipient.
“Alas, I fear that my poor cousins shall have to manage without my assistance,” he said. “Unfortunately, the two younger sisters are even less suitable than Cousin Elizabeth, and I did not think that my Cousin Mary seemed partial to me.”
In truth, he had not felt any partiality for her. She probably would accept him if he offered, but he had not the inclination for offering. But perhaps he should reconsider that. He did not have any other prospects, and Lady Catherine was eager for him to be properly settled as soon as possible. Besides that, it would be the generous thing to do, and he did enjoy being praised for his generosity.
“Perhaps I should see if she might be persuaded to see me in a more favourable light,” he suggested.
“I would not recommend any such attempt,” Mrs. Hurst said.
“No, indeed. Mary is an exceptionally dull person. Poor Lady Catherine would suffer dreadfully if she had such tedious company foisted upon her.”
That settled it. Lady Catherine’s requirements were of the utmost importance.
“And you are quite right about the younger sisters,” Mrs. Hurst said. “You must certainly not marry either of them.
“But why are you not considering Jane?” Miss Bingley asked. “Surely you cannot have found any fault in her.”
“It is impossible,” Mrs. Hurst declared. “Jane is without fault. She is such a kind and gentle creature that one can very well imagine her being married to a man of the cloth.”
“She is the prettiest of the sisters as well, and do you not think that choosing the eldest would best suit your consequence?”
“Not to mention Lady Catherine’s.”
Mr. Collins looked at them with puzzlement. Were they unaware of the impending engagement between their friend and their brother? Uncertain of how to bring up the subject, he tentatively said, “This is excellent advice; however, I was given to understand that the eldest of my cousins was soon to be engaged.”
“Were you?” Mrs. Hurst looked at him with surprise. “I do not see how that could be possible. There must have been some miscommunication.”
“There must indeed. Jane is our very dear friend, and she shares everything with us. We would know if she were on the verge of an engagement.”
“To the best of our knowledge, she does not even have any prospective suitors at the moment.”
Mr. Collins felt a great surge of delight. This was the most wonderful piece of information. It looked as though he could have his first choice after all. He had noted Jane’s beauty on the previous day and wished that she were not unavailable. But now it seemed that Mrs. Bennet had been wrong. At least, he hoped she had. Mothers usually knew everything. Friends might not be so well informed.
He wanted certainty before allowing himself to feel an attachment; however, one could not ask such elegant ladies if they knew what they were talking about. He feared to offend, but he also feared a rejection that could be avoided by the possession of accurate information.
“This is an awkward subject,” he said with some hesitation, “but it was also mentioned to me that the gentleman who is expected to propose to my cousin is none other than your own brother.”
He was relieved to see that neither lady looked offended. They were both still smiling in the friendliest way.
“How very strange,” Miss Bingley said. “It would appear that somebody has taken quite the wrong impression.”
“This must be the result of Charles’s amiable manner,” Mrs. Hurst said. “He is always very friendly to everybody, and especially to our particular friends.”
“Like Jane.” Miss Bingley nodded. “Indeed, she is as much his friend as ours, but there is nothing else between them. In fact,” she whispered, leaning closer to him, “our brother is engaged.”
“To a good friend of ours. A very dear lady, and eminently suitable to be his wife.”
“The engagement has not yet been announced due to a death in her family, but we have shared this information with Jane, so I am certain that she cannot have any misconceptions about him.”
Mr. Collins was pleased to hear this. He would have been willing to offer his beautiful cousin consolation for a disappointment, but how much better it was to marry her without having to worry that she might sometimes be making comparisons to a first love.
“But only a very few people know about this. It is still a great secret. You must not mention it to anybody.”
“We should not really have told you, but we have complete confidence in your discretion.”
“A clergyman is always the most trustworthy person.”
“My lips are sealed,” he declared, pressing them tightly shut to illustrate his point.
The ladies smiled at him again, and he felt a great thrill at being entrusted with their confidences.
“And please do not say anything to Charles about this unfortunate misinterpretation of his friendliness,” Miss Bingley asked. “He would be greatly
distressed to know that he has innocently created such expectations.”
