by Austen, Jane
1. nearer connection: closer connection the Bennets would have with Mr. Collins upon his marriage to Elizabeth.
2. bashful modesty: a description indicating the obtuseness of Mr. Collins with regard to other people, for it is hard to imagine any perceptive observer describing Elizabeth as bashful.
3. directly: immediately.
4. altogether: on the whole.
5. temper: character.
6. Mrs. Bennet would have rung for a servant to fetch Elizabeth. Houses at this time had elaborate systems of bells connected to wires: on one end were ropes, or bell-pulls, in the main rooms of the house; on the other end were bells that would ring in the servants' quarters and show in which room someone was wanted. The summoning of a servant is indicated here by the term “Miss Elizabeth,” for that is how a servant rather than her parents would normally address her.
7. Mrs. Bennet: one of the only times Mr. Bennet calls her this. He may do so in this case because it involves a more formal conference between them. In general he calls her simply “my dear;” Mrs. Bennet in contrast always calls him “Mr. Bennet,” sometimes prefaced by “my dear.” The difference in usage suggests Mr. Bennet's superior position and her respect for him, as well as possibly his condescension toward her, for “my dear” alone is most often employed in Jane Austen's novels by older people speaking to younger ones. The Bennets never call each other by their first names: this partly reflects the general formality of the society, but it also reflects Mr. and Mrs. Bennet's own lack of intimacy, for a few married couples in Jane Austen do use first names, generally with a “my dear” before the name.
8. Mr. Bennet's mock threat forms a parody to similar melodramatic threats and menaces found in novels of the time, especially the sentimental and romantic novels Jane Austen ridiculed.
9. In many families the library served as a living room for all its members. Mr. Bennet, however, maintains it as a room purely for his own use, the one place where he can escape from the others.
10. in her interest: on her side.
11. Once again the conceit beneath Mr. Collins's surface humility appears. He contrasts here with Darcy, who, despite his genuine pride, is truly shaken by Elizabeth's refusal.
12. Lydia treats the whole episode merely as an opportunity for amusement; she will react in nearly the same way when it comes to her own marriage.
13. York: a town in northern England, and hence far from the Bennets (see map, p. 742). Mrs. Bennet means that Elizabeth cares nothing for them.
14. Miss Lizzy: an unusual usage for Mrs. Bennet. Otherwise only servants or relative strangers like Mr. Collins use “Miss Lizzy” or “Miss Elizabeth.” Mrs. Bennet's use of “Miss,” which is generally a mark of deference, may be a sarcastic jab at Elizabeth, intended to mock what Mrs. Bennet probably perceives to be her daughter's arrogance in refusing a beneficial offer of marriage and not heeding her mother's orders.
15. This is a serious concern, however silly Mrs. Bennet may be in her expression of it. With very little inheritance, Elizabeth would be in a precarious position and dependent on the charity of her family if she were still unmarried when her father died.
16. nervous complaints: ailments or afflictions of the nerves. See p. 7, note l3.
17. effusion: pouring forth, unrestrained utterance.
18. sensible: aware.
19. stately: lofty, dignified (often in an excessive sense).
20. minute: detailed, precise.
21. Charlotte's curiosity could result from general nosiness, or it could indicate her already having an interest in Mr. Collins. She behaved in a very friendly manner to him at the ball, and it is possible that his current enquiries about her family reflect his return of that interest.
22. In other words, Charlotte is eavesdropping. This signals her calculating nature, and her moral limits, for it would be considered very improper to listen in purposefully on other people's conversations, especially a conversation in someone else's family and in which one of the participants had declared a wish to speak privately. In Sense and Sensibility the highly admirable heroine, upon finding that information she received from someone was the product of that person's listening through a keyhole, declares that because of this she wishes she had not heard it, even though the information has great importance for her. In this novel Elizabeth and Jane consistently show a similar scrupulousness.
23. peculiar: special, particular. Mr. Collins is saying that his good fortune makes him particularly obliged to accept setbacks with resignation.
24. preferment: advancement (to his church living).
25. The idea of resignation or forbearance in the face of inevitable evils was a basic principle of the time, one supported especially by Christian teaching. Mr. Collins gives it a particularly absurd twist by saying that resignation is most perfect when one has not lost anything of value, i.e., when there is no real resignation or need for forbearance.
26. It is unclear whether Mr. Collins means requesting that Mr. and Mrs. Bennet pressure, or force, Elizabeth to marry. The first was frequent practice in this society, for parents were considered rightfully to have a strong say in their children's choice of a spouse; the second was neither possible legally nor considered right morally.
27. dismission: dismissal. Dismission was the usual form of the word then, so this usage by Mr. Collins is not an example of pretentiousness on his part.
Chapter Twenty-One
TThe discussion of Mr. Collins's offer was now nearly at an end, and Elizabeth had only to suffer from the uncomfortable feelings necessarily attending it, and occasionally from some peevish allusion of her mother. As for the gentleman himself, his feelings were chiefly expressed, not by embarrassment or dejection, or by trying to avoid her, but by stiffness of manner and resentful silence. He scarcely ever spoke to her, and the assiduous attentions which he had been so sensible of himself,1 were transferred for the rest of the day to Miss Lucas, whose civility in listening to him, was a seasonable relief to them all, and especially to her friend.
