CHAPTER XIX
The next day opened a new scene at Longbourn. Miss Collins made her declaration in form. Having resolved to do it without loss of time, as her stay extended only to the following Saturday, and having no feelings of diffidence to make it distressing to herself even at the moment, she set about it in a very orderly manner. On finding Mrs. Bennet, Edward, and one of the younger girls together, soon after breakfast, she addressed the mother in these words:
'May I hope, Madam, for your interest with your son Edward, should I solicit for the honour of a private audience with him in the course of this morning?'
Before Edward had time for anything but a blush of consternation, Mrs. Bennet, though equally surprised, answered instantly,
'Oh dear!—Yes—certainly.—I am sure Edward will be very happy—I am sure he can have no objection.—Come, Kitty, I want you up stairs.' And gathering her work together, she was hastening away, when Edward called out:
'Dear Ma'am, do not go.—Miss Collins must excuse me.—She can have nothing to say to me that any body need not hear. I am going away myself.'
'No, no, nonsense, Edward.—I desire you will stay where you are.'—And upon Edward's seeming really, with vexed and embarrassed looks, about to escape, she added, 'Edward, I insist upon your staying and hearing your cousin.'
Edward would not oppose such an injunction—and a moment's consideration making him also sensible that it would be wisest to get it over as soon and as quietly as possible, he 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 Miss Collins began.
'My dear Edward, you can hardly doubt the purport of my discourse, however your natural modesty may lead you to dissemble; my attentions have been too marked to be mistaken. Almost as soon as I entered the house, though my object in coming here was to secure the future happiness of my brother, I singled you out as the source of my own. 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 seeking such a union—and moreover for coming into Hertfordshire with the design of selecting a wife for my brother, as I certainly did.'
The idea of Miss Collins, with all her solemn composure, being run away with by her feelings, made Edward so near laughing, that he could not use the short pause she allowed in any attempt to stop her further, and she continued:
'The reasons for my interest in marriage—both for myself and for my brother—are, first, that I think it a right thing for every respectable person in easy circumstances (like ourselves) to set the example of matrimony in their parish; secondly, that I am convinced that it will add very greatly to William's happiness, and to my own; and thirdly—which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom we have the honour of calling patroness. Twice has she condescended to give us her opinion (unasked too!) on this subject; it was on one of our earliest visits to Rosings that she said, “Mr. Collins, you must marry. A clergyman like you must marry.—Chuse properly, chuse 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;” 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 her ladyship graciously extended much the same advice to myself. Allow me, by the way, to observe, cousin, that I do not reckon the notice and kindness of Lady Catherine de Bourgh as among the least of the advantages in our power to offer. You will find her manners beyond anything I can describe; and your wit and animation, I think, must be acceptable to her, as will the honourable profession to which you aspire, 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 for a future partner for William instead of my own neighbourhood, where I can assure you there are many amiable young women. But the fact is, that since my brother is 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 chuse a wife for him from among your sisters, 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, 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, and to await your proposal. To fortune I am perfectly indifferent, and shall make no demand of that nature on yourself, since I am well aware that it could not be complied with. 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 her now.
'You are too hasty, Madam,' he 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. However forward the manner of their making, I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals; but it is entirely impossible for me to solicit your hand.'
'I am aware,' replied Miss Collins, with a wave of the hand, 'that it is usual with young ladies to reject proposals which they secretly mean to accept, when their favour is first applied for; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a second, or even a third time; and I assume, that you mean only to teaze in employing such a device yourself. I am therefore by no means discouraged by what you have just said, and shall hope to be led to the altar ere long.'
'Upon my word, Madam,' cried Edward, 'your hope is a rather extraordinary one after my declaration. I do assure you that I am not at all like those young ladies (if such young ladies there are) who are so daring as to risk their happiness,—and that of others,—on the chance of being addressed a second time. I am perfectly serious.—You could not make me happy, and I am convinced that I am the last man 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 Miss Collins very gravely—'but I cannot imagine that her ladyship would at all disapprove of you. And you may be certain that when I have the honour of seeing her again, I shall speak in the very highest terms of your modesty, economy, and other amiable qualifications.'
'Indeed, Madam, 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 to solicit your hand, do all in my power to prevent your being otherwise. In promoting this scheme, you must have satisfied the delicacy of your feelings with regard to my family; and Mr. Collins, whether or not he be imposed upon to marry one of my sisters, 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 he thus spoke, he would have quitted the room, had Miss Collins not thus addressed him,
'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 you are merely trifling with my affections; and perhaps you have even now said as much to encourage me as would be consistent with the true gallantry of the male character.'
'Really, Miss Collins,' cried Edward 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 myself in such a way as to convince you of its being otherwise.'
'You must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear cousin, that your protest is merely words of course. My reasons for believing it are briefly these:—It does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy of being solicited, or that the society it would offer could 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 farther consideration that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another lady may ever accept an offer of marriage from you. Your situation is unhappily such that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your amiable qualifications. As I must therefore conclude that you are not serious in your rejection of my proposals, I shall chuse to attribute it to your wish of increasing my love by suspense, according to the usual practice of mischievous young men.'
'I do assure you, Madam, that I have no inclination whatever to that kind of mischief which consists in tormenting a respectable woman. 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 solicit your hand in marriage is absolutely impossible. My feelings in every respect forbid it. Can I speak plainer? Do not consider me now as a mischievous young man intending to plague you, but as a rational creature speaking the truth from his heart.'
'You are uniformly charming!' cried she, with an air of awkward courtesy; '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 Edward would make no reply, and immediately and in silence withdrew; determined, if she persisted in considering his repeated refusals as flattering encouragement, to apply to his father, whose negative might be uttered in such a manner as must be decisive, and whose behaviour at least could not be mistaken by his cousin for the affectation of a mischievous young man.
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