Page 41 of Hard Home

"Good God. Darcy."

"It is nothing. I shall want a hand up in a moment."

"Are you ill? Shall I—"

"Charles," said Mr. Darcy, "how long is your lease of this house?"

Bingley, bewildered, said that it was until Michaelmas.

"Give it up," said Darcy. "Not to-night. Not in a way that frightens anybody. But give it up."

Chapter Nineteen

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 honor of a private audience with her in the course of this morning?"

Before Elizabeth had time for any thing but a blush of surprise, Mrs. Bennet instantly answered,

"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 up stairs." And gathering her work together, she was hastening away, when Elizabeth called out,

"Dear Ma'am, do not go. — I beg you will not go. — Mr. Collins must excuse me. — He can have nothing to say to me that any body need not hear. I am going away myself."

"No, no, nonsense, Lizzy. — I desire you will stay where you are." — And upon Elizabeth's seeming really, with vexed and embarrassed looks, about to escape, she added, "Lizzy, Iinsistupon 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 satdown 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 therenotbeen 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 will 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 farther, 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 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 honor 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 foot-stool — that shesaid, 'Mr. Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry. — Choose properly, choose a gentlewoman formysake; 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.'"

"And fourthly," said Mr. Collins.

Elizabeth's needle stopped.

"Fourthly, my fair cousin — and I mention it last, as being the least of the considerations that weigh with me, and by no means the one which has been uppermost in my own bosom — there is the peculiar situation of this estate, and the circumstance, which nobody can regret more sincerely than myself, that the ground of Longbourn has been in one blood four hundred years and is inclined to beshy." He inclined his head. "Her Ladyship, who considered the whole matter with a condescension I shall never forget, was of opinion that of the various remedies proposed by writers upon the subject, there is but one which is at once certain, respectable, and agreeable to all parties. I need not name it. I have the happiness of addressing a young lady of that very blood, in that very house; and I flatter myself that the arrangement is not less advantageous to my fair cousins than to myself, since it converts what must otherwise be a most painful severance into a mere — as it were — continuation."

He beamed.

"And thus, you see, the atonement I spoke of in my letter is not an empty form of words. Your mother, I am sure, apprehends it perfectly."

"My mother," said Elizabeth, "has never in her life had it explained to her by anybody who was not laughing."

"I beg your pardon?"

"Mr. Collins. At the ball on Tuesday. You asked me for the two first dances."

"I had that honor."

"Why the two first?"