The morrow produced no abatement of Mrs. Bennet's ill humour or ill health.2 Mr. Collins was also in the same state of angry pride. Elizabeth had hoped that his resentment might shorten his visit, but his plan did not appear in the least affected by it. He was always to have gone on Saturday, and to Saturday he still meant to stay.
After breakfast, the girls walked to Meryton to inquire if Mr. Wickham were returned, and to lament over his absence from the Netherfield ball. He joined them on their entering the town and attended them to their aunt's, where his regret and vexation, and the concern of every body was well talked over.—To Elizabeth, however, he voluntarily acknowledged that the necessity of his absence had been self imposed.
“I found,” said he, “as the time drew near, that I had better not meet Mr. Darcy;—that to be in the same room, the same party with him for so many hours together, might be more than I could bear, and that scenes might arise unpleasant to more than myself.”3
She highly approved his forbearance, and they had leisure for a full discussion of it, and for all the commendation which they civilly bestowed on each other, as Wickham and another officer walked back with them to Longbourn, and during the walk, he particularly attended to her.4 His accompanying them was a double advantage; she felt all the compliment it offered to herself, and it was most acceptable as an occasion of introducing him to her father and mother.
Soon after their return, a letter was delivered to Miss Bennet; it came from Netherfield, and was opened immediately. The envelope contained a sheet of elegant, little, hot pressed paper,5 well covered with a lady's fair, flowing6 hand;7 and Elizabeth saw her sister's countenance change as she read it, and saw her dwelling intently on some particular passages. Jane recollected herself soon, and putting the letter away, tried to join with her usual cheerfulness in the general conversation; but Elizabeth felt an anxiety on the subject which drew off her attention even from Wickham; and no sooner had he and his companion taken leave, than a g
lance from Jane invited her to follow her up stairs. When they had gained their own room, Jane taking out the letter, said,
“This is from Caroline Bingley; what it contains, has surprised me a good deal. The whole party have left Netherfield by this time, and are on their way to town; and without any intention of coming back again. You shall hear what she says.”
She then read the first sentence aloud, which comprised the information of their having just resolved to follow their brother to town directly, and of their meaning to dine that day in Grosvenor street,8 where Mr. Hurst had a house. The next was in these words. “I do not pretend to regret any thing I shall leave in Hertfordshire, except your society, my dearest friend; but we will hope at some future period, to enjoy many returns9 of the delightful intercourse we have known, and in the mean while may lessen the pain of separation by a very frequent and most unreserved10 correspondence. I depend on you for that.” To these high flown expressions, Elizabeth listened with all the insensibility11 of distrust; and though the suddenness of their removal surprised her, she saw nothing in it really to lament; it was not to be supposed that their absence from Netherfield would prevent Mr. Bingley's being there; and as to the loss of their society, she was persuaded that Jane must soon cease to regard12 it, in the enjoyment of his.
“It is unlucky” said she, after a short pause, “that you should not be able to see your friends before they leave the country. But may we not hope that the period of future happiness to which Miss Bingley looks forward, may arrive earlier than she is aware, and that the delightful intercourse you have known as friends, will be renewed with yet greater satisfaction as sisters?13 —Mr. Bingley will not be detained in London by them.”
“Caroline14 decidedly says that none of the party will return into Hertfordshire this winter. I will read it to you —
“When my brother left us yesterday, he imagined that the business which took him to London, might be concluded in three or four days, but as we are certain it cannot be so, and at the same time convinced that when Charles gets to town, he will be in no hurry to leave it again, we have determined on following him thither, that he may not be obliged to spend his vacant hours15 in a comfortless hotel. Many of my acquaintance are already there for the winter;16 I wish I could hear that you, my dearest friend, had any intention of making one in the croud, but of that I despair. I sincerely hope your Christmas in Hertfordshire may abound in the gaieties which that season generally brings, and that your beaux17 will be so numerous as to prevent your feeling the loss of the three, of whom we shall deprive you.”18
“It is evident by this,” added Jane, “that he comes back no more this winter.”
“It is only evident that Miss Bingley does not mean he should.”
“Why will you think so? It must be his own doing.—He is his own master. But you do not know all. I will read you the passage which particularly hurts me. I will have no reserves19 from you.” “Mr. Darcy is impatient to see his sister, and to confess the truth, we are scarcely less eager to meet her again. I really do not think Georgiana Darcy has her equal for beauty, elegance, and accomplishments; and the affection she inspires in Louisa and myself, is heightened into something still more interesting,20 from the hope we dare to entertain of her being hereafter our sister.21 I do not know whether I ever before mentioned to you my feelings on this subject, but I will not leave the country without confiding them, and I trust you will not esteem22 them unreasonable. My brother admires her greatly already, he will have frequent opportunity now of seeing her on the most intimate footing, her relations all wish the connection23 as much as his own, and a sister's partiality is not misleading me, I think, when I call Charles most capable of engaging any woman's heart. With all these circumstances to favour an attachment24 and nothing to prevent it, am I wrong, my dearest Jane, in indulging the hope of an event which will secure the happiness of so many?”