“It would greatly upset him,” Mrs. Hurst agreed.
“Not a word,” he promised. “My lips are sealed on that subject as well.”
“I suppose it was Mrs. Bennet who formed this misconception.”
“It was,” he confirmed, without suffering any agonies about where his loyalties should lie.
“It is not surprising that she was so hopeful. One can sympathize with her predicament.”
“Five daughters for whom she must find husbands.”
“It is a daunting task.”
“You will certainly give her great peace of mind by making one of them your wife.”
“And it will be a great consolation for being disappointed in our brother.”
“Indeed, it would be a great kindness if you do not tell her that she was mistaken in her ideas. That would only cause her distress as well.”
“Do not say anything at all until you are engaged to Jane. Then her mother will only have the joy of an engagement to celebrate.”
“Of course, we do not want to dictate your choice, but I hope you will consider our advice carefully,” Mrs. Hurst said with the greatest consideration.
“I am excessively grateful for your advice,” he replied, “and I am very much inclined to follow it. Indeed, that is exactly what I will do. My cousin Elizabeth is a very agreeable person, and I shall be happy to have her as my sister, in which capacity Lady Catherine will undoubtedly be generously attentive toward her; however, I believe that you are quite right about which is the more suitable choice. My cousin Jane is the fittest person to be mistress of Hunsford. I am indebted to you for correcting the misinformation that I was given.”
His two new friends smiled with such jubilation that Mr. Collins was almost overcome. It was wonderful that they cared so much about his future happiness.
CHAPTER 21
I am amazed and know not what to say.
a midsummer night’s dream, ACT iii, SCENE Ii
Elizabeth did not much notice that Mr. Collins was busy talking with Jane while she walked her father out to the carriage. She was only relieved that they were able to talk freely while their foolish cousin was otherwise occupied. As their opinions of him were perfectly matched, a few diverting words were exchanged on that subject.
“But are you aware,” Elizabeth asked him in a more serious tone, “that my mother has been encouraging him in some intentions toward me?”
“I thought there was some scheme between them, but not that.”
“I must tell you that I have no inclination for accepting him.”
“I would not want you to,” Mr. Bennet assured her. “If Mr. Collins makes you an offer, you may refuse him with my blessing. Indeed, the only thing which could disappoint me would be your acceptance of such a man.”
Heartened by this, Elizabeth asked her father if he had enjoyed the morning.
“Very much indeed,” he replied, “Mr. Darcy is a fine actor. It will be a pleasure to take part in a play with him.”
“Despite his haughty manners?”
“They were not much in evidence this morning.”
“You surprise me. He seemed the same as ever to me.”
“Perhaps he was at first, but while we were rehearsing our scene, I found him remarkably good natured. Do not think me disloyal, Lizzy, but I saw nothing of the pride which you and your mother dislike so much. But I suppose that might just have been the influence of his cousin.”
“Colonel Fitzwilliam? How could he have been a good influence? I thought him just as cold and proud.”
“He is quite the opposite. Very amiable and amusing into the bargain. It is a pity that you were not with us this morning. We had a merry time.”
“I was avoiding Mr. Collins, but I shall watch tomorrow even if it does mean having to put up with my unwanted admirer. But perhaps the pleasant Mr. Darcy was only a fleeting thing, never to be seen again.”
“I think not, but you can only judge for yourself. In the meantime, I expect that you will soon discover for yourself what an agreeable man Colonel Fitzwilliam is.”
Elizabeth returned indoors full of thought. Although she usually had great confidence in her father’s judgement, it seemed impossible that he could be right on this occasion. But to her surprise, Colonel Fitzwilliam addressed her in a very friendly way just a few minutes later.
“Would you care to take a turn about the garden with me?” he asked. “We did not see much of each other this morning, and I would like to become better acquainted.”
Although puzzled, she agreed to his request, and they went outside, where they were soon chatting in a delightful way. Her father was quite right. There was no pride about Colonel Fitzwilliam. He was modest and friendly, with engaging manners and an excellent sense of humour.
Mr. Wickham’s misfortunes were still on her mind, as well as the colonel’s hostility toward him earlier, but that could not keep her from liking her second new acquaintance of the day.
He might have been duped as to the truth of the situation, she thought in an effort to reconcile her current feelings with her earlier ones. His loyalty is admirable even though it is misplaced.
His company was so pleasant, that after they had completed one circuit, she was happy to embark upon a second at his suggestion. This time, however, the conversation took a different turn.
“I understand that you have become quite friendly with my cousin,” Colonel Fitzwilliam said to Elizabeth’s surprise. It was puzzling that he had formed such a mistaken impression.
How could she reply to this? They were certainly not friends, but it would be rude to say so.
She settled upon, “We have had a few interesting discussions.”
“So I understand. Darcy tells me that has very much enjoyed his conversations with you.”
“Enjoyed?” she queried in such astonishment that she spoke without thinking.
“You seem surprised.”
“I am,” she admitted, feeling that honesty could not be avoided now. “I have had the impression that he was mostly displeased with our conversations.”
The colonel looked taken aback. “I am certain that cannot have been the case. He mentioned having a great admiration for your wit.”
“He did? I am astounded. I would have thought him more likely to say that I plague him with my shocking irreverence for his opinions. In the past few days, we have disagreed on many things. Defects of character. Pride and resentment. The claims of friendship. The definition of accomplishment. I was at first astonished to learn that there are only half a dozen ladies of his acquaintance whom he considers to be truly accomplished, but after hearing of his standards, I was surprised that he knows any. Being very outspoken, I said exactly that, which did not please him.”
Immediately after saying this, she felt the shock of having been too open, but Colonel Fitzwilliam laughed. “That sounds exactly like the sort of thing my cousin says when he is at his most pompous. But I shall let you in on a little secret, Miss Bennet. Darcy is at his most pompous when he is least confident.”
“I find that hard to believe. Mr. Darcy strikes me as being an excessively confident person.”
“He is excessively good at creating that impression, but underneath a forthright exterior lies a man who is often uncertain in his interactions with people whom he does not know well.”
“If he will not take any trouble with them, which is what I have observed, to be honest, then there is good cause for him to be uncertain. I do not wish to offend you, but it seems to me that your cousin’s difficulties are of his own making.”
“I cannot deny it. And I am not offended. The fact is that Darcy was never a very social person.”
“I have seen evidence of that. At the assembly where we first met, he said very little to anybody other than his own friends.”
“That cannot have made a good impression.”
“It did not.” The colonel’s easy acceptance
of his cousin’s failings and his lack of anger at Elizabeth’s remarks encouraged her to continue being honest.
“May I ask what your opinion of him was?”
Now this was more than she cared to tell him. Uncertain of how to respond, she hesitated too long.
“I suppose that I have my answer in your silence. Do you dislike my cousin very much?”
She did not know how to answer this either, but something had to be said now that the subject had been raised. “I shall be honest. Indeed, I have already been excessively so. In addition to being almost silent, when he did speak, there was no friendliness in his manner. The occasion was an assembly, and gentlemen were scarce, so there were many young ladies sitting down, but your cousin chose only to dance with Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst. I am sorry to cause you pain, but the truth is that I thought him arrogant and unfeeling. Our conversations since then have done little to change my mind. Sometimes I am puzzled by Mr. Darcy, but for the most part, I find him very particular and excessively proud.”
To her relief, Colonel Fitzwilliam still did not look offended or angry. “I suppose I can understand how that impression was formed,” he said. “My late aunt and uncle were very good people, but they had a great deal of pride. In consequence, my cousin was brought up to think very well of himself. So was I, for that matter; however, as a second son, even of an earl, I had to make my own way in the world, which did me a great deal of good.”
“I am sure that it did, but Mr. Darcy seems to have had a life of ease, and nothing to make him question his opinions of himself.”
“I will concede that he has never had cause to question his consequence, but I can assure you that his life has not entirely been one of ease. Darcy has suffered his fair share of troubles. It is true that he has not suffered from any deprivation, but that has not made him oblivious to the difficulties of others. His charitable endeavours are extensive, and he has always had the greatest concern for his servants and tenants. If you saw him at Pemberley, you might think very differently of him.”
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