“What think you of this sentence, my dear Lizzy?” —said Jane as she finished it. “Is it not clear enough? —Does it not expressly declare that Caroline neither expects nor wishes me to be her sister; that she is perfectly convinced of her brother's indifference, and that if she suspects the nature of my feelings for him, she means (most kindly!) to put me on my guard? Can there be any other opinion on the subject?”
“Yes, there can; for mine is totally different. —Will you hear it?”
“Most willingly.”
“You shall have it in few words. Miss Bingley sees that her brother is in love with you, and wants him to marry Miss Darcy. She follows him to town in the hope of keeping him there, and tries to persuade you that he does not care about you.”
Jane shook her head.
“Indeed, Jane, you ought to believe me. —No one who has ever seen you together, can doubt his affection. Miss Bingley I am sure cannot. She is not such a simpleton. Could she have seen half as much love in Mr. Darcy for herself, she would have ordered her wedding clothes. But the case is this. We are not rich enough, or grand enough for them; and she is the more anxious to get Miss Darcy for her brother, from the notion that when there has been one intermarriage, she may have less trouble in achieving a second;25 in which there is certainly some ingenuity, and I dare say it would succeed, if Miss De Bourgh were out of the way. But, my dearest Jane,26 you cannot seriously imagine that because Miss Bingley tells you her brother greatly admires Miss Darcy, he is in the smallest degree less sensible of your merit than when he took leave of you on Tuesday, or that it will be in her power to persuade him that instead of being in love with you, he is very much in love with her friend.”
“If we thought alike of Miss Bingley” replied Jane, “your representation of all this, might make me quite easy. But I know the foundation is unjust. Caroline is incapable of wilfully deceiving any one; and all that I can hope in this case is, that she is deceived herself”27
“That is right. —You could not have started a more happy idea, since you will not take comfort in mine. Believe her to be deceived by all means. You have now done your duty by her,28 and must fret no longer.”
“But, my dear sister, can I be happy, even supposing the best, in accepting a man whose sisters and friends are all wishing him to marry elsewhere?”
“You must decide for yourself,” said Elizabeth, “and if upon mature deliberation, you find that the misery of disobliging his two sisters is more than equivalent to the happiness of being his wife, I advise you by all means to refuse him.”
“How can you talk so?” —said Jane faintly smiling, —”You must know that though I should be exceedingly grieved at their disapprobation, I could not hesitate.”29
“I did not think you would; —and that being the case, I cannot consider your situation with much compassion.”
“But if he returns no more this winter, my choice will never be required. A thousand things may arise in six months!”
The idea of his returning no more Elizabeth treated with the utmost contempt. It appeared to her merely the suggestion of Caroline's interested wishes,30 and she could not for a moment suppose that those wishes, however openly or artfully spoken, could influence a young man so totally independent of every one.31
She represented to her sister as forcibly as possible what she felt on the subject, and had soon the pleasure of seeing its happy effect. Jane's temper32 was not desponding,33 and she was gradually led to hope, though the diffidence of affection34 sometimes overcame the hope, that Bingley would return to Netherfield and answer every wish of her heart.
They agreed that Mrs. Bennet should only hear of the departure of the family, without being alarmed on the score of the gentleman's conduct; but even this partial communication gave her a great deal of concern, and she bewailed it as exceedingly unlucky that the ladies should happen to go away, just as they were all getting so intimate together. After lamenting it however at some length, she had the consolation of thinking that Mr. Bingley would be soon down again and soon dining at Longbourn, and the conclusion of all was the comfortable
35 declaration that, though he had been invited only to a family dinner, she would take care to have two full courses.36
1. Meaning that Mr. Collins was highly aware of having been assiduous in his attentions to Elizabeth (the implication of the phrase is that his attentive-ness existed partly in his own mind, and that Elizabeth was less aware of it than he was).
2. ill health: meaning her claim of ill health due to her distress at Elizabeth's actions.
3. In other words, an unpleasant scene might occur between him and Darcy that would cause pain to others there.
4. Since by now Wickham presumably knows of Elizabeth's lack of fortune, his continued attention to her does not derive from any matrimonial interest. He may simply like her; he also probably appreciates someone who sympathizes so vehemently with his resentment toward Darcy.
5. hot pressed paper: paper that has been made smooth and glossy by being pressed between glaze boards and hot metal plates. It had been developed in the mid-eighteenth century, originally for fine books, and was noted for its brightness; a writer of Jane Austen's time (Mary Mitford) describes it as the best type of writing paper. It would thus be an appropriate choice for the wealthy and snobbish Miss Bingley (the author of the letter).
6. flowing: graceful, smooth.
7. Books on writing and calligraphy, of which there were many at the time, often recommended a particular species of handwriting, very graceful and ornamental, for ladies. One author declared that this hand, originally from Italy, was specially invented for use by “the fair sex.” Miss Bingley, having gone to a leading girls' boarding school, was probably taught there to write this special “ladies' hand,” for elegant and attractive handwriting was considered an essential accomplishment.
